85 Plastic-free Stocking Stuffers

Christmas doesn't have to be so wasteful. You can shrink your stocking's footprint by asking Santa to fill it with plastic-free goodies.

Christmas stocking with plastic-free stocking stuffers. Photo: Brett Tryon

I cherish the holidays — the magic, the anticipation, the baking, the family time — but Christmas generates a lot of waste. Each year around the holidays, Canadians throw away about 545,000 tonnes of wrapping paper and gift bags, much of it containing plastic coatings or glitter that make it impossible to recycle. And that’s just the wrapping. Think of all the plastic toys, trinkets, and synthetic clothing that will eventually end up in landfills — or in the natural environment — polluting waterways and impacting wildlife. In fact, experts estimate that only 9% of plastics ever made have been recycled.

That’s why, in 2020, I decided to organize a plastic-free Christmas. My husband and I agreed to buy only gifts without plastic or synthetic fibres, and we asked our friends and family (and Santa) to do the same. This included stocking stuffers.

Over the last five years, Santa’s elves have continued to fill our stockings with plastic-free goodies. It may be small act, but it’s a Christmas tradition I’m proud of. If you’d like to shrink your stocking’s footprint this year, here are some of my favourite plastic-free stocking stuffers to date (and new ideas for Santa this year).

*I didn’t include product links — I have readers from various countries, so I encourage you to search for items near you. Visit holiday markets and pop-ups, and support your local independent shops if you can.

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Yours truly holding organic cotton undies from my stocking

Clothing & Accessories

• Socks

• Underwear

• Scrunchies

• Wool mitts or hat

• Vintage or handmade jewelry

Cooking & Eating

• Bamboo/wooden spatula

• Bamboo/wooden mixing spoon

• Wooden rolling pin (minis for kids)

• Serving spoon

• Chop sticks

• Tea infuser

• Decorative tea spoon

• Cloth snack bags

• Metal snack tins

• Bread bag

• Reusable straws

• Linen bowl covers

• Bamboo utensil set

• Metal measuring spoons

• Meat thermometer

Sweets & Treats

My daughter Chloe with an orange from her stocking. (I’m mainly sharing because she’s so darn cute.)

• Orange or clementine (so nostalgic)

• Coffee, hot chocolate, or loose tea (in a tin or jar)

• Candies, chocolates, nuts, or other treats in a tin or jar

• Mini jars or tines of honey, jam, condiments, or sauce

• Junior Mints (loose in a box without plastic)

Household Cleaning

• Beeswax wraps

• Swedish dish cloths

• Dish brush

• Vegetable brush

• Bar of dish soap

• Cleaning spray tablets

• Glass spray bottle

• Cellulose sponges

• Dish towels

• Wool dryer ball

Health and Beauty

• Bamboo toothbrush

• Tooth powder or tablets

• Bamboo dental floss in glass

• Bamboo hairbrush or comb

• Shampoo/conditioner bars

• Dry shampoo (in a glass jar or tin)

• Bars of handmade soap

• Lip balm in cardboard tube/glass jar/tin

• Lotion in a glass jar/tin or lotion bar

• Deodorant (cardboard tube) or deodorant cream (in a tin)

• Stone gua sha (facial roller)

• Bamboo facial or body brush (natural bristles)

• Wooden massage roller

• Cork massage balls

• Massage oil (glass jar)

• Bath salt in a jar

• Body scrub in a jar

• Loofah

• Essential oils

• Eye mask

Hobbies & Games

• Mini books

• Magazines

• Card games (like Uno or Spot It)

• Tarot cards

• Seed packets

• Gemstones

• Harmonica

• Wooden yoyo

• Metal puzzle ring

• Wooden puzzles

• Sudoku or word search book

• After Dinner Amusements games

• Wooden kendama toy

• Wooden Rubik’s cube

• Movie passes

Arts & Crafts

• Pencils/pencil crayons

• Watercolour paints in a tin

• Wooden paint brushes

• Porcelain paint palette

• Darning mushroom

• Bamboo ruler

• Watercolour or sketching paper

• Wooden beads

• Wood crochet hooks or knitting needles

• Natural fibre yarn

Home Decor

• Beeswax or soy candles

• Candle holders

• Reed diffuser

• Ornaments

• Coasters