What better way to thank your guests for being there on your wedding day than sending them eco-friendly wedding favors as a reminder of your big day? We’ve all been to a wedding and accidentally left a wedding gift behind, given it to another guest or even thrown it away as our house ran out of space. 

Even though wedding favors are a small aspect of the wedding day, we think that every action we take to sustainability will add up! And as a bonus, your guests will appreciate it. 

We’ve listed some of our favorite ideas for eco-friendly wedding favors so your guests can return home with a valuable, sentimental and sustainable reminder.

Eco-Friendly Packaging

Before we get into the list of favors, let’s discuss packaging your gifts. As much as you want to, try sourcing your wedding favors locally. Doing this will support small businesses and avoid shipping emissions. You can also try sourcing your favors from sellers who use eco-friendly packaging. 

If you’re buying personalized favors from sites like Etsy, the site offsets shipping emissions, and sellers usually specify if their products contain plastic-free materials. If possible, pick minimal packaging and avoid products that contain plastic.

Make Donations

The most efficient way to cut down emissions is to reduce consumption. Instead of purchasing thank you tokens for your guests, consider donating to a charity or cause. You can print a note from recycled paper or seed paper, thanking your guests and informing them where you’re making your donations. 

Another unique variation of this is to choose a few charities and give each guest their own token and the chance to choose where their donation goes. Your friends and families will likely be more interested and invested in the donation process as they can also determine the cause they love.

Below are ways to offer your guests eco-friendly gifts while supporting your local community and helping the environment.

Plants

Giving your guests potted plants as a wedding favor is an excellent way to avoid plastic and packaging. Whether you want to provide them with herbs and succulents or repurpose your centrepiece, giving your loved ones a green favor is one of the best eco-friendly options. 

To add a personalized touch to this favor and don’t mind the extra effort, add seed paper printed thank you notes or pick personalized pots for every guest!

Edible Gifts

We love edible wedding favors because of how practical they are. After all, everyone loves a good nibble! Whether sweets, honey, olive oils, locally produced preserves, or wines, these are excellent eco-friendly wedding favors that your guests will enjoy! 

So, where should you start? Try looking for inspiration at a local farmers market or look at what products or shops are good in your wedding location. Is your venue located in a wine country? You can get mini wine bottles. Are you living close to a honey seller? Offer your guests something they’ll be buzzing about! Once you’ve found the perfect product, you can print the labels with your wedding date, initials and thank you note. 

Beeswax or Soy Candles

Candles are the perfect choice as wedding favors for a romantic wedding theme. Your guests can light them up when coming home, offering a truly relaxing experience. Candles are also a great choice for weddings if you have many guests from out of town as there aren’t any liquids to get through airport security and candles are easy to bring. 

However, make sure to avoid buying candles made from paraffin wax, as these aren’t very eco-friendly. Pick beeswax or soy candles, as they are made from natural materials. Also, you can buy them from a local candle maker. 

Homemade Soaps

Another favorite wedding favor that is made locally is locally-produced soaps. Bar soaps are sustainable as they don’t come in plastic and are more concentrated than liquid soaps, so it’s easier to ship them. 

We also love locally-produced soaps just because they look heavenly and are easy to label with a thank you note! A great place to look for these is in farmer’s markets. But if you can’t find a local producer close by, you can find it on Etsy.

Glassware Gifts

Are you into the mason jar that’s trending? Also, are you looking to serve wine to your guests? Or have a champagne toast? 

Consider buying personalized or etched glassware that you can do for your guests for your special day and send them with the glasses later on. If you’re in a crafting mood, try thrifting mason jars or glasses and do your own etching!

Think of Zero Waste

Are you looking to share your love of the environment with all your guests and offer them something that our planet will love? You can give your guests some zero-waste essentials, which are perfect as eco-friendly wedding favors.

These include personalized tote bags, bamboo cutlery, reusable straws, water bottles and many others. These zero-waste staples are gifts you will feel good about and may also help your friends and family reduce waste. It’s a win-win!

Conclusion for Eco-Friendly Wedding Favor

More and more couples nowadays are personalizing their weddings instead of following traditions – and sustainable wedding favors are a great way to make your mark on your nuptials. 

Besides showing your guests how much you care about them, this will also show how much you care about the environment. 

We hope our list above has given you the best ideas on what eco-friendly wedding favors you should get and ensure these gifts will be the ones that your guests – and the planet will love.