Merry Melrose Sustainable Gift Guide
We created this guide for Melrose shoppers who want environmentally-friendly gifts and to support local businesses. The guide highlights local shops and organizations that offer gifts or experiences with an environmental benefit. The guide includes gift ideas that meet at least one criterion for environmental impact, such as low/zero waste, made with organic ingredients, carbon neutral or produced with green power, or supports a local sustainability cause.
Toys
The Toyary Gift Membership: Did you know that for each year of age, a child’s attention span is only 3-5 minutes? Give a family you love the gift of hundreds of educational, inclusive-focused toys, games and other play experiences that will grow with their little ones from <6 months to 6+ years, without the constraint on their space or the broader environment! A Toyary membership gives access to over 700 learning-based toys and games that families can choose and rotate as often as they like through The Toyary's toy lending platform! Shop online or visit The Toyary’s new brick-and-mortar location at 171 Tremont Street, Melrose MA.
Lilah Rose Toys: This cute Main St. shop has a full line of Green Toys, made in the USA from 100% recycled materials—specifically milk jugs. No batteries required, these toys run on imagination. Whether you’re in search of a dump truck, a tea set, a tugboat or good ‘ol blocks, Lilah Rose has a large selection of fun Green Toys. And you can feel good knowing that Green Toys have already recycled 132 million milk jugs to make new toys.
For fashionistas of all ages
Look good without the waste and carbon emissions of the fashion industry. And reused and rented clothing is trending—did you know Kate Princess of Wales wore a rented evening gown to the recent Earthshot Prize gala in Boston.
Apple of My Eye: This Franklin St. shop offers a deep selection of pre-loved kids and maternity clothing in great condition. If you’re worried about the environmental impact of the fashion industry, pre-loved is the way to go. For the little one who needs a new ski outfit or an expecting mom looking for a holiday party dress, Apple of My Eye has it all.
Madison Avenue of Melrose: Open on Main St. through the end of December, this shop has extensive consignment inventory for luxury bags and clothes as well as everyday wear. Whether you’re looking for a gift or a sparkly holiday outfit for yourself, check out Madison Ave.
Beauty Cafe: A vibrant presence on Main St. for 15+ years, the Beauty Cafe stocks many products wiht organic ingredients. For the holidays, check out BITCHSTIX lip balms. Made with all-natural organic ingredients, these non-GMO balms will make you feel good inside and out. According to the brand, the name appropriates “a word that has historically been used to inflict shame, and attaching it to an agent of restoration.” And even better, BITCHSTIX donates to retailer-nominated nonprofit organizations that support survivors of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
No-Gift gifts
For the person who doesn’t need more “stuff”, support a sustainable cause or organization, or give a membership that opens the door to new experiences.
The Food Drive: This amazing food rescue non-profit diverts good healthy food from landfills and takes it to people who need it. And wasted food is a huge source of greenhouse gas emissions. One million people in Massachusetts face food insecurity, even though a million tons of wholesome food go into landfills each year in MA. Give the gift of full tummies and a healthier planet when take action with The Food Drive. Make a monetary donation, or enjoy time with a special someone by making meals together for The Food Drive’s community kitchen project.
Friends of the Fells envisions a Middlesex Fells Reservation where nature and people thrive in harmony, supported by a diverse and caring community conserving it for future generations. This ecosystem also cleans our air and sequesters a bunch of carbon to mitigate climate change. And you can help! Make a donation as a gift, give a membership, or make special memories together when you commit to volunteering with Friends of the Fells.
Melrose Public Library is the OG of reuse, and an essential part of our vibrant community. A donation to the library helps support the future library, which will also be a more energy-efficient modern building. And your donation can go even farther because a generous supporter awarded the library a $100,000 matching grant challenge — When the Friends of the Library raise $100,000, the grant provides an additional $100,000.
Gifts for bike and train fans
The Ride Cafe: Looking for a gift for the train, bus and/or bike loving people in your life? The Ride Cafe - a bike and family travel shop that just opened in Melrose, has a transit-loving and Boston-themed kids and adult gift section. This includes an MBTA die cast Green Line train designed by a local dad, to add to that train set, transit branded clothing, hats and more. Other great gifts include a bike tune-up gift card, bright and fun bike lights, bells, cup holders, helmet stickers and more.
Gifts for foodies
Holiday Farmers Market: Shop for food, artisan crafts and fresh produce! Free admission for all shoppers. Saturday, December 11 from 11am - 3pm at Memorial Hall, Main Street, Melrose MA. Many market vendors have a sustainability mission. Supporting the market promotes local farms, organizations and businesses, and builds community while contributing to a sustainable future.
Buckalews General Store: This Main St. shop offers a range of items for the sustainability-minded consumer including organic wines, a personal set of to-go reusable eating utensils, and yummies like Hot Dates (organic chocolate dates made in Somerville by a Carbon Neutral company). They also carry Dean’s Beans, an organic coffee producer committed to protecting and enhancing soil, water, worker health and critical migratory bird habitat.
Green Street Natural Foods: This family-run natural foods store has a passion and knowledge of organic, natural foods that taste great. Local honey is a specialty and makes a nice holiday gift Sourced from Melrose, Woburn, and Billerica their raw local honey is perfect for tea, baking and purported to be the sweetest medicine on planet Earth. And when we support beekeepers and pollinators, we support healthy ecosystems.
Gifts for the garden
Plants: A living plant cleans the air and lifts spirits. And this is a zero-waste gift when you add is to the compost bin or toss it into the yard to breakdown. Melrose has multiple great options for lovely plant gifts, including Pepperberry, Affairs to Remember, and the new Lilah Rose Annex.
Composting: And when that plant has lived its best life, make sure it has a compost bin nearby. If you know someone who is compost-curious but hasn’t yet taken the next step, consider a gift subscription to Black Earth Compost. More than 300 Melrose households compost with Black Earth’s affordable curbside pickup service. Composting diverts waste from the trash, and creates nutrient-rich biomatter that sequesters carbon and supports healthy ecosystems.
The gift of “less is more”
Clever Girl Organizing gift certificate: Melrose is home to award-winning organizer and coach, Clever Girl Organizing (aka Kathy Vines). How is that sustainable, you ask? Clever Girl helps clients re-think their relationship with consumption and stuff, which often results in a less-is-more way of living. She literally wrote the book, Clever Girl’s Guide to Living with Less. Plus, Clever Girl helps people declutter their lives responsibly to maximize the amount of excess stuff that is reused or recycled. Gift Certificates are available for Virtual Organizing (via Zoom) and In-Person Organizing Consultation sessions. Check out Kathy’s blog on how to be better gift-giver.
Lend and Mend makes waste reduction more accessible by offering a Library of Things where members can borrow tools and household items, as well as services and resources to repair and maintain the items we already own. Support this mission by gifting early-access memberships to yourself and loved ones this holiday season. Now open at The Loop, 171 Tremont St.
Zero waste and refill shops: For the person in your life (and that may be you) who wants less packaging, less disposables, and less plastic, there are two nearby zero-waste shops. Trove Green Provisions in Medford is a people and planet friendly product and refilling store offering provisions and services to help live a lower waste and greener life. And Unpacked Living promotes an earth-friendly, low-waste, and plastic-free lifestyle—with locations in both Danvers and Beverly.
