Our Planet Detroit readers and supporters are different. They not only care about our environment but also about who they spend their money and volunteer with.
Welcome to our 2022 Planet Detroit Guide to Gifting Sustainably! We’ve assembled this guide to help you discover local, sustainable ways to give and support these environmentally-conscious businesses and organizations with sustainable goods and offerings.
Our goal is to help the public connect to organizations and businesses offering products, services, and experiences with our local planet in mind.
Earth Seed Detroit
Detroiter Lottie Spady, a healthy lifestyle educator focused on food and herbalism, owns Earthseed Detroit. She offers community workshops on foraging and herbal medicine as well as products.
Gift idea: Organic mood stabilizer for that friend who needs a boost to get through the winter..
Nature’s Compliments
Nature’s Compliments enlightens divinity through self-love by creating healthy and affordable herbal products while reducing landfill waste. The shop sells all-natural products made locally like teas, soaps and body creams. If your goal is to use less plastic, you can refill your own bottles with herbs, liquid soap and creams.
Gift idea: Shampoo bars packaged in an upcycled tote.
Izzie LLC
Izzie leaves people, places & things better than they found them.
Gift idea: Hire Izzie to clean and beautify a loves one’s home, office or neighborhood.
Public Thrift
Public Thrift sells gently used goods. Our thrift store offers low prices on clothing, accessories, homewares, furniture, art, sporting goods, and more. Public Thrift solely relies on donated goods and has several strategies to sell or donate all goods that enter the store with the goal of having no trash or wasted materials.
Gift idea: Find a book for the avid reader in your life.
Rosemarine Textiles
Rosemarine Textiles is a collection of home goods and accessories dyed using plants in Detroit. Each piece is made by hand with intention and respect for our Earth. The pillows, socks and hair scrunchies caught our eyes. The natural colors are beautiful.
Gift idea: Who doesn’t love a nice soft pillow?
Hope for Flowers
Hope for Flowers is a responsibly designed and produced collection from sustainable fabrics. Designer Tracy Reese is from Detroit, and part of the mission of Hope for Flowers is to empower women and young people through arts programming in public schools and collaboration with local artisans in Detroit.
Gift idea: Explore the 2022 Holiday collection for your favorite fashionista.
Green Safe Products
Green Safe Products of Michigan is a company that strives to provide zero-waste solutions for small businesses, restaurants, stadiums, corporate cafeterias, and many others who seek responsible practices for our environment.
Gift idea: If you serve soup at your restaurant or know a restaurant owner, this is a great time of year to order soup bowls.
Cass Community Social Services’ Green Industries

Items produced at Cass Community Social Services‘ Green Industries are made from repurposed or recycled material that would otherwise end up in a landfill or remain part of the garbage and blight on vacant lots in Detroit. The mud mats are one of their most popular products made from abandoned tires found around Detroit.
Gift idea: Mud Mats are made from tires and are indestructible. Mud mats may be purchased from their online store or by calling 313-883-2277 Ext 203.
Arts & Scraps
Arts & Scraps uses recycled materials to help people of all ages and abilities think, learn and create.
Gift idea: Shop at their store location for items you can use to create art from recycled materials. Assemble a grab bag for your favorite crafters.
Eco-Sound Pest Management
Eco-Sound Pest Management offers an organic approach to modern pest management with eco-friendly practices and principles. No one wants pests in their home or business. This is an alternative option to harmful chemicals.
Gift idea: If a friend or family member is struggling with pests, gift them a service.
Save the Turtles Laundry Detergent
Save The Turtles Laundry Detergent is handcrafted by two Royal Oak women passionate about reducing household plastic waste. The detergent is filled in a mason jar that can be brought back and refilled.
Gift idea: The company boasts 29 loads of laundry with a 16oz jar and 58 loads with a 32oz jar of laundry detergent.
Midtown Composting
Midtown Composting provides composting and recycling services for businesses and homes. Stop throwing scraps away and help turn them into usable compost. They have a list of items they will accept with your subscription. They also offer to recycle.
Gift idea: Sign up your giftee for weekly residential food waste composting.
Planted Detroit
Planted Detroit is shortening the supply chain. They harvest salad greens daily, package mixes, micros, and ready-to-eat salads to order, and deliver them to your door. They never sell any product more than 6 days from harvest and are actively working to reduce food insecurity in our community by donating their leftovers.
Gift idea: Buy a salad subscription and receive locally grown, pesticide-free greens delivered year-round.
Pingree Detroit
Pingree Detroit is a worker-owned, triple-bottom-line design and manufacturing cooperative that hand-makes footwear and home, pet, and fashion accessories in Detroit with leather and other materials upcycled from the auto industry. There are so many cool items, and they even have some great upcycled items for those dog lovers.
Gift idea: A made-in-Detroit billfold with upcycled plastic and upcycled leather is the perfect gift for that person in your life who needs a new place to stash their cash.
Woodward Throwbacks
Woodward Throwbacks focuses on sustainability through original products created from reclaimed and recycled materials. Shop their new showroom in downtown Detroit and make an appointment to visit their warehouse space in Hamtramck.
Gift idea: Check out the new downtown Detroit showroom Throwbacks Home for unique home items.
Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit
The Architectural Salvage Warehouse of Detroit deconstructs buildings in Southeast Michigan to keep resources out of the waste stream, and to make decent, affordable housing materials available to low- and moderate-income families. This is the place to have a custom piece made for owners of historic homes and buildings.
Gift idea: Salvaged wood coasters. Get ’em.
Wallace Detroit Guitars
Wallace Detroit Guitars builds guitars from Detroit’s history. They use reclaimed wood from Detroit buildings to build fine guitars that continue Detroit’s proud tradition of making good things and great music.
Gift idea: These custom-made guitars would be a great addition for a collector.
LeadHead Glass
LeadHead Glass terrariums are handcrafted from reclaimed windows and wood salvaged from deconstructed homes in Detroit. They make adorable little hand-crafted terrariums in several different sizes and price points. Custom designs are an option.
Gift idea: A handmade LeadHead Glass Terrarium for your favorite green thumb.
Give a gift donation, volunteer, or purchase a gift membership from Planet Detroit or one of our Impact Partners:
Give a gift of Planet Detroit Membership in any amount you choose using this link. Members gain access to special networking events and other bonuses throughout the year. And your support will help us continue to deliver the local, independent environmental news you rely on to stay informed and engaged.
Or check out these Planet Detroit nonprofit impact partners — all are non-profit organizations that could use your support through gift memberships, donations and volunteering.
Society of Environmental Journalists
Great Lakes Environmental Law Center
The Detroit Zoological Society
MI Environmental Justice Coalition