Eco-Friendly Wedding Favors People Actually Keep (We Asked Reddit, Not Pinterest)
When you say, “We want eco-friendly wedding favors ideas” what coming from your heart is:
- You don’t want waste.
- You don’t want guilt.
- And you definitely don’t want your wedding to add one more unnecessary thing to the mother planet “Earth”.
But the truth is, Plannersy have been a part of organizing many weddings and the intent of being “eco-friendly” can turn quickly into just another label:
Bamboo this. Reusable that. Wrapped in plastic. Shipped across continents. Thrown away anyway.
So instead of team Plannersy guessing & ideating what counts as a good eco-friendly wedding favor to include in this article, we did something very unglamorous:
We listened. We read.
- We read actual Reddit threads where some of the wedding guests admitted they’d never used a single wedding favor they received.
- We scrolled through comments where people confessed & said “they’d rather have better food, a better bar, or nothing at all.”
- We noted the ideas that people actually appreciated – the ones they used, ate, planted, or took home happily.
While researching a list of eco-friendly gift options to include as wedding favors in this article, what became create to use was that:
Being eco-friendly is not always adding greener things to your choices, but about adding fewer things that are better ones & not going to dustbin dump.
Another thing to note is that guests don’t want to be taught sustainability at a wedding, they just want something that fits naturally into their life – or no object at all, just a thoughtful gesture with some sweets or edibles to take home & snack on it.
And this is where many well-intentioned favors go wrong. They focus on being eco… but forget to be human.
This article is our attempt to fix that.
Everything you’ll see next is inspired by real people – not ideal consumers – across India and the US.
No perfect solutions. No moral pressure. Just ideas that respect the planet and the guest receiving them.
Before we share the ideas themselves, there’s one simple filter we now use when deciding whether a wedding favor deserves to exist at all.
Let’s start there.
A simple filter before choosing any eco-friendly wedding favor
Before getting into ideas, here’s the lens we now use at Plannersy. It’s based entirely on what guests said they actually liked – and what they didn’t.
If a wedding favor checks at least one of these boxes, it’s usually a good idea:
- It gets used or consumed within a few weeks
- It replaces something the guest already buys
- It can be planted, shared, or finished
- It doesn’t need instructions or justification
If it checks none of them, it’s probably just waste – even if it looks eco-friendly on the paper.
With that in mind, here’s a list of eco-friendly wedding favors that real people appreciated, kept, used, or enjoyed – pulled from real reddit threads & communities, and curated carefully by Team Plannersy.
Let’s get into it.
1. Eco-friendly wedding favors people actually like
1. Edible favors (the safest, most loved choice)
If there’s one thing Reddit, real guests, and planners all agree on – it’s this: If it can be eaten, it won’t be wasted.
Wedding favors that are edible are either shared, or finished. No guilt. No clutter.
Some ideas that came up again and again:
- Homemade jam or preserves: Small jars, seasonal fruits, made locally or by family. Guests remember the thought, not the label.
- Loose-leaf tea blends: Wrapped in paper or cloth. Especially loved by guests who don’t drink alcohol.
- Coffee beans or filter coffee sachets: A hit in both Indian and US weddings. Simple, practical, and gone within days.
- Regional sweets: Mithai, brownies, cookies, biscotti.
- Honey from local beekeepers: One of the most repeated Reddit favorites. Easy to finish, easy to gift forward.
- Spice blends or chai masala: Useful, familiar, and deeply personal without being branded.
- Herbal drink mixes: Hibiscus, tulsi, lemongrass – especially appreciated after travel-heavy weddings.
Why these work?
Because they don’t demand space, they don’t ask for commitment, and they deliciously disappear.
2. Plantable & grow-with-you favors (eco, but not preachy)
These work when they’re simple.
Not overly aesthetic. Not dramatic. Just easy to take home and plant.
Guests liked these because they do something after the wedding.
- Native flower seed envelopes: Paper packets, nothing fancy. Bonus points if the flowers actually grow in the guest’s region.
- Herb seeds: Basil, mint, coriander, rosemary. Practical beats poetic here.
- Vegetable seeds: Tomato, chilli, greens. These came up often because people like eating what they grow.
- Seed paper cards: Thank-you notes or place cards that can be planted later. Works well for smaller weddings.
- Mini potted plants: Only when locally sourced and easy to care for. Guests appreciate honesty about upkeep.
- Tree planting in guests’ names: Shared as a simple card or note. No forced emotional language. Just transparency.
Why these work?
They don’t feel like stuff.. They feel like something ongoing.
3. Reusable everyday favors (things people already use)
These came up a lot in zero-waste conversations – not as “cute gifts,” but as swaps people genuinely stick with. That’s why they work as eco-friendly wedding favors.
The key is this: they replace something, instead of adding something.
- Handmade soap bars or solid shampoo: Paper-wrapped, no plastic. Easy to use, easy to finish.
- Soy or beeswax candles in glass jars: Practical, calming, and actually burned – not stored.
- Loose incense or dhoop cones: Especially loved in Indian weddings when kept simple and natural.
- Bath salts or herbal soaks: Small quantities. No giant jars. Guests finish them.
- Refillable natural air fresheners: Simple bottles with essential oils and wooden sticks. Surprisingly popular.
- Cloth napkins or small fabric wraps: Useful at home, especially when neutral and unbranded.
Why these work?
They quietly enter daily life. No explanation needed. No expiration date tied to your wedding.
4. Experience-first favors (sometimes the most eco-friendly choice is no object)
This might be the most honest section of all.
A lot of people – especially in eco-conscious communities – said they’d rather feel something than take something home.
And honestly, we get it.
Some ideas couples loved:
- A shared donation instead of a favor: To a local park, animal shelter, tree-planting drive, or community cause. A small note explaining it is enough.
- Upgrading food or drinks instead of favors: Better desserts, a regional snack counter, or a great coffee bar. People remembered this.
- Handwritten thank-you notes at the table: Not printed. Not templated. Just a few honest lines.
💬 Real Reddit threads on eco-friendly and zero-waste wedding favors
Much of this article is inspired by real conversations happening in online communities where guests, couples, & other redittors speak honestly about what they liked, what they kept, and what quietly went to waste in the name of eco-friendliness.
Some of the most helpful discussions came from Reddit threads like these:
- “Eco friendly / zero waste wedding favor and gifts ideas please!!” – a thread where users shared ideas like homemade jam, reusable table decor, candles, seed cards, and plantable favors. [source 1]
- “Sustainable wedding favors?” – a discussion focused on edible favors such as tea, honey, local treats, and why consumables are often more appreciated than keepsakes. [source 2]
- “Wedding favors that are actually worth it?” – a guest-heavy thread calling out common favor mistakes and highlighting what people genuinely enjoyed or remembered. [source 3]
- “Sustainable / zero waste wedding favours” – a conversation exploring when it makes sense to skip physical favors altogether and focus on experiences or shared gestures instead. [source 4]
Sources
- source 1: https://www.reddit.com/r/ZeroWaste/comments/w70yjo/eco_friendly_zero_waste_wedding_favor_and_gifts/
- source 2: https://www.reddit.com/r/wedding/comments/qw2j3i/sustainable_favors/
- source 3: https://www.reddit.com/r/wedding/comments/qgj1w3/wedding_favors_that_are_actually_worth_it/
- source 4: https://www.reddit.com/r/UKweddings/comments/1qivi2r/sustainable_wedding_favours/
A final note from Team Plannersy on Eco-Friendly Gifting
Eco-friendliness isn’t a badge. And it’s definitely not a pressure… not for you, and not for us at Plannersy.
We’ve learned this the slow way while building Plannersy.
Sometimes, being eco-friendly doesn’t mean choosing the most green option from a list or just checklisting the “eco-friendly” labels.
Sometimes, it simply means not making a choice at all. Not adding another object. Not forcing another favor. Not creating something just because tradition expects it.
We don’t believe that a thoughtful eco-friendly wedding is measured by how green it looks. But it’s measured by how gently it sits in people’s lives, and on the planet, and after the day is over.
If you choose an eco-friendly wedding favor, let it be because it feels right.
And if you choose not to, that’s a valid, responsible choice for the mother planet “Earth” too.
That, to us, is sustainability.
— Team Plannersy
Explore more on sustainable weddings by Plannersy
If you’re planning consciously and want to go deeper, these articles might help:
| Article | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Weddings | Practical, low-waste gift ideas that guests actually appreciate |
| Slow Fashion Explained | What slow fashion really means in the context of weddings |
| NGOs Accepting Food in India | Where leftover wedding food can be responsibly redirected |
| How to Plan an Eco-Friendly Wedding in India | A realistic approach to planning sustainably without overwhelm |
| Sustainable Bridal Wear Brands in India | Indian designers and labels focused on mindful fashion |
| How to Make Your Wedding More Sustainable | Small changes that collectively make a big difference |
| Food Wastage in Indian Weddings | Understanding the scale of waste – and how to reduce it |
| Plannersy Sustainability Manifesto | Our philosophy on sustainability, intention, and responsibility to the mother planet “Earth” |
