We know many of us are concerned about consumerism and its role in climate change, so we asked Catalyst sponsor Thankful Registry for some practical ideas on how to create a wedding registry that's more ethical, eco-friendly, and mindful of the world we live in.

Choose Local, Choose Small

With a universal registry, you can add items from any online store that ships to your address. This means you can opt to add items from your local boutique instead of the big-box chains.

Support Our National Parks

There's a lot of great official merchandise on the National Park Foundation's Find Your Park online store. The best part is all proceeds go directly to the National Park Foundation, the charity arm of the National Park Service. We especially like like these cute playing cards that feature a different US park on each card, and this tote bag that's proudly printed in the USA.

Consider Earth-Friendly Gifts

If you live in New York, Portland, San Francisco, or Seattle, your city already collects organic waste, meaning matter that can be composted. So why not add an indoor compost bin to your registry? This $19.99 design from OXO sits casually on your countertop and doesn't scream compost bin. Or what about a portable solar panel for your picnic, camping trip, or your hike? The latest model from BioLite, the SolarPanel 10+ can charge your GoPro camera or smartphone whenever the sun's out.

Browse Fair Trade Products

See if you like anything from fair trade marketplaces like Ten Thousand Villages, which supports the income of more than 20,000 artisans in 30 developing countries. You'll find rugs, baskets, tableware and artwork from all corners of the world that's ethically-sourced and fair trade certified. Other online stores that promote ethical, sustainable and fair trade products include SocietyB and Fair Trade Winds.

Thankful Registry Love the Great Outdoors

Share Your Love for The Great Outdoors

Whether you're an avid camper or just an aspiring one, you can request a lifetime membership to REI. Another option is to renew your "America The Beautiful" Annual Pass to the National Parks. You'll get access to more than 2,000 federal recreational parks across the country for 12 months. Back home, there are lots of great options to cultivate your green thumb. On Uncommon Goods, you can find lots of quirky gardening products including a microgreens growing kit, avocado tree kits, solitary bee hives, and beginner gardening kits.

Add A Non-Profit or Two

It's totally mainstream these days (on Thankful Registry at least) for couples to mix charity donations with their honeymoon fund and homeware gifts. On Thankful, guests donate directly to the non-profit, so they receive 100% of the donation. Some couples request donations to their local Planned Parenthood or homeless shelter, while others choose to raise awareness for national non-profits that might not be so well-known, for example It Gets Better, or She Should Run.

Thankful Registry

Thankful Registry, founded by Kathy Cheng, is designed for couples who believe gratitude makes the world go round. It's an open-platform, universal registry where you can host traditional gifts, honeymoon funds, charity donations, and experiences all on one page. A lifetime registry with Thankful costs just $30, so feel free to keep using your registry for special occasions long after your wedding day. Explore the features by starting a free one-week trial at thankfulregistry.com.