RSS
Home
Green gifts and giving
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Gift package from BouldersBestOrganics.com
Politics and obligations aside, we give gifts because we want to show our appreciation for the recipient and to make them happy. But shopping for that especially eco-savvy person in your life can be challenging: the more environmentally conscious they are, the more likely they are to fret about things like excessive packaging, dirty manufacturing processes, emissions, and on an on and on.
So here are some gift ideas for that special green someone in your life, or if you want your gift giving to leave a small footprint:
Do-it-yourself (DIY) gift
Probably the greenest and most personalized gift of all is one that you make. Exrta points if you reuse materials (see previous post on the DIY photo frame). Some other ideas:
- Cookies in a jar
- Teacup candle
- Cookbook (think journal with your favorite recipes and room for theirs)
- The classic mixed CD
Need more ideas? Google "DIY gifts" and prepare to be dazzled.
Like the idea DIY gifts without the "yourself" part of it? Check out www.etsy.com for an abundance of homemade gifts made in someone else's home.
My favorite non-things
My favorite gift idea for this holiday season comes from www.greenglobe.com: one square meter of land in Queensland, Australia. For $39.90, you can have or give a little patch of subtropical forest restoration land that is part of Project Tara. Green Globe is a member of Greening Australia and is committed to conserving land globally.
Similar conservation gifts are animal "adoptions" from the World Wildlife Fund, rainforest "adoption" from the Rainforest Alliance, or various options from www.giftsforconservation.org. And making a donation to any charity or organization in the name of your recipient will be an eco-friendly gift that will help make the world a better place.
Material girl
Let's face it, as small of a footprint as I try to leave behind, sometimes I just like to have pretty things, and maybe that special someone on your list does too. How about a nice little something from Vegetarian Shoes and Bags (VSandB), an online boutique featuring animal-friendly shoes and accessories. Livestock animals (for both food and textiles) are huge global consumers of crops, water and land (if they're lucky) as well as producers of toxic methane, so cutting down or eliminating your animal consumption is better for the planet. (tip: Purchase quality, well-made synthetic materials so they don't end up in a landfill in a year.)
Ideal Bite also offers this fun little idea: gift basket from Boulder's Best Organics, a small Boulder-based business that offers the finest organic goods the city has to offer in a neat little eco-friendly package. Organic and local!
Practical guy
Greenhome.com has announced a green - albeit incredibly practical and boring - top ten list of money-saving environmental products:
• The Kill-A-Watt ($59.50) See how much money your appliances are wasting
• Surge Protector ($31.50) Senses when electronics are not in use, and shuts them down
• Wind up Radio, Flashlight and Phone Charger ($49.50) Never be stuck without power
• The Power Steamer ($45.00) Super-efficient, energy-saving, cleans your whole house
• Solar Power LED Holiday Wreath ($99.00) Let your wreath be festive, green, and off the grid
• LED Floodlight ($39.50) Bright, durable, ultra-low energy lights that last 20+ years
• Water Heater Insulation Blanket ($17.50) Save hundreds of dollars and energy easily
• Eco-Cloth Microfiber Cloth ($20.00) Perfect cleaning with just water
• Indoor Vacancy Motion Sensors ($31.50) Automatically turns lights off when you’re not there
• Outdoor Solar Motion Sensors ($69.50) A motion-triggered, bright solar powered light
Purchase at www.greenhome.com/
So there's my list of recommendations to make your gift giving more eco-friendly. But seeing as green is the new black, there are oh-so-many-more ideas you can tap into this holiday season. What are your ideas for making your gift list evergreen?
Related Articles:
Add a Comment
.jpg)
