The 2011 Green Holiday Gift Guide
Make your holidays this year as green as possible with eco-friendly gifts for everyone on your list. Since there is no one-stop shop for everyone, use this 2011 Green Holiday Gift Guide to get ideas for unique, earth-friendly gifts for the home, school or office. This list of gift options highlights the best in reusable, non-toxic, organic and sustainable products. The 2011 Green Holiday Gift Guide is sure to help you find the right green gifts that will have your family and friends €" and Mother Earth €" thanking you.
1. Long lasting products instead of €one-time€ products
Steering clear of disposable or one-time use items will help reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfills, and move our society towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Reusable mugs, drinking containers and lunch boxes are good gifts, as long as they are PVC, BPA and lead-free. For the teachers, co-workers, or anyone else on your list who works with dry-erase markers, a useful gift is a set of non-toxic, refillable markers from EcoSmart Products. Adding a few new drops of ink back into a marker, rather than throwing it out, will help all the marker-users on your list to reduce their ecological footprint.
2. Natural products rather than ones made of chemicals
Synthethic-based compounds, which are derived from petroleum, make up the majority of our cosmetics and fragrances. Not only are these substances resource-intensive, but they have also been linked to cancer, hormone disruptions, allergic reactions and other harmful effects. For natural perfumes made of essential oils, try Nantucket Natural Oils, Aubrey Organics, Lavender Farms, and Tigerflag Natural Perfumery. And let's not forget the men! For masculine natural personal care products, try Organic Grooming, Burt's Bees Natural Grooming, Bulldog, and The Natural Grooming Company.
3. Services, or non-material gifts
One of the best ways to reduce our impact during the gift-giving holidays is to give a non-material gift. There are many services that do double duty by making a great gift and helping the environment too. Consider a gift card for car washes €" a professional car wash uses far less water than a home car wash. Gift cards or even a season's pass to Netflicks or itunes will allow your movie or music lover enjoy a diversity of options rather than owning a few select dvds and cds. A host of environmental and humanitarian charities will also be a meaningful gift for those wishing to help make a difference. No gift wrap and ribbons necessary.
4. Devices that can help save energy
Most households will most likely increase their collection of devices, gadgets and technology. For the tech-lover, consider the range of solar-powered gadgets that range from solar-paneled laptop bags to rechargers to camcorders. The NovoThink Surge Solar iPhone case even recharges the device while it is stored in its case. Water-powered alarm clocks will help wash away the guilt of energy consumption, while smart meters will help your eco conscious family and friends to keep an eye on the energy being consumed in the home.
5. Foster a green thumb or love of the outdoors
Encourage the green thumb on your list with indoor plants, a stainless steel composter, or a season's pass to the local parks. Outdoor outfitters have plenty of choices from camping gear (stoves, tents, water purification systems, and portable showers) to outdoor clothing or even off-beat sports equipment like a set of snowshoes. Embellishments for a garden or patio will also delight those who love the outdoors. Stone statues, a rain barrel, a bird bath, hanging lanterns, chimes, or ceramic outdoor planters make beautiful holiday gifts.
6. Products made from more sustainable materials
Bamboo is quickly becoming the sustainable material of choice when it comes to wooden items (think bowls, serving platters and serving utensils) and cotton items (think pjs, bathrobes, blankets and bedding). Gaiam and Blue Lotus offer bamboo and organic cotton items that avoid all the chemicals used in traditional cotton crops. For the kids, it is important to choose toys that are made of safe and more sustainable materials. Avoid PVC (the €poison plastic') by looking for toys made of natural materials like wood, cotton and wool, with non-toxic dyes, paints and finishes. This will give the kids a message that fun does not always have to be made of plastic.
7. Locally-made or grown products
To support the local economy and give a gift that carries the flavor of the local culture, consider your local artisans. The carbon footprint of a local, handmade item is considerably less than items packaged and shipped from overseas. Take a trip to the local farmer's market, art district or tourist area to find distinctive local treasures such as tapestry, pottery, soy candles or photographs and prints of the region. Shares for the local farmers' harvest (Community Supported Agriculture €" CSA) will also help your family and friends eating local and organic food throughout the growing season.
8. Toys that reinforce an eco message and build skills of the future
What better green gift for the school age child than a toy that builds skills towards a more sustainable future? The Green Science Kits (sold in many retailers, such as Indigo/Chapters) are a fun way to teach kids the basics of environmental science. The different kits help kids build a windmill generator, an enviro battery (made from a potato), a water filter and a solar-powered rover. Your budding environmentalist just may become part of the next generation of eco inventors.
Whether the gifts you give this season are reuseable, local, sustainable or help others to become better eco warriors, your choice of a uniquely eco-friendly gift will help those on your list to tread a little lighter on the earth. And that's a reason for holiday cheer.
1. Long lasting products instead of €one-time€ products
Steering clear of disposable or one-time use items will help reduce the amount of waste sent to the landfills, and move our society towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Reusable mugs, drinking containers and lunch boxes are good gifts, as long as they are PVC, BPA and lead-free. For the teachers, co-workers, or anyone else on your list who works with dry-erase markers, a useful gift is a set of non-toxic, refillable markers from EcoSmart Products. Adding a few new drops of ink back into a marker, rather than throwing it out, will help all the marker-users on your list to reduce their ecological footprint.
2. Natural products rather than ones made of chemicals
Synthethic-based compounds, which are derived from petroleum, make up the majority of our cosmetics and fragrances. Not only are these substances resource-intensive, but they have also been linked to cancer, hormone disruptions, allergic reactions and other harmful effects. For natural perfumes made of essential oils, try Nantucket Natural Oils, Aubrey Organics, Lavender Farms, and Tigerflag Natural Perfumery. And let's not forget the men! For masculine natural personal care products, try Organic Grooming, Burt's Bees Natural Grooming, Bulldog, and The Natural Grooming Company.
3. Services, or non-material gifts
One of the best ways to reduce our impact during the gift-giving holidays is to give a non-material gift. There are many services that do double duty by making a great gift and helping the environment too. Consider a gift card for car washes €" a professional car wash uses far less water than a home car wash. Gift cards or even a season's pass to Netflicks or itunes will allow your movie or music lover enjoy a diversity of options rather than owning a few select dvds and cds. A host of environmental and humanitarian charities will also be a meaningful gift for those wishing to help make a difference. No gift wrap and ribbons necessary.
4. Devices that can help save energy
Most households will most likely increase their collection of devices, gadgets and technology. For the tech-lover, consider the range of solar-powered gadgets that range from solar-paneled laptop bags to rechargers to camcorders. The NovoThink Surge Solar iPhone case even recharges the device while it is stored in its case. Water-powered alarm clocks will help wash away the guilt of energy consumption, while smart meters will help your eco conscious family and friends to keep an eye on the energy being consumed in the home.
5. Foster a green thumb or love of the outdoors
Encourage the green thumb on your list with indoor plants, a stainless steel composter, or a season's pass to the local parks. Outdoor outfitters have plenty of choices from camping gear (stoves, tents, water purification systems, and portable showers) to outdoor clothing or even off-beat sports equipment like a set of snowshoes. Embellishments for a garden or patio will also delight those who love the outdoors. Stone statues, a rain barrel, a bird bath, hanging lanterns, chimes, or ceramic outdoor planters make beautiful holiday gifts.
6. Products made from more sustainable materials
Bamboo is quickly becoming the sustainable material of choice when it comes to wooden items (think bowls, serving platters and serving utensils) and cotton items (think pjs, bathrobes, blankets and bedding). Gaiam and Blue Lotus offer bamboo and organic cotton items that avoid all the chemicals used in traditional cotton crops. For the kids, it is important to choose toys that are made of safe and more sustainable materials. Avoid PVC (the €poison plastic') by looking for toys made of natural materials like wood, cotton and wool, with non-toxic dyes, paints and finishes. This will give the kids a message that fun does not always have to be made of plastic.
7. Locally-made or grown products
To support the local economy and give a gift that carries the flavor of the local culture, consider your local artisans. The carbon footprint of a local, handmade item is considerably less than items packaged and shipped from overseas. Take a trip to the local farmer's market, art district or tourist area to find distinctive local treasures such as tapestry, pottery, soy candles or photographs and prints of the region. Shares for the local farmers' harvest (Community Supported Agriculture €" CSA) will also help your family and friends eating local and organic food throughout the growing season.
8. Toys that reinforce an eco message and build skills of the future
What better green gift for the school age child than a toy that builds skills towards a more sustainable future? The Green Science Kits (sold in many retailers, such as Indigo/Chapters) are a fun way to teach kids the basics of environmental science. The different kits help kids build a windmill generator, an enviro battery (made from a potato), a water filter and a solar-powered rover. Your budding environmentalist just may become part of the next generation of eco inventors.
Whether the gifts you give this season are reuseable, local, sustainable or help others to become better eco warriors, your choice of a uniquely eco-friendly gift will help those on your list to tread a little lighter on the earth. And that's a reason for holiday cheer.
