Green Gifts for the Holiday Season
Brainstorming for gifts for the holiday season.For like-minded green folk, the “green” gifts that come to mind are intangible presents that deliver green good long after the holidays. Some ways to give back to the earth:
- Donate time or money to a charity in honor of the gift recipient (a gift to …is a good choice).
- Buy carbon offsets in the recipient’s name. Along with cutting your own carbon emissions and fuel bills, help your friends and family offset theirs.
- Give a national parks pass or a membership to botanical gardens or aquariums or an eco-vacation.)
- Give the gift of a massage – or yoga lessons – or meditation dvd
But where to start for more traditional folks?
- Energy-saving light bulbs.
- Battery recharger and rechargeable batteries
- Membership to an online dvd service – a virtual gift
- Online music downloads
GIFT BAGS: So many gifts to wrap, so little time? Forget about the wasted rolls of wrapping paper which increases trash and use organic fabric gift bags
BOOKS: It seems there’s an eco book for everyone. The fashionista on your list will love Green is the New Black by Tamsin Blanchard. If you’re looking for something for someone who travels a lot, pick up Fodor’s Green Travel: The World’s Best Eco Lodges and Earth-Friendly Hotels. And that friend who treats his car like a baby will appreciate Clean Car Wars: How Honda and Toyota are Winning the Battle of the Eco-Friendly Autos by Yozo Hasegawa.
CHOCOLATE: always, but remember organic is better for the environment. Mass-produced cacao beans are typically grown with heavy use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers on clear-cut forest land. Organic beans are cultivated without use of chemicals, and shade-grown beans help preserve the forest canopy that shelters migratory birds and butterflies.
CANDLES: Soy and beeswax candles are the way to go. Made with natural wax, these candles burn clean, and while they cost more than paraffin candles, they burn longer. If it says paraffin (or nothing at all), walk away. Paraffin is a petroleum-based product that releases harmful chemicals like benzene into the air as it burns, and a lot of scented candles are made with synthetic perfumes, which are hard on people with allergies.
Explore these for more ideas
