Last Green Gift Idea

Gotten used to your twice-a-week green gift fix?  Still need help finding green products to invest in?  Go online and pick up this book-The Lazy Environmentalist by Josh Dorfman.  This book offers a new approach to environmentalism–recognizing that most of us will not chain ourselves to a tree or indulge in a purely macrobiotic diet.  Josh Dorfman offers chic, stylish ways to shop green without sacrificing your fashion sense, or your wallet.  We like his approach because he tries to “make it so totally easy, fun, and attractive to ‘do the right thing’…” that people will want to “do it every time.”  Check out his website for more info.  His next installment, The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget will be out in 2009!

Green Garbage Gift Idea

Ok, so far we’ve inundated you with pretty-looking green gifts to give this holiday season.  Time to get down and dirty…with compost, that is.  While this might not be the best gift for the “hopeless romantic” in your life, it’s guaranteed to be a good gift for that budding environmentalist. 

This compost starter kit gives you everything you need to get your composting on.  It includes a carrier to collect kitchen scraps and cart them out to your outside bin, charcoal filters, one pound of starter compost for oustide, a bottle of compost maker to help convert all those orange peels to nutrient-rich dirt, and a thermometer to help figure out when that pile is ready to use in your garden.

Need a creative gift idea for the neighborhood gardening lady that spends hours outside?  Or what about the little boy on your Christmas list that already loves to play in dirt?  This composting set would be great for them both.  Click here to go grab one, and get your hands dirty this year in the name of helping the planet!

Check back on Wednesday for another great green gift idea!

Again with the Green Gifts…

This holiday season, keep your loved ones safe in a green way.  Give them a membership to the Better World Club, an environmentally-friendly roadside assistance program.   BWC provides emergency roadside assistance, discounts on hybrid car rentals, insurance services, free maps, auto maintenance discounts, and even bicycle roadside assistance.  Their shining point is that they donate 1% of annual revenues toward environmental cleanup and advocacy.  Memberships start at just over $50, and you can rest assured knowing that you are contributing to the green movment through your membership.  BWC also has an activism department that is working hard to develop policy changes that will raise fuel economy standards and support state attempts to regulate vehicular emissions of greenhouse gases.  Give some peace of mind this holiday season with Better World Club!

Come back next week on Monday and Wednesday to see what other green gift ideas we’ve come up with, and post your awesome recycling ideas here for a chance to win one of the featured green gifts!

Colorful Green Gift Idea

While regular crayons are made from petroleum and contain chemical dyes, these awesome Soy Crayon Rocks are made from non-toxic soy wax from renewable soybeans grown right here in the U.S. of A., and they’re tinted with natural mineral powders.  Rumor has it that their texture is lipstick smooth…no more flaky wax crayons…and the colors are supposed to be brighter.  We’re all for that.  Plus, the chunky shape of these crayons helps small fingers to develop muscles and handwriting skills.  We love that too. 

We found ’em here, and saw other versions of them all over the web. 

Come back every Monday and Wednesday for more green gift ideas!

Growing Green Gift

Feel guilty throwing away that nice note from Nana?  The sentimental packrats among us know how hard it is to throw away the cards and notes we get.  No more, with these plantable cards.  That’s right–PLANTABLE!  These cards are a great way to spread kind words and beautiful flowers at the same time.  Made of 100% post-consumer recycled fiber and printed with soy ink, these cards are embedded with a variety of wildflower seeds: Baby’s Breath, Catchfly, Gaillardia, Chinese Houses, Baby Blue-Eyes, and California Bluebells. 

Each blank handmade card comes with planting instructions, seed content, and a hemp envelope.  Toss the card in the ground when you’re done with it, and it will decompose naturally as the flowers bloom. 

We’re big fans of the Green Field Paper Company, who use no new trees in manufacturing their paper, and offset 100% of the energy used in their offices and studios with wind power.  Plus, they make such pretty stationery. 

Check them out here at eco-artware.com and see other sustainable gifts.

Wooden Wonders Green Gift Ideas

The Plan City Wooden Gas Station ($29) is hand-crafted from plantation rubberwood that is recovered after the trees no longer generate latex and are due for burning. The paint is water based, non-toxic, has been proven to be safe for kids, and is non-polluting in natural water sources. Go ahead, fill ‘er up Green!

Fill up your Plan City Wooden Logging Truck’s ($8) pretend tank with eco-friendly biodiesel so you can transport sustainable wood from responsibly managaed forests!

Perhaps the little on in your life has enough Green toys and your tatses are for a gift with staying power. These gorgeous pieces of children’s furniture are sure to become instant heirlooms. Made from sustainably-harvested hardwood and hand-painted with non-VOC paints, this matching chair set ($249)from Nimli.com is sure to dazzle for years to come and add an air of refinement to any room.

 This gorgeous Step Stool ($249) will be treasured for generations:

Just 5 more weeks ’till Christmas! Be sure you tune in every Monday and Wednesday for more great green gift ideas!

Yet Another Green Gift Idea

What fiber can hold 3 times its weight in water, is softer than cotton and dries in half the time, has hypoallergenic and antibacterial properties, doesn’t require herbicides or pesticides to grow, can be replanted yearly without putting strain on the soil, and can be processed with very little chemicals and water?

Bamboo, baby.  That’s right.  This towel set is made entirely of bamboo, our new favorite fiber. 

Not only does bamboo feel amazing on your skin, its a fabulous environmental choice.  Bamboo can grow extremely fast, doesn’t require a lot of water, and releases 35% more oxygen than an equivalent amount of trees.  It’s an extremely hardy plant, and actually improves soil quality in degraded and eroded areas. 

You can find 9 different colors of these towel sets here, at Nimli.com.  Grab a couple and spread some warmth and green this holiday season.

Stay tuned every Monday and Wednesday for more green gift ideas!

Glamorous Green Gift Idea

Take a look at these gems–handbags made of recycled candy wrappers and newspapers!  These unique bags are made with pre-consumer, recycled candy wrappers, soda labels and food packages that were thrown out because of misprints or discontinued product.  Ecoist saved this mass of clean materials from the landfill and turned them into a great accessory.  Glossed up and tightly woven, these clutches work great to help you show off your green side, and will have the other girls green with envy at the same time.  Because these are handmade, no two are exactly alike…though you can choose between 3 color schemes–the gold one pictured above, a black and pink geometric design, and this one that uses actual newspaper (don’t worry, it’s got a clear gloss finish so it can withstand the rain, and won’t leave your fingers dirty). 

Click HERE to check out these bags at remodern.com and pick one up for the green glamour girl in your life!

Geeky Green Gift Idea

Get all kinds of geeky with these coasters made of recycled circuitboards.  We featured these on our Recycle 4 a Cause Blog, and couldn’t wait for the opportunity to feature them again.  If circuitboards are thrown away, they can leach heavy metals, pollutants, and flame retardants into the soil and water supply.  If they’re turned into these rad coasters, your coffee table stays ring-free, and the world gets a little greener.  We like them because they’re functional, beautiful, and come in a handy case.  You can find them at ThinkGeek.com, along with a bunch of other gadgetry.

Another Great Green Gift!

This cuddly critter brings a whole new meaning to the term sweater bunnies! Each hip hopper is a different shade of red and is made entirely from recycled sweaters and other reclaimed materials. Let them play while you embrace the concept of conscious commerce. Not a big bunny fan? Also available are sweater elephants, kangaroos, ducklings, piggies, and penguins. Find them all HERE at eco-artware.com. $20.00-$26.00 each.

Tune in Wednesday for another great green gift idea!