Do you suffer from hyper consumption during the holidays? Americans produce 600 million tons of carbon dioxide just from shipping alone. Luckily, green gifts are now popping up all over the place making it easier to find a gift that is eco-friendly. Put some thought into the gifts you purchase and give a gift that will last longer and will send a message. After all, it is still the thought that counts. Here are some tips to help you shop your way to a better world:
Reusable products
- Tote bags or cloth grocery bags are the easiest way to eliminate the use of plastic bags. Keep them in your car or purse so you never forget them. Many stores appreciate the customer bringing in their own bag and will actually give a discount.
- For the coffee-lover, traveler mugs are a great idea. Never go without your source of energy, save money and resources.
n Keep yourself hydrated. Reusable water bottles keep you from buying plastic water bottles and throwing them away. Just wash and reuse over and over again.
Recycle or go Organic
- Purchase clothing made from 100 percent organic cotton. Shoes made from recycled plastic bottles and even recycled tires are also now available. Organic clothing is sold at virtually every retail store nowadays, but beware of the companies that claim to be green, but actually aren't.
- Make a fruit basket with all organic fruit. Reuse a basket you're not using at home or simply find one at your local Goodwill for no more than a dollar.
- Buy organic, shade-grown, fair-trade coffee or organic tea. No pesticides, insecticides, or fungicides are used and it keeps farmers happy.
- Who doesn't love chocolate? Organic dark chocolate serves as an antioxidant and just tastes good!
Feeling sentimental?
- Write a poem or song to a loved one. If you play an instrument, learn their favorite song and play it for them. The best gift comes from the heart.
- Make a list of his/her favorite songs and record them on a CD.
- Invite someone out to a picnic and serve only organic food from a local farmers market. The food is fresher, more nutritious, and tastes better.
- Bake cookies, muffins or a cake made from all organic ingredients or as organic as possible. Sometimes it's hard to find all organic ingredients.
Give an experience
- Tickets to the movies, a concert, museum, play, or sporting event will bring a smile to anyone's face.
- Give the gift of experience such as kayaking, scuba diving, skydiving, horse back riding, etc. Experiences such as these help the other person understand, respect and appreciate the environment much more.
Go green, literally
- Don't just give flowers that will wilt in a week. Give long lasting indoor or outdoor plants. Consider plants that are native to our region which require less water. Indoor plants are not only aesthetically pleasing, but also clean and purify indoor air of pollutants from cleaning products, smoke and pollution trapped inside.
Be creative
- Knit a sweater, scarf, beanie or blanket for someone. You can also make a pillow out of recycled fabric such as old denim. The other person will appreciate the time and effort you put into the gift.
- Put together a scrapbook. Compile a bunch of pictures, cut out pictures and words from magazines and add your own flair to a book that will be cherished for a lifetime.
- Enlarge a beautiful photo you've taken and put it in an inexpensive frame (landscape photos are amazing). The photo will always remind them of you.
- If you're an artist, paint them a portrait and if you're not a painter, you can still get creative by painting the inside of a soda bottle. Simply pour paint in the bottle, swirl it around, pour the excess out and you have an eccentric and unique vase.
Don't know what they like?
- Give a gift certificate from an antique shop, recycled clothing store or used book or music shop. These stores ensure one of a kind, unique items that cannot be found anywhere else.
Go wrapless
- Use newspaper as wrapping paper. Spice it up with a photo or pictures and words from a magazine. Reusable shopping bags are a great alternative to paper gift bags and there is also gift wrap made from 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper using soy based inks.
Before you buy another gift, think about how that gift affects people and how it affects the environment. Environmental gift giving is not a trend, but a lifestyle change. It takes a little effort, but goes a long way. Incorporate not only green giving, but green living into your daily life and live a happier life on a healthier earth.
Tony Eulo Anthony Eulo is the environmental programs manager for the city and assistant to the city manager. He welcomes questions, comments and thoughts and can be reached at 779-7247.
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