Give Green Gifts

The holidays are a great time.  Families come together.  Old friends come into town.  If you're into gift giving, here are some tips on how to give eco-friendly, local, and fair trade gifts.  For a great resource on the local v. fair trade dilemma, check out An Ethical Shopper's Dilemma from Global Exchange.

If you're looking to green the rest of your holiday season, check out this Huddler wiki on cutting down on waste during the holidays.

Green Gift Recommendations

1. Homemade coupons for low-impact activities (like hikes, bike rides, or back rubs) are always a good option.  For other coupon options, check out the offerings from Organic Coupons.  If you (or your giftee) live in the San Francisco Bay Area, check out Green Zebra for coupons all about green living.
    
2. Make a donation in someone's name.  There are a lot of great organizations out there that can benefit from your generosity (two good ones are Heifer International and Conservation International).  Check out Charity Navigator to find charitys and see how they are ranked and how they spend their money.
    
3. Buy someone a carbon offset!  TerraPass has a whole gift section (and they even now offer stuff like a plastic bag dryer and Smart Strips).  Or check out Village Green Energy for offsets based in wind, biomass, and solar projects in California.  For a third choice, the BeGreen store stocks only the highest-quality carbon offset products and sustainable merchandise - every product they sell supports green technologies like renewable energy, forest sequestration, and energy efficiency projects. Finally, LivClean Carbon Offset Solutions has customized carbon offset plans and a carbon offset gift card that is not only affordably but a truly unique gift to give.
    
4. Buying for a fashion lover?  Check out How To Green Your Clothing or the Clothing and Accessories category and any of the designers mentioned there.
    
5. It seems the perennial gift for someone you don’t really know is some type of bath product (i.e. soap, bubble bath, lotion, etc).  But even if you don’t know them, do you really want to give them some paraben-laden, un-eco-friendly thing?  No!  Instead try something listed in the personal care category.
    
6. Give a national parks pass or a membership to a local botanical garden or aquarium.
    
7. Of course there are always eco-books and movies (think Fast Food Nation and Planet Earth).
    
8. For the chocolate lover, go with organic or fair-trade treats. Try Dagoba Chocolate or Green & Black's.
    
9. Got a kid’s birthday party or baby shower?  What little tyke wouldn’t love some lovely organic clothing or toys? 
   
   
10. If your giftee has a shoe fetish, try Simple Shoes, Natalie Portman’s new vegan line, Earth, or Stella McCartney. 
    
    
11. If it’s a bag fetish (and think beyond purses to messenger bags, laptop cases, etc), try something made from sustainable or recycled materials.  You could also try a tote bag that folds up into a 4" x 4" square pouch!  Baggu bags are strong and lightweight and come in great colors. 
     
12. If you’re looking to give jewelry, try antique or vintage. Or else, there's something fair trade or sustainable. And if you think maybe you’ll be getting down on one knee, check out greenKarat.
     
13. Need a journal? Journaling has many positive psychological effects. Why not get a tree free paper journal?
     
14. Does your giftee need some light?  Try the Crank Dynamo Flashlight: batteries cause all sorts of toxic problems if they end up in a landfill. What better way to avoid them all together than with hand power! This nifty little flashlight is powered by a crank- wind it for about 2 minutes and get 90 minutes of light!
     
15. Like giving care packages?  Does your giftee need a little nudge into eco-friendliness?  Give them a green starter gift kit!  It could include any variety of things, but a nice set to start with includes a stainless steel water bottle, a reusable bag, organic snacks, natural cleaners, and maybe even a natural lip balm.
     
16. Does your man get a little scruffy?  Help him clean up his shaving routine with a natural shaving kit.  Consider some natural shaving cream or soap, a natural bristle brush, and maybe an eco-friendly razor. Perfect for the eco-conscious man in your life!

See more Huddler gift guides: Mother's Day Gift Guide, Father's Day Gift Guide.

Green Gift Budget Helpers

1. Until December 20th, 2008, you can get $10 off on orders of $50 or more from the Global Exchange Online Store.  The coupon code is gxfriends08.
2. Through December 15th, 2008, Nau is donating 10% of every sale (up from their usual 2%) to the Partner for Change of your choice.
3. Sign up for the GreenLoop newsletter and get 15% off your first purchase.

Other Green Gift Lists

1. Yahoo Green Gift Guide
2. Hyattsville Wiki Green Gift Page
3. Co-op America: The Holiday Green Gift Catalog, The National Green Pages
4. The Center for a New American Dream has a Holiday Gift Guide
5. The Environmental Defense
6. The Sierra Club -be sure to read the comments section
7. The Eco Shopper and their sister site Body Fueling
8. Ad Busters Buy Nothing Day Campaign 
9. Ten Things You Should Never Buy New
10. The Greater Green Gift Guide
11. Polliwogged 2008 Gift Guide 
12. Green and Clean Mom’s 2008 Holiday Gift Guide
13. TreeHugger Holiday Gift Guide 2008: Give Green to Save Green
14. Co-op America Holiday Green Gift Catalog
15. CNET’s Green Gift Guide of Gadgets and Electronics
16. Etsy Handmade Environmentally-Friendly Gift Guide
17. Green Living Magazine’s Green Gift Guide
18. Tiny Décor Gift Guide 
19. 2008 Eco Child’s Play Green, Eco-Friendly Toy Holiday Gift Guide
20. Safe Mama's 2008 Safer Toy Guide
21. Healthy Child Healthy World's Marketplace
22. ZRecommends Mostly Green, Pretty Cheap Holiday Gift Guide
23. Gaiam's Top 25 Green Gifts