holiday gift suggestion, day 6

For those who don’t know, a big focus of mine is getting people off plastic. A major reason for this is the presence of Bisphenol-A, which, if you don’t, click on the category (to the right) and read up on it. I think that a major step in reducing plastic is getting a reusable water bottle. And, this weekend I learned of another one.

ECOUSABLE

I went to the EcoGift Festival this weekend and happened upon this booth. First off, really great group of people behind this product; knowledgeable, friendly, and very passionate about what they do. I found this bottle unique for a handful of reasons. They are made with stainless steel, they are made locally (to Los Angeles, anyway), and they have a great twist off top. But the COOLEST part of this bottle is the brand new filtration system that is coming out very soon.

Built into the top, is a filter that purifies 65 components out of the water. This means that you can fill your bottle with tap water, and not have to worry about anything. I know that many people lean towards bottled water because they fear contaminants. This is a product that allows you to feel confident in a move away from plastic, because it handles the purification for you.

I think that everyone needs a reusable water bottle. Not only does it help the environment, but it helps you and your health. I know that this product is on my stocking stuffer list for a handful of people, and I hope that it gets onto yours.

The filtration product, I think, comes out this week. Either way, you should get a bottle. You can get more information from their website, HERE.

holiday gift suggestions, day 5

I didn’t post suggestions at all last week, because I was finding things I wanted to suggest.

This one, I LOVE!!

CHANGING THE PRESENT

This is a website that links you, the gifter, to hundreds of charitable organizations in need of donations.

There are many options including saving wildlife, providing microloans to women in needs, buying rain collection barrels, adopting sea otters, and the lists go on and on and on and on.

We all have that person in our life that doesn’t need much more, or is difficult to buy for, or someone like me, who just doesn’t want anything. This is the perfect way to buy a gift that benefits the entire world, no just one person.

Think outside the box this holiday. Many people are downsizing. Many people are thinking about others instead of themselves. What a wonderful way to respect their choices. I know that many people are hesitant to buy a gift like this because there is a social stigma in giving a donation instead of giving a tangible, material item. To that I say: GET OVER IT!! There are things more important than you and your ego or how someone is going to think about you.

holiday gift suggestion, day 4

Since I seem to be on a “save the trees” theme… I’m going to stick with it for the week.

BUY A USED BOOK

I know that you may think I have lost my noggin’, today. But, I want you to consider for a second the amount of paper (therefore trees) used to make books. Many of which are really not even being read.

I want you to consider the idea of a rare, vintage book.

If you have someone in your life that values books… and, I mean everything about them; the smell, the touch, the language, the stories. If someone you know has a true love affair with books and reading, buy then a book of value. A book that can be cherished. A book from a hundred years ago, or a first edition of something more recent.

You can find a rare bookstore in almost every city in the country. I happen to live in Los Angeles, so I am going to suggest my favorite place: BOOK ALLEY

Book Alley is a great used bookstore in Pasadena. They have contemporary titles of all genres. However, I recently discovered their rare book section. I found a book in there from the 1800′s! And, most of the books have touching and remarkable inscriptions. This is an economic way to give someone a gift, create a sustainable home, and honor the written word and our past. This is also a gift that can, if chosen wisely, can increase in value. Can you say that about the Gap t-shirt you were thinking of getting Aunt Betty Sue?

Another benefit: buying local. By purchasing items from a locally owned business you are supporting our economy. For every $100 spent locally, $68 of that will stay in the community, compared to only $43 if you spend at a national chain. You have helped create and support local jobs, you conserved your tax dollars, you nurtured your community AND… you help the environment.

So, consider getting something that is unique, valuable, treasured, and saves the community and the environment. I mean really… doesn’t everything else just seem to pale in comparison, now?

Happy Holidays!

holiday gift suggestion, day 3

OK. So let’s say you ignored days 1 and 2… so you have your junk mail or your real mail, you may have even put up a tree, either way, you for sure got some cut down. Let’s make amends, shall we!

TREE PEOPLE

Well, all these trees are gone to make your Holiday cards and junk mail. So give the gift of a tree. Gifts start at $25 and increase from there. This is from their website:

Contributions made to the Gift of Life program provide funds to support TreePeople’s restoration efforts. This includes both planting and caring for trees, fostering a healthy natural environment surrounding Los Angeles. Due to the nature of our work, we do not have tags or plaques on each of the trees. Specific trees are not designated to specific dedications.

You can go to their website and make your purchase on line. Although, you can send to anyone you want, all around the country, trees will only be planted in Los Angeles. I’m sure with simple research you can find someone local to your area, if not in California. Or, contact TreePeople to see if they have partner organizations.

Go HERE for their donation page.

holiday gift suggestions, day 2

In the continuing series about how to make your holiday gifting just a little bit greener.

HOLIDAY CARDS

There are so many traditions, that while sweet and generous, are a big waste of the Earth. Holiday cards are one such thing. People, whom you haven’t talked to in years, feel obligated to send you a card wishing you and your family well over the holiday season.

I guess I have never been one to understand the tradition, although I think the sentiment comes from a heart felt place. However, the waste of trees in order to produce such influx of mail is astonishing.

Americans, on average, purchase 7 billion holiday cards each year. That is an astonishing amount of virgin paper used for a simple greeting. On top of that, there are other environmentally damaging manufacturing practices used to make paper greeting cards, such as toxic printer inks and fixing agents. We must also consider the additional weight of the mail. Yes, your carrier is coming to your house anyway. But the sheer weight of all the greeting cards mailed annually adds to the fuel-consumption requirements associated with shipping them by 18-wheeler, plane, and mail truck. And then there is the fact that sooner or later, our greeting cards end up in a land fill. Even if they go to a recycling bin, there are some costs with transportation and conversion of the old cards into something reusable again.

So… what to do? If you absolutely MUST send something, please choose recycled greeting cards. They can be found in most places. Here are some online resources:

My Good Greetings
kidbean
Cards Direct

What would be my FAVORITE solution? Give an eCard!! You can get these from many greeting card websites… you know the ones… a simple google search will direct you accordingly.

Or, you can make them even more personal, by spending the same, if not less, amount of money having them designed by an artist. My friend Ruth Ann designs amazing web based holiday cards. I am sure she can create them according to whatever theme you would want. Another benefit, is you are not limited with what you want to say. You don’t have to restrict to whom you send based on mail cost or card cost. And, best of all, you are not hurting the environment.

Here is Ruth Ann’s website: http://ruthannanderson.com/

However, I am sure with some simple searches you can find other people, as well.

Consider all the ways you can be green this holiday season… Happy Holidays!

holiday gift suggestions, day 1

It is the time of year where we spend a lot of money buying gifts for friends and family. It is a practice that I don’t necessarily support, but I figure if you are going to do it, you might as well make it something that helps us and not hurts us. Therefore, I will be giving daily suggestions for things you can buy your friends and family this holiday season.

GREEN DIMES

Give the gift of less junk mail. Seriously, who wouldn’t want that. It is $20 for a whole year, so it is affordable, as well.

What happens? You submit a name and address and let them know what you would like to keep getting (mainly for catalogs). They use that information to contact anyone and everyone and get the name off of mailing lists, effectively, stopping the waste of junk mail. In fact, they guarantee 90% of your junk mail will be stopped. And, if that isn’t reason enough… they also plant FIVE trees in your name.

I mean… come on! What a gift. This literally is the gift that keeps on giving. At least… in terms of oxygen!

So… if you have employees, service providers, neighbors or the like, that you want to give something to, but are just not sure what… sign them up for Green Dimes