How to Give Green Gifts

You stopped buying bottled water. You recycle just about everything. You even drink organic coffee. Now it’s time to turn your gift giving just as green as the rest of your life. Here are seven ways to be thoughtful to you friends, family and the earth.

1.    Give an edible gift. Check out your local farmers’ market and pick up some fresh fruit and veggies for an organic and yummy homemade gift basket. Edible gifts are great because you know they’ll be used.

2.    Look locally. When shopping for presents support local craftspeople. Make sure the items are made with non-toxic supplies.

3.    Give the gift of nature. For the outdoorsy types, why not give them a pass to the national parks. For $80 they’ll have access to dozens of parks across the country.

4.    Look for earth-friendly gadgets. There are plenty of them at Terrapass.com. Check out this personal wind turbine. It’s a great way to charge your cell phone or iPod without using electricity.

5.    Think about what they’ll actually use. It’s important to buy items that will be used, not wasted or thrown away.

6.    Give them some land. For just $50 you can adopt an acre of Costa Rican rainforest, an area threatened by development. It’s a gift that they may never get to touch or so, but they’ll definitely appreciate it.

7.    Think about the wrapping. Before you go snag some pretty paper and ribbon, think about what it’s made of. Avoid cards and wrap made with chlorine-bleached paper. Look for a PCF (processed chlorine free) label or products made from recycled material. Better yet, re-use paper and gift bags or put the Sunday comics to use.

Photo courtesy of TerraPass.com