Issues > November 21, 1996 (#32) > 1996 Green Guide to Gifts

1996 Green Guide to Gifts

This holiday season, we bring news of good cheer: more ideas for giving to the Earth and your loved ones. Giving "green" can be simple, fun and creative. Instead of battery-operated plastic toys, give kids books, craft kits, toys made of natural materials and games (we've got something for every age). Rather than buying new-fangled kitchen appliances, consider energy-efficient equipment that save our non-renewable resources. Use organic or non-tree fibers for stationery, clothing and bedding. Feed your loved ones sustainably-grown food. Support your community by lending a helping hand to others in need.

Feast Your Eyes On This

Sustainable agriculture benefits the earth because natural fertilizers, integrated pest management and crop diversification make crops less susceptible to natural disasters, improve soil and reduce soil and water pollution. By buying organically, you increase the demand for sustainably-grown food. Make up your own organic gift baskets by collecting goodies from your local market, send a crate of ecological apples (see page six), or try one of these:

Tea for two, three, four or more: How about a nice spot of tea on those chilly winter evenings?

- The folks at Kalani Organica Teas will make up a gift pack with their six certified organic herbal and black teas, including Calypso Blend, Hibiscus Flower Blend, Darjeeling Makaibari Estate and Sakura Orange Spice. The tea bags are made from recycled, chlorine-free paper. $18, 800/200-4377.

- Royal Gardens, a division of Thanksgiving Coffee Company, carries organic Earl Grey, Ceylon, Darjeeling and Moroccan Spearmint teas. These whole leaf teas can be purchased loose or in linen tea bags. Gift basket, $12, 800/648-6491.

- If your gift-recipient is a die-hard coffee drinker, give them organic coffees. Buy beans in bulk and divide into gift jars you decorate yourself. Café Mam, 800/392-0117; Thanksgiving Coffee; 800/648-6491; or Harbor House, 800/541-4699.

Feeling a little fruity

- Simply can't part with tradition? Try Walnut Acres' fruitcake, made with organic flour and eggs and dried, unsulphured fruit ($14.95). Or, make your own, with calmyrna figs ($4.89/8 oz.), Pavich organic raisins ($4.99/15 oz.) and organic Turkish apricots ($3.49/8 oz.). Walnut Acres also carries a number of gift baskets. 800/433-3998.

An idea that just popped up

- The Gardeners' Supply Company has a great substitute for the plastic microwave popcorn popper--laboratory glass! At $16.95, you can also spring for a few packages of organic popcorn (22 ounce bag, $3.95). 800/955-3370.

Not just for the birds

Development has destroyed natural habitats for wildlife. Be hospitable to critters by providing the basics.

- The Gardener's Supply Company sells a butterfly hibernation box as well as homes for lady bugs, bats and toads--all creatures that make for great natural insect control. $19.95 to $44.95, 800/863-1700.

Rags to riches

Twenty-two percent of all insecticides are used on conventional cotton crops. Because cotton is such a major crop globally, buying organic cotton has the same impact as supporting sustainably-grown foods.

- Patagonia converted to organic-only cotton for its clothing this year. 800/638-6464.

- Let them rest easy on organic cotton flannel sheets, comforters, pillows and even mattresses. Heart of Vermont, 800/639-4123.

- Fisher Henney Naturals carries women's clothing made from naturally-colored (green, mocha and natural) organic cotton. 800/343-6639.

- For clothes for all occasions, try Ecosport, 800/486-4326; Maggie's Organic Products, 800/516-4100; and "O wear," 800/787-1888.

- Recycled clothing is becoming all the rage. Evolutions "weaves" soda pop bottles and reclaimed cotton together for unbleached t-shirts printed with a number of environmental messages. $7, 800/386-5884.

- Green Mountain Spinnery in Putney, Vermont, processes their Green Spun wool yarns using vegetable-based soaps and oils instead of petroleum-based products. In addition, the fleece is purchased locally. Their "Vermont Organic" is a 100% organic, heavyweight, ecru-colored wool. Yarn samples and a catalog of original sweater patterns may be obtained for $6. 800/321-9665.

Save trees

Using and recycling non-tree fibers, like cotton, for paper makes environmental sense and produces elegant rag for stationery, journals and notepads.

- Organic Matters sells notecards with photographs of vegetables and flowers on 100% recycled, unbleached organic-cotton paper. A few words on the back of each card promote organic growing practices, and a portion of the proceeds is donated to sustainable agriculture organizations. Cards are $2.50 each, 707/833-5681.

- Cotton scraps and other discarded materials--such as flowers, grass, silk, wool, jute and straw--are pressed into flecked handmade papers by villagers in India and imported by Phoenician Papers. Assorted papers come in a grass-paper box for $15. Journals and notepads are also available. 609/443-4458.

- Hemp yields four times more fiber per acre than trees, grows like weeds and is one of the toughest fibers on earth. Notepads and journals made of hemp are available at The Eco Store, 800/556-9949; and Real Goods, 800/762-7325.

Gifts for pets to paw over

- Thunderpaws makes organic catnip toys in organic cotton for $3.50. They also sell organic dog biscuits, made of peanut butter or oatmeal, of various sizes and shapes, for 75 cents to $5. 301/933-1415.

Spark some joy!

The U.S. is responsible for one-quarter of total world consumption of energy, spending 10 percent of our gross national product on it. Japan, another industrial giant, spends a mere four percent of its GNP on energy. Energy efficiency is not just about saving money, though; it's about slowing the depletion of non-renewable resources and decreasing pollution. The following are gift ideas that are both useful and energy-efficient.

- Put the pressure on. Convince your favorite cook to be energy-efficient by giving them a pressure cooker, which uses 70 percent less energy and about a third of the time of conventional cooking. $89.99 to $159, The Chef's Catalog, 800/338-3232.

- An idea that's not half-baked: Convection ovens use air-driven heat to cook 30 percent faster, with up to 50 percent less energy. Convenient countertop models cost $159 to $199 at Seventh Generation, 800/456-1177.

- Store the power of the sun for a rainy day. Recharging batteries is a sensible way to reuse. Giving someone a solar-powered battery charger makes recharging doubly practical. $32 at The Eco Store, 800/556-9949.

Support a good cause

Nonprofit organizations can be supported through gift memberships, adoptions or purchases in the name of your family member or friend.

- Save Our Streams. Through hands-on river protection and restoration, The Isaac Walton League of America helps save America's soil, air, woods, and wildlife, as well. A $25 membership includes a subscription to IWLA's quarterly magazine, Outdoor America. 800/IKE-LINE.

- Adopt a Sea Turtle. Although giant sea turtles have been swimming on the Earth for 200 million years, they are treading water now. All seven species face extinction. By donating $25, you help support efforts of the Sea Turtle Survival League to save these gentle reptiles. Gift recipients receive a certificate, photo, information about turtles and a year's newsletter subscription. 800/678-7853.

- Farm out your gift. Buy a gift cow, or a share of one, for a needy farm family. Heifer Project International attempts to improve lives in 35 countries, including the U.S., through the gift of livestock. For $10 to $500, you can also give llamas, sheep, goats, pigs, rabbits, chicks and trees. 800/422-0474.

- Support "global cooling." Trees for the Future says that we pump more than 30 billion tons of CO2 and other "greenhouse gas" emissions into the atmosphere every year. Since trees convert large quantities of carbon dioxide into oxygen, and the world's forests are being destroyed at the rate of an acre per second, planting a tree provides a crucial breath of fresh air. A donation of $30 will plant as many as 200 trees in one of 65 countries. 800/643-0001.

- Prevent the endangerment of a misunderstood marine predator. Though sharks have not been classified as endangered, their numbers are diminishing due to over-fishing and sport. The Center for Shark Research at the Mote Marine Laboratory promotes conservation efforts by tagging sharks and educating fishermen and the public. Federal budget cuts have hit them hard. Make a donation and "Jaws" will thank you. 941/388-4441.

- Indian reservations have high unemployment and low education rates. The Southwest Indian Foundation fights reservation poverty by operating a mail-order business that sells crafts, jewelry and even organically-grown blue cornmeal produced by the Navajo, Zuni, Hopi and other pueblo tribes. The profits fund educational efforts and assistance for needy families. You can donate directly, too, to feed families at Christmas and install wood stoves. 505/863-4037.

- This time of year is particularly hard on the hungry and homeless; for soup kitchens, food banks and homeless shelters, donations of food, funds or an extra pair of hands are always welcome. Or, give to Food for Survival through Mothers & Others (see insert).

Wrap it all up

- Hand-stamped gift wrap, tags and bags are available from North Wind Paper Products. This nonprofit organization employs persons with disabilities who print with non-toxic inks on recycled, unbleached paper. A 10' x 24" roll of gift wrap or a box of 12 cards and envelopes is $5.98. Catalog is $1, 800/968-9453.

Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Chanukah or Kwanzaa this December, you can commemorate the holidays sustainably.