Give responsibly this Christmas

Green Gift Ideas

Interested in giving a gift that shows your recipient you care for them & their future, and that benefits us all?  Instead of giving "stuff" that is over-packaged, takes lots of energy to produce & transport, and is perhaps not wanted, give a responsible “green” gift… 

·        A night out to a "green" event e.g., the movie "An Inconvenient Truth"

·        A gift of “Bullfrog Power” ~ use renewable energy to displace coal-fired electricity; e.g., http://www.bullfrogpower.com/

·        Compact fluorescent lightbulbs

·        Wind-up flashlight or radio (no batteries necessary!)

·        Handmade soap

·        Non-toxic cleaning products

·        Cotton reusable shopping bags to replace the store’s plastic bags (millions of tonnes of plastic packaging are thrown away over Christmas)

·        Seed packets to grow your own vegetables next spring

·        Solar powered outdoor lights

·        Composter

·        Water filter (avoid buying bottled water)

·        Solar charger for small recharge-able appliances

·        A book or magazine subscription focusing on a “green” topic

·        Fair trade gifts http://www.transfair.ca/en/

·        A bicycle and helmet

·        Homemade cookies, chutney, jam, scarf

·        A bottle of organically grown Canadian wine in a tetra pack (rather than a glass bottle)

·        A poem that you treasure, or one you wrote yourself

·        A gift of yourself, not just "stuff" - a coupon book for future services (such as baby-sitting or an "enchanted evening"); something baked, sewn, handmade, composed, etc.

·        Homemade craft or Christmas tree ornament

·        A gift certificate for services e.g., energy audit, http://www.greensaver.org/

·        Advice, help or financing home insulation & caulking, or composting & recycling

·        Crafts and clothing from developing countries at alternative gift markets, not from commercial importers, so that the artisans receive a fair price for their work

·        Shares in a green energy company like Windshare - http://www.windshare.ca

·        A membership or donation in your loved one’s name to an organization that’s fighting global warming e.g. http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/  

·        Energy saving appliances – look for “Energy Star”  www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/Publications/infosource/Pub/appliances/index.cfm

 For more information,

Checkout the ideas at http://www.grassrootsstore.com/index.asp?cm (see Green gift giving on the left), Simple Living book ideas www.simpleliving.org, and Greenpeace http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/greengiving

Research before you purchase: http://www.worldwatch.org/taxonomy/term/44

And see http://www.planetfriendly.net/gifts.html#gifts for ideas on:  A Christmas That Doesn't Kill, Green Places To Shop, Green Healthy & Ethical Gift Ideas, Books & Videos, Magazine Subscriptions, More Ideas, Activities & Alternatives, Top Five Gifts Not to Buy, Seven Steps to a Healthier World