The holiday season can be a conflicted time for those with a mind toward being eco-friendly. While the season is a time to spend with family and friends, it can also be a time of great waste and consumption. But, those who are eco-friendly can also be holiday-friendly. There's no need to turn into the Grinch when a variety of "green" holiday gifts are available to delight your friends, family and coworkers. Here are some ideas to inspire this year's green holiday shopper:
Give the Gift of Green: Plant a tree in the name of your spouse, friend, sibling and help make strides towards a clean environment. For $9.95, Be Green Now will plant a tree in the recipient's name. The recipient will get a plantable ornament made of seed paper. Ornaments are available in a variety of fun shapes including the Cilantro Leaf, the Daisy flower and the Forget Me Not. The recipient will also receive a card detailing the benefits of the tree planted for them. For each Gift of Green purchased, Be Green Now will plant one native tree in an ecosystem restoration project in the United States. According to the Be Green Now website, ?An average tree will absorb more than 650 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) over its lifetime?that's equal to the amount produced by driving about 740 miles.? A small investment now can make a huge impact over time; a tree is truly a gift that keeps on giving.
Bag it up: According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year. Billions of these end up as liter! Why not make a difference and stock up your friends with a cool collection of reusable shopping bags? You can find these at your local grocery store, at your favorite retail store, or even at Be Green Now, where they are called the Be Green Pod. The Be Green Pod is a shopping bag that folds up for easy storage.
Know the Materials that Count: Soy, Bamboo and Organic Cotton are trendy buzzwords in the world of green gift-giving. Anyone on your gift list is sure to enjoy a soy-based candle, an organic cotton towel set or a bamboo home d'cor piece. These materials are popular because they are sustainable and use fewer of the earth's valuable resources in addition to reducing the use of harmful pesticides.
Green Greetings and Wrapping: Support the conservation of trees needed to generate oxygen by using recycled gift wrap and cards. Recycled gift wrap doesn't have to be boring'a number of stylish online stores offer 100% postconsumer gift wrap in style. A quick online search will also yield a number of recycled greeting cards perfect for everyone on your holiday greeting card list.
Finding that ideal gift can be difficult during the holidays, but as you are choosing gifts for friends and family members, remember to be generous to the environment as well. A green gift shows the recipient you care about them and about the health of the planet.
