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Top Green Holiday Gifts for 2009

Unless you’re one of the lucky ones getting a financial bailout, chances are you’re feeling a bit pinched this year during the holidays. Perhaps now is a good time to rethink our holiday values and traditions, with an eye towards lasting value and sustainability.

By Eartheasy Posted Nov 20, 2009

green_gifts We favor less expensive gifts from small businesses that are trying to do things differently, using renewable resources, recycled materials and minimal packaging. The gifts on our list are made by members of the Green America business network.

Organic, fair-trade chocolates packaged in a seed box

Enjoy handcrafted vegan dark chocolates sourced with local Wisconsin, organic and fair trade ingredients, then plant the seed-infused box paper to grow a native prairie garden appropriate to the Midwest bioregion.

Terra Source, $4.95

Eco Stars Recycled Crayons

These star-shaped wax crayons are made from used broken crayon pieces that students from across the country send in to the manufacturer. The manufacturer, located in Wisconsin, hires people with developmental disabilities to sort the crayons by color and remove paper debris. The old crayons are then melted down and poured into star shapes, giving the next user five points with which to draw.

Red Apple, $7.49

Veggie-Hides Dog Treats

Give your dog a healthy, vegan treat. Made from vegetables, sprouted seeds, herbs, grasses, and fruit, these treats are much easier on the environment than the typical meat-based treats.

Onesta Organics, $8.98)

Organic cotton & water-based ink kids clothing

Shirts, one-pieces, pants and hats are made in the USA using 100% certified organic cotton and water-based inks. They’re healthy for kids, don’t pollute the earth, water, or expose farm workers to toxins.

Barley and Birch

Organic Loose-leaf Tea

The Boston Tea Campaign offers pure, organically grown, loose-leaf Darjeeling black and green tea. They are the sole funders of a large reforestation project, carried out locally by World Wide Fund for Nature, India.

Boston Tea Campaign – from $10

Recycled Glass Pottery Heart Bookmark

Handmade in Washington from recycled glass, this makes a unique gift for the bookworm in your family.

Paloma Pottery, $10.50
Get Free Shipping at Paloma Pottery using Coupon: FREE SHIPPING E09

Organic Essentials Body Kit

If you’ve ever wondered about the chemical ingredients in personal care products, and their impact on your body, consider giving an Organic Essentials Body Kit from Trillium Organics this holiday.

Trillium Organics – $15.28

Handmade Necklace from salvaged wood

Wood found on the forest floor is hand gathered and carefully sanded and oiled to produce this beautiful necklace.

Eco Artistic Products, from $17

Organic Hand Crème

Many personal care products sold today are derived from petroleum, and users may react with allergic symptoms as the products are absorbed into the skin. This crème is made in California using organic and natural ingredients.

Lotus Moon, $18
Save 15% at Lotus Moon using coupon EARTH15

Organic Cotton Polar Bear with natural dyes

Handmade personally by Diana Yun at her home business, Honeysuckle Dreams, in Maryland. Safe for children to snuggle up with, this polar bear is made of 100% organic cotton (all components! not just the outer fabric); and where colors are used, Diana works with natural (botanical) dyes.

Honeysuckledreams.com – $18

Mens Classic Shaving Kit

Handthrown ceramic shaving mug, wooden-handled, natural bristle shaving brush, with two discs of our natural Aloe Vera Shaving Soap make a traditional shaving kit in a convenient natural fiber bag.

Simmons Naturals – $20.75

Fair Trade No-Kill Leather Journal

The cover is made from hand-embossed cruelty-free leather, which means it comes from animals that have died naturally. The paper used is made from recycled cotton and is 100% tree-free! When you’ve filled it with all your words of wisdom, just slip off the cover and slip in a new tree-free insert and you’re ready to go!

Unity – $24.95

Solar charged LED flashlight

With a 100,000 hour bulb lifespan, solar-panel handle, and rechargeable batteries, this is a useful gift for the gadget lover. We live off-grid and use flashlights all the time, and we’ve put this one to the test. It has never let us down.

Hybrid Lite – $24.95

“We Add-Up” Organic Cotton T-shirt

Most of the clothes we wear are made with non-organic cotton, which is the most pesticide-intensive crop on earth. We like these shirts because they’re made with 100% organic cotton, and they promote an environmental message (over 20 designs to choose from). Plus, each shirt has your unique number printed on it, showing others that your actions really do add up.

We Add Up – $25

Reusable, recycled, American-made shopping bag

Once you get used to using, and reusing, cloth shopping bags, you wonder why you stuck with plastic for so long. The Pebble Beach bag is made in America from recycled PET plastic bottles. They don’t shrink like canvas, their manufacture removes plastic from the waste stream, and they’re made in USA! And they do a far better job of holding goods than plastic bags.

Clean Conscience – $27.95

Rain Forest Finger Puppets

Feed the imagination and create a finger puppet theater with this 10 piece finger puppet set. Each finger puppet is hand knitted and is a tropical rain forest resident, including a monkey and its baby, a crocodile, two parrots, a turtle, a sloth and of course a snake! All can be stored away in a convenient colorfully hand embroidered bag. Made with fair trade labor by The Joining Hands Against Poverty Network.

Global Exchange – $28

Truffles-To-Give

Organic, fair-trade, chocolate truffles are a popular holiday gift, but these have an added feature! Instead of being packed in a fancy throw-away plastic box, these are packed in stainless steel reusable tins which keep them fresh and can be reused to store nuts, candies, dried fruit and other snacks.

Coco-Zen – $30

Foil Candy Wrapper Purse

Very clever and attractive, these unique and durable purses are handmade using reclaimed foil candy wrappers. A great example of people creating useful products using minimal available resources and a wealth of imagination. Fair Trade.

Planet One Gifts from $32.95

L’uvalla Hydrating Milk Cleanser

Everyone can use facewash, and this is one of the ‘greenest’ available. L’uvalla is made with 100% natural, organic, vegan ingredients and bears the highly-respected European COSMEBIO organic certification.

L’uvalla – $37

Give a personalized tree!

Planting a tree may be the best action a person can take to help protect our environment. The legacy of a tree planted in your name brings intangible and lasting value which anyone can appreciate. Help restore a forest in your friend’s name, with a gift from Trees for a Change

Trees for a Change – $37

Handmade Mongolian Wool Slippers

Handmade in Mongolia by a fair trade artisan cooperative, these slippers are hand-dyed using bark, vegetable and leaf dyes. Woolen felt flowers and the soft suede sole are hand-stitched to each seamless felted wool slipper. The dainty, yet durable, straps are securely fastened with the help of a pedal-powered sewing machine and velcro.

Satch & Sol – $37

Long-Sleeve Velour Cozies

Designed to keep babies warm while sleeping, this cozie is made in California from undyed organic cotton.

Castleware, – $61

Novaurora Organic Face Care Set

An organic face care gift set for men and women that is nourishes the skin, brings it into healthy balance, and reduces wrinkles. 100% vegan, gluten-free and unscented.

Novaurora – $66.99
Save $5 off your NovAurora order of $50 and over with coupon FCSET2010

The ‘Pitch’ Birdhouse

Made from 24 recycled milk jugs, this sturdy birdhouse will be an interesting addition to anyone’s backyard! The HDPE recycled plastic is extremely durable, withstands freezing and extreme heat, and will not discolor of fade in sunlight. We appreciate any gift that helps connect people to nature.

Loll Designs – $68

Holy Lamb Organic Wool Pillows

These pillows are handmade in Washington using organic cotton fabric and stuffed with premium eco-wool from the northwest. Wool pillows are naturally dust mite resistant and fire retardant.

Fresh and Green – $82

Garden of Eve Basic Face Care Kit

Garden of Eve uses only organic cold pressed oils, organically grown and wild-crafted herbs and unbleached, unrefined hand pressed butters and waxes.

Garden of Eve – $97

Eartheasy products:

Holiday Gift Wrap made with 100% recycled paper

Elegant and graceful, this design is guaranteed to please. 100% recycled, veggie-based ink, chlorine-free, and lovingly packaged by adults with developmental challenges. Made in Pennsylvania.

Eartheasy – $4.95

Stainless Steel Water Bottle

The evidence continues to mount about the hazards of BPA exposure due to drinking from plastic water bottles. And the plastic waste is unnecessary because there are alternatives. Give this to your bottled-water-buying friend in the hopes they get the hint!

Eartheasy – $9.95

The “Messenger” recycled inner tube bag

This stylish bag is made in Washington from recycled bike innertubes, seat-belt straps, and other recycled items. Super-durable, and quite a conversation piece, this is a great gift for anyone who leads an active urban lifestyle.

Eartheasy – $139

Ceramic Compost Keeper

This elegant and useful compost keeper looks great on the counter-top, the lid keeps the fruit flies and the dog or cat out, and the filter keeps the smells in. We use one in our home and find it to be completely odorless, and easy to clean.

Eartheasy – $21.95

Rain Catchment Barrel

It’s not very traditional, but it will definitely be one of the more useful gifts you give this season. A great gift for the water-conscious gardener in your family.

Eartheasy – $148.95

Raised Cedar Square Raised Planter

Great for gardeners with bad backs, this planter is deep enough to grow salad greens and herbs right on the patio! Very well made, the bottom has two layers of slats and a heavy-duty semi-permeable base liner. This is a great gift for wheelchair-bound gardeners! Available in three heights.

Eartheasy – $149

Tree-frog Kite

Give your child a simple toy that’s been making kids smile for ages. Kite-flying also gets kids outdoors, away from the video console, where they can learn about the nature of wind and the principles of flight.

Eartheasy – $17.95

Sport Solar Oven

Great for car camping, picnics and outdoor summer cooking, this solar oven cooks most foods using only the power of the sun. Less expensive than other models, we have tried this solar oven and found it to be durable and efficient.

Eartheasy – $149

Elegant Beeswax Tapers

Made from the nectar of flowers by native honeybees, beeswax candles burn soot-free and have exceptionally long burn times. They are non-allergenic and emit a sweet, subtle, honey-like fragrance. 100% pure beeswax and lead-free cotton wicks. Made in Washington.

Eartheasy – $8.95/pair

‘Grow-A-Note’ Recycled Greeting Cards

When you send Grow A Note® card to a friend, the thought lives on as a beautiful, living display of wildflowers. The card paper is embedded with a hardy blend of wildflower seeds, and colored using natural earth pigments. It will definitely stand out from the other holiday cards on your friend’s mantle! Made in California.

Eartheasy – $14.95/5-pack

Disclaimer: The above links are not advertisements of products for sale, and we don’t guarantee the prices will stay the same as published here. We’re just publishing them to make your gift-giving easier, and to help promote fellow green businesses. We receive no compensation from the featured companies.

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Posted in Healthy Home Tags gifts, giving, holidays

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Comments

Posted by dan

Nov 21, 2009 6:27 pm

the solar oven makes the most sense to me. its getting hotter where i live.

Posted by stargazer09

Nov 24, 2009 7:04 pm

one green gift we need that missing from this list – money :=)

Posted by Samantha R.

Nov 25, 2009 7:03 pm

Ooo, I love those finger puppets!!

Posted by Scotty

Nov 25, 2009 7:05 pm

Thanks for choosing American-made products, when possible. I really like the idea of those crayons, that's a great story behind them.
I'm not a huge fan of spending lots of money on fancy face creams, but then again, I'm probably not their target market!