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Lesson #04:

How to 
Give Gifts
AND
help the planet

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Dear Joy to the Planet Reader,

How to Give Gifts AND help the planet

Today's lesson is really a very significant one when it comes to helping the planet.

Especially this time of year, a great many of us participate in a celebration of giving of some sort, regardless of what culture or country we may come from.  And when it comes to giving, sometimes it can seem rather difficult to put a smile on a person's face, AND help the planet at the same time.  But who doesn't love a gift, right?  Exactly.

So today's lesson covers the all important topic of how to thoroughly enjoy the thrill of finding and giving the 'perfect' gift, and...you guessed it, help the planet too.  (It's also a great little reminder to pass along to your loved ones who might still need to head out and find something for you!  Hey, subtle we're not!  Giggle.)

One of the more important things to do when shopping in general, and especially for gifts is:

Think about the packaging.  

For those of you who want to hold your head high and say "I'm doing some great stuff for the planet," you'll be ALL over this one. 

Yep, packaging is the enemy here folks.  Take your typical box of chocolates.  Nice gift, can't really go wrong right?  Well, actually, no.  Because...think about it...along with the chocolates, you're also giving a wad of cellophane, a cardboard box, more cardboard inside, AND in all likelihood, two plastic trays!

You wanna give a gift, not the chore of disposing of all that 'garbage' right??

Now there are lots of additional ways to green your gift giving habits, but packaging is a great one to start with.  For those of you who're ready to go even further, here are 10 more green gift ideas for your reading pleasure.

1. Try giving something beautiful made from recycled materials.

Great examples include jewelry, clocks, or garden ornaments and even clothing such as fleece outerwear made from recycled pop bottles.  Keep your eyes peeled, these items are now making their way into department stores, specialty stores and online.  Ladies, those of you into dangly earrings, have a look at these! 

Recycled Bicycle Valve-Core Earrings $8.95 Created from recycled bicycle inner tube valves, these original designs are handmade by artists dedicated to creating new uses for discarded materials. Since 1994, literally thousands of pounds of used bicycle, automotive and building parts have been brought back into useful circulation through their efforts. More jewelry-from-recycled-materials available for browsing at http://www.abundantearth.com

2. Try giving something to be enjoyed outdoors.

To better help the planet, nothing makes more sense than to connect with it, and what better way to do that than to spend time outside, say, in a hammock with a loved one and a glass of sun tea? And when you get hungry, grab a picnic!  Gifts that can be enjoyed outside are a fabulous green alternative....can you smell that fresh air now?  

     
3. Try giving something made from hemp, tencel, or other green  fabric.

Think of the laughter and hijinks when you give a hemp bag, such as below...no, you CAN'T smoke it!  Giggle.  But you can sure have fun pretending! 

Giving a gift of something made from a green material such as hemp or tencel is really the ultimate, in my opinion:  no animals were killed and no fossil fuels were used to make it, and when you've worn it out, it can go onto the compost heap and within a year, it'll help make your garden grow! Phew. Talk about your gift that keeps on giving! Someone stop me...I'm gonna start singing the Circle of Life!!

4. Try giving gift certificates.

This one is pretty self explanatory.  Lots of gifts get junked or given away because they weren't 'right'. That's both sad, and a waste.  By giving gift certificates, you ensure the person will get something they really want, and hopefully will use for a long time.  The added bonus of gift certificates is that at some stores, The Body Shop for example, print theirs on recycled paper.  A store after my heart, no kidding...

5. Try giving something that will grow.

I have such fond and funny memories of my 29th birthday when my husband Mike sent me a pot of chrysanthemums.  Yes, chrysanthemums, or mums, which you may be familiar with, otherwise known as the standard 'bring when visiting grandma' gift. 

Now before you get any funny ideas about our relationship, let me explain. Mike is not a flower giver.  After 7 years of being married, I've come to really adore the fact that I'll never receive a dozen roses from him in the rest of my life.  Because you see, cut flowers are dead flowers, and that's more than a little inappropriate, when you actually stop and think about it. So now, I celebrate my memory of the chrysanthemums, realizing how perfectly they represented Mike's loving, living feelings for me...    

From left to right, these living gifts are a spider plant and a philodendron, both of which are particularly good at cleaning the air for us to breath.  Next is another great green gift, a potted herb garden for the kitchen.  And last, on the very right, for the kids you know who'd get a kick out of how freaky nature can be, what about a Venus Fly Trap? Don't forget the flies!

6. Try giving something that requires activity.

Giant bubble makers, mini-trampolines, electric scooters, bicycles, roller blades, ice skates, the list goes on.  The gift that requires activity is green for lots of reasons, but my favorite is that getting up and moving generates heat, and body heat means warmth!  (Very important in the Canadian wintertime, especially when your hubby keeps the heat turned down! Eh?)

7. Try giving something fun that's also educational about the planet.

There are lots of variations on this theme, whether it be a bird house or hummingbird feeder, binoculars, butterflies, or...a ladybug lodge.

Use your imagination, this green gift is a truly super one, especially for the kids.

8. Try giving something handmade, by you or someone else.

Yep, shopping for gifts at your local artisan's fair, whether it be for furniture, a handmade quilt, or locally brewed beer, is yet another great green alternative.  

By giving a handmade gift, you help the planet by saying no to mass produced stuff that, yes, that's right, is usually over packaged.  And of course, even though making something yourself may seem just too complicated to consider, sometimes it's just what the doctor ordered.  Next time you're bored on a weekend, think 'chocolate chip cookies' or 'fudge' or...well, you get the picture!

9. Try giving something non-electrical.

One of my favorite catalogs to browse is the Lehman's Non-electric catalog.  Thanks to Lehman's, we now make our own butter, very yum...

Some other enjoyable non-electric gifts include this Country Band Instrument Set, suitable for kids of all ages. Hey, it could be the beginning of your own band, right?  Too funny!  And yep, you guessed it, anything non-electrical helps the planet by conserving energy. 

Country Band Instrument Set Easy-to-play instruments come with easy playing instructions. Set includes washboard with ribbed playing stick, kazoo, jaw harp and harmonica, all packaged in a reusable, see-through package. $ 43.95

10. Try donating to a great green cause.

Last but not least, contrary to popular belief, donating something in someone's name doesn't always mean you have nothing concrete to 'show' for your gift.  Check out the great options below, and don't forget, you can always plant a few trees as a gift for someone if you think they'd prefer (the subject of a previous Joy to the Planet issue.)

Each kit comes with a full sized poster as well as an official adoption certificate and photo of the animal you have helped. To purchase, visit Abundant Earth and click on the 'Pets and Wildlife' Link.

And...that's it, that's all! 

I hope these green alternatives to your typical over packaged gift gives you some ideas for how you can celebrate this year with a greener set of presents for everyone you know. 

While you're at it, if you know of anyone who's still stuck for ideas on what to give, send them a copy of this email wouldja? The planet will thank you for sharing and heck, you might get a couple great green gifts yourself in the bargain!

Until next week, I'm signing off to enjoy life and help the planet...what about you?

My best,

Andrea Lee
andrea@joytotheplanet.com

P.S. Let me know what you thought of this lesson.  I'm fine tuning future lessons based on your feedback.  Is there a topic you'd particularly like covered?  And...for those of you interested in greening your holidays even further, have a look at the Joy to the Planet article describing 10 Alternatives to Cut Christmas trees at this link.