Dear M.L.,
I struggle with the same challenge. I walk down the store aisles and worry about the pollution, sweat shop labor, and excess resource use I might be supporting with the products I buy, and before I know it everyone on my list is getting a composting toilet for the holidays. There is a way to celebrate the season and enjoy the fun of giving without being an Eco-Grinch. Of course this is the season when Americans tend to spend the biggest bucks, an average of $1,042 per person, according to the Center for a New American Dream. Imagine if we used this buying power to support the kinds of products, packaging, and manufacturing that are in line with our environmental and social values. Here are a few ideas and resources that can help you do just that at this and any time of year:
Go "product free" and instead of stuff, give experiences with tickets and gift certificates to music, sports, plays, restaurants, and massages. Or give a gift of your time for things like babysitting, yard work, or lunch with a friend. Consider giving a donation in the name of your recipient to local organizations, places of worship, or organizations that support families in need.
If you're looking for something to wrap up, give a gift that might spread your commitment, like a bird feeder, a bus pass, a bike or bike tune-up. Locally, there are all kinds of environmentally-friendly gifts available at places like Hard Copy Recycling and Eco-Gifts in Longmont; Good Reuse, a refurbished furniture store in Boulder; antique stores, and stores that support local artists and crafts, many of which are made from recycled or reused materials.
For the online shopper, there are a lot of great resources for buying sustainable and thoughtful gifts. Greenhome.com has an online shopping center for natural, organic, non-toxic products, including a toy solar-powered helicopter kit. The Green Pages Online, created by Co-op America , is an incredible list of over 2,000 green businesses offering over 25,000 products and services that have been researched for their commitment to social and environmental responsibility. You can find out where to purchase products ranging from fair trade coffee to children's environmental books or order them directly at www.greenpages.org. Everything from recycled glass ornaments to air filters can be found at www.gaiam.com, an earth-friendly online company based in Broomfield . Still more goodies can be found at www.ecomall.com. If you've had it with the holiday hype and just want to slow things down, visit www.newdream.org for ideas on simplifying your holidays. Note: If you're buying online, be sure to specify that you do NOT want your name to be rented, sold or traded so you don't create a bunch of junk mail for yourself.
To be an informed consumer year-round, there's an excellent website, also created by Co-op America , at www.responsibleshopper.org where you can make informed consumer choices by getting details on the social and environmental performance of more than 400 major corporations.
Once you have the eco-gift, make sure you have eco-gift wrapping to match by using wrapping paper alternatives. You can learn more about that and other environmentally-friendly holiday ideas from Eco-Cycle's Guide to a Waste-Free Holiday Season available at www.ecocycle.org. See? It's easy bein' green AND full of holiday cheer.
