Do you have friends and family who are trying to go green this holiday season? If you’re looking to buy eco-friendly presents that won’t bust your budget, check out these nifty gift ideas. They’re not only eco-conscious but cost-conscious, too!
- The Green Dimes “Eliminate Home Junk Mail” Gift Card helps stop unwanted mailers, catalogs and more. Less mail means less paper is produced, and fewer trees cut down. Plus, the less paper you recycle, the more you shrink your household’s waste footprint. The gift card is good for a one-year membership. Green Dimes will also plant up to 5 trees in the gift recipient’s name. This super green gift is only $19.99, but you can often find it on sale.
- Envirosax Reusable Grocery Totes offer a great alternative to those not-so-earth-friendly disposable plastic and paper bags. According to the Natural
Resources Defense Council, Americans throw away 100 billion plastic bags a year – bags that pollute our coastlines, choke marine animals, and take hundreds of years to decompose. Paper bags aren’t necessarily better, as some studies show they currently take more energy to produce and recycle than plastic ones. The best solution? Grab some reusable totes before you hit the stores. Envirosax features a variety of chic designs: each bag rolls up into a compact pouch, perfect for stocking stuffers. Instead of buying individual bags, buy the 5 pack and you’ll save about 20% per tote. 
Numi Organic Tea’s Single Origins Tea Set is an exotic treat sure to please any tea-lover. The set features a charming tea set for brewing and serving, and an assortment of four organic single estate teas from around the world, including White Rose Tea (China), Gen Mai Cha Green Tea (Japan), Darjeeling Black Tea (India), and Rooibos Herbal Teasan (South Africa). Organic teas are cultivated without the use of chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or insecticides. So each cup of tea you brew is not only delicious, it’s good for the planet. The list price of the set is around $35, but you can often find it for less.
P3 International’s Kill-a-Watt Meter connects to your appliances so you can find out how energy-efficient they are. An LCD display counts consumption by the kilowatt-hour, letting you calculate your electricity costs by the hour, day, week, month, or year. Use less energy, and you’ll save money and help the environment. Talk about a gift that keeps on giving! At this writing, we found deals on the Kill-a-Watt as low as $21.95, though prices can fluctuate.- Eco-Friendly Plan Toys are created with recycled, chemical-free rubber wood and colored
with non-toxic, vegetable-based paints. What’s more, kids love ‘em! There are tons of toys to choose from – everything from an adorable pull-along snail to a red-hot banjo. Here’s a selection for you to peruse. Many items are under $25, so Santa can deliver lots and lots of earth-friendly toys without breaking the piggy bank.
Happy Green Holidays!
Guest Blogger: Karen Schiff, Co-founder of Ecobunga! – your guide to green giveaways and deals at www.ecobunga.com
I’d go for that Numi tea package. Tea is a really hot gift right now. Everyone is waking up to how great tea is these days, and getting some as a gift is almost sure to please. That is, as long as the person isn’t a diehard coffee fanatic. –Teaternity