Printer friendly version
Send this to a friend
Sign up for email list
Become a member

 

Share

Real Green Living

FEATURE ARTICLE - November/December 2011

Top Ten "People's Choice" for Green Gifts

When it comes to birthday and anniversary gifts, 84-year-old Green America member Myra Silver long ago made the decision to “stop giving people ‘things’” and instead make charitable donations in her loved ones’ names. But for Christmas, which is special in her family, she still buys green gifts.

The reason, she says, is simple: “I am a great grandmother, and I’d like my ‘great grands’ to grow up in a world in which working people are treated fairly and—well, that there is a world because we haven’t polluted ourselves out of existence.”

Silver says she almost always turns to the National Green Pages™ to find her gifts, because “I can find everything I need from companies that don’t have greed as their motto, and I can find it all easily.”

Over the years, Silver has purchased gifts such as recycled stationery, eco-friendly jewelry, and Fair Trade chocolate. This year, she got all of her gifts from Ten Thousand Villages, a Fair Trade import store.

“I will enclose a card telling about the company, to alert [my family] to how special the gifts really are,” she says. If you want to see just what Silver thinks is so great about Green America’s Green Business Network™ (GBN) members, check out the ten companies below. Each is a top-ten finalist for our 2011 People’s Choice Award for Green Business of the Year, selected by our members from across the country.

“The ten People’s Choice finalists are great examples of the kind of socially and environmentally responsible leaders that meet the standards of our Seal of Approval
and make it into the National Green Pages,” says GBN director Denise Hamler.

When choosing gifts this year, it’s good for the planet to buy less. When you choose a store-bought gift, buy green.

Bella Luna Toys
888/438-1299, bellalunatoys.com
Owned and run by a Waldorf teacher and mother of two boys, Bella Luna Toys sells a variety of playthings made of ecofriendly materials like wood and silk—no plastic toys here! The toys are all held to the Waldorf standard, meaning they must be “beautiful to behold” and “inspiring to the imagination.”

Seven Hopes United
347/746-7378, sevenhopesunited.com
Back away from Pier 1 Imports and World Market. You can find the same type of imported, artisan-created gifts from Seven Hopes United that you would find at these stores—with the major difference that your purchases support artisans in the Fair Trade system. Instead of earning pennies for their work and being exploited by middle merchants, artisans around the world make a living wage worthy of their beautiful creations through Fair Trade. You’ll find everything from sparkling jewelry to handmade duvet covers and sheets to stunning home decor and kitchen pieces, all with an international, artistic flair.

Divine Chocolate
202/332-8913, divinechocolate.com
Conventional chocolate companies like Hershey buy cocoa from plantations in Western African countries, where child and forced labor is a major problem. Divine Chocolate, on the other hand, sells only 100 percent certified Fair Trade chocolate, meaning that its supply chain is independently monitored to ensure that farmers earn a fair, living wage, and that no children or slaves grow or harvest the cocoa beans. Divine is also 45 percent worker-owned by cocoa farmers from the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa cooperative in Ghana, giving them a say in company operations and a larger chunk of the profits from their labor. Divine milk, dark, or flavored chocolate bars make perfect stocking stuffers, as do its special holiday-themed candies.

Sustainable NYC
212/254-5400, sustainable-nyc.com
Sustainable NYC isn’t just a Web store and brick-and-mortar shop, says Green America member Lynn Tiede. “It’s more like a community center,” she says. The retailer is a one-stop shop for all sorts of green gifts, from organic clothing to Fair Trade jewelry to solar backpacks. Its Brooklyn, NY, store also boasts a café that serves Fair Trade coffee and hosts green-minded events and workshops.

Faerie’sDance.com
866/492-4841, faeriesdance.com
For eco-friendly fashions for men, women, and children, look no further than Faerie’s Dance. The company offers beautiful clothing made from sustainable soy, organic cotton, and renewable hemp. Find everything you need from head to toe, from socks and undies to sweaters and pants. The company also has a line of jewelry made from recycled metals.

EarthKind
800/583-2921, earthkind.com
Nobody likes odors, but conventional air fresheners can be loaded with toxins—and companies aren’t required to disclose their ingredients to consumers, as fragrances are considered “proprietary information.” EarthKind provides a healthy alternative with its eco-friendly air fresheners made of corn cob chips, odor-absorbing volcanic ash, and essential oils. Scent your loved ones’ stockings with Fresh Adventure, Woodland Escape, Sweet Clover, or Pomegranate & Tangerine. EarthKind also specializes in FreshCab nontoxic, cruelty-free rodent repellent, enthusiastically recommended by several Green America members.

Hazelnut Kids
888/869-1901, hazelnutkids.com
This green company offers all the variety of a Toys “R” Us toy store, without the plastics and toxic chemicals. All of Hazelnut Kids’ toys are made from natural materials like sustainably harvested wood and organic cotton, and they’re selected by owner Tracy Coe for their ability to stimulate a child’s imagination and sense of fun.

Purple Dragon Food Co-op
973/429-0391, purpledragon.com
Operated by its members, the Purple Dragon Food Co-op in Glen Ridge, NJ, sends out a mixed basket of locally sourced and organic fruits and vegetables to its members every other week, all across the northern half of the state. Members pay $46 to $53 for every delivery and work one hour every three months to help keep the co-op running smoothly.

DivaCup
866/444-3482, divacup.com
The DivaCup is a menstrual alternative for eco-minded women on the go. Instead of contributing to the more than six billion disposable tampons flushed away each year—and the plastic applicator waste they generate—DivaCup’s enthusiastic customers use the company’s reusable tampon alternative. Made of health-caregrade silicon, the DivaCup can be safely worn for up to 12 hours, making it perfect for eco-minded women with busy lives.

Reach and Teach
415/586-1713, reachandteach.com
Reach and Teach, “a peace and social justice learning company,” aims to transform the world through its products that are tailor-made for gift giving. They offer books, games, puzzles, toys, curriculae, music, posters, DVDs, maps, and more for people of all ages. From civil-rights-themed board games to the homophobia-combatting book Sometimes a Spoon Runs Away with Another Spoon, the company’s items combine “teachable moments” with whimsy and fun.

—Tracy Fernandez Rysavy

More green-living articles from the Green American »