Unique Green Gifts Show you Care

Dec. 7, 2010 - PRLog -- This holiday season, shopping for greener eco-friendly items doesn’t mean buying CFL bulbs for your loved ones. Green products can be fun and beautiful. These items are generally made to last longer, use sustainable materials, save energy and take into account their environmental impact over the short and long term. They may cost slightly more than the conventional products, but costs such as living wages, safe disposal of pollutants, and eventually, landfill space are rarely calculated into the cost of a gift, yet they matter to our environment.

Here are some fabulous green products to consider this year!

Cork is a very eco-friendly item! Cork has been cultivated in Portugal for hundreds of years and is replenished after harvesting. Cork Wine Racks are made in the USA and easy to put together. The rack, only $35.00, holds 9 bottles, is expandable to hold more, and at the end of its life, will decompose in any landfill because it is plant-based.   Mouse pads made from cork are anti-microbial and are available for only $8.00!

Jewelry doesn’t have to be made from expensive stone to be beautiful. You can find recycled jewelry made from recycled beach glass, rainforest seeds and even paper. These beautiful pieces are often hand made by artisans around the world who take pride in their craft. Our selection ranges from $8 to $38.

Hemp backpacks are durable and come with many handy pockets. Not to be confused with its THC-laden cousin, industrial hemp grows without the need for chemical pesticides and re-grows every 150 days after harvesting. US farmers are clamoring to grow it again (long story there…). Since the product is plant-based, that’s right, it will break down when disposed of. These backpacks are available for $59.00!

Countertop water filters are one of the smarter investments a homeowner or business office can make. Removing contaminants from the faucet for better taste and re-using a safer drinking container like glass or portable stainless steel is an environmentally sound and healthy practice. The quality of the water you drink in plastic bottles is not only unregulated, but it may also be leeching plastic into your body. And although plastic can be recycled, the vast majority of these bottles end up in landfills or worse, in the ocean, where they take many years to decompose. Great value and taste for $109.

The Nomad solar charger  is new and a one-of-a-kind solar charger from Recharge Our World. How many times has your cell, iPod, Blackberry or other hand-held device died at the most inopportune time? The easy to roll-up and roll-out, thin film solar panel provides a fast 5 volt charge to your electronics as if you plugged into an outlet. There is no battery to charge. It will use any amount of light you can find and is available for $99. A great addition to your electronics collection!

Replace your liquid laundry detergent containing polluting phosphates.  Using the friction generated from moving ceramic bits, The Green Wash Ball  increases the alkalinity of the water creating a natural surfactant atmosphere in your washing machine.  Reusable up to 1000 times and costing a drop compared to all those all those heavy plastic jugs, the Green Wash Ball pays itself back plenty and is $29, the cost of only a few bottles of detergent and far more friendly! And don’t forget the matching Dryer Balls that speed up drying time by 40% for $10.

Another way to be earth friendly is to reduce waste created by paper trash or plastic.  Our stainless steel lunch container is re-usable and dish washable over and over again. It reduces the waste created by paper trash or plastic zip-loc bags. And at only $13.00 it is recyclable at the time of disposal!  

And if you’re hosting a party, consider our Eco-Party Packs. They’re perfect for the holiday office or home party.  Pre-packaged for 50 or more people, these earth friendly supplies of hot and cold cups, plates, bowls and utensils are plant-based and made from corn starch, wheat straw or sugarcane. Recycled content napkins are provided and biodegradable bags are included for the clean-up. If your party has styrofoam and petro-chemical based plastic materials, your waste will outlast your own life and the life of your offspring!

There are lots of great green gift ideas to choose from. This year, try giving greener gifts, and do what you can for all of us living, and not-yet-born.

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About Greener Country:
Greener Country was founded in 2007 and offers a full line of high quality environmentally preferable products for homes and offices. Greener Country is a member of many accredited green organizations and offers educational programs on eco-friendly green living in their NY outlet store. Greener Country is a socially responsible company committed to environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.greenercountry.com.