Green Gift Ideas

Way to upcycle: bulk-food bags made from fabric scraps.

What to give a low-carbon girl on her birthday? That’s what some of my friends were thinking about this year and several came up with some pretty crafty solutions.

Upcycle, Reuse, Repeat
As you probably know, plastic has become the bane of our ecosystem these days. Reducing our use of plastic bags in grocery stores for bulk foods is a great place to start.

To that end, Joy, came up with a very green solution. She took fabric scraps from clothes she had made and created bulk-food bags in every possible size and bursting with color (upcycle!). Then she put them all in a shoebox (reuse!). Too bad you can’t see the wordplay on the shoebox (Material Girl).

Upcycle, Enable, Enjoy
Who doesn’t like to support an artist or small business when ever possible? My friend Nicola sent me a bracelet made of recycled leather and metal from a young artist in Manolates, Greece. And, what girl doesn’t enjoy a little jewelry every now and then?

Experience Only
A few winters ago, Colin Beavan (a.k.a. No Impact Man) wrote an article for YES! Magazine entitled Christmas with No Presents?  In it he talks about ways of giving sustainably and suggests giving experiences, such as dinner out or theater tickets versus purchasing stuff.

So, there you have it, three ideas for the greenies in your life. Or, maybe everyone?

Follow-up: If you have your own bulk food bags or containers, you can ask to have them weighed before you fill them so that you’re not paying for the weight of your bag/container.