Greener Gift Ideas

If you are looking to live a greener, more eco-friendly life, giving green gifts is one way to help spread the wisdom of this lifestyle. When you buy green gifts, you are being consistent with your own values and supporting businesses and services that you believe in. You are also sending a message to the recipient of the gift. Here are some green gift ideas for this holiday season.

Healthy Cookware

Many conventional pots and pans leach metals, such as aluminum, into your food. A great gift idea for people who love to cook is healthy earthenware or ceramic pots. Other good choices are stainless steel, or porcelain cookware. The best thing about healthy cookware is that it's a gift that someone can enjoy and benefit from for many years.

Green Gift Certificates

If you are the kind of shopper who doesn't like to drag around large packages, you can still give or send a perfect green gift in the form of a gift certificate. You can give someone a gift certificate for a green cleaning service, dinner at a health food or organic restaurant, a natural food store, or an online company that specializes in green products. This way, you are allowing them to choose what kind of green gift they want!

Green Books, Audio Programs or DVDs

There are many educational and informative books, CDs and DVDs on the market about the environment. If the person on your gift list might not appreciate an educational book about going green, find something in the natural world that they do appreciate --like a favorite animal, plant or part of the world-- and find a book with lots of great photos that tie in with environmental issues.

Green Gifts for Kids

For children on your gift list, there are many options for helping young minds absorb the green message. You can find educational yet entertaining books that teach kids about environmental issues. There are stuffed animals made from recycled materials. You can even find games, puzzles and lab kits that are geared towards green issues.

Water Filters

Water filters come in many varieties. Everyone drinks water, and most people need to drink more than they do. Water filters are also a way to cut down on disposable plastic bottles. You may also want to throw in a good sized reusable water bottle that they can fill up every day.

Green Electronics

High tech items can be green too. You can find solar powered calculators, long-lasting light bulbs and battery-free flashlights, for starters. Speaking of batteries, a good gift for someone with an iPod or other portable listening device is a battery recharger. Disposable batteries are an environmental nuisance.

These green gift ideas will hopefully spark your imagination. The list of green gifts is almost endless, once you start thinking about it.