Environmentally friendly gifts are fun and unique, and at the same time, they help you lessen your carbon footprint. They also help others reduce their impact on the planet. Unfortunately, green gifts often have a negative reputation for being expensive, and it’s hard to know if the recipient loves them as much as you do.
The good news is, you can save money and the environment while dispelling the myths surrounding the cost of green gift giving. This can be achieved by considering these six environmentally friendly gifts your friends will love:
A Green Cup of Joe
A majority of the population drink coffee regularly. This means nearly 20 billion disposable cups find their way into landfills each year. You can encourage your friends to do their part to save the planet by giving them great quality reusable coffee cups as gifts.
Personalized Seed Packets
A collection of seed packets makes for green gift-giving. To take it up an extra notch, think about ordering them from a company that can print personalized messages on the packaging. From company names and logos to a touching message, specially-printed seed packets are as thoughtful as they are environmentally friendly.
Reusable Shopping Bags
Fashionable and eco-friendly, fabric shopping bags come in a variety of fun patterns and colors. Buy one or several for your favorite friend to use every time she goes to the grocery store, to help her contribute less to paper and plastic waste. Remember to suggest she keep them in the trunk of her car, so they’re always handy!
Fresh Herbs
Anyone can give a houseplant as a gift, but you can take it a step further by giving a live plant that does double duty. Fresh potted herbs are not only beautiful, but they can also be used to season a limitless number of dishes. Rosemary bushes are easy to grow in the yard, and they give off a lovely scent when you touch them. For in the kitchen, pots of sage and basil dress up a countertop and provide fantastic flavor.
An Indoor Compost Bin
For the environmentally conscious friend who has everything, an indoor compost bin makes the perfect gift. Everyone thinks composting has to take place outside, but that’s the old way of thinking. These days, vermicompost bins are small, highly efficient compost bins that fit right in the kitchen.
A vermicompost bin contains worms to help break down food. The bin doesn’t smell bad at all, and knowing you’re helping to save the atmosphere from harmful carbon dioxide is reason enough to give this unique gift.
Bandanas
Bandanas – they’re not just for cowboys and gang members anymore. Bandanas are cheap and versatile, which makes them a fabulous gift choice for any green living friend. They can be used as cloth napkins and dish towels, or you can use them in the shower as a washcloth. They make awesome food wraps for things like muffins and fruit, and they even come in handy in some medical situations.
When giving bandanas as a gift, purchase several and fold them neatly in a stack. Wrap some decorative hemp rope around the stack and finish it off with a handmade tag.
It’s true that green gift giving can be expensive. However, when it comes to giving environmentally friendly gifts your friends will love, you don’t have to spend a great deal of money to present them with something thoughtful and helpful. Part of going green involves saving money, so use the six gift ideas above to give gifts that help save the planet.
great gifts ideas, love the personalized seed packs.