It’s not easy buying green, especially when it comes to finding gifts for your favorite green geek. Their immense concern for the environment has resulted in their creation of a lifestyle revolved around conservative consumption. If you haven’t yet joined the green revolution, then you probably don’t know what exactly they’d want or need, or whether or not they already have it. So before you undertake exhaustive research in your quest to find the perfect gift, peruse these items and determine if they would capture your green geek’s fancy.
Electronics and Technology
The following items could be considered practical or just cool to own.
- Powerhouse Dynamics eMonitor: A home-owning green geek will surely appreciate the function of the eMonitor, which monitors the amount of power and money appliances are wasting, appliance health, and solar and wind production. Additionally, it alerts the owner if appliances are left on, go off, or if circuits are reaching their capacity. It’s a versatile home energy management system.
- Voltaic Amp Solar Charger: According to Voltaic, its Amp Solar Charger has four-times the power and twice the battery storage compared to similar products. One hour charging in the sun can result in three hours of power for a phone. It can also charge a variety of other small devices, including cameras and iPods.
- Logitech Wireless Solar Keyboard: Now green geeks can minimize their footprints even while typing. This thin, laptop-like solar keyboard eliminates the hassle that accompanies regular wired keyboards. It charges with sunlight or indoor lighting, remaining in operation in darkness for at least three months.
- Sony Ericsson Elm Phone: If your green geek has an outdated phone, then consider giving them the Elm from Sony Ericsson. It’s composed of recycled plastic and is made without the use of toxic chemicals, yet it’s still equipped with a five megapixel camera and the ability to view email and Facebook.
Clothes and Accessories
Green geeks will be pleased to know they’re wearing or carrying something that’s entirely earth-friendly.
- Clothes or Gear from LooptWorks: LooptWorks uses leftover fabrics to recreate clothing and accessories in an effort to help rid the world of unnecessary waste. Its website features a wide variety of appealing items for men and women.
- Sun-Mate Solar Hat: Both the Solar Safari Hat and Solar Cool Cap come equipped with built-in fans that are solar and battery powered. One-size-fits-all, so any hotheaded green geek can wear one during a hot summer day spent outdoors.
- Acorn Footwear: Acorn’s concern for the future of the earth is apparent in the way it constructs its footwear, using “sustainable, renewable and biodegradable” materials such as hemp and organic cotton terry. Harmful toxic chemicals are avoided, and recycled materials are incorporated. The footwear, most notably the slippers, are comfortable and long-lasting.
- The Leaky Collection Jewelry: The Leaky Collection is based in Kenya, but its jewelry has been sold worldwide, proving that its beauty is transcendent. Local communities contribute to the formation of one-of-a-kind beads, bracelets and necklaces made from materials like porcelain, grass and fallen wood.
- WeWood Watch: Green geeks who wears their greenness on their sleeve may enjoy a wooden timepiece on their wrist. WeWood practices an “avant-garde approach to sophisticated sustainability,” building stylish and lightweight watches that are devoid of toxic materials.
- Reware Attache: The Reware Attache is ideal for a green student or dad who has to tote items like laptops and books daily. It’s made from recycled soda bottle fabric that’s durable and water resistant. All sides are padded, ensuring the items it carries are safe from impact. A good, practical gift.
- UrthBag: UrthBags are undoubtedly stylish in design, but sporting one really shows the owner’s selflessness. Each bag is handcrafted from recycled materials by Fair Trade Women’s Organizations & Artisans, meaning that with each one purchased, support is given to underprivileged women.
Around the House and Miscellaneous Stuff
Stimulate positive emotions, enhance a home or encourage a hobby. These items make thoughtful gifts.
- Essance Natural Aromatherapy: Essance encourages the health of mind, body and emotion as well as our environment. So a green geek can relax and take in the invigorating scent, knowing that it’s free of alcohol and synthetic chemicals. When the bottle is empty, it can be returned to Essance, who will recycle it in exchange for a 15 percent discount credit.
- Forest City Handmade Photo Album: Constructed from natural and renewable materials like recycled bamboo paper, hibiscus, kava, seashells, banana, alang grass and twigs, Forest City Photo Albums possess a distinctly artistic and earthy feel; perfect for a mom or grandmother who loves the outdoors almost as much as she loves her family.
- Big Green Cookbook: As the “Prius of cookbooks,” Jackie Newgent’s Big Green Cookbook helps green geeks reduce their carbon footprints while eating well. It provides 200 tasty, all-natural recipes for a wide variety of preferences, including eco-beer-battered red onion rounds, pan-seared Alaskan wild salmon with papaya sauce, and buckwheat blueberry-peach pancakes.
- J Clay Pottery: Durable non-toxic bowls from J Clay Pottery come with unique green messages that can be personalized. They’re constructed from all-natural clay and given an all-natural appearance with a variety of earthly colors.
- Green Glass: An item from Green Glass makes an excellent stocking stuffer for the green geek who’s also an avid beer drinker. The company recreates old donated bottles — mainly from beer brands such as Grolsch, Corona, Sol and Reef — into new ones in an energy-efficient factory.
- Small Pod Ecosphere: The Small Pod Ecosphere is a miniature ecosystem that comes in a 5.25 inch tall glass globe. Inside are three to four shrimp, algae, bacteria and other microorganisms. It makes an excellent decorative and conversation piece — perfect to display in a green geek’s favorite room.
- Eco-Artware: Everything ranging from hand-turned pens to vintage typewriter key cuff links can be found on Eco-Artware.com, so there’s a fitting gift for every type of green geek. Each item is transformed into a decorative work of art using recycled, reused or natural materials.
- Dolan Geiman Artwork: Dolan Geiman’s paintings, constructions and collages are masterfully composed from recycled materials like salvaged wood. His depictions of rural America and wildlife will visually enhance any green geek’s home.
- GroBox: A green geek with a green thumb will marvel as their GroBox, essentially a garden in a box, blooms into a colorful display of flowering plants. Each box is composed with the season in mind, ensuring growth immediately after it’s purchased. The only work required is planting the box.
Article submitted by Jennifer Lynch who writes for (http://www.toponlinecolleges.com