Green Holiday Gift Shopping Ideas

Go Green in 2014: Week 47

The holidays are coming up quickly, and you may be wondering how you can go green with your gift giving....

Although I've hardly begun my shopping, I have been trying to come up with some ideas to lessen my environmental impact once I get started. Following are a few things I have done in the past, as well as some new ideas for this year's holiday gifts.

1. Support local shops. Shopping locally is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint because it helps conserve resources, such as those related to transportation. Plus, you will be helping to support the local economy.

2. Make your own holiday gifts. "Doing it yourself" is not only a great way to conserve resources, but it's usually pretty inexpensive and much more personal. In my experience, people tend to appreciate handmade gifts much more than generic, store-bought items.

3. Shop for gifts made with recycled materials. There are all kinds of neat gift items that are made with recycled materials, such as flip flop doormats, recycled metal jewelry and wall art, reclaimed wood furniture, and so on. You could even combine ideas 1 and 2, and make your own recycled material holiday gifts.

4. Give away seed packets. Seed packets are a great way to help someone become more eco-friendly, whether they are for flowers, veggies, or herbs. If you want to take it a step further, you could give potted herbs, perhaps to someone who enjoys cooking.

5. Buy gift cards to local stores. Gift cards are great because they are small, and the recipients can then buy whatever they like. This greatly reduces waste (have you ever received something that ended up collecting dust for several years before you finally gave it away or sold it in a garage sale?).

6. Give reusable cloth napkins or "unpaper" towels. Someone who goes through a lot of paper towels, such as someone with kids or pets, might appreciate the monetary savings associated with reusable napkins. Learn more here. Cloth sandwich and snack baggies are also a great idea.

7. Shop for non-toxic toys for kids. Wooden toys may be safer than plastic ones, because plastic often contains toxic chemicals - however, if the wood is painted, do your research to be sure it is non-toxic. Learn about three chemicals that could be in your child's toys.

8. Purchase dryer balls or soap nuts as gifts. Instead of dryer sheets or fabric softener, I use wool dryer balls to soften my laundry. Soap nuts, which come from the soapberry tree, are also a great gift idea for someone who might be interested in switching to a more green detergent alternative.

9. Make sure gifts are practical or useful. If you're not sure someone will use your gift, maybe you should reconsider it. Items that go unused are wasteful, so if you really don't know someone very well, consider simply asking what they want or need.

10. "Wrap" gifts in reusable bags. You will likely want to wrap your gift, whether it's green or...not so much. Reusable cloth bags are useful because they have so many purposes: grocery shopping, traveling, or just storing certain items (I like keep my yarn in a reusable bag for easy transportation).

What are some ways you have gone green with holiday gift giving? How do you plan to do so this year?

Photo courtesy of Flickr / FutUndBeidl

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Disclosure: This post may contain some affiliate links, but all opinions are my own.

Your challenge: This week, if you haven't already, start your holiday gift list with as many green and environmentally-friendly items as you can come up with.

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**This post is part of a weekly challenge {Go Green in 2014}, during which the author has challenged herself - and you - to find 52 ways to lead a greener life in 2014. You can follow the weekly posts on this page.**

Three Toxic Chemicals That Could Be in Your Child's Toys

Beware of toxic chemicals in toys

A child's exposure to toxic chemicals can lead to many adverse effects, including bone softening, kidney problems, liver toxicity, estrogenic effects and more, depending on the exposed chemical. The frequent hand-to-mouth movement we often see in young children creates a pathway for toxic chemicals in toys and other items to enter their bodies. The same is true of chew toys that are made for our beloved pets, who ingest the chemicals in those toys during play. 

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 Although there are laws and regulations regarding toys for children and pets, some companies still allow some of these harmful chemicals into their product. 

Lead

 

Children, infants and fetuses are most vulnerable to lead (Pb). Lead is a neurotoxicant that is harmful to the organs and most systems in the body. It can be found in painted toys and jewelry that has leaded metal clasps, chains or charms. It is used as a stabilizer in some toys that are made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic, but can leach out when kids handle them -- particularly when they come into mouth contact. Although the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) regulates lead in children's products, you can avoid problems by giving your children unpainted toys, like wooden blocks. 

Phthalates

 

Phthalates have been found to be reproductive and developmental toxicants. They can damage the liver, kidneys, heart and lungs. Rubber ducks and teething rings could potentially contain phthalates. Phthalates are used as softeners in PVC plastics, but they are not bound to the plastic substrate, so they can leach out when children are playing with toys that contain this toxic chemical. The CPSIA regulates six phthalates in products for children but, to be safe, avoid giving your child toys that are made of PVC plastics. Look for items labeled "PVC free." 

Bisphenol A (BPA)

 

BPA is used in manufacturing polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. We recently learned that baby bottles (as well as some canned food and dental sealants) contained BPA, and some companies might still be using it. This chemical has estrogenic effects and can have developmental, neural and reproductive toxicants. It has also been linked to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Exposure to pregnant women may even have an effect on the developing fetus. Look for toys labeled "BPA free."

Although the toys we played with as children may have contained harmful chemicals, it is somewhat reassuring to know that there are safer toys on the market today. Still, it is always a good idea to research and read labels before giving new toys to your children or pets, since not all toxic chemicals are regulated around the world yet. 

References:
Environmental Science & Technology Feature