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December 08, 2015

Top 10 Green Gift Ideas

  • Posted in:   Blog
  • Written by  Melanie Kelly

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The holiday gifting countdown has already begun. With US Postal Service shipping deadlines fast approaching, we thought we’d put together a list of green gift ideas that will put you in good graces with all your recipients, but also help save our planet in the process. Oh, and those shipping deadlines are as follows just in case you weren’t sure:

Unfortunately, their plans for a Tiny Home fell through and they had to settle for purchasing a normal home. “I love our home, but its roof lacks the compatibility for solar panel installation. So there they were – a normal couple in a normal home using brown power.”

December 19, deadline for shipping USPS First Class

December 21, deadline for shipping USPS Priority Mail

December 23, deadline for shipping USPS Priority Mail Express

Below is our list of 10 things or companies that no one on your gift list would be disappointed with, and you can feel better knowing you are doing your part to save our planet.

 

#10- Solar Roast Coffee (https://solarroast.com/)

We simply could not resist this for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that this company uses solar power to roast their coffee. It is also 100% USDA certified organic. We also love that they reside in one of our home states…Colorado. $31.95 for 3-3 lb. bags

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#9- Back to the Roots Water Garden (http://backtotheroots.com/products/watergarden)

This is essentially a self-cleaning fish tank that also grows food. The fish feed the plants, and the plants then clean and filter the water. Genius. Also includes 100% Organic seeds to start your first fish tank garden. $60

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#8- Sea to Summit Soaps and Personal Care (http://www.seatosummit.com/personal-care/?sub_personal=2)

All of their products in this category are either biodegradable or compostable. The biodegradable soaps are safe to use in the outdoors while camping or travelling. The Wilderness Wipes are for those times when a shower isn’t available. Good for bike-to-workers, or for when a shower is possible after a lunchtime workout. They are compostable. Great selection of travel products. $2.95-5.95 each.

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#7- Maggie’s Soap Nuts (http://www.soapnuts.pro/)

In case you were wondering, they are in fact actual nuts, or soap berries from the Soap Tree. Among other soap berry products, the Soap Nuts can actually replace Laundry Detergent in your home or business. Review from people claim there is no noticeable difference when compared to traditional laundry detergents like Tide. But you can get about double the amount of uses for the same price. 100% organic and biodegradable. $34 for 300-400+ uses.

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#6- Tasc Performance Bamboo Clothing (http://www.tascperformance.com/)

If you have never worn a bamboo shirt, you are surely missing out. Once you have worn one, you will want to replace your entire wardrobe. Soft and silky, bamboo is a better eco alternative to traditional cotton. Bamboo is the fastest growing plant in the world, but its hidden benefits include being odor free, moisture wicking, and also blocks 99.9% of harmful UV Rays. $32-130/piece

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#5- House of Marley Headphones (http://www.thehouseofmarley.com/)

The name Marley usually invokes the thought of Reggae music, Jamaica, and of course Bob himself. But what the family name might not bring to mind is their headphones. Their headphones not only emitt tremendous sound, but they are also constructed of Earth-Friendly materials such as recycled plastics, recycled metals, and even bamboo. These would make the audiophile in your life the perfect recipient for these amazing, and stylish, headphones. $49-299/pair

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#4- Vermicompost Bin (http://www.vermicompost.net/)

This is not your traditional home compost bin or system, but it’s arguably cooler. Vermicomposting uses the power of worms to break down your home food scraps. From egg shells and tea bags, to coffee filters and banana peels, these little worms will eat most anything. But it’s the end result of all this eating that gives you all your compost. This organic waste is called worm casings. You can buy their bins and also the worms too. There is no smell left behind either so you can leave the bins indoors if necessary. Food Compost stat of the Day:”For every ton of food scraps separated from the trash before it gets to the landfill, the atmosphere gets saved from six tons of carbon dioxide that would have been released.” $49-119/bin

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#3- Green Guru Gear (http://www.greengurugear.com/)

This was an easy choice for us at SunShare as we have a lot if cyclists on our staff who ride to work, or ride for fun. If you are a cyclist, you are probably well aware of the number of potential used up inner tubes that reside either on the walls of your garage, or in the local landfill. This is where Green Guru Gear steps in to keep cleaner garages and landfills. Not only do they re-utilize unusable inner tubes to make their products such as backpacks and paniers, but they also “upcycle” other throwaway remnants from the outdoor community such as expired climbing rope, wetsuits, banners, and tents. They then repurpose all this outdoor trash into functional, and stylish gear for the cycling community.

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#2- Cling Bling Window Solar Chargers (https://www.opensky.com/vistashops/product/cling-bling-our-window-solar-charger-for-smart-phones-and-more-1)

More of a novelty for home use, but has fun implications for your sun facing office window, these are stick-on-the-window solar chargers that you can plug your charging phone directly into for an electrical-outlet-free charge. It also houses an internal battery that will store a charge for later use.

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#1- Stop Throwing Money Away, Book (http://www.amazon.com/Stop-Throwing-Money-Away-Treasure-And/dp/0470549009)

This book itself is not inherently eco-friendly, but the message most certainly is. The main message is that most of us can simply “Shop at Home”, as we all have so much unused stuff and clutter, that we can find a new use for things or repurpose into something completely different. It’s not the landfill’s fault that we have way too much, so why not use what we have and find a new life for all our stuff? There are also money making ideas on profiting from what you already have. Free up space, make some money, and save the Earth? That’s a message we can get behind.

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That’s our list, and we hoped you enjoyed it. While we focus all of our attention on Community Solar projects here at SunShare, one of our main missions to make our planet better. This is just one small way we can all do our part, and also to think about the impact we are leaving behind.

If you have any questions about SunShare or Community Solar, please give us a call at 800.793.0786.

Happy Holidays from all of us here at SunShare