Green giving is a buzz word these days, but what does it really mean? Green, or “good for the planet,” gifts are not just those made from environmentally friendly or recycled materials. Green living can mean many things — buying locally, using fair trade and organic products, recycling — anything that minimizes the carbon footprint. So if you’re thinking of green giving this holiday season, you can get really creative.
For food lovers, instead of the traditional food basket, give cooking lessons. There are plenty of cooking schools around, from the Farm Kitchen in Poulsbo to the Bainbridge Island Cooking School. Or hire a local personal chef for them. For coffee lovers, additional choices include fair trade organic coffee from local roasters like Poulsbo-based Grounds for Change and Bainbridge Island’s Fog Woman Coffee .
If you like to create your own gifts but want to be a little more environmentally friendly than using, say paper or other crafts, personalize your gift by painting a vase, ornament etc at a local ceramic shop. But if you don’t have the time or desire to fuss with a do-it-yourself gift, donate to a charity on behalf of the recipient instead. For animal lovers, choose a nonprofit that helps animals ; for environmentalists, choose a conservancy group ; for people with a soft spot, choose the local foodbank — you get the idea.
For the person who has everything, give the gift of experiences instead. Kitsap County’s Waste-Free Holidays program is a great resource for gift ideas that bring memories instead of packaging and other waste to the landfill. The county signs up various retailers and venues, from theaters to spas, and for the holidays they offer special discounts, as much as 50 percent off.
Bed and breakfast stays, restaurant gift certificates, theater performances, car washes, classes — the Waste Free Holidays vendors offer a rainbow of possibilities. The program started in Kitsap County about 12 years ago and has been so successful, that several other jurisdictions have since joined in. In mid-November, vendors were still signing up with the Kitsap County program but some offers already available included karate, dance and cooking classes; symphony and theater tickets; spa treatments and much more. To see all the offers, visit www.wastefreeholidays.com.
It may be surprising what kinds of sustainable gifts you can turn out by asking around. For example, Two Sisters Fine Jewelry in downtown Bremerton buys “fair labor” gems. The newly opened Carter’s Chocolates uses as many organic ingredients as possible, from the chocolate to the creams . Port Madison Home Furnishings on Bainbridge Island sells hip reusable shopping bags by a German company called Reisenthel. Reusable shopping bags are all the rage now, and these not only don’t advertise another store’s logo, they’re attractive and fold into a tiny pouch when not in use.
And of course along the “buying locally” line, stop by any downtown gift shop or art gallery and you can find unlimited gift ideas of locally made arts, crafts and fine art. These items may not have the “recycled” or “fair traded” label on them, but they are just as green—using limited packaging, requiring no lengthy transportation, and helping make the local community sustainable by supporting a small business and an artist or artisan.
Even if you’re the mall kind of shopper, there is chance for doing some good to the planet. The Kitsap Mall participates in the GIVE program — for every purchase of the special “Give green” card, 70 cents are donated to American Forests, a world environmental restoration organization.
Think green beyond the gift itself. Instead of buying the usual cut tree this year, buy a living tree — a tree you can use inside the house to decorate, then plant in your garden later. If you do buy a cut tree, make sure you recycle: The county offers free Christmas treecycling from Dec. 26 to Jan. 15. Instead of wrapping your presents with pretty, but wasteful, paper, use alternatives that can become part of the gift: scarves, table runners, bandanas, or reusable baskets for the edible gifts.
