Shop Green, shop from home

by Jeannie Piekos

Last month in the Save the Planet column I wrote that Buying Local/Buying Green is a great way to support the local economy while patronizing vendors who have established green practices. In that article I gave ideas for holiday shopping from local merchants whose products are earth-friendly and locally owned and/or produced.

While I will always advocate first for local green businesses, sometimes the holidays get so busy that the only time to shop is from midnight to 8 a.m.! There just aren’t too many stores that can accommodate that kind of schedule. So the next best thing to shopping local is to do your holiday shopping online. With online shopping, stores are open 24/7. There are many advantages to shopping online versus driving around to 15 different retailers to find presents for your loved ones.

Shopping from green merchants online is a great way to conserve energy (yours and your car’s), and there are so many green choices. Online shopping is quick and much less expensive when you consider your gas mileage and your time. Often there are no delivery fees (especially this time of year) and you can also check out offers for free gift wrap and even delivery to your gift recipient with a gift card. But most importantly your ability to find eco-friendly gifts is greatly increased online. For example, if you want to buy everyone on your list a reusable grocery bag you might have to drive to several different stores looking at different bag options to find exactly what you want. If you shop online the foot-work becomes finger-work, which takes a fraction of the time and no extra resources. There are several one-stop shops for bags such as reusablebags.com or ecobags.com. They each have tons of selection, low overhead, which means affordable prices, and they both have excellent reputations and customer service.

Obviously the internet has created a whole new economy that has allowed small entrepreneurs who would never have been able to open a brick and mortar store to have an online store. There are many small green companies that only sell online and the specialization can be very impressive. You can find an organic lotion with just the right essential oil in a 2 ounce recycled glass container just as easily as you can type. Or organic Ayurvedic herbs, fair trade toys, eco-friendly yarn and just about anything else your little green-loving heart desires!
One other advantage to buying online is there may be less impulse buying. Of course, online retailers are in the business to sell, however, there are fewer gimmicks and distractions than in your big box retailers. There is also a wealth of information at your fingertips. Take for example reusablebags.com—their website is filled with facts about plastics, the impact on oceans, why organic cotton is better, the paper vs. plastics argument, and even customer reviews of the different bags. A regular retailer simply cannot devote that kind of space to supply their shoppers with that much information.

Lastly most online companies supply a lot of accreditation about their business and about their products. And if they don’t—don’t buy there because there are plenty of reputable companies out there and easy ways to find them.
While there are lots of green online retailers (just google green shopping for a scant 123,000,000 sites), Coop America is the clearing house for finding ethical green companies.

Search their Green Pages (coopamerica.org/pubs/greenpages) for any category and you will find scores of great green businesses one click away. Coop America businesses have been approved after meeting tough standards and criteria so you know you are getting a truly green business—not just one that jumped on the green bandwagon to cash in on the recent earth-friendly trend.

Since it is the season for sharing I thought I would give you a jump start on your holiday shopping. I have compiled a list of some of my favorite Coop America approved businesses and the wonderful items they carry. Here’s my Top Ten List of wonderfully creative & fabulously unique green gifts—all Coop America Approved! Happy Green Shopping!

Safe Fair Trade & Organic Toys. It is so much fun to shop for kids at the holidays. But with all of the stories about toxic toys and recalls, it is hard to know which products are safe. No need to worry about that at Taraluna—all of their toys are safe, healthy, sustainable and nontoxic. Taraluna offers beautiful toys that you will be happy to play with right alongside the kids. I love the wooden puzzles. These eco-friendly, child safe, heirloom quality puzzles are works of art as well as fun and educational. There are number snakes, dolphins, an alphabet dragon—a whole menagerie. Or maybe your crew would prefer the Xeko Mission game—The animals of Indonesia are in danger ... the power to save them is in the cards. Taraluna also has some great stuff for adults, the home, even pets—that is if you can bear to leave the toy page! taraluna.com/baby/toys_ puzzles.htm

Harmonious Environment is a great book for a holiday gift. Surely this is a gift that keeps on giving. This book shows you how to create a beautiful, nontoxic and natural home and workspace, a sanctuary that will support, invigorate and nourish you to flourish in all aspects of your life—while being kind to the environment. There are hundreds of resources and information providing eco-friendly and safe materials and household goods. This is a thoughtful present for anyone on your list, plus it’s a great present for the Earth as well.
harmoniousenvironment.com/bookpagetableofcontents.htm

Honey Citrus Sugar Scrub from Zosimos Botanicals would make a lovely gift for a guy or gal. Exfoliating sugar crystals melt away, leaving a protective barrier of moisture on your skin. This scrub is full of wonderful ingredients including jojoba oil, sweet almond oil and vitamin E. And honey, which is a natural antibacterial and humectant. Add a tub for your honey and you will be a happy Santa!
zosimosbotanicals.com/ index.php/cPath/89_45

Is there a knitter on your holiday list? Check out the beautiful yarns at NearSea Naturals. There are cruelty-free, soft and cuddly yarns made from animal fibers (I loved the beautiful brown alpaca) and gorgeous natural plant-based yarns, and yarns that are a blend of both (the ginger hemp-wool blend is beautiful). You will buy them for others but want to keep them for yourself! Or maybe the knitter on your list will create a beautiful and durable hemp scarf for you next holiday!
nearseanaturals.com/ browse.php?category=70

Happy Lips: that is what Dropwise promises with their organic aromatherapy lip balms. Winter time lips need a little help and these wonderful balms are perfect. They are made with synergistic blends of certified organic botanical infusions of calendula and chamomile and pure essential oil blends that evoke the delicious flavors of popular edibles. The Orange Dream lip balm was voted best flavor by KIWI Magazine in its October issue roundup of the leading natural brands of lip balm. But it’s a tough choice between that and the Licorice Mint or the Peppermint Pattie or … well, maybe just buy all four. Great for stocking stuffers!
dropwise.com/catalog/ aromatherapy-lip-balms.html

Eclipse Spa Bath Salts. You better buy at least two—one to keep and one to give. These salts are a mini trip to the spa and you need to treat yourself this time of year, too. Yes, you deserve it—with all the shopping and wrapping. This fine blend contains natural muscle relaxants, water and skin softeners. You can choose either Red Roses or a Lavender scented bath salt. I love their full disclosure of ingredients so you know you are putting only the best stuff on your skin. Eclipse also carries gels, moisturizers, candles and meditative CDs. Check out their great combo kits such as the Rejuvenation and Escape Packages. Enjoy! www.eclipse-spa.com/

I am so in love with tea. If you were buying me a present (which isn’t a bad idea, by the way) and you gave me a year’s supply of this amazing Darjeeling tea, I think I would love you forever. Of course, this is no ordinary tea. This is tea from the Boston Tea Campaign—all they do is Darjeeling tea and they do it well. Their teas are tested for hundreds of chemicals (residues of herbicides and pesticides). The result is printed on each package. These teas are much more than “organic”—they are clean. They are 100 percent pure Darjeeling; no cheaper teas mixed in. And the parent company funds reforestation and a model village in Darjeeling, implemented through the WWF. What’s not to love?
bostonteacampaign.com

Sweet Treats from Sweet Earth Chocolates. Most of us love to bake, but the Holidays are usually so busy we can’t find the time. Does that mean we don’t have any yummy goodies to share? Not at all. Just let the folks at Sweet Earth Chocolates do the work for you. Organic Candy Cane Crunch Bark, Candy Cane Dots and Organic Chocolate Dipped Cookies ought to do it! Beautiful and yummy without the cleanup! sweetearthchocolates.com

Bamboo is the most sustainable natural fiber on earth. NaturallyBamboo’s bamboo/organic cotton blend polo is the perfect shirt to give to the men on your list. Their bamboo is grown without pesticides. It is naturally antibacterial and hypoallergenic, breathable and absorbent. It also wicks away moisture and doesn’t hold odor (that’s a great feature—I think I will order my husband two!). Bonus: they are very soft and the earth colors are lovely. My fave is the mocha. They also carry nice T-shirts (for men and women) in the same great colors. All new orders get 10 percent off—use coupon code -”coop10”!
naturallybambooclothing.com/

Happiness is a great Tees For Change T-Shirt. That is metaphoric and literal. What a great gift—a T-shirt that reminds us of the power of positive thinking! You will want to add several of these earth-friendly tees to your list—perhaps one of each: Choose Happiness, Be Fearless or Laugh Often plus several others. These yoga-inspired, lovely tees are made from organic cotton and bamboo and come in cool colors. They also have several different cuts. I am fond of the super soft and stretchy one with raglan sleeves.teesforchange.com


I know I said a Top Ten List but can you blame me for adding ...
Zodiac Scents from Ginger’s Garden are the perfect individualized gifts. These scents were especially blended for all 12 astrological signs. Their descriptions for the signs are cute and, of course, complimentary. So choose one for your special Aquarian, Gemini or Leo and let them see how aromatherapy enhances their already lovely persona. Ginger’s Garden also carries a complete line of skincare, candles and soaps.gingersgarden.com

There is a war going on against our planet! Global warming! Toxic waste dumps! Nuclear accidents! Cancer-causing chemicals in our water, air and food! But there are people and businesses working to save our planet, and we’re on their side. Every month, SOUTHSIDE PRIDE will be running an exciting new section called save the planet.