I was talking to a friend a couple days ago about green gift ideas and, despite Christmas being only a week away, thought I would share some thoughts and suggestions.  Green gifts can be thought of in a couple ways:  The function of the product can be green in nature, or the life-cycle design of the product is green in nature.  In an ideal world a “green” gift could be both those things – but practically speaking those are hard to find.

For a coworker or neighbor I could see a nice digital tire gauge like the Accutire MS-4350B as a nice choice. It’s a very inexpensive gift that has a real green benefit (by reducing fuel consumption through maintaining properly inflated tires) as well as a safety benefit. I admit that it’s more of a stocking stuffer or secret Santa type of gift however.


A neighborly gift that’s a little more expensive is a hand crank radio such as the American Red Cross FR250 Emergency Radio. These devices are green in operation (being crank powered radio’s/lights/cellphone chargers) and are obviously safety devices as well. These devices will really fly with camping and hiking aficionados.


Finally, to end part one of this post, a thoughtful gift for a green thumb neighbor, friend or family member would be a selection of organic or heirloom seeds. Heirloom and organic seeds are not genetically modified and if native to your location (and planted appropriately) will grow well without the need for excess water or fertilizer. Why not pair some heirloom/organic seeds with an organic gardening handbook such as “The Organic Gardener’s Handbook of Natural Insect and Disease Control”. Better yet, buy it used.

Stay tuned for part 2.