The holiday season is officially here, and while I often cringe at the thought of shopping or of all the people buying so many unnecessary things now, it is a nice feeling to give and receive gifts.
While a lot of gifts are completely unnecessary and contribute to our growing environmental problems, there are many green options nowadays that can be useful without harming our world, and some that can even help it.
Here’s my top 10 list of green gifts you can give a guy (and many of them are also green gifts you can give to a girl) this holiday season.
1. Hemp clothing.
I’m all about organic cotton, bamboo, and recycled clothing as well, but hemp clothing is the top green clothing option in my mind. While most agriculture depletes the soil, hemp helps to replenish it — something that is highly needed across the world today. I love the Ecolution brand.
2. Solar-powered backpack or messenger bag.
There are a handful of sites on the web where you can buy these cool, utilitarian bags with solar chargers. I don’t know which are the best for the money. Let us know if you have any info on this. Places I’ve seen them are: Voltaic Systems, Eclipse Solar Gear, Uncommon Goods, and Amazon.
3. Solar charger.
If a backpack or messenger bag is not needed, or a solar panel on the backpack or bag is not wanted, you can also just get a simple solar charger. There are plenty of good looking solar chargers to choose from these days.
4. Solar-powered outdoor or accent lights.
If in need of some outdoor lighting, solar-powered lights are a great way to go.There are more than a few options out there. Take your pick based on your recipients needs or design preferences.
5. Eco shoes.
There are a lot of cool, eco shoes out there these days, shoes made from recycled bottles, recycled rubber, hemp, and so on. I got some nice, TOM’s vegan shoes this year that I would highly recommend (if he is really in need of such shoes). And with such a purchase you are not only being more eco-friendly, you’re also helping kids in need. As my shoes and the website state, “With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need.”
6. Reusable, BPA-free water bottle.
Bottled water is so out-of-date. But when going green, you also want to make sure you aren’t consuming BPA, which has been linked to prostate cancer and shown to have a negative effect on sperm quantity and quality. Some green, BPA-free options are SIGG water bottles, stainless steel bottles from Green Bottle, or glass water bottles.
7. Fair-trade, vegan, eco-friendly sporting goods.
Not all men love sports, but a good number of them do. If your boyfriend, friend, brother, son, father, cousin, or uncle needs a new soccer ball, basketball, football, or even rugby ball, go for a vegan, fair-trade, union-made ball.
8. Bamboo bicycle.
You know that we love bicycling here on The Fun Time Guide to Living Green and we’re also big fans of bamboo, a fast-growing renewable resource that doesn’t require a ton of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. So, what is better than a bamboo bicycle? Definitely an awesome choice if you are looking for a high-quality gift for a greenie. (Of course, rather than buy one, you could always try building your own as well.)
9. Bamboo skateboard.
Maybe the dude you have in mind isn’t a cyclist but is into skateboarding? No problem, there are bamboo skateboards out there, too.
10. Bamboo USB flash drives.
OK, maybe you’ve got someone in mind who’s more of a tech guy. No worries, you can find bamboo USB flash drives now as well.
Hopefully you saw one or more good options in there for your green guy.
Let us know if you have more ideas in the comments below.
Recognized globally as an electric vehicle, solar energy, and energy storage expert, I am the director and chief editor of Cleantechnica. I’m also the president of Important Media and the director & founder of EV Obsession and Solar Love.
