First Posted: 11/20/2014
Since the holidays are often quite wasteful, here’s a list of eco-friendly gifts.
Toms — This year they seem to have it all. The latest items added to their holiday goods are comfortable, warm slippers. With faux shearling lining and a rubber sole make them perfect to wear around the house or out and about. With every purchase the company will help a person in need with their “One for One” promise.
Need something a little more unique than slippers? Toms recently added the Marketplace to their website. It features items from around the globe that benefits a specific cause. You can browse by region or charity. Shop jewelry, accessories, bags, totes, clutches, home goods, headphones and more.
Bobble once — Reuseable, filtered water bottles make excellent gifts for an earth conscious pal. What’s great about these reusable water bottles is the carbon filter. The filter removes chlorine and other impurities as water passes through making the water you drink taste better. Bobbles come in several sizes including jugs for your fridge and are now available as a sports bottle.
For other reuseable options, hit up a local boutique in Scranton or Wilkes-Barre to snag a water bottle that’s eco-friendly and fashionable. Freedlove (Spruce Street, Scranton) carries bkr water bottles, reusable water bottles that were designed with the fashion in mind. Bkr bottles are a must have beauty essential.
Shop local — Support NEPA’s local shops. Hit up the Brown Barn Bistro (East Overbrook Road, Shavertown). The Bistro has an artisan market featuring tons of unique crafts and handmade goods such as premium, fair trade oils and vinegars, all natural soaps and eco-friendly jewelry. For the cook in your life, handmade wooden peppermills and salt and pepper shakers made by Brad Sears are available. Each of Brad’s pieces are made from beautifully hand-selected, harvested wood and completed with toxin free finishes.
The Beekeeper’s Daughter is a fourth generation family of beekeepers in NEPA that sell a variety of different flavors of honey. The honey is raw, meaning unfiltered and unpasteurized. Raw honey is more beneficial than store bought honey and can boost your immune system, give relief to seasonal allergies, help heal scrapes and burns and even help with weight loss. You can find honey from the Beekeeper’s Daughter at Hillside Farms in Shavertown.
Christmas cards — Also a big contribution to holiday waste. If you’re planning on giving a card this year go the sustainable route. Bubby and Bean has a shop online that features unique holiday cards made from eco-conscious materials. Visit Bubby and Bean here: etsy.com/shop/BubbyAndBean. Another great card shop that offers sustainable printing options is NEPA’s very own Mister and Fancy. Mister and Fancy even offers custom orders so if you really want a unique card with a design of your favorite pet underneath a Christmas tree they can do it. Visit Mister and Fancy online: misterandfancy.bigcartel.com.
