Eco Gift shopping not easy - go to alternative channels
Tuesday Dec 12, 2006
OK, I'll admit it: it's still not easy to find eco gifts online, and furthermore there is not a one-stop shop for everything eco. It's really unbelievable.
You have to have incredible amount of patience, and a lot of creativity and positive energy. I have been looking for a post-consumer/eco-friendly/reclaimed-materials padfolio as a gift suggestion for myself for a while now and have had no luck whatsoever. I was even searching for 'recycled alumininum padfolio' to try to get more specific. A padfolio are notepads for professionals that sometimes have a leather holder sometimes with a zip around. I wanted something a little funky, and to show my eco consciousness in meetings.
So far I've found the best way to find these things is to go through alternative channels: to local art shops or craft fairs like Crafty Wonderland, which had a line out the door to get in yesterday. These artisans are just that, crafty, and many of them are very eco conscious.
I bring this up because it's time to shop for family members and I'm having a hard time following my own rule. I will not give up and will report back.
I did purchase several wallets and purses from Mugwump at the fair made from reclaimed materials such as old contact paper, vinyl, and other scraps. I didn't get the one below (made from old maps) but probably should have. I got one that has a vinyl woodgrain.
So for the eco shopper, there are challenges ahead, at least going through mainstream channels.
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Tags: eco-gifts gifts green sustainability
