Here are some ideas for gift giving that not only show your fondness for someone but also reflect your personal commitment to helping the environment.

1. Time

The gift of time to help with chores is always appreciated but you could add an earth friendly twist to it.

a. Help someone with a de-clutter project – offer your services to help organize a garage or a storage space. Help them recycle unwanted electronics, batteries and paints to insure they get to the right place.

b. Help make their home more energy efficient. Pay for an energy audit, buy them a programmable thermostat, share your electronic power meter that measures how much electricity is used, help them put in more insulation or better window seals.

2. Give Consumables

Take them to see a movie, watch a play, tour an art gallery, or explore on a day trip together. Give the gift of a memory rather than a ìdust collectorî to clutter their home.  Homemade jams, pies, fruit loaves are always welcomed.  Think of something theyíve enjoyed that youíve made and bring the ingredients over and show them how to cook it.

3. Give Reusables

a. Specially designed metal reusable water bottles and a pitcher that filters water in their fridge saves them from using plastic water bottles.

b. Give them a tree to plant in their own backyard or plant a tree in their honor through a forest or park regenerating project.

c. Help them go paperless- help them start up an online banking and payment program. Show them how to access catalogues and phone information on line. If you have an elderly parent with no computer, do it for them on your computer. Give ebooks or commit to a bi-weekly library visit with an elderly parent.

d. Make a set of reusable shopping bags to give as a gift. Most stores are charging for plastic bags now.

4. Charitable gifts

Make a donation in their honor to a charity which helps provide basic necessities to those who need it in the developing world. ìBuyî an acre of land for them in a threatened rain forest. Membership to an environmental organization or donations to programs designed to clean up the environment are perfect gifts.

5. Purchase Eco friendly products

a. From skin care to baby care, there are excellent chemical free organic products available.

b. A cloth diaper set is better for the baby and the environment and it prevents tons of diaper waste from going to landfills.

c. Give linens that were made from raw materials produced without harsh chemical treatments. Bamboo is very popular as an eco-friendly resource.

d. Solar-powered lights provide an environmentally friendly accent for the yard, patio, or balcony.

e. Choose wooden instead of plastic toys for children.

f. Buy books featuring craft ideas that are earth friendly.

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Being a friend to the environment is everybody’s business. Here are some simple ways to give back to Mother Nature and lessen our impact to our surroundings.

We should never tire of giving each other eco tips and teaching everyone around us how simple going green can be. If everyone had the same mindset, that is to lessen our impact to the environment, we can all look forward to living in a healthier planet.

Here are the top 10 eco tips to living an eco-friendly life (and we promise that all of these are simple to do):

1. Use less plastic. Stay away from those ultra-convenient sandwich and shopping bags, and bring your own cloth bag or reusable grocery bags when doing your groceries. Resist the urge to buy new plastic cups for your upcoming party. Bring out the old glasses or go for paper cups.

2. Use less paper. When printing documents, do a print preview to be sure that you’re only printing what you need. Use both sides of each page, or write on clean sides. Go for recycled tissue paper, these require less virgin pulp thus saving more trees. Think about using recycled paper when wrapping gifts, or do away with paper wrappers altogether.

3. Start taking public transport to work. Give up two days in the week to do so. Do a car pool with co-employees who live near you. This will save fuel costs and help reduce CO2 emissions. Remember, fewer cars on the road means less harmful emissions.

4. Stop using chemical pesticides. Look for organic alternatives, or use compost. These toxic chemicals are harmful not just to the environment, but to you and the people around you.

5. Help your water heater. Have insulation installed around your hot water heater, and insulate the pipes connected to it. These ‘jackets’ only cost between $10 and $20, but will help keep water warm longer.

6. Plant a tree. This not only beautifies the environment, but will help shield your home from strong winds and extreme heat.

7. Have your HVAC checked regularly. Heating and cooling your home takes a lot of energy, and if your systems aren’t working right, you can waste a lot of energy. Have a professional check out your HVAC every two years; this will also serve as preventive maintenance.

8. Fix leaky faucets or pipes. Avoid unnecessary water wastage around the house.

9. Use a broom instead of a garden hose when cleaning the yard. Hosing down the pavement means wasting gallons of water when the same effect can be achieved by sweeping up the leaves.

10. Purchase Energy Star appliance. These use up to 50% less energy than old or conventional appliances.

There are more eco tips available if we do more research and consult the experts.

Car Pool · Chemical Pesticides · Co Employees · Co2 Emissions · Eco Tips · Friendly · Going Green · Harmful Emissions · Hot Water Heater · Live · Old Glasses · Organic Alternatives · Paper Cups · Paper Wrappers · Plant A Tree · Plastic Cups · Printing Documents · Reusable Grocery Bags · Shopping Bags · Toxic Chemicals · Virgin Pulp · Wrapping Gifts