Gift Guide » Top 10 Eco-Friendlies
1Eding:Post’s Picnica Bunny Bag$27
Yes. We’ve heard it all before: plastic bags are evil. They’re killing hundreds of thousands of marine mammals each year and, with the rate at which we use them (500 billion – 1 trillian anually) versus the rate at which they biodegrade (400 years) the outlook is downright miserable. Aaand, we’ve seen this gimic before: decorate a reusable bag well and we just might reuse it. Well, here’s something new: make a reusable nylon bag that stuffs itself into a little bunny rabbit shell and becomes an adorable critter to tuck away in your everyday bag. For just shy of $30, this monotone thumper, designed by the brilliant Eding:Post, is irresistibly giftable! Get it here!
2Angharad Mclaren’s Recycled Climbing-Rope Mat£68
A little sturdy mat is a welcome addition to any home. This eco-friendly version by UK textile house Angharad McLaren is knotted together with reclaimed off-white climbing rope – a perfect fit for any type of home. By the sink, at the door, for the dog, as a bathroom mat: the possible uses are endless, making this a gift that will surely be loved.Get it here!
3Singgih Kartono Magno Sustainable Radio$200
This pine and sonokeling new-growth wooden radio by Magno Design (+ the many other products designed by Singgih Kartono and his team of craftsmen) has become the main source of industry for the designer’s home village of Kandangan, Central Java. Because of the government’s push towards intensified farming, the use of man-made fertilizers and GMO seeds, and farming loan schemes, farming villages like Kandangan were severely damaged by this shift and many farmers, having lost their land, were forced to look towards the cities for employment. Magno Design’s business model is a shining example for small, rural villages the world across: find a niche craft/product that is labor intensive (lots of jobs), requires low technology and investment (easy to start) and uses an abundance of local materials (sustainable). If the resulting products are anything like the nifty little Magno radio, fully equipped with iPod/iPhone connector, then we’ll be in for quite a global crafting treat! Oh, and, for each tree used in the production line, another little sapling is planted. Now doesn’t that make you feel warm and fuzzy?Get it here!
4Freitag F74 Bob Bag$300
Truck tarpaulins, unraveled seat belts, bicycle inner tubes, and recycled airbags are the ingredients in this rugged uber-tote by the Zurich, Switzerland-based Freitag brothers. Born out of the hunt for a sturdy messenger bag that could handle Zurich’s rainy, bike-friendly streets, Freitag is now 16 years old, employs 80 workers, and can be found in over 300 shops around the world.Get Lo’s favorite Freitag bag here!
5Esque Studio's Recycled Glass Slump Vases$285
Andi Kovel and Justin Parker are the mastermind glassblowers behind Portland, Oregon’s Esque Studio. “The name esque refers to the suffix, + is a nod to the acknowledgment of outside influence + inspiration.” All pieces at the studio are now made with recycled glass stock and heated in an electric furnace powered by wind energy. The Slump Vases shown above are available in three sizes: the 12″ tall fuschia, 14″ tall orange, or 16″ tall extra light blue. Not your style? Check out their full range of products from whimsical honey bear flower flutes to glass-blown revolver paperweights!Get the Slump Vases here!
6Handmade Bird Calls by Sweet Bella$36
The perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite daydreaming tree-hugger, Monsieur Morel’s bird calls, available online at Sweet Bella, are carefully crafted from boxwood, maple, beech, leather and brass. The frenchman has been making these contraptions since his childhood roaming the mountains of Southern France (insert nostalgic accordion music here), and insists that the bird calls are “without doubt a first step in understanding the secret of happiness”. I’ve got a few for the birds outside our Brooklyn 4th-floor walk-up and love watching the magpies, bluejays, and cardinals puzzle at who it chit-chatting with them! Just some of the calls to choose from: American Robin, Blackbird, Carrier Pigeon, Goldfinch, Green Woodpecker, House Sparrow, Nightingale, Red-legged Partridge, Skylark, Sandpiper, and Turtle Dove…Get them here!
7Bamboosk8’s 100% Bamboo Skateboard Decks$45
There are so many benefits to using bamboo over wood as a building material: it grows like a weed (often replacing one cut stalk with five newbies), it’s stronger and more flexible than it’s wood counterpart, and it even serves as a hard-working air purifier, removing 4x the carbon dioxide from the air as a tree of equal size. Now consider the crippling effect that skateboard production is having on Maple forests (replacing flooring as the primary contributor to the deforestation of Maple trees in North America) and the choice becomes pretty crystal. With Bamboosk8’s beautiful decks, there’s no more guilt when you break another board trying to land a Fakie Bigflip over the cafeteria tables.Get it here!
8De Paper Bag By Jos Vandermeulen$20
So simple, so useful. Unused billboard poster paper + a little stitch here and there = nifty containers in small, medium, large, and extra-large. Use it as a wastebasket, or by the hearth for firewood, as a knitting needle holder, or just a decorative addition to a quirky home, De Paper Bag, from Dutch designer Jos Vandermeulen, is an inexpensive and easy gift for the home-office hippie on your list. Get it here!
9The TransNeomatic Bowl by Fernando and Humberto Campana$89
Pulling two of Vietnam’s most iconic objects: those radical woven hats and scooters galore, Fernando and Humberto Campana (with the help of a bevvy of Vietnamese artisan weavers) have created these incredible bowls (available in two sizes) available at Unica Home. The mix of repurposed scooter and motorcycle tires with the delicate wicker craftsmanship results in a surprisingly highbrow piece – packed nice and snug in a hand-woven hemp cover! “TransNeomatic is part of Artecnica’s design with conscience program, which seeks to design and make products in accordance with humanitarian and environmentally-friendly principles.” Get it here!
10Recycled Bike-Chain Bottle Openers by Resource Revival$14
Everyone needs them. Might as well think green when picking your kitchen doodads. This bottle opener from Resource Revival is made from reclaimed bike chains. Great stocking stuffer for boyfriends, dads, brothers and the like…Get it here!
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