Green Tips

Updated on: February 9, 2024
By: Greeniacs Team
Green Living

Here’s your green holiday season guide—the new twelve days of whatever you celebrate! It’s December and the holidays are upon us. Here’s to hoping that Santa will bring all of us what we really need: Enough courage and compassion to do something for the environment! To help you celebrate the holidays in eco-friendly fashion, I’ve come up with green gifts for the Twelve Days of … whatever it is you celebrate. I will admit that a few of these items aren’t as romantic as a partridge in a pear tree or five golden rings. They also don’t quite fit with the song’s meter, but they do help counter the consumer ethic that is so rampant at this time of year by suggesting gifts that are both thoughtful and useful.

First Day: One water-efficient showerhead. By replacing your old showerhead you can save 2,900 gallons of water per year!¹

Second Day: Two certified organic or humanely raised chickens. Organic chickens are fed certified organic feed, are not given for yourself and your family all year long!

Third Day: Three green kid’s

⁶Toys that are not wood-pressed are made without glue that gives off toxic fumes. Even better, you can find wooden toys made from wood that is certified sustainable, decorated with nontoxic paints, and made by local craftspeople. ^3;4
Encourage your child to get outside. Bamboo skateboards are stronger, lighter, and more flexible than conventional boards, and they are also made from fast-growing sustainable grass.⁵
LEGOs are always a great go-to gift, and LEGO® was one of the first companies to go PVC-free and phthalate-free.⁷

Fourth Day: Four organic fair-trade. Try coffees that are local, grown without toxic chemicals, and raised by workers who are paid living wages.

Fifth Day: Five, and reduce lighting electricity demand by 33%.⁹

Sixth Day: Six recycled glass drinking-glasses. There are plenty of retailers that have cleverly figured out new ways to turn glass from last year’s recycled six-pack into new mugs and wineglasses. This is especially sustainable given that glass can be recycled over and over again, it doesn’t break down!

Seventh Day: Seven natural personal care products. Castile soap, active enzyme deodorant, anise dental floss, beeswax lip balm, fennel toothpaste, Tom’s® natural shaving cream and this GreeniacsGuides section!

Eighth Day: Eight green charity donations. Memberships in or donations to an environmental organization can be great gifts. Whether your loved one gets fired up about animal welfare,¹¹ food politics,¹² or coal,¹³ there’s a green group out there. Law groups,¹⁴ park preservers,¹⁵ and green news outlets¹⁶ alike will appreciate the gesture. Not sure which one is the best fit? Consider charity gift certificates.¹⁷

Ninth Day: Nine safer, greener paper household items. Seventh Generation™ sells recycled, chlorine-free paper products such as napkins, paper towels, paper plates, bathroom tissue and facial tissue.¹⁸ You can also find many other waste diversion programs in the United States. ¹⁹

Tenth Day: Ten (CO2) this holiday season, have a tree planted in the name of a loved one. You can have 10 trees planted in Central America and one in the U.S. through TreeGivers²⁰ or the Nature Conservancy.²¹

Eleventh Day: Eleven associated with long-distance hauling.²³ You should be able to find these foods in the bulk section at your local health food store, local market, cooperative market, or if you live near a Whole Foods Market® or other similar chain healthy-eating oriented market.