By: Joanne Cavis, UGA Cooperative Extension
This a great time to think your last minute gift-giving. Think GREEN. . . recycle, repurpose and reduce. Look for gifts that are made of recycled materials or recycle items in good condition that you no longer use. Repurpose items in your home or buy gifts made from repurposed goods. Look for gifts that use less packaging. Wrap the gifts you are giving in napkins, scarves or dish cloths – or a blanket, sheet or tablecloth if the item is large.
When shopping for green products, look for the Energy Star or Green Seal label. Check out these gift ideas that save money, use fewer resources and lessen the impact on the environment.
Gardening: Composting bin and the composting recipe from UGA Cooperative Extension; Georgia gardening books; USB flash drive with vegetable gardening in Georgia information. (Publications available at: http://apps.caes.uga.edu/urbanag/Home&Garden/indexFS.cfm?section=Vegetable%20Gardening)
Foods: Organic and/or locally grown foods and food products like Georgia peanuts, pecans, blueberries, peaches (jams, jellies) and grits.
Home Care: Green cleaning bucket filled with ingredients such as essential oils and liquid soap, microfiber cloths and recipes (see this site for recipes – http://fcs.uga.edu/ext/housing/home_maint.php). Recycling bin(s) for inside home or garage.
Electronics: Cases for mobile devices and telephones made from recycled plastics; electronic books; online magazine and newspaper subscriptions.
Energy conservation and money saving: surge protectors; water heater insulation blankets; light timer; motion sensor for outdoor lights; strands of LED lights for decoration; hand-cranked LED flashlight; rechargeable batteries and battery charger; solar powered yoys made from non-toxic, eco-friendly materials.
Water-saving ideas: low-flow fixtures, like a shower-head or aerator for the kitchen sink; rain barrel; shower timer.
Other ideas include: bicycle; clothing made from recycled materials or purchased at a thrift store; hand-crank espresso machine; reusable PBA-free water bottles; hand-crank weather radio.
Questions??? Call me in Columbus at 706.653.4200.
Joanne
