Buying Green This Holiday Season

Typography
Woodstock, NY - With the distressing state of the environment on people's minds this year, they are thinking more than ever about the environmental impact of their gift choices.

The news is filled with stories that link our consumer habits and the products we buy with our health and the health of the planet. These stories contain lessons about becoming educated consumers: the recall of toxic toys from China reminds us to learn more about what is in the products we buy and where they come from - and to support natural products.

 

 

 

Woodstock, NY - With the distressing state of the environment on people's minds this year, they are thinking more than ever about the environmental impact of their gift choices.

The news is filled with stories that link our consumer habits and the products we buy with our health and the health of the planet. These stories contain lessons about becoming educated consumers: the recall of toxic toys from China reminds us to learn more about what is in the products we buy and where they come from - and to support natural products. 

!ADVERTISEMENT! 

2007 may be the year when awareness of all things "green" really hits the mainstream. In the December 3rd issue of Time Magazine, Whoopi Goldberg said "The word green" should be person of the year. Everywhere people and the media are talking about "green" and increasingly demanding products that are "organic", "non-toxic", "energy efficient" and "recycled". 

That's why this holiday season provides a perfect opportunity to spread an important and positive message by giving (and requesting) earth-friendly gifts to and from their loved ones. Eco-friendly gifts make great conversation pieces and demonstrate a commitment to take personal  responsibility for making positive change in the world. 

Thousands of eco-friendly gift ideas are easy to find at Ecomall.com, a 14-year-old earth-friendly shopping center and marketplace that has been leading the green consumer charge before it became the trend that it is today.  The Chicago Tribune calls the online service "An eco-shopper's paradise." The Ecomall.com site lists over 60 shopping categories and hundreds of high quality and socially responsible manufacturers and distributors of just about every type of green product imaginable which makes "green" gift giving easier, and offers ideas suitable for all the friends and family on your list. 

Just a few of the ideas include soft and stylish organic cotton clothing, bedding and toys, natural body care and aromatherapy products, organic coffee or chocolates, stainless steel water bottles, fair trade jewelry and crafts, home accents made from bamboo and sustainably harvested wood, a variety of hemp products, gifts baskets filled with delicious organic goodies, and even an "Eco Starter kit" which introduces people to a sampling of green and energy-saving products, such as compact fluorescent light bulbs. 

To quote Tom Kay, co-founder and a former solar consultant to Exxon,"I am an ardent environmentalist - environmentalism is in my DNA. The purpose of Ecomall.com is to use the power of the Internet to help spread green consumerism and a healthier, more environmentally conscious lifestyle."

Marianne Schnall, co-founder of Ecomall.com says, "Going green is such a rewarding journey - there are so many wonderful products to benefit from and explore.  And purchasing earth-friendly presents has so many more rewards: not only does it give those you love a perfect gift, but it gives you a gift too - the gift of feeling that you are part of the solution, and a gift to the Earth as well. The holiday season is supposed to be a time when we express our appreciation and thanks to those we love - shouldn't that circle include the earth that sustains us?"