Sustainable is Good | Where design, lifestyle and packaging meet

2009 Sustainable is Good Green Products Holiday Gift Guide

Welcome to the 2009 Sustainable is Good Holiday Gift Guide.  Earlier this year I was asked by the folks at Martha Stewart to develop a list of more sustainable green gift ideas for the holiday season.  My list includes items that are interesting, practical and well made.  I believe holiday gifts and the products we buy shouldn't be disposable products they should bring many years of use and enjoyment.  

Browse my gift selections and I encourage you to look for similar products from local and regional producers across the country.  Have a happy and safe holiday season!  Check out the full Guide on Martha Stewart.

Alchemy Goods Recycled Innertube Belt

This stylish belt is the perfect recycled accessory for the hip guy or gal in your life.  Made in Seattle from old inner tubes. $38 by Alchemy Goods

Niagara Conservation Showerhead 1.2 GPM

The Niagara Conservation showerhead saves water, using only 1.2 gallons per minute, and is designed to work with any décor. $17. Watercheck.biz

Misono UN10 Gyutou Knife

The 7" Misono UX10 Gyutou (Chef) knife is the perfect gift for the cook on your list.  This stellar tool will easily last a lifetime or two, making it a highly sustainable choice.  $143.  Korin.com

Full Circle Herb Hot Cats Catnip Sausage Toy

Hot Cats denim 6" catnip sausages will drive your kitty wild.  Family-made in Oregon, these cat toys are ready for fun. $5.50.  Full Circle Herb

Taza Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano

Taza Guajillo Chili Chocolate Mexicano, produced in Massachusetts, is a luxurious treat.  Its fiery flavor and the coarse stone grind make this chocolate perfect for a winter night. $4.50.  Taza Chocolate or Whole Foods Market.

Patagonia Wanaka Down Jacket

The new for 2009 Wanaka Jacket combines style, functionality and sustainability quite well.  The shell & lining are made from recycled polyester.  The jacket borrows style elements from vintage Swiss army jackets.  Its down insulation makes it perfect choice for the all-in-one winter jacket.  $350.  Patagonia.

Pangea Organics Canadian Pine with White Sage Bar Soap

Nothing says the holidays like the smell of pine.  Sustainable packaging and all natural ingredients make this Canadian Pine & White Sage soap an ideal stocking stuffer.  $8. Pangea Organics.

Technivorm Moccamaster KB741 Coffee Maker

The Moccamaster KB-741 is the perfect gift for the coffee lover, and breaks the cycle of flimsy appliances that need to be replaced every couple years.  This coffee maker features solid construction and copper heating elements for the perfect temperature.   Made in Holland.  Available in four colors.  $245.  Boyd's Coffee (their USA distributor). 

Individual Icons Ruler Bracelet

Fashioned from rulers manufactured in New York and recrafted into jewelry in Rhode Island, this charming bracelet suits all sorts.  $49.  Individual Icons.

Australian Scent Travel Pack

This airline-approved travel pack from Australian Scent includes some of our favorite goods.  These all natural skin care products are amazing -- some of the best we've tried.  $39.  Australian Scent.

Maggie's Organics Stuffed Penguin

This adorable stuffed Penguin is made from excess fabric and stuffed with reclaimed polyester mill scrap by Maggie's Organics.   Made in North Carolina.  $20.  Maggie's Organics.

Amazon Packaging Feedback

 

Amazon has made tremendous progress in the last year regarding improving their packaging and making it more sustainable.

The online retailer introduced Frustration Free packaging which eliminates PVC clamshell style packaging in favor of plain customer friendly boxes with minimal excess. 

Over the last year they have expanded Frustration Free packaging to more than 300 products and have shipped more than 1 million products in Frustration Free packaging according to a memo posted on Amazon's website from its founder Jeff Bezos.

Amazon has also done something revolutionary.  They have created an extensive packaging feedback section where customers can rate the packaging of products they've ordered, post comments and even upload photos. 

The Packaging Feedback section is available to customers and includes items they've recently ordered for ratings.   I was impressed with the level of detail of the Packaging Feedback section.  It is the first dedicated forum that I know of where customers can interact directly with a retailer regarding packaging. 

Amazon says more than 115,000 customers have already more than 200,000 packages they've received.

Talus Outdoor Greens Its Packaging Continues Product Innovation

 

A Colorado-based company Talus Outdoor Technologies makers of cutting edge Ski and outdoor masks recently changed their packaging to be more sustainable - a goal of the company's founder John Sullivan.

They eliminated the plastic bags used in their previous packaging for their Cold Avenger mask and switched to a box made with renewable energy that is recyclable and made here in the USA.

Sullivan found an ideal solution to his packaging needs from Chicago-based Salazar packaging. 

"In my limited experience the operators of small businesses like mine do not have to turn their businesses upside down or spend a lot of money to make a real sustainable difference," Sullivan said.

"Although choosing to change our retail packaging is a major shift in both our environmental impact and our image from a graphic standpoint we did not have to make major changes in our business or product line."

Talus's Cold Avenger mask has received praise from outdoor enthusiasts including Backpacker magazine. 

The Cold Avenger mask was updated for 2009 and is available online directly from the company or through a number of retailers.

Goodbye Detergent! Environmentally Friendly Cleaning Products

 

Goodbye detergent! is a new line of environmentally friendly scrubs for your home, made with unique materials such as recycled corn cobs, peach pits, & walnut shells.

Of all the sustainable household products I've seen this year Goodbye detergent! are the most unique. 

The products feature highly effective minimal packaging and each are made of unique materials based on their intended purpose.  For instance a kitchen cleaning pad for anodized aluminum cookware made from walnut shells or a cleaning pad for enameled cookware made with pumice stones.

 

These reusable scrubs have natural abrasives that make it easier to clean with no detergents.

All of the scrubs and cleaning pads are made with natural abrasives and they come in 100% recycled packaging.

Goodbye detergent! scrubs reduce the need for detergents and soaps which contain toxins and chemicals that are bad for the environment.
    
These eco-friendly scrubs are designed by industrial designer Hiroki Hayashi. 

All products are Made in Japan and have won international design awards since its world launch in 2008.

Products from Goodbye detergent! are available online at Amazon.com and other retailers. 

Bogoi Coffee

 

Amsterdam based designer Jop Quirindongo has created a package design for a sustainable coffee company that resembles the coffee bean itself.  The concept for Bogoi coffee is that on one side, people want to drink the best quality coffee there is.   But coffee farmers often still get underpaid for the beans they deliver.

Bogoi coffee will be biologically grown & cropped by farmers who get an honest price for their beans. To put it simple: it's a balance between honesty and quality. Like left & right side, like the symmetry of a coffee bean itself. This was the initial idea for the packaging.

Quirindongo said consumers would access the coffee by tearing open the colored strip on the front of the package.  The packaging will me made of 100% recycled plastics.