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| Fifteen Living the Science Safe and Green Gift Ideas: Part Three |
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11. Non-Toxic Toys
Given the ongoing reports of lead, BPA, and phalates in toys, it may be worth it to choose toys that have been tested for these chemicals or are made from only organic materials (wood,  bamboo, etc...). A good choice in terms of being safe and fairly green are board games - providing they don't have small plastic or metal components. You can also get toys that have been tested as being lead free and BPA free. Generally online purchasing will be about the only way to make this determination. In this instance buying from some place like Amazon.com can make the most sense although for some items like lunch boxes - manufacturers are starting to actually indicate "lead free" on the packaging. 12. Solar Goods
There are starting to be a ton of solar options when it comes to power. Real Goods Solar
13. Energy Star Electronics and Appliances
For those not quite ready to go solar, consider committing to only buying electronics and appliances that are Energy Star rated. These items require substantially less energy to run and you can often get rebates that make up for the slightly increased costs. Even if you pay full price, the slightly larger price tag will pay for itself in just a few months and you can feel good about what you are giving (or what you are asking for). Amazon.com has a whole section of their site devoted to greener alternatives for electronics
, appliances, and other home products. Some of the best deals on energy star applicance and electronics can often be found at Sears given that they are often running some kind of special promotion. The best bet when buying from Sears is often to do your research elsewhere (like on Amazon.com) and then return to Sears or Sears.com to buy what you have decided on.Hands down, front loading high efficiency washing machines are one of THE greatest things around these days. These monsters (okay they are pretty big), use less energy, less water (almost 25% of normal), use less detergent (about a quarter of normal), clean more clothes per load (about twice normal), and get clothes cleaner. Make the laundress in your life the happiest woman (or man) in the world this holiday season (okay, maybe they might initially think - um, "thanks for the washing machine hunny", but after a few weeks they will be saying "THANKS FOR THE WASHING MACHINE HUNNY!!!") Splurge for the better brands on this one (Kenmore, Maytag, LG, General Electric). Sears tends to be a pretty darn good choice for buying high efficiency washers (and Energy Star dryers). They seem to always have a deal going on. Consider buying a matching high capacity dryer at the same time - otherwise, what are you going to do with all of those clothes you are washing so well and so quickly? Another great thing is that the high efficiency washers tend to REALLY spin out the clothes meaning you need a fraction of the drying time - cool huh? Remember, high efficiency washers need high efficiency detergents. This is critical. Basically high efficiency detergents don't have all that stuff that makes suds. There are many natural alternatives available.14. Eco-Friendly Travel
Eco-friendly travel is one of the newest things in travel and includes everything from booking stays at hotels that are rated as using substantially less energy, renting hybrid cars, volunteering to do park clean-up as part of your vacation, and purchasing carbon offsets for your flights and energy use while on vacation. Orbitz
15. Carbon Offsets
Purchasing carbon offsets for vacations and even daily activities has become somewhat of a cottage industry. The problem is, because the industry is in many respects, self monitoring, it is important to choose a company that is well known and has concrete projects they fund to offset carbon. |
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