It’s an evergreen question for the green at heart: Is it possible, amid the tinsel and traffic, to imbue your family’s holiday gifts with meaning? The answer? More than ever. Not only can you spread joy, but you can give gifts you are proud of, gifts that support responsible artisans, local purveyors and good chocolate. Finding earth-friendly ideas from the handmade to the high-tech for everyone in your family takes time, though. So we’ve done the legwork for you. Avoid the traffic, and give presents that keep giving and giving…

Treats for her

Go for the gold (as long as it’s recycled or sustainably mined).

• Eco Shalesh Gold Bracelet ($58) crafted at the Los Angeles studio of sustainable jewelry designer Hovey Lee.

• Eco-fashionistas will gladly carry Engage Green’s cork and raspberry pink organic cotton/hemp handbag ($104). Bonus: It zips closed and wipes clean.

• Alchemy awaits with The Body Shop’s Fragrance Kit ($30), complete with six eau de toilettes that can be worn alone or in endless combinations.

• Silk Bamboo PJs ($98) from Vivaterra feel like buttah next to her skin. The top’s wide straps are comfy and stylish, and the bottoms have been known to double as yoga pants.

• Chocolate. Milk. Dark. Delicious. And winsomely packaged by Bloomsberry & Co. ($15) Choose the Climate Change gift pack (complete with Terra Pass verified carbon credits) or the Hanukkah Holiday Pack , among others.

Gear for him

For the technologically inclined, sustainability is just one more feature to love.

• Vers 2X iPod Sound System ($179) is efficient in beautiful Bamboo. Sounds good, doesn’t it?

• Starmap for the iPhone (search for Starmap) ($12). Reconnect with the night sky, based on your location, with this low-impact guide to constellations, planets and shooting star zones.

• BOGO SunNight Solar Task Light ($39), comes in orange or pink and lights a bedside or campsite for up to 5 hours with 6 bright LEDs.

• When they’re not playing quality tunes, plugged into a personal stereo’s headphone jack, Muji’s recycled Cardboard Speakers ($42) collapse and fold away into a pouch—ready for their next gig.
  

Gifts for Kids

Little people dig even the smallest gestures of fun.

• Baby Greens organic cotton onesies ($24) are graphically printed with water-based inks.

• Greenfeet’s Rustic Classic Tree Blocks ($28) will enchant young builders.

• The Nature’s Art Box ($17) and the Recycled Crafts Box Book ($11) help kids create, with the earth in mind.

• To-Go Ware Stainless Steel Lunch Box   ($18) provides hip, reusable, non-leaching housing for school lunches.

• Teens can soak in sun salutations with their own Yoga Kit, complete with a “glacier” mat, non-leaching Klean Kanteen water bottle and Breathe: Yoga for Teens book and DVD.
  

Gifts that nourish

Everyone enjoys good food.  ....read more