Buy Green and Local This Holiday Season
By Paige Wolf
With dwindling paychecks and growing responsibilities, sometimes it’s hard to justify all that holiday gift buying. But when you buy local and eco-friendly, you help sustain the community’s economy, giving back to the growing green job force.
Here are a few green gift ideas for the whole family which can be found – and sometimes made – in Philadelphia.
The Green Perspective is a locally based company that creates themed green gift packages like “Green Your Kitchen,” “Eco Mom and Baby,” and “Green Love for Him.” Many of their packages include local items like soaps from Demarah and Sun and Earth cleaning supplies.
Philadelphia’s first wholly organic salon and spa, juju spa & organics offers eco-friendly beauty gifts (and services) including Wood Sprite gift sets featuring natural, handmade soaps and candles. Gift sets start at $10 and include “Red Carpet Recovery Kit” and “Muscle Mender Spa Sampler.”
Former Executive Pastry Chef at Georges Perrier’s renowned restaurant Le Bec Fin, Antoine Amrani’s preservative-free chocolates source ingredients from local farms and small, organic growers.
Go green and give back to charity at The Wardrobe Boutique, a resale boutique benefiting The Career Wardrobe. In addition to gently used (and sometimes new) women’s clothing, the store sells locally-crafted accessories all benefiting the nonprofit including Blue Moon Crafts handmade collage jewelry and Viv Pickle handbags.
For the foodie in your life, Milk and Honey Market sells local cheeses, breads, and delicious Wooden Spoon specialty baked goods.
Shop for sustainable fashion at SAVA, the new retail store with its own local, in-house manufacturing. All of the stylish merchandise is made in a garment factory attached to the boutique, creating 22 full-time local jobs and hugely lowering the company’s carbon footprint.
For handmade jewelry from 100% reclaimed and recycled gold and sterling, Amy Ragsdale’s crafts unique, custom eco-friendly pieces.
The Big Green Earth Store, an all green retail store, sells everything from home products and accessories made from recycled materials (newspaper and tires!) to local art and crafts. Check out local goods like Wash Tyme soap and body wash made from recycled vegetable oil and fingerless gloves and scarves made from reclaimed yarn. Wrap it all up with locally-produced Earth Love’n Paper recycled wrapping paper!
More Local Shops Focusing on Local Products:
http://mewgallery.org/
http://vixemporium.wordpress.com/
Other Resources to Buy Local and Handmade:
http://phillymakes.blogspot.com/
http://handmadephilly.wordpress.com/
Paige Wolf is the owner of Paige Wolf Media & Public Relations, a green communications firm specializing in eco-friendly lifestyle clientele. Sign up for “The Paige Turner” e-newsletter, which offers green living tips, events, promotions, and discounts at www.paigewolf.com.