‘Green’ gift-giving

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Giving environmentally or socially conscious gifts doesn’t have to mean giving homemade tea cozies wrapped in newspaper (apologies to tea-cozy enthusiasts out there). There are plenty of alternatives to the traditional shopping routes, and the ones we feature here are hip, fashionable and won’t break the bank.

Alonovo
http://www.alonovo.com
Shop for virtually anything, like computers, music, books and movies through alonovo.com, complete your purchase at amazon.com, and alonovo will contribute at least 20% of your purchase to the cause of your choice.

BetterWorld Bookstore
http://www.betterworld.com
Buy your books here, and you’ll be funding literacy and caring for the environment, while getting a fair price on the books you want. They also offer CarbonFree shipping.

Ecoist
http://www.ecoist.com
Unique gifts and fashion accessories for the eco-minded individual. These fashionable handbags and belts have been featured in Vogue and Elle. Also, they’ll plant a tree for every handbag sold.

Carbonfund
http://www.carbonfund.org
What says “happy holidays” better than a carbon credit? This site empowers you to reduce your carbon footprint to zero. It even sells “gift climate tags” for about $6, so you can offset the CO2 cost of holiday travel with a stocking stuffer.

3rliving
http://www.3rliving.com
3rliving has its shop in Brooklyn, but you can access all their eco-friendly and organic products on their web site. Items made from recycled goods are artsy and au courant ... how about a bike chain bracelet or a wastebasket made from Japanese newspapers?

Solar Powered Music
http://www.earthtechproducts.com
Love gadgets? How about a solar iPod and cell phone charger? Earthtech Products specializes in the latest innovative solar products, and they even offer free music downloads with the purchase of the solar charger.

Branch: Sustainable Design for Living
http://www.branchhome.com
Branch selects only the coolest eco-friendly products to sell on its site. Their lines include modern cork bowls, recycled plastic Nano cases, and fashionable glass vases.

Lucky Crow Gift Bags
www.luckycrow.com
Americans spend over 2.7 billion dollars a year on disposable gift wrap. Lucky Crow offers an alternative to throwing away paper wrapping by selling stylish and reusable fabric gift bags.