8 Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas For Environmentalists

Companies That Offer Green Products & Services

The Rise Of Global Temperature

According to data from NASA

Tips & Tricks for Vegetarians & Vegans

Switching to a plant-based diet is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. If you're thinking of filling your new re-usable lunch containers with some vegetarian or vegan food, here are a few tips:

• Get some vegetarian & vegan cookbooks, so you don't have to modify recipes and have plenty of dishes to choose from.
• Experiment with how you prepare tofu. It has a bad reputation, but it can be a great component of a meal if it's flavored and cooked right.
• Stock up on vegan snacks. Just because you're on a plant-based diet doesn't mean you can't have fun with your food.
• Consider a meatless diet for your dog, although of course you should talk to a vet before making this major change.
• It's not hard to get the protein you need from whole foods, but if you're a body builder or just concerned about protein intake, try mixing a vegan protein powder into a shake or smoothie.
• Remember to create sustainable habits so that you don't lose steam after a week or two.

5 Human Impacts on the Environment

In Depth

It can be difficult to figure out what gifts to buy our most ecologically conscious friends. For those who believe that consumer choice is a major front in the effort to halt and mitigate climate change, every purchase can be fraught with anxiety and self-recrimination. This list, presented in no particular order, explores eight eco-friendly products and experiences for environmentalists.

At #1, Lunchskins bags provide a stylish, durable, and affordable alternative to single-use plastic bags. The company sees its mission as an effort to help rid the world of plastic pollution and to empower people to make a difference every day. It also wants to play a major part in driving innovation and changing industry standards in the food storage market.

The signature product comes in a variety of styles, including sandwich bags, those for snacks, gallon-sized options, and lunch sacks. Some close with zippers and some with velcro. They can be purchased individually or in bundles. Lunchskins also manufactures plastic-free alternatives to straws, as well as paper bags for a range of uses. The company donates a portion of profits to environmental causes.

The company donates a portion of profits to environmental causes.

#2 on the list is Aspen Clean, which provides natural and environmentally friendly home cleaning services and products. Their services are performed with unique eco-friendly technology, carefully crafted methods, continuously improving processes, and specially-trained team members. The group promises to ensure a clean and environmentally friendly house year-round.

Maid and house cleaning services are available in Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto. For those elsewhere, the company also produces a wide range of all natural cleaning products, including kitchen solutions, formulas for glass, scouring powder, and floor cleaner. Kits can be purchased that bundle related items. Aspen Clean manufactures its own microfiber cloths for use with its products.

#3: AeroFarms is on a mission to transform agriculture by building and operating environmentally responsible farms throughout the world to enable local production at scale and nourish communities with safe, nutritious, and delicious food. While many of its services are provided to farmers and those in the industry, its retail arm, Dream Greens, can be purchased by everyday consumers.

While many of its services are provided to farmers and those in the industry, its retail arm, Dream Greens, can be purchased by everyday consumers.

Available products include the baby versions of kale, arugula, watercress, pac choi, and ruby streak mustard greens. The company sells packaged mixes of these items, devised for those who prefer spicy or balanced flavors, as well as those looking to maximize nutritional intake. Two additional mixes combine different varieties of micro greens. Available at stores throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, all of this produce is harvested through sustainable methods.

Coming in at #4, Ecolunchbox specializes in plastic-free food containers designed to help people reduce their dependence on plastics for health and environmental reasons. The company's primary products are durable and non-toxic bento boxes made from stainless steel and silicone. Founded by a self-described eco-mom, the group is rooted in a vision of making lunchtime healthy for both people and the planet.

The stainless steel boxes come in different shapes for different uses. Those with the silicone lids are leak-proof. A broad line of other products offers people the tools to enjoy a completely plastic-free meal on-the-go. These include utensil sets, bamboo and glass straws, snack containers, camping trays, and reusable lunch bags. The company's website publishes recipes and Ecolunchbox frequently collaborates wither brands and bloggers.

Those with the silicone lids are leak-proof.

On the list at #5, we've got Greenloons, a firm committed to providing trusted, transparent information about authentic, responsible, sustainable and certified ecotourism travel experiences available around the world. The goal is to make it easy to directly connect travelers with meaningful, unique, and sustainable vacations. It works with companies that meet a triple bottom line of social empowerment, economic viability, and environmental responsibility.

In addition to consulting services for those in the industry, the company offers consumers personalized group tours and booking services for a wide range of ecotourist vacations. The customized packages include a culinary tour of Europe, a study abroad program for college students, and retreats for organizations. Individual bookings are available in more than 30 countries, and for a long list of activities, among them birding, cycling, and whale watching.

#6 is Eco Maniac Company, founded in 2008 by Christina Trapani with ten designs and 1000 reusable grocery bags. Since then, it has grown into an online store and traveling retail outlet with many options to help consumers replace single-use plastics in their life. As a retailer, it stocks products that are eco-friendly, sustainably and ethically manufactured, reusable, and offer an alternative to unsustainable items.

As a retailer, it stocks products that are eco-friendly, sustainably and ethically manufactured, reusable, and offer an alternative to unsustainable items.

Their broad selection of environmentally safe products includes lunch boxes, travel cases, food wrap, straws and other drinking implements, takeout containers, kitchen items, and bags. There is a selection of items manufactured in the United States and those imported with fair trade certification. A line of customizable products is offered for businesses looking to distribute promotional tchotchkes in a sustainable manner.

In the #7 slot, it's Get Green Be Well, a company founded by Kimberly Button, a certified WELL A.P. green living expert, journalist, and media personality. She created G.G.B.W. to show people how to protect their health at home by being mindful of the materials brought into their houses. To this end it performs two functions: publishing recommendations of safe, eco-friendly products and providing wellness consulting.

In her capacity as a consultant, Button helps families and businesses create healthier living and working environments. For individual consumers, the blog offers specialized guides to many different household items that promote wellness and green lifestyles. These include gift recommendations, zero waste strategies, safety monitoring methods, and product reviews.

These include gift recommendations, zero waste strategies, safety monitoring methods, and product reviews.

Concluding our list at #8, Eco B and B has developed a network that thrives on the kind of tourism that respects nature, the economy, and local communities, in an effort to change the way people travel. A kind of ecological alternative to Air B and B, the service connects travelers with individuals and institutions renting space in a sustainable fashion.

The service is international, offering locations that span the globe. The group's website also provides recommendations, highlighting some amazing places with green travel guides and detailed itineraries by bike or on foot, with nordic walking or snowshoes, by horseback or canoe, by train or mountain bike. There are also special offers and green event listings.