A 20-something's new office job doesn't have to clash with green.
"Green" gifts involve an awareness of the environment and might include recycled materials, live plants or donations to environmentally sound charities. The Environmental Protection Agency urges people to "reduce, reuse, recycle"; these principles can also apply to gift-giving. People typically complete their educations and start their careers and families while in their 20s. Choosing green gifts that fit these major life changes is kind to both the environment and to the gift's recipient.
Donation
Find out which charities a 20-something recipient admires and make a donation in the person's name. Include the charity's notification of the gift donation in a card containing recycled materials or go paperless and send an email. Donations benefit others while signifying the giver's respect for the recipient's most cherished causes. For apartment dwellers or 20-somethings who are always on the move, a donation creates no physical burden that needs care and space; it is the ideal gift for someone who prefers to own few possessions.
Book Reader
Paper books use wood pulp and require storage space. An electronic book reader holds hundreds or thousands of titles, occupies a small space and reduces paper consumption. For students, book readers allow rapid access to thousands of classical literature titles. Electronic book readers also provide young parents with sturdy, portable and lightweight reading material during those brief intervals that their hectic schedules permit them to read. People in their 20s grew up with access to electronics that their grandparents considered science fiction at that age; they typically find electronic devices such as book readers simple to use.
Briefcase or Portfolio
Recent college graduates, professionals and job searchers may want briefcases or portfolios. Give a 20-something a green version of these professional staples. Instead of leather, choose a briefcase or laptop case made from recycled seat belts or tires. Treated fabric and aluminum cases withstand wear and tear while remaining green. Larger portfolios for graphic artists and illustrators are lighter in treated cardboard than in leather, making them both green and practical.
Bamboo Utensils
Sustainable bamboo can outfit a kitchen from floor to table.
People who have recently moved away from home or out of a dorm room and into an apartment find gifts of household goods useful. Shop for bamboo kitchen items for a green alternative to traditional wood implements. Bamboo cutting boards offer the knife-friendly advantages of wooden boards, but come from a sustainable resource. Other bamboo possibilities include bowls, tableware, serving platters and even dish towels. Bamboo flooring or counter tops are more lavish but durable gifts for new homeowners.
Trees
Start a new household with a tree that can grow with it. Giving a tree that will one day bear edible fruit or nuts will remain a thoughtful housewarming gift for years. Choose varieties that grow well in the region to ensure that the trees require little maintenance. Young saplings make attractive gifts, too; tie raffia or cotton ribbon around the tree's trunk or pack the fruit it will bear around its base to enhance the gift.
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