Being eco-friendly is good. Buying eco-friendly is good and fun.
There are lots of ways to make the holidays less environmentally horrible. While partaking in the consuming frenzy this winter, try to keep the four (that’s right, four!) R’s in mind: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and Rebuy. Sound corny? Maybe it is, but ’tis the season for doing positive, corny things.
So, with holidays darkening the horizon, we thought we’d remind you that of all the mountains of gifts left to buy, maybe some of them should be made from recycled content material or made with sustainable business practices or packaged with less waste. Just a thought.
Some Ideas in Our Area
The Rabbit Hash General Store has a plethora of unusual and awesome gifts. There is jewelry made from recycled cutlery. There are hemp items made in an environmentally sustainable way. There are antiques and they count as reuse. Basically, shopping in Rabbit Hash is a great way to find gifts with little environmental impact while supporting a local landmark. Call the store at 586-7744.
Healthy Alternatives on Mall Road in Florence carries tons of interesting items, many made from recycled materials and in an environmentally-conscious way. You can check them out at Healthy Alternative Natural Foods, 7508 Mall Rd or call them at 282-5888.
Antiques are, as stated above, classy gifts that count as reuse. There are several antique dealers in Boone County:
Burlington Antiques
586-6166
5952 Jefferson
Burlington, KY 41005
Look What I Found
586-1970
5954 Jefferson
Burlington, KY 41005
Florence Antique Mall
371-0600
Florence Center Mall Road
Florence, KY 41042
Kelly's Antique Shop
371-0303
7610 Dixie Hwy
Florence, KY 41042
Recycled content is a great thing to look for in your gifts. Just check for the little recycling symbol on books, calendars, clothing and shoes.
The EPA has a wealth of information about buying recycled products, so check them out: http://www.epa.gov/reg3wcmd/solidwastebuyingrecycled.htm.
Online Shopping guides can be great places to start:
I really like Treehugger’s ideas (http://www.treehugger.com/giftguide/). Don’t let the name fool you, this site is not only for the hippies on your list. It’s got tons of links to gifts for everyone you can think of.
Have any other ideas? Let us know!
email Becky at bhaltermon@boonecountyky.org
