Making the holidays environmentally friendly

A lump of coal may be Earth-friendly, but it’s not much of a present. We found some alternatives that are almost as good for the planet but won’t make you look like a Scrooge.

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FORT WORTH — The perfectly pure environmentally “green” gift is out there, and it comes without giftwrap or receipts. Give time. Give praise. Give memories.

We could try. We could all gather our families to stage dramatic readings of O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi,” try to bake elaborate stollen in solar ovens, give all our money to abused elephants in Asia and pray all day on our knees.

But what would the children and the aunts say? Would they roll their eyes and wonder where we put the gifts with the ribbon?

So we went in search of green gifts that leave no trace. It wasn’t easy. The snippet of cloud could not be wrapped. Nor could the sound of a bell. Somehow the fallen leaves and dead twigs from our own yards seemed insufficient to the season.

What we came up with are “greener” gifts, a collection of wonderful things that are all lower-impact goods. They are, for the most part, made of recycled materials or can be recycled when their usefulness wear off. Organic beauty products and foods, recycled glass, fair trade scarves and live plants are among our selections. Gather them in delightful “greener” containers and there you have it: healthy and inexpensive holiday goodies, where the thoughts behind them are as important as the gifts themselves.

From: Forest and orchard

To: You and yours

Natural wood containers make ordinary gifts seem extraordinary. An undulating bowl carved of mango wood ($40, Pottery Barn) as a plant holder instantly upgrades the gift from “Oh ... a plant,” to “Wow, nice plant!”

Plants help clean indoor air. Try a zizi plant (Ziziphus zizyphus) or a Chinese jujube. Planted outside it grows to tree size but is invasive. Kept well-mannered in a pot, it is a large, drought-tolerant houseplant that handles low light. We found it for $24 at Tinker Grove Organic Gardens, 6230 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, Texas; 817-488-3525.

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Another take on a wood container is one that is constructed of willow stems. Its interesting, jutting lines fit into decors from country to contemporary. The bowl comes with 32 ounces of organic nuts and dried fruit and nuts and is sent from green retailer Viva Terra. Cost, $80. Find it at www.vivaterra.com or call 800-233-6011. Not fond of dried fruit? Fill the bowl with organic fruit from local grocery stores.

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A living wreath comes in its own mossy frame, and best of all it doesn’t need to be discarded after Christmas. This wreath made of succulent plants is best kept indoors for the winter. Cost, $60 at Home to Garden, 3986 W. Vickery Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas; 817-377-0318.

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From: Global village

To: Teenage girls and women

These natural-fiber scarves in earthy green and burgundy red are distributed by World of Good, a company that pays craftspeople around the world to create environmentally sustainable folk art. We found these scarves, $25 each, at Central Market stores in Fort Worth, Texas (4651 West Freeway; 817-989-4700) and Southlake (1425 E. Southlake Blvd; 817-310-5600 ). Tuck them into a felt bag so cute it is bound to be reused for many holidays to come. Reindeer bag by Papyrus, $13, Central Market.

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From: Stands of bamboo

To: The cook in the house

This fast-growing woody grass gets high marks for being rapidly renewable, and it is known for being grown without pesticides. You’ll see it in all manner of tableware and office accessories and spun into fiber, particularly in bedding and towels.

A bamboo salad bowl, $15, bundled with bamboo salad servers, $10, along with organic balsamic vinegar, $5, and organic olive oil, $10, make a nice gift for your favorite cook. Include a Spanish-made wine jug, $15, of recycled glass. It’s pretty even when it’s empty.

All from Cost Plus World Markets.

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From: Clear glass

To: Coffee or tea drinkers

Recycled glass clearly is a good choice. Recycled glass uses less energy than standard glass production, and it reduces the use of raw materials.

Glass is a good idea even if it isn’t made from recycled goods. It can later be recycled instead of finding a final resting place in a landfill.

That’s what makes this clear hand-crafted, double-wall glass mug by Bodum a “greener” buy. It’s $13 at Crate and Barrel, Pair it with BioGems’ blend of fair-trade-certified, U.S. Department of Agriculture-certified organic coffee benefiting the Natural Resources Defense Council, $13 at Central Market. Put it together in this reusable felt Santa bag, $7, at Central Market.

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From: Beauty and light

To: Spa lovers

Light candles made of vegetable-based waxes or beeswax and you’ll be reducing dependence on foreign oil, at least by a drop or two.

We found burgundy-red and olive-green 3-inch pillars made of palm wax at Sue Bearrie Fine Linens & Fashion Boutique, 5611 Colleyville Blvd. Suite 200, Colleyville, Texas; 817-577-3000. Made by Zinnia, each is hand-poured in the United States. Unscented, $8 each.

Include in your gift luxurious organically made soaps in your gift, such as this Olivina bar of shea butter soap scented with fig, lavender orand olive, $18, also at Sue Bearrie.

You may also want to check out the new Origins Organics skin-care line that includes a purifying toner containing astringent willow bark and a foaming face wash made with aloe vera and olive oil. Cost, $25 each at Origins stores at all area malls and at University Park Village in Fort Worth (www.origins.com . Each container is clearly marked with the percentage of the product that is USDA-certified organic.

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THREE WISE IDEAS

>> Decorating, naturally:

Deck the halls with decorations made of natural materials, such as this 2-foot-tall tree made of birch and cardboard for $40 and buri palm animal ornaments, $7 each, both from Crate & Barrel.

Choose items that can easily be recycled, including ceramics, glass or paper with little dye. Fill clear glass vases with cranberries and small limes for color.

Go folksy. Rediscover strings of popcorn and cranberries. Cut boughs or branches from your yard.

Decorate trees only with materials that can be easily removed before recycling or planting in the yard. Consider an artificial tree that you can reuse for years.

The smaller the light bulb, the less electricity it uses. Better yet are the low-voltage light-emitting diode (LED) indoor or outdoor lights. The Department of Energy estimates that LED Christmas lights use a tenth of the electricity of regular lights. LED strings don’t get hot, and if one bulb blows, the rest of the string remains lit. We found Designer’s Select 50 LED lights at Walgreens for $10 each. They come in white and multicolored strings.

>> Thoughtful gifts:

Pick gifts that can be recycled. It’s easy if you put a little thought into the choice. Consider a paperback book instead of a hardcover. Choose glass instead of plastics and natural fibers instead of synthetics.

Include antique stores in your shopping for decor, tableware, books and other gifts.

Buy toys and appliances that can be used with rechargeable batteries.

Presents of food or drink are low-impact, especially if they are made with organic ingredients.

>> Wrap it up:

Reuse ribbon. The Home Depot claims that if every family reused just 2 feet of holiday ribbon, the amount saved would be enough to tie a bow around the planet.