The Nest

Friday, November 16, 2007 6:03 PM

Have a Green Black Friday

Thanksgiving is one of the best holidays on the calendar—assuming you can survive the travel aspect and aren’t driven insane by your family, what’s not to love about an all-day food and wine orgy? I also love that it’s followed by three whole work-free days to spend generally chilling out. But the long weekend isn’t so relaxing if you choose to participate in Black Friday, that annual celebration of dirt cheap DVD players, video game consoles and Tickle Me Elmos (or whatever the hot toy of the year is—luckily I’ve still got a year or two until my daughter will start begging for it).

Beyond the fact that rushing to the malls and “big box” stores is stressful and even dangerous (last year I saw a video of a woman getting trampled by a crush of people clamoring for flat-screen TVs!), your eco-conscience should keep in mind that most of the dirt-cheap deals offered next Friday will be on items that were made on the other side of the globe, out of non-sustainable materials and quite possibly by an exploited labor force. But if post-Thanksgiving shopping is a habit you simply can’t give up, at least opt out of the mass retail hype and limit your gift buying to locally-made or sustainably-sourced goods that you won’t feel guilty about. The Organic Consumers Association has a very handy online database of green and sustainable businesses around the country. Just enter your zip code to find an extensive list of holiday gift sources, including home décor, beauty products, gourmet food and pet treats.

Of course sometimes buying from a “big box” store can’t be avoided. I mean, if every item on your little nephew’s wish list is plastic and made in China, you don’t want to be the kill-joy aunt who gives him boring wood blocks from the local crafts fair! But once you start investigating green and local gift options you’ll find some gorgeous (and not at all crunchy—though there is plenty of that out there) goods that anyone on your list would love to receive. I’m thinking of giving this hip necklace by LA (i.e. local to me) designer Maya Brenner (check her out at MayaBrenner.com) to one of the ladies in my family.

Have you scouted out any great local or sustainable holiday gifts?