Here are some green gift ideas for Father’s Day that shout ethical style. Well designed, high quality and socially conscious, these sustainable goodies will stand the test of time and have dad thinking that you spent weeks scouring town to find that perfect something.
Father’s Day Ethical Gift Guide
These magnificent belt buckles are ethically made from salvaged Western Pennsylvania hardwood. The perfect blend of solid sustainable design and quality craftsmanship results in an heirloom piece that will one day delight a lucky grandchild.
These sleek, black toiletry bags for men are made from recycled automobile tires and inner tubes. Functional + Stylish + Eco-friendly + Fair Trade from El Salvador. Fill with dad’s favorite organic soap, lotion and other goodies for a personalized eco dopp bag. (Available at the Pittsburgh store only; call 412-353-0109 to order.)
Grown and sewn to perfection, Pants to Poverty adds a cheeky twist to stylish undergarment essentials. Did I mention that they are both green and Fair Trade?
Help Dad with his footprint. He’ll love this classic low-top sneaker with superb eco and ethical credentials: Fair Trade certified organic cotton canvas upper; FSC-certified natural and sustainable latex sole; and PCP- and AZO-free canvas dyes.
What father wouldn’t love Loomstate’s classic fit tees? Perfect blend of chic, contemporary bohemian design, raw organic cotton and old school craftsmanship.
Put an eco spin on the expected and get one of these handmade reconstructed necktie wallets
These reusable tiffins by To-Go Ware are one of my favorites. Fill with some freshly baked Fair Trade chocolate cookies or a homemade Father’s Day breakfast and deliver.
Time crunch? Pick up an Equita Gift Card and share your ethics with ease
We cannot deny our deep connection to the oceans. We owe life itself to them yet we inflict upon them such unimaginable daily abuse, the BP gulf oil spill notwithstanding. Learn more about World Oceans Day.
Early last month we encouraged Equita friends, customers and supporters to participate in efforts to Help Save Our Gulf by donating hair, feathers, fur, wool clippings and nylons to Matter of Trust to make hair booms. People all over the world stepped up and organized their neighbors, local hair salons and groomers to gather these safe, non-toxic and mostly renewable resources and ship them so they could be used in the Gulf Spill clean up efforts.
The recent access to images of the massive leak and birds and Louisiana shoreline doused with oil (BP had been trying to keep journalists and photographers away), has caused increased public awareness and outrage. It’s clear that BP has no clue how to deal with this disaster and refuse to be held accountable in any meaningful way, as we saw when the BP CEO said he wanted his life back. I didn’t think my opinion of BP could get any worse — with their negligence leading up to the spill, lack of funding for research on containment and clean-up, use of highly toxic dispersants adding another threat to the health of workers, wildlife and the ecosystem — but now they are categorically refusing help. People around the world have been sharing innovative solutions and “even in the wake of several failed attempts to stop the Gulf oil spill, the company refuses to pursue alternative methods of cleaning up its mess.”
The mission of Matter of Trust is to Link ideas, spark action and materialize sustainable systems. We like to mimic how Mother Nature integrates enduring cycles and provides access to necessities in abundance. We concentrate on man-made surplus, natural surplus and eco-educational programs. The results are worthwhile, common sensical and often enchanting.
You know from your daily cup of coffee that Fair Trade is a trade model that fights poverty by creating an economic level playing field for small artisan coops and farmers in the Global South. Fair labor for fair compensation. But did you know that the mayor force leading Fair Trade is women? Because women constitute large part of the work force in Fair Trade coops, the fair compensation and benefits they receive from an ethical, sustainable work environment have significant rippling effects throughout their communities. Even more so if they happen to be mothers. As Fair Trade empowers women, it increases the chances of whole communities to lift themselves out of poverty and live better lives.
There’s arguably no better way to show mom love than to make her gifts Fair Trade. Your purchase will be a gift to women and mothers everywhere. This weekend, get 10% off your order at ShopEquita.com and at the Pittsburgh Shop. Enter code FAIRTRADEDAY during checkout at the webshop or simply say “Fair Trade Day” at the Pittsburgh store. Offer valid on all items until May 9, 2010.
Earth Day turns 40 and it’s beginning to show. It also shows in the buying choices you make daily on behalf of the environment. At Equita we strive to offer exceptional sustainable products that make those choices a bit easier.
This weekend get 20% off on regular-priced items at the webshop. Enter code EARTHDAY2010 at checkout. Offer ends 4/25/10. In Pittsburgh? Stop by the shop for special discounts on select merchandise.
As a consumer society, we are constantly dealing with stuff, in some way or another. Today we understand that the stuff of life — those objects of desire and necessity — have a life of their own, a lifetime that, for good or bad, may very well outlive ours. Slowly but surely, as we learn more and more about the not-so-bright-side of our faulty systems of production and consumption, an empowering public discourse and pragmatic solutions are springing up all over to address some of these issues in small and big ways.
At Equita, one of the things we want to do through the Lawrenceville Little Flea is to tell the story of stuff and to help ease in a small, but effective way our complicated relationship with the stuff around us. The best thing about this is that we can do it together. So, together we recycle our stuff among us: some finding use for them as is; others seeing potential for creative re-use or upcycle, imbuing new life into once destitute, forgotten objects. Ultimately, Little Flea’s mission is to contribute to the sustainability of our community by providing a space for local vendors, artists, and neighbors to gather and share, as well as to serve as a modest economic catalyst for entrepreneurs and our growing business district at large.
The first full-fledged Lawrenceville Little Flea season kicked-off Saturday, April 3, at the corner of 36th. + Butler St. A curated environment made to fit our eclectic neighborhood, the market features a rotating variety of flea fare, handmade goods, food and cultural activities.
This season we are expanding the scope and breadth of cultural activities at the market. Every Saturday, the new Cultural Corner at Little Flea presents local Western Pennsylvania artists who come out to share their talents with the community — from live music, dance, and spoken word to art exhibits, performance, and educational/wellness workshops. The Cultural Corner comes alive at 11 a.m.
So, make Lawrenceville part of your Saturday plans. Act Locally! See you at the flea.
We’d like to leave you with The Story of Stuff, the acclaimed film by Annie Leonard that takes us on an eye-opening animated journey through the different life cycles of the products we voraciously consume.
I’m a firm believer that buy local is a movement and not a trend
Here’s a great article by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette about the growing Buy Local movement sweeping the nation. Equita co-founder Amanda Parks shared a few thoughts on the importance of supporting independent, locally-owned businesses and the modest but decisive efforts our shop has made to bring attention to the movement through Act Locally!, a project we started in 2009 that aims to foster community engagement on sustainability issues.
Act Locally’s first initiative is Lawrenceville Little Flea, a neighborhood marketplace whose mission is to contribute to the sustainability of our community by providing a space for local vendors, artists, and neighbors to gather and share, as well as to serve as a modest economic catalyst for budding entrepreneurs and our growing business district at large.
As I mentioned in a blog post last year, I have been noticing the trend to incorporate the idea of environmental stewardship into, even relatively mainstream, religious life. Being Palm Sunday, I spotted an interesting article on the front page of this morning’s Pittsburgh Post-Gazette regarding the palm fronds distributed to churchgoers as a symbol of the auspicious occasion. The palm fronds traditionally used in US churches are sourced from tropical forests in Mexico and Central America at great social and environmental cost; their harvest both contributes to the exploitation of workers and destroys songbird habitats. Considering that US congregations use an estimated 300 million of these fronds every year, a change to more ethical sourcing methods represents a crucial way to alleviate the problem. The University of Minnesota’s Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management’s Eco-Palm project provides a fair trade and sustainably harvested alternative.
“We found out that a lot of the palms are sold to churches for Palm Sunday. Based on that, we suggested that churches might be a good place to start because of their interest in social and environmental justice.”
– Dean Current, Center for Integrated Natural Resources and Agricultural Management
I’ll admit to having a bit of an obsession with the concept of making “swaps” to reduce my exposure to chemicals in body care products — I’ve already committed to baking soda instead of exfoliant, shea butter as hair conditioner, coconut oil over body lotion and lemons, salt or sugar for just about everything else. Though I regularly raid the kitchen for beauty products, I am less familiar with the in’s and out’s of using foods and simple household ingredients to clean and maintain my home, perhaps because I’m enamored with a certain brand of high-quality, non-toxic household cleaning product you can buy right off the shelf (hint: smells like lemongrass!).
In the interest of simplification, and saving money, I am vowing to change my ways and focus more on more DIY possibilities for safely cleaning my living space. High on my supply list are white vinegar (for everything from unclogging drains to cleaning windows) as well as the aforementioned baking soda, lemons and a gentle all-purpose soap like Dr. Bronner’s for mopping wood floors.
I recently came across this article in Real Simple magazine entitled “10 Unexpected Natural Cleaners” which offers other ingenious — and economical — ideas for replacing the usual toxic assortment of bottles under the bathroom sink. For example, oatmeal is excellent for scrubbing hands clean.
Earlier today, TreeHugger.com revealed the long-awaited list of nominees for this year’s Best of Green Awards — honoring “the most deserving people and things from the world of green” — selected by its editors, writers, and, for the first times this year, its discerning readers. We at Equita are humbled and proud to be included among such a distinguished group of eco-stewards from within the sprawling green community. We view our nomination in the Best Online Fashion Shop as a nod to a mission that champions both ethical and environmental practices. In general, the awards recognize efforts in areas of fashion, design, food, energy, transportation, politics, and business.
Cast Your Vote!
Starting today and through April 2, you may cast your votes in more than 40 prize categories across eight main topics. Visit daily since you can vote once a day until voting ends. Equita is featured in the Fashion and Beauty section, again, under the Best Online Fashion Shop category. Reader’s Choice winners will be announced the week of April 12, alongside editors’ picks.
Thank you for your consideration, but, most importantly, thank you for all the love and support! Remember: Green is more than a fleeting trend — it’s a movement!
Brought to you by the (opinionated) people at Equita, Nitty Gritty is a space for news, information and dialogue on The Essentials for Ethical Living: environmentalism, green design, the local economy, fair trade, social consciousness, and, yes, ethical shopping.
Time crunch? Pick up an Equita Gift Card and share your ethics with ease
In the interest of simplification, and saving money, I am vowing to change my ways and focus more on more DIY possibilities for safely cleaning my living space. High on my supply list are white vinegar (for everything from unclogging drains to cleaning windows) as well as the aforementioned baking soda, lemons and a gentle all-purpose soap like Dr. Bronner’s for mopping wood floors.
