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Sustainable NYC located in Manhattan’s East Village, is a one-stop shop that features green clothing, gifts, and home goods; complete with a full cafe. (Courtesy of Sustainable NYC)
The holiday season is upon us, and that means we’re being bombarded with commercials for the latest toys, gadgets, and thousands of other “must-haves” for this year. Rather than join the crowds at big-box stores on Black Friday, this year, why not wait a bit and start your holiday season on what Green America calls Green Tuesday the week after Thanksgiving.
We’re encouraging all Americans to use Green Tuesday as the start of a holiday season that supports local, green, and fair trade purchases for the holidays.
Instead of buying a scarf or tie from a sweatshop oversees, why not buy that special someone unique clothing made locally or by a women’s cooperative?
Take a sustaibable break at the Candel Cafe on the Upper West Side at 1307 Third Ave. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)
Rather than buying a toxic toy, you can get cool wooden toys for that little tot on your list.
For the person who has everything (crammed into a small house or apartment), why not a gift certificate to a local organic restaurant? Once you get started buying green and local, it gets easier to find something great for everyone.
So, why not use the time between Thanksgiving and the following Tuesday to make your list of who you want to give presents to, and then start your sustainable purchasing on Tuesday Nov. 29.
In New York City there are many options for buying local and green.
Here are two great stores you can visit that are full of cool green options:
Sustainable NYC
The cafe inside Sustainable NYC located in Manhattan’s East Village. (Benjamin Chasteen/The epoch Times)
Located in Manhattan’s East Village, is a one-stop shop that features green clothing, gifts, and home goods in a wide range of prices. There’s also a great cafe, where you can take a break to enjoy locally roasted, fair trade, organic coffee and baked goods. Sustainable NYC just won Green America’s 2011 People’s Choice Award, having received the most votes from Green America members nationwide.
139 Ave. A, between St. Mark’s Place and 9 Street, New York
Green in BKLYN
In the Clinton Hill neighborhood of Brooklyn, sells a wide range of sustainable products, including home goods, beauty products, kids’ toys and clothes, coffees, teas and chocolates, and much more. The owner, Elissa, and her staff are knowledgeable and very helpful in finding the perfect gift.
432 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn
Green in BKLN at 432 Myrtle Ave., Brooklyn, sells a wide range of green gifts. (Tara MacIsaac/The Epoch Times)
New York is full of great local restaurants, and some of them specialize in local and organic foods.
Bart Potenza is one of the first sustainable restaurateurs in the city. His Candle Cafe and Candle 79 restaurants on Manhattan’s Upper East Side serve some of New York’s most delicious vegetarian meals. You can get gift cards for either restaurant in $25 increments, and you can also get a great “Candle Cafe Cook” cookbook for the green “chefs” you know.
Shopping online
Of course, you can also support great green businesses online through your holiday shopping. There are a number of sustainable businesses in New York that don’t have their own stores, but sell online or through other retailers. Check out the following:
Ecoplum: clothing and accessories for men, women, and children.
www.ecoplum.com
Global Goods Partners: fair trade goods for people, home, and even pets.
www.globalgoodspartners.org
Restore Clothing: eco-chic clothing for women made in NYC.
http://shop.restoreclothing.com
You can find many more great gifts online by going to Green America’s Green Pages Online and entering “gift” in the search box. You can also click the Gift Guide tab for great holiday deals.
Also, starting on Green Tuesday, Green America’s Green Deals, a Groupon-like site for green consumers, will be offering a week’s worth of special deals on sustainable products at 30-60 percent off. A different deal every day from the comfort of your own home.Happy sustainable shopping.
Todd Larsen is the corporate responsibility director for Green America in Washington, D.C.
