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Green Holiday Gifts

Green Holiday Gifts (Added: December 16, 2009)

Get eco-friendly gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list. Jinah Kim reports. (more)

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Get eco-friendly gift ideas for everyone on your holiday list. Jinah Kim reports.

By NBC News Channel
Published: December 16, 2009

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Americans throw away 25% more trash - and waste 27% more energy during the holiday season, making it the least earth-friendly time of the year.

So we asked Owen Bailey of Sierra Club to help us "green up" the holidays with some gift ideas.

This line of solar-powered backpacks and messenger bags from voltaic is made primarily from recycled plastic bottles. And it's like your own generator to-go: While you're out and about, the solar panels charge your electronic gadgets.

"And what's great about this is, it has a removable battery inside. So once you're done charging, you're going to continue to store the energy that you're generating with the solar panels," says Bailey.

The price: $200 to $500. Far less pricey is the 80-some dollar "re-drive" external hard drive by Simpletech.

"It is green from A to Z. The exterior is made of bamboo and recycled aluminum, and it is about 90% more energy efficient than other external hard drives on the market." says Bailey.

There's no wasteful over-packaging, and even the instruction manual is printed right on the box.

For the kid in your life, try a line of make-it-yourself candy and bubble gum from Glee Gums. They're made from all-natural chicle oozing from rain forest trees.

Bailey says, "So you can have a little bit of a project with your kids, but it's also a great way to start a conversation about the things that you care about."

Whatever you buy, try to keep as much of what you give and get - from ending up in a landfill by using a bit of creativity.

The Sierra Club also recommends giving bicycles as gifts, packs of mass transit passes, potted plants or - donating to the person's favorite environmental charity.