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How to Make an Environmentally Friendly Food Gift Basket

admin — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 08:49:27 +0000

Giving an eco-friendly or environmentally friendly food gift basket is a great way to help the environment. Whether you buy the gift basket or make it yourself, the environment will be better off for it. Think recycled paper (100% post-consumer, waste/process, chlorine-free paper,) organic where possible, living foods, recycling and composting. Just follow these simple instructions for making your gift basket.

First of all, decide on what food theme you’d like for your environmentally friendly gift basket. Some ideas are: organic fruit, organic foods, organic vegan, organic vegetarian, living foods or wheatgrass gift basket.

Once you’ve decided on the theme for the environmentally friendly gift basket, decide whether you’ll be using organic items or products, organic hardy fruits, organic pre-packaged or homemade foods, or fair trade items like coffee and chocolates.

Next, decide on what items will go into the environmentally friendly gift basket.

For an organic fruit gift basket you’ll want to use organic, hardy fruits that will hold up well like: apples, pears, oranges, tangerines, grapefruit, fuyu persimmons, pineapples, pomegranates, kiwis, baby kiwis, mango, papaya, nasturtiums, pansies or other flowers. These fruits will eventually decompose so take that into consideration.

For an organic food gift basket some ideas are: fruits, vegetables, herbal teas, specialty teas, shade-grown fair trade coffees, fair trade cocoas, fair trade chocolate, trail mix, packaged raw nuts, nuts in the shell, a quality nutcracker, hardy fruits, healthy snacks, organic popcorn, homemade foods, homemade jams, cinnamon sticks, vegan, vegetarian or raw food cookbooks, your favorite vegan, vegetarian or raw food recipe printed neatly on a 3×5 card made of recycled paper, books about organic foods, health, nutrition or energy bars, small bamboo cutting boards, bamboo skewers, non-plastic cooking tools, non-plastic, wooden eating utensils, edible nasturtiums, or other flowers for decoration.

For an organic living foods gift basket some ideas are: raw food ‘uncookbooks’, your favorite raw food recipe printed neatly on a 3×5 card made of recycled paper, packaged raw food crackers, raw food cookies, homemade or pre-packaged raw food brownies, jar of organic tahini, jar of organic almond butter or cashew butter or macadamia butter, jar of organic olives, jar of raw sauerkraut, jar of raw dressing, jar of raw salsa, or a jar of raw, unfiltered farm honey (keep in mind some raw food vegans don’t eat honey.)

For an organic wheatgrass gift basket you can use: wheatgrass growing supplies, organic soil, wheatgrass seeds, books about wheatgrass or wheatgrass growing, or books by Ann Wigmore.

Now that you’ve decided on the theme and what items to use it’s time to put your environmentally friendly food gift basket together.

For gift containers you can choose from: fair trade baskets, wooden baskets, wooden bowls, fiber baskets, straw baskets, locally made pottery, buckets, non-aluminum, non-Teflon cooking pots and pans, large tea pots, potted plant holders, wire baskets, large pasta bowls, large popcorn bowls, clay pots, colanders, fabric gift bags, used baskets and containers from Goodwill Industries and Salvation Army stores or anything recyclable.

For gift basket liner you can use: shredded newspaper, organic cotton tea towels, organic cotton dish towels, organic cotton hand towels, colored recyclable napkins, organic cloth napkins, or fabric pieces.

For gift basket filler, if needed, you can use: crumpled newspaper comics, straw or use your imagination.

And for gift basket wrap and tie you can use: recyclable paper, butcher paper, newspaper, newspaper comics, or reusable brown paper bags. Also check with the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries stores for inexpensive recyclable wrapping paper. Tie with jute or raffia twine for a simple rustic look or leave the gift basket unwrapped.

Now the instructions for putting your friendly gift basket together – first start with your chosen container. Place the liner inside and add the basket filler. Arrange the items with the tallest in back. If needed, fill any holes with organic wrapped candies or crumpled shredded recycled paper. Cover with wrap and tie with jute or raffia twine. Don’t forget the personalized, recycled card. If you’re using a homemade card include a great, happy, positive uplifting, spine-tingling favorite quote or saying. That’s it! You should have a fine-looking eco-friendly, environmentally friendly food gift basket!

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Eco-friendly Paper Boom

admin — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:36:19 +0000

Handmade Paper Journey from Valley to the Peak the Indians is said to hold the credit of having used paper from cellulose fibers during third century BC. Skilled Indian makers use a variety of raw materials for making handmade papers.

The handmade paper in India is produced mainly by recycling waste agro raw materials such as cotton rags, in the form of tailor cutting, hosiery cutting; and small quantities of waste paper. Other agro fibers like jute, straw, banana are also used to blend with the primary fibers for effect purpose etc. The major states for acquiring raw material for manufacturing are Tamilnadu, Kanpur, Mumbai etc.

The process to make is also Eco-friendly i.e. there is no machinery involvement or any kind of chemical usage done. They come in appealing varieties, with small dried flowers and leaves, colored fiber etc., making them attractive.

It’s popularity is increasing day by day due to the effective inbuilt qualities as it has huge tensile, bursting, tearing and double fold strength as compared to mill paper and it does not turn brittle due to aging. The possibilities for what can be accomplished with handmade paper and paper pulp are limitless.

These are effectively used in making a variety of decorative items, greeting cards, wallpapers, carry bags, gift boxes, art portfolios and much more. Also in the stationery field many items like paper letterheads, visiting cards, envelopes, note pads, memo cubes and many more items are seen to be made of this. Today, this industry has approximately 157 working units all over the country. The paper industry in India could be roughly categorized into three according to the raw material used that is wood based, agro based and waste paper based.

A wide range of raw materials, such as bamboo, wood grass, rice and wheat straw, jute, rags and waste paper are made available for paper and board making. The Indian pulp and paper industry has recently experienced enormous growth, coupled with consolidation due to the value addition activities like embossing embroidery on handmade paper etc.

The industry in India offers considerable potential to meet the increasing demand for paper products in an environmentally sound way.

Delhi is an ideal location to find both of these materials because it has a thriving rag trade, which provides abundance of old cloth and vast amounts of used paper.

The cost difference between handmade paper and millmade paper is marginal. The concern about the disappearance of forests, coupled with renewed interest in the quality of papers generated new study of the paper maker’s materials, especially the pulps and fibers. With several technological changes taking place in the paper industry, the government has to rethink its land use policies and conservation strategies to protect the natural resources.

The Indian government has provided funds to different supplying councils like KVIC (Khadi & Village Industries Commission) which tie up with banks and through banks provide funds to promising entrepreneurs who want to start handmade paper making business. Seven years back UNDP provided funds to improve activities further in the industry which gave a lot of exposure of that market.

Also the government had come out with REGP plans (Rural Employment Generation Program) where the government gave loans to village people to start small handmade paper units thus boosting the rural areas to further develop. India is said to produce approximately Rs.21crore worth of handmade papers, providing full time employment to around 10,000 persons in the rural areas.

They also plan to carry out similar activities in northeastern states also to boost the northeastern regions of paper industry. This year two major units, The Sthaneshwar Handmade Paper P.C.I.S. LTD and Handmade Paper & Board Industries under the KVIC sector won National Award through the president of India for supplying best quality products.

Mr.K.Sudhakar – Dy.Director I/C (Handmade Paper and Fiber industry) is of the opinion that the “Handmade Paper products is a real treasure with full of creative, innovative and thought provoking ideas and the industry has got an excellent future because of value addition and export oriented prospective.”

The sector also plans to tab or explore the very big area of packaging industries be it for medicine packaging or fertilizer packaging etc. Even the Internal Trade Fairs like PAPEREX have been fruitful trade encouraging activities. This year in PAPEREX 2005, Carlton Coats Pvt.Ltd. were the ones to win the 1st prize. Each unit in India is said to roughly provide fifty crores worth material.

Most of these units have become totally export oriented. Ever growing International market for Handmade Paper Though countries like Indonesia, Malaysia and Philippines have already emerged as `handmade paper giants’; India is being looked upon as the country with the maximum growth potential. The country is almost self-sufficient in manufacture of most varieties of handmade papers. There has been phenomenal growth in the export market for Indian Handmade Paper and its products, especially in the developed countries like the United States of America, West Germany, European Countries, Australia etc.

The last decade witnessed rapid growth in export as a number of Handmade Paper and paper products manufacturing units have become hundred percent export oriented units and helped in increasing the foreign exchange of the country. The export of handmade paper and paper products from the last two year was estimated for around fifty crores and this year the approximate growth was estimated to be 20% more and in the coming years it is said to be growing in many folds or multiples.

The Eco-friendly quality and long shelf life of the handmade paper fetches a high premium in the international market. Exports from Sanganer alone accounts for nearly 70 percent of the total handmade paper exports from India. The paper and allied products are sold in the US, Australia, Japan, Britain and South Africa. Besides paper sheets, items like paper bags, sacks, gift wrappers, art books, photo albums, diaries gift boxes and photo frames find ready buyers abroad.

The international demand for handmade paper and its value-added products are increasing at an approximate rate of 30-35 percent a year, which is phenomenal compared to five-seven percent a decade back. The industry, however, has weaknesses in terms of market concentration to a few countries and lack of technology for product conversion resulting into low production capacity.

Other than this other threat that would have to be overcome would be the competition being posed by more pioneering countries like China. But it is said that like any other commodity, handmade paper too goes through a cyclical trend depending upon the demand-supply scene in the international markets. Even the prices in the domestic market are inextricably linked with the paper price movements internationally.

But the growing preference for environment-friendly products worldwide and increasing demand for handmade paper products have eradicated the limitations of the handmade paper industry and once again it has emerged as one of the market leaders. In the era of globalization, handmade paper is one of the prime sectors, which has a major say.

How to Make Environmentally Friendly Newborn, New Baby or Baby Gift Baskets

admin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 18:15:40 +0000

Giving an eco-friendly or environmentally friendly newborn baby, new baby or baby gift basket is a great way to help the environment. Whether you buy an eco-friendly gift basket from a gift basket business, make it cheaply yourself at home or add it to an existing line for your gift basket business, the environment will be better off for it. Think recycled paper (100% post-consumer, waste/process, chlorine-free), organic products, vegan products, non-toxic and non-plastic items, natural fibers, reusing and recycling. Just use these simple tips and follow these easy instructions and you’ll learn how to make a great, unique, custom, personalized baby gift basket.

First of all you’ll need to decide whether you’ll be using organic or vegan items or products, fair-trade products like soaps, items of clothing like new socks made from recycled cotton, or pre-packaged, homemade or recyclable used items. You probably won’t want to use any fragrant food items if you’re using any scented products. The fragrances of food and perfume don’t combine well in a gift basket. But use your best judgment. Also you may have some other ideas for making your basket more of a personal memory gift.

Next decide on what products or items will go into the environmentally friendly newborn baby, new baby or baby gift basket.

For an organic, vegan or all natural baby gift basket – some products and ideas are: organic baby foods, organic teething chews, all natural or organic baby lotions, organic shampoos, organic baby powders, other organic bath products, organic, vegan and fair-trade soaps, natural fiber sponges, organic cotton towels, terry cloth bath pillows, natural spa pillows, natural hair brushes, socks and other clothing made of organic cotton, CDs of nature sounds or other soothing music, baby toys made with natural fiber and/or safe recycled material, wooden blocks, safe, non-toxic baby games, personal memory gift items, or a no-expiration gift certificate to a store that specializes in environmentally friendly items.

Now that you’ve decided on what products or items to use it’s time to put your personalized environmentally friendly gift basket together.

For gift container ideas: fair-trade baskets, wooden baskets, wooden bowls, fiber baskets, straw baskets, locally made pottery, buckets, potted plant holders, wire baskets, fabric gift bags, homemade gift bags, used baskets and containers from Goodwill Industries and Salvation Army stores or anything recyclable.

For gift basket liner ideas: shredded newspaper, shredded comics, organic cotton tea towels, organic cotton dish towels, organic cotton wash cloths, hand towels, or bath towels, colored recyclable napkins, organic cotton cloth napkins, fabric pieces, or an organic cotton receiving blanket.

For gift basket filler, if needed, you can use: crumpled or shredded newspaper comics, or use your imagination to come up with a better idea.

And for gift basket wrap and tie you can use: recyclable paper, butcher paper, newspaper, newspaper comics, or reusable brown paper bags. Also check with the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries stores for inexpensive recyclable wrapping paper. Tie with jute or raffia twine for a simple rustic look or leave the gift basket unwrapped.

Now the easy instructions for putting your custom, personalized environmentally friendly gift basket together – first start with your custom container. Place the liner inside and add the gift basket filler. Arrange the gift basket products and gift items with the tallest in back. If needed, fill any holes with small baby items or crumpled or shredded recycled paper. Cover with wrap and tie with jute or raffia twine. Don’t forget the personalized, recycled or homemade card. If you’re using a homemade card include a happy, personal, positive, uplifting, spine-tingling favorite quote or saying. Mom can read it to baby. That’s it! You should have a fine-looking eco-friendly, environmentally friendly newborn baby, new baby or baby gift basket!

How to Make an Environmentally Friendly Bath and Spa Gift Basket

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 13:24:36 +0000

Giving an eco-friendly or environmentally friendly bath and spa gift basket is a great way to help the environment. Whether you buy the gift basket or make it yourself, the environment will be better off for it. Think recycled paper (100% post-consumer, waste/process, chlorine-free paper), organic where possible, and recycling. Just follow these simple instructions for making your bath and spa gift basket.

First of all you’ll need to decide whether you’ll be using organic items or products, fair-trade items like soaps, items of clothing like new socks made from recycled cotton, or recyclable used items. You probably won’t want to use any chocolate or food items in this basket. They generally don’t go well with fragrance items. But use your judgment.

Next decide on what items will go into the environmentally friendly bath and spa gift basket.

For an organic and vegan bath or spa gift basket you can use: natural fiber sponges, pumice stone, towels, scrubs, organic and vegan soaps, fair-trade soaps, all natural toothpaste, organic lotions and shampoos without hormone-disrupting methylparabens or other toxic preservatives or additives, terry cloth and other types of bath pillows (very popular), spa pillows (very popular too), spa supplies, natural hair brushes, natural foot brushes, candles, aromatherapy goods, organic cotton socks, CDs of nature sounds or other soothing music, handwritten poem on recycled paper, birthday poem, inspirational book, book of poetry, Zen alarm clock, fair-trade art, handmade costume jewelry, stones, crystals, beautiful rocks, homemade items or a no-expiration gift certificate to a store that specializes in environmentally friendly items.

Now that you know your theme and what items to use it’s time to put your environmentally friendly bath and spa gift basket together.

For gift containers — some ideas: fair-trade baskets, wooden baskets, wooden bowls, fiber baskets, straw baskets, locally made pottery, buckets, non-aluminum, non-Teflon cooking pots and pans, large tea pots, potted plant holders, wire baskets, large pasta bowls, large popcorn bowls, clay pots, colanders, fabric gift bags, used baskets and containers from Goodwill Industries and Salvation Army stores or anything recyclable.

For gift basket liner — some ideas: shredded newspaper, organic cotton tea towels, organic cotton dish towels, organic cotton hand towels, colored recyclable napkins, organic cloth napkins or fabric pieces.

For gift basket filler, if needed, you can use: crumpled newspaper comics, straw or use your imagination.

And for gift basket wrap and tie — some ideas: recyclable paper, butcher paper, newspaper, newspaper comics, or reusable brown paper bags. Also check with the Salvation Army or Goodwill Industries stores for inexpensive recyclable wrapping paper. Tie with jute or raffia twine for a simple rustic look or leave the gift basket unwrapped.

Now the instructions for putting your environmentally friendly bath and spa gift basket together — first start with your chosen container. Place the liner inside and add the basket filler. Arrange the items with the tallest in back. If needed, fill any holes with organic wrapped candies or crumpled shredded recycled paper. Cover with wrap and tie with jute or raffia twine. Don’t forget the personalized, recycled card. If you’re using a homemade card include a great, happy, positive uplifting, spine-tingling favorite quote or saying. That’s it! You should have a fine-looking eco-friendly or environmentally friendly bath and spa gift basket!