“It’s the thought that counts,” is an old adage of standard gift-giving, but today that thoughtfulness is exemplified with eco-friendly presents that minimize environmental harm and help sustain the planet for future generations to enjoy. In fact, a recent Trends Tracker Report revealed that 56 percent of people today are more likely to pay a little more money on gifts as long as they meet safe, environmental standards, and few gift-getters are more eco-aware than so-called “geeks.” No matter your definition of geekiness in today’s eco-conscious world, trendiness is now defined by laptop sleeves made from recycled plastics or phones charged by the sun. Clearly, today’s gifts for geeks aren’t your father’s plastic pocket protectors.
Defining Eco-Friendly Gifts
Eco-friendly products are often made from recycled materials which will hopefully increase awareness as Americans currently only recycle 25 percent of plastic produced in the U.S. When gift-buying for the eco-friendly geek, avoid mass-produced items (often associated with construction in overseas sweatshops) and stick with items made with sustainable materials that are free of lead-based paint or non-combustible plastics that will disturb or destroy diminishing ecosystems. In addition, today’s eco-geeks are fascinated with technology driven by natural sources like the sun, water and even their own motion as seen in “Personal Energy Generators” that charge small devices using the energy exerted while physically moving.
Gifts For Geeks On The Go
When they leave their parent’s basement, eco-friendly geeks are constantly schlepping their laptops or tablets from the office to the comic book store to their home base (usually a Starbucks) which makes a solar-powered computer bag the perfect gift. The bag is made from old umbrellas and sunshades which naturally attract the sun to charge all devices inside and is similar to the latest solar-powered phone chargers which keep busy geeks off the grid and going without stopping to plug in. And with recycling on the forefront of the eco-friendly mind, nothing says “geek chic” like a pair of circuit board cuff links made from recycled computer parts.
Home Essentials For Eco-Geeks
For the outdoor geek with a green thumb, a great gift is a solar-powered lawn mower with zero emissions or a Smart Gardening System that monitors a garden’s soil condition, humidity and temperature levels along with multiple weather databases to determine the most favorable time for getting specific plants into the ground for growing success. When done getting dirty, geeks can karaoke in a soothing shower with a music-storing station that requires no batteries and runs only on water pressure. Continue those good vibrations back in the basement when updating your Facebook status while listening to music powered only by your Smartphone running through a handsomely designed portable speaker made of recycled bamboo.
Today’s eco-friendly gifts aren’t just for latte-sipping, granola crunching trend-setters, but they’re being widely embraced by the environmentally hip, techno-drivin’ geeksters. Whether at home, in the office or on the go, geek gift lists everywhere include products naturally produced and driven by the Earth. As this movement grows, perhaps the next Revenge of the Nerds sequel will be subtitled “Global Cooling”.
