Our Fair Trade Stores are throwing holiday parties on Dec. 15th (all are invited!) in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. The evening will bring seasonal spirits and refreshments while guests shop for Fair Trade gifts from around the world.

(Hey, pssst! Mention the secret password listed on the Facebook invite to get 20% off everything in the store during the party!)

Corinne at the GX SF fair trade store snuggling with one her faves; handstitched floral pillows from India.

Global Exchange Fair Trade Store Staff Picks
To help our socially responsible guests shop the party, I asked the San Francisco store staff to share some of their gift suggestions. Here’s what Anna, Corinne, Jocelyn and the rest of the SF Store folks came up with:


DAD: A new wallet for his back pocket, handmade to last from recycled big rig tires in El Salvador. Slip in a picture of yourself for that personal touch.
MOM: Wrap her up in a 100% cotton handloom scarf from Guatemala or colorful cruelty free silk scarf handmade in India….all artisan-made by women for women.

 

 

BROTHER: O brother where art though messenger bag? Right here, our recycled tire messenger bags from El Salvador and alpaca knit hat & gloves handmade in Bolivia are perfect for city street cruising or outdoor adventuring!

 

SISTER: Alpaca knit fingerless gloves are practical and high fashion. Match them with some cotton threaded bangle bracelets in your sister’s favorite colors.

 

 

BABY/KIDS: Alpaca knit ponchos and glittens (not a misspelling, glittens is just a fancy way to describe those hip glove/mitten combos.) They come in a wide range of sizes (including baby sizes!) to keep younguns toasty warm and ready for winter.

 

 

HOST/HOSTESS: Fair Trade Organic Olive Oil from Palestine. Tasty & practical, this gift will delight any party thrower this season. Paired with a set of Olivewood salad servers hand carved in Kenya, even better!

 

 

CO-WORKER: Fair Trade coffee & tea paired with a beautiful mug hand painted in Tunisia is a practical gift for the home or office. Tie it up with an ornament made from recycled magazine paper for that extra special touch.

 

 

BOSS: Let’s build her or him a gift basket! Lavender eye pillows handmade by a women’s cooperative in San Francisco, a beeswax candle hand dipped in Washington State, soap and soothing vetiver root sachets from Bali make a wonderful combination.

 

 

BOYFRIEND/HUSBAND/PARTNER: Picture frames handmade from tightly wound recycled magazine paper in Vietnam make for a thoughtful and unique gift.  Our frames made from sustainably harvested wood in India are also a good bet. Include a personal photo and you’ve got a smile inducing gift on your hands.

 

GIRLFRIEND/WIFE/PARTNER: Jewelry! Jewelry! Jewelry! Earrings made from found butterfly wings in Peru, traditional gemstones from Bali, and innovation in upcycled plastics turned into fine modern jewelry designs meet any woman’s style needs!

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Let’s Party!!!

Anna modeling one of her staff picks, an alpaca wrap handmade in the highlands of Bolivia

Hope to see you at the Global Exchange Fair Trade Store Holiday Party on December 15th in Berkeley, DC or San Francisco. Remember to check out the Facebook invite to RSVP and find out the secret password so you can get your 20% OFF!

The volume of household waste in the United States generally increases 25 percent between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day according to the EPA– about 1 million extra tons of added food waste, shopping bags, packaging, wrapping paper, bows and ribbons  – and unwanted gifts I presume.

So basically Americans buy a lot of stuff this time of year, lots of it unwanted after the holidays. For fun I decided to compile a list of 5 of the worst holiday gifts, followed by some gift suggestions guaranteed not to end up in the landfill.

5 of the Worst Holiday Gifts

1) Themed Ties: I get it. Your dad likes fishing. That doesn’t mean he wants to rock a tie in the shape of a fish. My dad is proud to be a Jew. But I just can’t picture him sporting a tie festooned with stars of David.

 

2) Useless Gizmos: Bread Baker and 101 other useless, space-sucking gadgets and gizmos you’ll use 0-1 times in your life.

 

 

 

 

3) Fruitcake: I knew this one guy whose sister’s best friend growing up had a great uncle who loved fruit cake. But that’s about it. In all seriousness, not everyone hates fruitcake. But how many of your gift recipients do?

 

 

 

4) Dancing Santas: They are funny for about 36 seconds.  Then it’s “Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer, and Vixen!” Take me to the landfill.

 

 

 

5) Whimsical Outfits: Don’t be an Aunt Clara, who subjected poor little Ralphie to that pink bunny monstrosity in the movie Christmas Story.

 

 

What to Replace Them With: Two Great Gift Ideas!

For gifts guaranteed not to end up in the landfills…

  1. Fair Trade Gifts: Stop by one of our Fair Trade Stores for all sorts of socially responsible gift options;
  2. Global Exchange Membership Gift Package–6 Choices available here.

Global Exchange Gift Membership Package includes:

  • One-Year Membership to Global Exchange;
  • Certificate of appreciation from Global Exchange;
  • A 12oz. bag of Equal Exchange Fair Trade Coffee;
  • Full sheet of six (6) “I AM 99%” Stickers;
  • Fair Trade Tote Bag;
  • $150 coupon toward any 2012 Reality Tour

When you give the gift of Global Exchange membership, you’re connecting someone you care about with an international movement to build a better world.  You pick the gift and Global Exchange staff will take care of the rest. We’ll send out the membership card and gift package, plus keep your recipient in the loop about Global Exchange programs and events.

6 Gift Membership Packages to Choose From:

  1. The Gift of Fair Trade
  2. The Gift of Socially Conscious Travel
  3. The Gift of Human Rights In Mexico
  4. The Gift of Community Choice
  5. The Gift of Energy Independence
  6. The Gift of Green a Green Economy

More details about each Gift Membership Package here.

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The Wall Street Journal reports that the average American (according to Gallup) will spend $712 on holiday gifts this year. Let’s work together to make sure that $712 worth of gifts doesn’t end up in the landfill.

The good folks at Center for a New American Dream point out that only 1 percent of the materials used to make our stuff is still in use six months after the product is sold.

Yikes.

Global Exchange Gift Memberships last all year long. We welcome you to check them out now. Here’s to a happy, healthy and easy-on-the-landfill holiday season!