Forget “Black Friday” and “Cyber Monday” this holiday shopping season — make your holiday green.

Purchasing locally-produced and/or ecologically responsible holiday gifts not only supports local and emerging sustainable businesses, but it is also a means of educating the gift recipients about fun alternatives to traditional big-box shopping.

Try GCBL’s green holiday list before setting out for the strip mall this year. You may find the perfect gift without ever having to suffer the crowed aisles and long lines that have come to define December shopping. Or you can redefine the holidays by giving gifts of charitable donations.

Planet Green
Uber-sustainable entrepreneur Rebecca Renoylds only stocks items that are sustainable (vintage, recycled, upcycled), with a special focus on local artisans, green cleaning products, handmade jewelry, fair trade and organic clothes or just plain innovative products like furniture from A Piece of Cleveland.

Ohio Maple Syrup
Add locally-produced maple syrup to a gift basket or send it to a relative who moved out of town to remind them of what they are missing. There is no substitute for Ohio Maple syrup and it is truly one of Ohio's best exports.

Everything by Local Artists at Heights Arts
Shop at the Heights Arts Holiday Store on Lee Road and support art in the community. The Holiday Store has art, crafts, books and CDs by dozens of Heights artists, writers, and musicians. The store is open Nov. 8 - Dec. 30, Tues.-Sat., noon to 9 p.m. and Mon. 6-9 p.m. Closed Sunday. Call 216.371.3457.

Lehman’s Holiday Store
Lehman’s has served the local Amish and other non-electricity loving Ohioans for decades. Lehman’s goal is to preserve historical technology for future generations and to provide authentic, historical products to those seeking a simpler life and has an array of unique and hard-to-find gifts.

eBeeHoney.com
For Ohio honey, raw honey and honey bee hive products direct from a beekeeping family. eBeeHoney.com offers honey, raw honey, comb honey, Royal Jelly, bee propolis, beeswax, bee pollen, a variety of beeswax products, and honey favors. Also order personalized honey favors like personalized 1.5 and 4 oz lip balm and body cream. Shoppers can choose clover honey or wildflower honey and some folks even choose different favors. There is a minimum order of 30 favors.

Coit Road Farmer's Market
A source of locally-produce goodies, including a fantastic selection of spices, honey, maple syrup, apples and other produce, baked goods, handmade soap, and other items. Open Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. year round (though sometimes closed as early as 1:00 p.m. in the winter).

The InterReligious Task Force
Fair Trade gift baskets for the holidays. Give a gift that supports small farmers in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and the US. Place your order by December 4.

Cool Cleveland’s 2008 Holiday Buying Guide

Alternatives to traditional holiday accessories

Country Pines Tree Farm

Keep that holiday spirt all year and for years to come with a replantable Christmas tree. Country Pine Tree Farm offers a small selection of live trees for replanting. (8280 West 3rd Street, New Lebanon, OH 45345, call: 937-835-3464) Hours: 9 to 5 p.m. daily.

Ten Thousand Villages
If you cringe at the sight of watching varnished, coated, non-organic wrapping paper going directly into a massive trash bag after the flurry of present opening like us, you should check out some gift wrap alternatives like the ones at Ten Thousand Villages (there are two locations: 2254 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44115 or 19321 Detroit Road, Rocky River, OH 44116).

Green gift events

Women Speak Out for Peace and Justice Annual Holiday Peace Festival and Bazaar
Saturday, December 6 10am-4pm Pilgrim Congregational Church, 2592 W. 14th St., Cleveland
This annual gathering of Cleveland area peace and justice organizations is where you'll find fair trade items and other local/alternative gifts.

Annual InterReligious Task Force Fair Trade Shopping Day
December 7 at four locations:

Revive
2248 Lee Rd.
Cleveland Hts.

Heartbeats
20015 Detroit Rd.
Rocky River, 44116

Ten Thousand Villages (both locations)

Other green gift links

Redefine Christmas — Ideas for giving to charities instead of giving more stuff.

Mercado Global — Making a difference never looked so good as when you buy fairly-traded goods from this nonprofit group.

Ideal Bite – Try this site to find everything from organic cotton, green cleaning products and sustainable gift baskets.

Tree Hugger – One of our favorite sites for everything green, Tree Hugger is a great source for green technology, furniture and a really cool clothes you won't find anywhere else.

Heifer International – Nothing prevents the feeling of over-commercialization or superficiality that the season can bring like Heifer International. This organization provides the gift that keeps on giving by allowing you to purchase a variety of livestock or other sustainable products to be sent in your name or a loved-one's name to a part of the world where it will make a profound difference in a family's life.

Eco-artware – This website has some of the most creative re-use of computer, typewriter equipment, vinyl records and beach glass. Check out the old street-sign wreath for a new twist on a traditional decoration.

New England Cartographics – These geolopes are the ultimate in recycled paper. This company is using old maps to make unique and sustainable stationery and envelopes.

Target sells LED Christmas lights (LEDs use a fraction of the power of your typical string of lights)

Union of Concerned Scientists' Tips for a merry and green Christmas