Eco-friendly Gifts are Coming to Town

Tue, Dec 13th 2011, 09:09 AM

There has been an ever so subtle shift in behavior from consumers who increasingly want to know how and where products are sourced.  They also desire to be more environmentally conscious in every aspect of their lives. With this being said, there is still some skepticism on the part of consumers who tend to believe the less green products will work better.

However, in the United States it is estimated that about 12 percent of the population actively seek to purchase environmentally friendly products on a regular basis. Indeed, according to Wikipedia, by the early 1990s eco-friendly consumers reported a willingness to pay as much as 20 percent more for an environmentally friendly product, up almost 10 percentage points from the previous decade. Retailers would be well minded to pay attention to this shift and fully poise themselves to benefit from this growing market. Here is a roundup of eco-friendly products I found just in time for the holidays.

Gone are the days it seems when you have to settle for toys that utilize multiple large batteries as more toys than ever are available that function with a wind up action or solar power, such as a three-in-one solar powered transforming robot I found. If you are one of those persons who like to take your iPod out on picnics and to other areas where there is limited power available, you can show your eco-friendly side by getting an iPod docking station made of cardboard that when folded out it looks like an 80s-styled boom box with speakers. It does use batteries but is more eco-friendly than a plastic alternative.  Just make sure you don't use it on a rainy day.

Then there is the H20 water powered multifunction clock that uses a water powered replaceable battery. To keep the battery going you refill it as the water evaporates every two or three months, but it should last up to two years with continuous use. Of course, there are now electric shavers on the market with integrated solar panels as well as wind up or solar powered radios.  I couldn't resist including on my list an eco-friendly raincoat made from a potato starch bioplastic.  It actually includes a tiny clay seed ball so you can plant your raincoat at the end of its useful life.

For those of us who are on the go with our laptops or mobile devices, there is the Power Gorilla that you can pair with the Solar Gorilla which allows you to power up these devices from the sun.  They say books are the gifts that keep on giving; why not replace the printed book with an e-reader? Admittedly, the e-reader gets a bad rap because making a Kindle for example, creates 22 times more greenhouse gas emissions than making a printed book. Simply put you need to download at least 23 books to make the impact the same. So if you are an avid reader, this is no problem.

The watchmaker Citizen has a watch on the market that features Eco-Drive technology that charges in natural or artificial light and never needs a battery.  If you are looking to buy exercise machines, an elliptical is what you want. Many ellipticals unlike treadmills use magnets, not electricity for resistance and your hard work on the machine powers the machine's LED display.  If you want to know what I want parked under my Christmas tree, skip the potato raincoat - a Tesla will do just fine.
 
Challenge:  Retailers should follow the eco-friendly market and remain relevant by providing options for the growing group of environmentally conscious consumers.
 
We would like to hear how this article has helped you. Send questions or comments to sbrown@graphitebahamas.com.
 
Sonia Brown is Principal of Graphite Engineering Ltd. and is a registered Professional Engineer.

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