Here's a little-known fact: January 4th is National Trivia Day! Celebrate by working some of these amazing facts from our Instagram account into conversation.
Disposable tea bags can't compete with this pla-tea-pus and his friends.
DecorChic/Amazon
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By this point, your eco-friendly pal probably has a reusable water bottle that accompanies them everywhere and some sturdy grocery totes that keep their plastic-bag count below par. Here are 10 other sustainable gift ideas that’ll help them in their conservation efforts.
1. Reusable Produce Bags; $13
No more staticky plastic bags.Naturally Sensible/Amazon
The complimentary plastic produce bags in grocery stores aren’t great, but neither is having all your spherical fruits and vegetables roll pell-mell down the checkout conveyor belt. Enter the perfect alternative: mesh bags that are nylon, lightweight, and even machine-washable.
Nothing like afternoon tea with your tiny animal friends.DecorChic/Amazon
Saying goodbye to disposable tea bags calls for a quality tea diffuser, and there’s really no reason why it shouldn’t be shaped like an adorable animal. This “ParTEA Pack” includes a hippo, platypus, otter, cat, and owl, which can all hang over the edge of a glass or mug. (In other words, you won’t have to fish them out with your fingers or dirty a spoon when your loose leaf is done steeping.)
Typing your notes on a tablet or laptop might save trees, but it doesn’t quite capture the feeling of writing on paper with a regular pen. The Rocketbook, on the other hand, does. After you’re finished filling a page with sketches, musings, or whatever else, you scan it into the Rocketbook app with your smartphone, wipe it clean with the microfiber cloth, and start again. This one also comes with a compatible pen, but any PILOT FriXion pens will do.
It’s hard to compete with the convenience of plastic wrap or tin foil when it comes to covering the exposed end of a piece of produce or an open tin can—and keeping those leftovers in food storage containers can take up valuable space in the fridge. This set of five silicone Food Huggers stretch to fit over a wide range of circular goods, from a lidless jar to half a lemon.
For floors that'll shine like the top of the Chrysler Building.Turbo Microfiber/Amazon
Swiffers may be much less unwieldy than regular mops, but the disposable pads present a problem to anyone who likes to keep their trash output to a minimum. These machine-washable pads fasten to the bottom of any Swiffer WetJet, and the thick microfiber will trap dirt and dust instead of pushing it into corners. Each pad lasts for at least 100 uses, so you’d be saving your eco-friendly friend quite a bit of money, too.
A fondness for fizzy over flat water doesn’t have to mean buying it bottled. Not only does the SodaStream let you make seltzer at home, but it’s also small enough that it won’t take up too much precious counter space. SodaStream also sells flavor drops to give your home-brewed beverage even more flair—this pack from Amazon ($25) includes mango, orange, raspberry, lemon, and lime.
There’s a good chance that anyone with a pet (or just an intense dislike for lint) has lint-rolled their way through countless sticky sheets. iLifeTech’s reusable roller boasts “the power of glue,” which doesn’t wear off even after you’ve washed it. Each one also comes with a 3-inch travel-sized version, so you can stay fuzz-free on the go.
Even if you keep a compost pile in your own backyard, it doesn’t make sense to dash outside every time you need to dump a food scrap. A countertop compost bin can come in handy, especially if it kills odors and blends in with your decor. This 1.3-gallon pail does both. It’s made of stainless steel—which matches just about everything—and contains an activated-charcoal filter that prevents rancid peels and juices from stinking up your kitchen.
Also great for learning how to juggle without breaking anything.Smart Sheep
Nobody likes starchy, scratchy clothes, but some people might like blowing through bottles of fabric softener and boxes of dryer sheets even less. Smart Sheep is here to offer a solution: wool dryer balls. Not only do they last for more than 1000 loads, they also dry your laundry faster. And since they don’t contain any chemicals, fragrances, or synthetic materials, they’re a doubly great option for people with allergies and/or sensitive skin.
Say goodbye to loose batteries in your junk drawer.eneloop/Amazon
While plenty of devices are rechargeable themselves, others still require batteries to buzz, whir, and change the TV channel—so it’s good to have some rechargeable batteries on hand. In addition to AA batteries, AAA batteries, and a charger, this case from Panasonic comes with tiny canisters that function as C and D batteries when you slip the smaller batteries into them.
With just one remaining Blockbuster Video store in the world located in Bend, Oregon, the venerable video rental chain has largely disappeared from sight. Streaming services can queue up thousands of movies, making the ritual of wandering through store aisles virtually obsolete.
For residents in and around Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and other locations, however, grabbing a tangible DVD from a Blockbuster is still an option. Stephanie Farr of The Philadelphia Inquirerreports that a number of small, newspaper-type kiosks (also called newsracks or boxes) have popped up in areas bearing the familiar Blockbuster logo and sporting several movies that people can “borrow” for free.
The kiosks, which are dubbed Free Blockbuster Video, are the work of Brian Morrison, a Los Angeles resident who noticed the empty newspaper kiosks and decided to repurpose them by branding them with the Blockbuster logo and supplying a small inventory of DVDs or VHS cassettes. Others have followed his lead in Oklahoma, Virginia, and elsewhere, using not only movies but books and even popcorn.
People are encouraged to take an item and leave an item. In Richmond, a kiosk recently sported a library containing VHS copies of 1993’s Demolition Man, 1984’s The Terminator, and a box of Skittles.
“There are a lot of abandoned newspaper boxes around L.A.,” Morrison told the Inquirer. “We’re a city that loves movies, and free movie boxes seemed like a great way to rehabilitate commercial blight.”
Morrison’s site, FreeBlockbuster.org, provides artwork for those looking to repurpose the kiosks, which have often been abandoned by area newspapers. Those that are no longer being stocked with papers may be marked for removal by the city, though that depends on local laws.
