If you  haven’t heard of them, you soon will, all the way down to their innovative supply chain, which involves nothing new, literally.  “Launched in September 2009, Looptworks is a ground-breaking business that repurposes abandoned materials into meaningful, long-lasting and limited-edition products. By re-using the world’s pre-consumer excess, the U.S.-based company aims to rid the world of waste while inspiring a generation to reduce their impact on the planet. The inaugural line includes jackets hoodies, skirts, shirts and graphic t-shirts for both men and women.”

All the way down to their notions (buttons, thread and the like), Looptworks sources everything from existing materials, all limited run, with a pretty darn fast production turn around time.  They may not fit into conventional systems for evaluating supply chains, as some of their materials simply can’t be traced back to their source, but in their opinion, which I share, it sure beats that material ending up in a landfill. “Looptworks has turned the way traditional apparel companies manufacture cool clothing inside out: Instead of designing collections more than a year in advance, Looptworks shortens the development cycle to weeks. Instead of using the world’s limited resources to manufacture brand new fabrics, Looptworks uses top-quality, excess materials and components that already exist. Instead of producing huge flash-fashion seasonal collections like traditional apparel manufacturers, Looptworks offers fresh, numbered, limited-edition eco-friendly clothing.”

Your favorite ladies deserve to be treated like queens on Valentine’s Day, and that includes Mother Earth. At least one, if not all, of these eco-friendly Valentine’s Day gifts will make your wife, Mom, best friend, sister, boss, girlfriend, or weekend fling extremely happy. And if you must get something for all of them, it’s really not hard to do with these extremely affordable options.

Crown Your Eco Queen

Still chilly in your neck of the woods? Crown your favorite queen with the chic cashmere cap by legendary eco couture designer Deborah Lindquist. This adorable, super soft hat is made in the USA from 100% recycled cashmere sweaters to keep those regal ladies in your life super toasty. And you know what’s even better than a cute couture hat that’s sustainably made? The fact that it’s majorly on sale. Happy lady, happy wallet, Happy Valentine’s Day! $55 (Down from $110)

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Regift

Who knew regifting for Valentine’s Day could be so cool? Art meets eco meets technology with these beautiful crimson and orange hearts by Heart Is Hot. Made in the US from 100% recycled glass, each HIH piece is etched with its own individual number, the epic flower of life symbol, and the Heart Is Hot web address. What makes these so cool is that everyone who gives or receives this heart logs on to HeartIsHot.com and tells their story of how it came into their life and what inspired them to pass it on to the next person. The physical journey of each traveling heart is tracked at HeartIsHot.com, using a custom Google map, and each piece has an archive of “heart stories“  associated with it that anyone can go to the site and read. These make the perfect gift for those people in your life who are huge romantics, big supporters of conscious commerce, need a deeply heartfelt gift, or just really love a good story. As Heart Is Hot founder Sahara Damore says, “Heart Is Hot represents re-gifting at its finest.” $24.99 ($2 of which is donated to the Unstoppable Giving Foundation…this gift really keeps on giving!)

So, okay, let’s be real. It’s December 22nd and you still haven’t finished your Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa (a.k.a. Kwanuzimas) shopping. There’s no time left to ship from the internet and you want gifts that aren’t going to somehow implicate you in the razing of rainforests, child labor, or poisoning our precious planet. You need a quick fix. Here’s In The Loop’s Top 5 Last Minute Eco Gifts for Holiday 2008…

1 Stylephile

A gift certificate to the ultimate eco fashion e-tailer is a style maven’s dream come true and best of all, you don’t have to worry about getting the perfect color or size. Whether male or female, your recipient can choose from the hottest new organic, sustainable, Fair Trade, locally-made denim, t-shirts, jackets, shoes, resusable shopping bags, stainless steel water bottles, hats, wallets, and more. An email gift certificate will arrive for them in 1-2 business days, so get your order in by the 23rd. Even if your friend or loved one has not yet been hit by the green bug yet, eco fashion could easily be their gateway drug to conscious commerce!

2 Junk Mail Hater

Adults in the US receive an average of 41 pounds per year in junk mail; 560 or so of these pieces of junk mail remain completely unopened and unread before heading straight to the landfill. The process to get someone off of the numerous direct mail lists is both tedious and somewhat daunting; helping a friend put an end to this wasteful cycle can be very much like performing a Christmas miracle. Let companies like GreenDimes and 41pounds.org do the work for you for just $20-$41. This makes an excellent holiday gift for your family and for forests everywhere!

3 Animal Lover

Snow leopards and tigers and polar bears, oh my! If you have a friend who is wild about animals, then help them adopt one of these furry creatures through World Wildlife Fund. Your friend will receive an email gift certificate on the date you choose, or purchase by the 23rd to print out a WWF gift card. With either method, your loved one can go online and choose which animal they’d like to adopt. At the $25 level, they’ll also receive a certificate of adoption and a photo. At the $50 level, they’ll get an adorable 12′ plushie of the animal they choose. This beautiful gift preserves wildlife habitat in some of the most precious and delicate ecosystems in the world.

4 Yoga Master

As we witness the yoga craze reaching every corner of the country with extreme fervor, it’s easy to see there are very few types of people who do not benefit from yoga. It’s an excellent gift for athletes, people looking to lose weight, older folks, office workers, and people suffering from depression. Many studios offer two weeks of unlimited class for first timers for $20-$50. Just look up a yoga studio in your giftee’s local area and arrange for a a gift certificate to be emailed to them. This gift has super low negative impact on the environment and super high positive impact on your friend.

5 Treehugger

For the über nature lovers in your life, there’s nothing like gifting trees or land conservation. The Nature Conservancy will plant trees in the endangered Atlantic Forest of Brazil at a rate of $1 per tree, or for $25-$50, will Adopt an Acre® of Las Californias grassland right here in the U.S. An email announcing the gift can be set to go out any day of your choice; information on all the exclusive member benefits of The Nature Conservancy, plus some fun gifts, will arrive in their mailbox soon after.

Yesterday I was walking through Third Street Promenade, a large outdoor mall in Los Angeles, and became curious if mainstream shops were offering any sustainable choices for holiday shopping this year. I walked into the incredible sale at The Limited Express.

Me: “Excuse me, do you have any organic clothing?”
TLE: “Any what?”
Me: “Organic clothing?”
TLE: “Organic? Uh, no.”
Me: “Thanks.” (Sigh.)

No Christmas presents will be bought here this year…again. So there’s sustainable online shopping, which is great for shipping to your family in faraway places, but where do you go when you want to see and feel the gifts you want to give this year? Artisan markets are certainly a great alternative to mindless deal-hungry stampedes at Wal-mart. If you’re in Los Angeles this weekend you are truly blessed, because the Eco Gift Festival is taking over the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium for the second year in a row. It’ll cost you $10 to get in, but it’s worth it in more ways than one…

VENDORS

At Eco Gift Festival, there will be green gifts of every sort from all over the country. Ecochic dresses by Kate Organic, stylin’ sustainable hats by Livity Outernational, sleek reusable water bottles by Earthlust and utensil sets by To-Go Ware, recycled jewelry by Smart Glass, Fair Trade shoes by Autonomie Project, loungewear by Natural High Lifestyle, handmade goat milk soaps by Chivas, Fair Trade sports gear, bamboo kitchenware, non-toxic candles, juicers, yoga gear, baby clothes, ethical clothing galore, organic chocolate, toys, gardening supplies, recycled jewelry, natural cosmetics, and on and on.

The companies vending at Eco Gift go way out of their way to bring ecological sanity to their sourcing, manufacturing, packaging, and shipping. When I’m buying eco-conscious gifts for my friends and family and I know my purchases are actually creating positive effects in the communites where they’re made- for the people, the wildlife, and the land itself- it’s a really good feeling.

You are being conscientious this year in your holiday shopping – in more ways than one.  We hear you.  With this in mind, we have put together a well rounded good of unique, thoughtful green gifts under $50 that won’t break the bank.  Shopping for a wife, husband, brother sister, mom, dad, partner, friend or even just an acquaintance?  Pick up an activist inspired, long sleeved graphic t-shirt made from organic cotton, or perhaps a holiday themed “Turtle Doves” or “GIVE” reusable shopping tote - both made using Eco friendly fibers.   Looking to help a friend develop the BYOB habit?  ( bags…not beer, at least not in this instance).  Check out Envirosax resuable shopping bags, with three different collections to choose from, and five  highly compact bags per pack, they will make the switch in no time and thank you for it.  Maybe you’re looking for a bigger nudge down the green living path.  Our Get Hip Get Green Gift set is the perfect option, featuring a reusable shopping bag, reusable steel water bottle and a reusable, insulated lunch bag, plus a super cool Project green. bracelet.  Who couldn’t use a little inspiration or positivity in their lives.  Tees for Change are the answer  – simple tees and long sleeves in great colors with inspiring words, in organic cotton or bamboo blends.  Feeling charitable?  Then be sure to check out TOMS shoes, and feel fantastic knowing that for each pair you buy, you are putting shoes on someone who has none.  Maybe you need something for the Fashionista in your life?  Vy & Elle recycled billboard Leili clutch or Angel Hobo bag is your answer.   Looking for some trimming?  Lucina’s Berry Coil bracelets or Cheeky Monkey mini recycled silver animal pendant necklaces are sure to be a hit.

Not to worry, we’ve got the dudes covered too – and because we know you like to keep it simple, we’ll be brief here:  Check out our eduicational, and oft dual meaning Positive Energy T-shirts, recycled rubber belts from Alchemy Goods, artsy wallets by Db Clay and, organic cotton ties from Crow, recycled banner wallets by Alchamy Goods, and recycled billboard kit bags by Vy & Elle among other excellent options.

And…because we like you so much and love that you read our blog (we try to keep it interesting), here is a little something for you.  Use HOL25 at check-out, and you will get 25% off your gift purchases with us this year.  Nothing like a little incentive to check those items off that list.  Want an even sweeter deal?  Right now, standard shipping is FREE.

Happy Holidays!