While I don’t really fish anymore, I used to go fishing ALL the time as a kid. I’d frequently fish in the lake by my house with my friends and my family fished down in the Florida Keys at least once a month for years and years. So now that I’ve proven that I know a thing or two about fishing, let me show you how ignorant I am by admitting that since I no longer fish, I’ve never once thought about the possibility of earth-friendly fishing gear. Well, as it happens, green fishing gear DOES exist and it’s a good thing because a lot of fishing tackle still contains toxic lead or is made from non-biodegradable materials such as plastic. Obviously, lead is a danger because, well, it’s LEAD and all the non-biodegradeable junk being left behind in the oceans and waterways is not just pollution—it’s also deadly to wildlife. Fortunately, companies like Green Tackle are tackling the problem—they carry, among other things, lead free weights, all sorts of biodegradable bait and lures and most awesomely awesome, fishing line that will biodegrade instead of hanging around for the next eleventeen hundred years further damaging our fragile ecosystem. Pssst…keep Green Tackle in mind at Christmas time when shopping for your favorite fishing fanatic.

Find It Here: Green Tackle

When I work in my yard, I always wear gloves. This is partly because I’m kind of prissy and don’t really like getting dirty but also because gloves protect my hands from branches, thorns, stubborn weeds that can cut and of course all the bacterium that live in soil. I learned about all the aforementioned hazards the hard way…by NOT using gloves and thus, I’m now a big fan. Of course, I always wear my husband’s el cheapo grande work gloves and of course, I always swear I’m going to get myself a decent pair. The ones I have my eye on are the West County Gardener Work Gloves. Full of recycling goodness, they’re constructed with a high-tech spandex mesh fabric derived from recycled PET (polyethylene terephthalate) beverage bottles that have been ground up and spun into recycled yarn and each pair of gloves removes one 8-ounce beverage bottle from landfill. Only adding to their coolness is the fact that they also make them for kids. The Kid’s Classic glove is an exact replica of the adult Classic Glove, with all the same comfort and durability, but smaller. And cuter. My daughter, who always wants the gloves off my hands, literally, would be thrilled to have her very own and I’d be thrilled because then she could help me pull weeds!

Find It Here: West County Gloves

 Win It: We’re giving away three pair of West County Gardener gloves. The winner can choose from the Kid’s Classic and the Work Glove. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter WC3 as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: What is a signature feature of the Work Glove? Open to US residents. Enter by 3/20/09. $60 value. Contest Closed. Congrats Shawn!

Have you heard the hat is back? It is! And while your man may never have envisioned himself wearing a knitted cap, just wait until he sees this one — made of hemp, organic cotton and wool, the Yarn Man Cap is sustainable and hip, to boot. If this one doesn’t do it for you, then check out the more than 40 styles of men’s hats available from Sustainable Style. Each unique hat blends sustainability (duh!) and style with fabrics like hemp, fabric scraps, salvaged wool, and organic cotton. Doing something good for the environment has never looked so cool!

Find It Here: Sustainable Style

If you read only one book this year, make it Not Just a Pretty Face: The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry. Get it, share it, blog about it — tell everyone you can! Written by Stacy Malkan, Communications Director of Health Care Without Harm and media strategist for the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Not Just a Pretty Face provides a behind-the-scenes look into the cosmetics industry. You’ve no doubt heard by now that our cosmetics, lotions and shampoos are full of carcinogens, phthalates, parabens, chemicals and other toxic ingredients. After reading this book, you’ll discover how this has happened and why little has been done to make our products safer or require safety testing. Malkan’s investigative writing style will have you riveted and her insights into the cosmetics industry will likely have you steaming mad and I can guarantee you will never look at your make-up bag the same way again.

Find It Here: Amazon.com

Win It! We’re giving away a copy of Not Just A Pretty Face. Click here to fill out our simple entry form. Just enter “NP65” as the giveaway name and provide the answer to this question: Do you think cosmetics should be more regulated than they are presently? U.S. residents eligible. Enter by 8/27/08. Contest closed. Congrats to Christine S.!

Everyone has a story, yes? It is a journey of many thoughts and dreams, intermingled with the relationships that help us to grow, and keeping a journal, or diary is a great way to help keep our busy lives in perspective. Yes, even Dad. This is an eco-friendly daily journal that’s totally tree-free and made from 100% recycled cotton rags and remnants. Inside, the acid-free cotton paper is generously heavy and yet finely textured for his writing pleasure. It’s also considered a sustainably-made product because it uses enviro-friendly materials, is manufactured and transported responsibly, the packaging is produced using organic farming practices and a portion of the proceeds are donated. Now that? Is a truly green Father’s Day gift!

Find It Here: OrganicStyle

Replacing blades for my husband’s razor was as expensive as filling the tank — well, until *that* started costing as much as our monthly grocery bill. I decided to nip it in the bud the other day when I discovered this super new recycled-materials razor by Preserve (they also make those awesome recycled toothbrushes). It’s far less expensive for the replacement blades, and you can use the packaging to return the razor handle for recycling (postage prepaid!) when it’s time to send it to razor handle heaven. The husband is pretty pleased — he’s loving it en tandem with this shaving oil — and I’m pretty pleased because hair removal and eco-cool and wallet-friendly all in one shot? What’s not to love?

Find It Here: Preserve Everyday

Check out this bad-ass wallet — made from old truck tires and tractor inner tubes, there’s definitely nothing wimpy about it. Additionally, for those who forego animal products or don’t dig the highly toxic process used to tan leather, it’s leather-free and thankfully, 100% free of nasty plastic leather (AKA “pleather”), too. It would make a great gift for the vegan guy in your life or for a teenager who’s going through that “I hate everything conventional” phase that completely rules out shopping at any mall or department store. Best of all, though, is that it’s made of recycled materials and keeping stuff out of landfills. That alone is reason for me to buy one for my son, who will be able to use it in about, ohhhh, twelve years.

Find It Here: BTCElements

Admittedly, I don’t know much about face shaving because, obviously, I don’t have manly facial hair. (Yes, I know about those two weird, wiry chin hairs that I sprouted after having kids and they totally don’t count, k?) But my husband does have manly facial hair and it’s crossed my mind on numerous occasions that putting a chemical-filled foam on his face and then shaving, which opens up pores, cannot possibly be good for him. Luckily, I found All Natural Shaving Oil™ by Pacific Shaving Company and it’s a fabulous alternative to shaving cream. Made of essential oils, All Natural Shaving Oil™ provides a consistently smooth shave, practically eliminating razor burn and nicks, plus it allows you to actually see where you’re shaving, all with no foamy mess to clean up. The 1/2 oz bottle provides up to 100 shaves and environmentally speaking, it’s totally superior because it can be recycled, unlike those big old aerosol cans. And if all that weren’t enough to send the menfolk into a I-must-have-this-right-now frenzy, Pacific Shaving Company plants a tree for every bottle purchased!

Find it Here: Pacific Shaving Company