6 ways to shop and keep the season bright and sustainable

This time of year is filled with cheer, laughter, and unfortunately, trash. Granite Staters love our environment, but according to the Environmental Protection Agency, the amount of household waste in the United States can increase by 25%  between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, from 4 million tons to 5 million tons. That rubs some of us the wrong way. Here are six shopping suggestions that will help lower your carbon footprint while raising your sense of joy and the knowledge that you’re having a sustainable and green holiday season.

Merrimack Valley

Bone Fide 

25 North Main St. 

Concord

The store, whose motto is “shop with a purpose,” offers a variety of wares for sustainable living. That includes natural-baby-care products, fair-trade gifts, safe housewares, and organic clothing. The store curates its offerings to fit its green standards.  They also have a wide selection of New Hampshire-made eco-friendly items including handmade wooden toys from Green Woodworks in Amherst, locally baked dog biscuits by Four Your Paws Only in North Conway, and Simply Great Beard Oil made in Atkinson, to name just a few.

 Déjà vu Furniture and More 

113 Hillside Ave. 

Londonderry

Consignment and surplus furnishing stores not only cut down on the mountains of chairs, chests, and China cabinets clogging our landfills, but they’re also great places to find affordable vintage and antique gifts.  The store is situated in a large warehouse, with room after room of hotel surplus furniture, authentic antiques, and one-of-a-kind curios like a larger-than-life-sized anthropomorphic, smiling hot dog or a full-scale reproduction of a British phone booth. It’s hard to describe but a hoot to explore and shop at this local institution which is part used furniture store, part museum, and part designer showcase.  

 M & C Clothing and Gifts 

135 State Route 101-A

Amherst 

There is no better way to go green this holiday than to buy recycled goods, especially clothing. The fast fashion phenomenon has led to approximately 17 million tons of clothing waste in American landfills each year – 92 million tons worldwide, according to TheRoundup.org, an environmental awareness site. That’s why thrift and vintage shopping have become so popular among eco-fashionistas.  M & C has been ahead of this trend, opening nearly 30 years ago. They’re beautifully displayed and carefully curated selections include everything from jeans to designer clothes, children’s and maternity garments, shoes, and handbags. They also have some locally made and sourced jewelry, and other gifts for the green-minded consumer.

North Country

The Local Grocer 

3358 White Mountain Highway

North Conway 

This is a health-food grocer and a café whose mission is to provide its North-Country community with healthy food options and lifestyle products. The owners are a clinical herbalist and a permaculture designer. They sell organic food and products that support local agriculture. Their offerings include artisan cheese, humanely raised meats, local dairy, and organic wine, as well as vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free products. If you’d like to eat healthy while shopping healthy, there’s the solar-powered Table and Tonic Farm Cafe at the store, a farm-to-table eatery using local and organic products in their breakfasts, salads, soups, baked goods, smoothies, and coffee drinks.

Seacoast

Cotillion Bureau 

65 Bow St. 

Portsmouth Cotillion Bureau 

This shop is the place to find funky vintage and upcycled clothes and accessories that come in all sizes and fashion eras including the 60s, 70s, 80s, and older. From groovy shifts to Chanel-style tweeds, this store is for lovers of quality, retro design.

A New Hampshire State Parks gift card will allow you to give someone the best green gift ever – a New Hampshire adventure — a night of camping, a visit to a New Hampshire historic site, or a boat rental and you won’t even need wrapping paper that will end up in a dump. Gift cards can be purchased in amounts up to $250 and have no expiration date.