Looking for a Gift for a Green Dad?

Caution: Shameless promotion ahead.

EcoVixen (http://www.ecovixen.com/)—the company I started earlier this year—produces fiendishly good cloth bags for men and women. The bags are all made in New Hampshire, have great designs and witty sayings, and some are made of recycled cotton and recycled plastic bags.

I started with the “Dick & George” bag (named as a tongue-in-cheek homage to our current VP and President—you can thank me for their green legacy) which is a unique-to-the-market cloth bag for men that was named a “Top 10 Eco Bag” by iVillage.com in April.

And it’s a perfect Father’s Day gift for a green Dad you know.

The bag is black, 15 oz. (which means it stands up on its own, which is cool), has short handles, and says “I’m a Man of the Cloth Bag” on one side and “Not Paper. Not Plastic.” on the other. The bag costs just $30 on http://www.ecovixen.com/ (remember, it has a green legacy) and the shipping is free.

Question of the blog: What are some of the eco-friendly gifts you’re buying for the green fathers you know?

Have You Got The “It” Cloth Bag?

iVillage Inc. (www.iVillage.com), a division of NBC Universal, recently named EcoVixen’s “Dick & George” bag as a “Top 10 Eco Bag.” The bag was chosen for its witty saying and masculine appeal.

You might know that EcoVixen (www.EcoVixen.com) is my baby, and this acknowledgement is really thrilling. I launched the company earlier this year and to already be part of such a high-profile list is a testament to the bag’s design and its message.

I created the “Dick & George” bag for my husband after noticing there were no cloth bags for men in the market. Men who are fashion-conscious and eco-friendly have a hard time carrying a bag that’s overtly female, as many of the cloth bags are. But they didn’t have a choice—until now.

The “Dick & George” bag—whose name is a tongue-in-cheek reference to our current VP and President—is an oversized black bag that says “I’m a Man of the Cloth Bag” on one side and “Not Paper. Not Plastic.” on the other.

It’s also made in the United States. It was really important to me that this bag have a green pedigree. The cloth bags you see that cost 99 cents aren’t made in the United States and typically aren’t made of environmentally friendly fabrics. When I decided to do this, I committed to do it the right way, and to be as green as possible.

The Environmental Protection Agency reports that billions of plastic bags end up in landfills every year and that each one takes 1,000 years to biodegrade. I’m beyond happy my contribution to the green movement seems to have struck a chord!

Question of the blog: Do you think plastic bags should be banned?