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Birthdays Without Pressure is "an informal group of parents and professionals who came together to start a local national conversation on what's happened to birthday parties ... We are a citizen action group. We don't meet primarily to help each other (although that happens) but to make a difference in our community and nation." The goal? To reduce out of control birthdays. Not sure what that means? Take the quiz.
Taking this concept to the next level would mean, of course, to reevaluate all forms of gift giving, an inherently non-green practice. The gift of green is one the entire planet can celebrate but this doesn't just mean a switch eco-consumerism.
The first step would be to avoid material consumption. This is made possible, for example, by offering your services to baby-sit or giving a gift certificate or perhaps buying a green service like carbon offsets or a Zipcar membership.
When it comes to material gifts, there are many conscious shopping options: find items that are made or grown locally, items manufactured from recycled materials, items with minimal or zero packaging, durable items that will not be trashed any time soon, used items, and best of all: free items.
And many more...
