Gift-hunting for bamboo tree huggers

MANILA, Philippines - We’re pretty sure that your environmentally-conscious friends or family members have already received their weight in organic, handmade soaps. Besides, giving people bath products for Christmas is kind of generic/boring. Give the coolest sustainable stocking stuffers this year by giving out sunglasses, bowties, watches, even makeup brushes made of bamboo. Just make sure to warn people not to wear these items near pandas — they’re cute and all, but they can also be vicious, hungry bears when they’re not taking marathon naps.

Bambike

Before the Bambowtie, Bryan Benitez McClelland’s first project was the Bambike, which was featured on The Huffington Post last year. The idea of making a “green form of transportation even greener” came to him while he was taking up his master’s in environmental resource management at the University of Pennsylvania. He was working on his thesis on sustainable community development in the Philippines when a friend informed him about a bamboo bike project in Africa. Immediately, he thought that the same initiative could work here using locally sourced bamboo and abaca. He recruited an expert on bamboo bikes from the US and through Gawad Kalinga, was referred to an impoverished community in a remote area of Tarlac, where he developed his team of “bambuilders.” Today they make everything from mountain bikes, city bikes, road and fixie bikes, ladies and cruiser bikes and even custom-made bikes, which are also available for export to the US and Europe. With the success of Bambike, McClelland moves closer to his objective of creative a greener mindset in the Philippines, while creating more jobs for the people who need them the most.

For orders and more information, visit facebook.com/Bambike and Bambike.com.

Case eco-logic

Grove’s renewable bamboo iPad and iPhone cases are handmade entirely in Porland, Oregan by the company’s 23 employees who “pride themselves on their cases’ artistic finishes,” according to CNN Money. As nifty as their laser engraved designs are, you can also make your own designs if you want to feel special. Currently, they are have cases and sleeves for the iPad 2, 3 and 4 and are accepting pre-orders for iPhone 5 cases.

Grove bamboo iPad and iPhone cases are available at www.grovemade.com.

Grama sunglasses

With frames made entirely out of bamboo, which is ideal for eyewear because it’s durable, lightweight and buoyant (they float on water!), Grama is an organic take on contemporary sunglasses for men and women. Though the brand is proudly Filipino, they decided to pay tribute to our Portuguese roots, since the Philippines was discovered by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (no, he wasn’t Spanish) in 1521. As such, they decided to take their name from the Portuguese word for “grass,” since bamboo is a kind of grass, apparently. Grama currently carries four unisex models with pretty straightforward names: Um Antigo (One Antique), Dois Marrom (Two Brown), Tres Preto (Three Black) and Quatro Natural (Four Natural). A relatively new brand, they plan on expanding their product line to include prescription glasses and other fashion accessories in the near future.

For orders and more information, email gramafilipinas@gmail.com.

Bamboo across the seas

Extract factor

Alterna Hair Care’s Bamboo collection is made with eco-certified bamboo extract and and kendi oil for strong, healthy hair that is silly and frizz-free. Not only that, all their products contain certified organic ingredients that are grown responsibly and traded ethically, while supporting the development of local communities. The best-sellers from the line include the Pure Kendi Treatment Oil, the Bamboo Smooth Anti-Frizz Shampoo and Conditioner and Bamboo Volume Weightless Whipped Mousse.

The Alterna Bamboo collection is available at www.beauty.com and www.alternahaircare.com.

Tooling around

My sister Cara gave me the six-piece bamboo brush set from EcoTools a few months ago and they are softest makeup brushes that I own. Apart from bamboo, the handles are made of recycled aluminum, while the impossibly soft bristles are made of synthetic taklon, which is 100 percent cruelty-free. Alicia Silverstone, a huge fan of the brand, has even designed a range of cosmetic bags made of cotton of hemp. In an effort to give back, one percent of EcoTools’ annual sales is donated to 1% For The Planet, an alliance of businesses committed to leveraging their resources to create a healthier planet. So far, their beneficiaries have been Ocean Conservancy, The Jane Goodall Institute and The Conservation Fund.

EcoTools bamboo makeup brushes are available at www.ecotools.com.

Bamboo, like coconut oil, is having its moment internationally.

We’ve scoured the Internet for the best products you can order online.

Boarding school

Fashion girls can totally skateboard —  just ask Hanneli Mustaparta. Bamboo Skateboards is a California-based brand that manufactures high quality skateboards from sustainable bamboo from managed forests. They make short decks and long boards and for every 100 decks sold, a board is given to an at-risk youth.

Bamboo Skateboards are available at www.bamboosk8.com.

Wrist-taking

Vestal crafts watches out of rosewood, sandalwood and yes, bamboo. Featuring a solid stainless steel case with premium Japanese 3-hand analog movement recessed into the top link, the bamboo links are held together by a durable elastic cord that stretches over your hand, like a bangle.

The Vestal Rosewood Slim Bamboo Bangle Watch is available at www.karmaloop.com.