Give Green this Valentines Day

(ARA) - Americans love the environment, even when they're doing some Valentine's Day shopping for their loved ones. "Green gifts" - products that appeal to consumers' environmental consciousness - are everywhere and have made their way into retail locations across the country.

"According to a 2006 poll by Global Market Institute, 90 percent of Americans are concerned about the future of the environment," says Jenny Belknap, vice president of global marketing for Origins, a company that has always embraced the connection between Mother Nature and human nature. "Consumers are not setting that concern aside when they shop for gifts. Rather, we're seeing increasing demand for environmentally friendly gift products."

In fact, in 2002, 30 percent of Americans used organic products, according to the Natural Marketing Institute's Organic Consumer Trends Report. With increased celebrity attention and broad public interest, it is reasonable to expect that percentage has only grown in 2007.

So what's hot in green gifts? Here are some eco-friendly gift ideas sure to warm the heart of your environmentally conscious sweetheart, whether his or her interest in the environment is passionate or passing:

* If the green-loving lover is losing sleep over her responsibility for eco-friendly living, you can help her rest easy with organic bed linens. Retail giants like Target and Bed, Bath and Beyond have bowed to the organic movement and now offer organic cotton sheets and even sets made from bamboo. They are available in deep-pocket versions to fit today's thicker mattresses. For more information on organic bed linens and other eco-friendly gifts, visit www.treehugger.com.

* Looking to incorporate an organic beauty regimen in your eco-lifestyle?  Origins, the first prestige natural beauty and wellness brand, continues to lead the industry with natural and organic beauty offerings for women and men.  These include gift sets and products from the Dr. Andrew Weil for Origins collection and new Origins Organics, a complete line of Organic skin, body and hair products certified according to USDA National Organic Program standards.  The products are available worldwide at Origins retail stores, department stores and online. Origins recently announced they're reducing their carbon footprint by partnering with Community Energy to purchase clean renewable energy credits (RECs).  These credits are equal to 100 percent of the energy used by its US retail stores and the manufacturing of all Origins products and help support Wind Energy throughout the country.  For more information, check out www.origins.com.

* Hoping to introduce someone to the joys of environmentally responsible living? Check out www.gogreengift.com, where you will find a kit for your eco-newbie. The Eco-Starter Kit includes such basic eco-friendly items as a low-flow shower head, compact fluorescent light bulbs, a GoGreen EcoGuide, and organic fruit leather, coffee and tea. Or, pick up a copy of "The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time," available at bookstores everywhere.

* Candles are a timeless, classic gift year-round.. If you're concerned about giving the candle-lover in your life a candle with artificial scents and a questionable origin, try an Akeewakee Personal Candle, available at Origins retail stores. First made in 2003 in New Orleans' French Quarter, the candles are crafted from natural soy and beeswax with a wick of all-natural plant fibers designed to reduce soot and carbon.

* Finally, if you're looking to go grand with your eco-friendly gift, consider taking your beloved tree-hugger on an eco-friendly vacation. Tourism companies now offer tour packages to areas of environmental interest. Some travelers opt to soak in the natural beauty of the locale, while others become actively involved in local projects designed to help the environment. Or send your loved one to a location closer to home for a stay in an eco-friendly hotel. Many hotel chains and independent facilities have instituted a range of environmentally responsible practices, from using eco-friendly laundry products to banning smoking throughout the property.  For more information visit www.travel.discovery.com/ideas/outdoors/outdoors/html.

Courtesy of ARAcontent