Ideal Bite

Hip Pop Hooray

Looking for a gift for Dad this Father's Day that's got some flava but won't be Naughty to Nature? Check out these unique eco-gifts to give props to your pops. Or you can just kick it old-school with a homemade card (recycled paper, natch) and a big hug. Word.


1. Play on, playa.

Hook up your music-loving dad (or in-need-of-musical-taste dad) with an iTunes online gift certificate ($10-$50). Dad can pick his own tracks (or take playlist suggestions, ahem), and you can take all the waste from wrapping, packaging, and plastic CD cases outta the mix. Give it.

2. Take him to the river.

Has Pa worn out his VHS cassette of A River Runs Through It? Fish for some gift-giving compliments from your fave angler with Bottle Cap Lures ($40/6), lures made from soda and beer bottle caps - that really work. Keeps the caps out of landfills, new materials out of production, and Dad out on the water reeling 'em in. Give it.

3. Charge it.

Give your gadget-gizmo daddio a slim little Solio Hybrid Charger ($80-$170, depending on battery capacity) to recharge his cell phone, MP3 player, digital camera, and all the other electronic stuff he manages to cram into his pockets - all with stored-up power from the sun (free power - woo-hoo!) or the socket. Give it.

4. Groomer has it.

Does your pop like to keep it clean (aside from the language he used when you dented the car)? Pamper him with an Every Man gift basket ($45) from Lula Organics. Includes skin-soothing, paraben-free Every Man Jack shave gel, body wash, and face wash; soap from Pangea Organics; a recycled, reusable razor; and a wooden body brush. Give it.

5. Balls out.

Maybe Dad won't be beating Tiger Woods anytime soon (or ever), but he likes to hit the links. Get your golfer dad some Eco Golf Balls ($10/12) - water-soluble golf balls that dissolve in water after 96 hours, so he won't be leaving plastic evidence of his birdies and bogies for millennia. Give it.

6. It's in the bag.

New daddy? Free him from pastel-flowered diaper bag hell with the Diaper Dude Messenger II ($100). Designed by a dad, these manlier messenger bags are made from recycled water bottles (instead of sending them to landfills) and come with lots of pockets, a changing pad, and a quick-release shoulder strap. Plus, a portion of proceeds goes to Global Green USA. Give it.

7. Writing's on the wall(et).

Take the necktie to another level with a Recycled Necktie & Suit Wallet ($30) from Uncommon Goods. With a pocket for cash and two side pockets for cards, the billfolds are handmade from used silk ties and suits - saving fabric from the dump and keeping new materials out of production. Give it.

8. To a T.

Know a young hipster dad that dons jeans and T-shirts more than suits and ties? Give him a fashionable, eco edge with a Perv Tease organic cotton tee ($40), with scribbly drawings and snarky sayings like "My guru went to the fifth dimension and all I got was this lousy T-shirt" (goes really well with an ironic mustache). Nonorganic cotton uses more pesticides than any other crop - it takes 1/3 pound of chems to make one shirt. Give it.

9. Ham(mock) it up.

Wanna give Dad some R&R but can't quite afford that Hawaiian vacation? Give him a getaway in his own backyard with Gaiam's Ultimate Hammock ($190), made of recycled soda bottles. Waterproof and UV-resistant, this long-lasting lounger is as comfy as its cotton and nylon counterparts, minus the new material. Give it.

10. Let's all go to the movies.

For the film buff father who's always spouting quotes from his favorite flicks: Opt for email-able movie ticket gift certificates in the form of Fandango Bucks. Just pick your amount ($10-$100) and the design - perhaps the Give Green one? - and send away, skipping out on any transport emissions or packaging waste. Give it.