Green Gift Guide 2011

© TreeHugger

There's nothing worse than smiling politely and tucking that unwanted gift away in a cold, dark corner of your closet until your descendants dig it out decades later.

Our 2011 holiday gift guide is dedicated to making those gift misses so 2010: Every one of these gifts -- over 100 in 10 categories -- is carefully curated for thoughtfulness, usefulness, durability, and longevity.

Whether you're looking to give the unexpected beauty (a heart necklace repurposing Barbie's breasts, sleek bracelets made out of Vietnam war scrap metal), the space-saving (a clever convertible chair that is also a stool and a table), the adorable (sushi cat toys, a lemur adoption), or the lush, leafy green (an indoor planter that is a nod to the living wall), all of these gifts come with another more subtle one: A healthy respect for the earth.

In fact, some of these gifts take up no space at all: We've singled out a few hard-working charities, as well as product service systems (think bike share passes and DVD rentals) that will leave that closet entirely alone. -- Produced by Mairi Beautyman