Good ideas sometimes come out of necessity. It's unfortunate that ecologically sound practices often arise from grave situations, but at the same time, we must recognize the situation we are in. With the UK set to run out of landfill space over the next seven years, companies are being forced to rethink how products are packaged. With that daunting thought in mind, Greenbottle is launching a first: the paper wine bottle.

When the sun sets at 4:30 and you eat dinner after dark, you've got to bring a little warmth and light to your table through other means. This golden, rich soup will brighten your evening without drowning you in calories: Creamy though it may taste, there's not a drop of cream in it. Homemade croutons topped with anchovy and olive add a little crunch and a lot of flavor.

Fair Trade USA (formerly Transfair USA) incited a controversy with its decision to exit from the Fair Trade Labelling Organization earlier this year. Probably the most widely recognized symbol on products labeled as Fair Trade in the U.S. market, the organization also announced that it would now be including products sourced from factories and plantations in its definition of Fair Trade. The impact on small farmers and producers around the world by the inclusion of large-scale operations jeopardizes the equitable distribution of benefits and the livelihood of thousands of emergent communities. And it sheds light on a bigger question: Do our purchasing habits really make a difference?

When you're a smoothie girl, winter can seem pretty bleak. The refreshing, light and cool smoothies of summer are singularly unappealing -- not to mention out of season -- when the trees are all bare. But be brave, and don't pack away your blender just yet! Instead, try some new strategies for smoothies that'll warm your bones.

Spices are important - they can make or break a dish. Case in point: Every time you try to recreate your favorite restaurant meal you can blame your fail on using the wrong type or amount of seasonings. But nailing a flavorful recipe isn't the only benefit of spices. Turns out they're also great for the immune system. Here are seven doctor approved spices you should make any excuse to use, especially during the winter season.

Last week, we brought you our very own recipe for the most delectable of handmade gifts this holiday season: Chocolate Truffles. And while our recipe showcasing a dark ginger-spiced ganache with a white chocolate coating and a topping of crystallized ginger wasn't vegan, some of our favorite foodie bloggers busted out mouthwatering recipes for the perfect little chocolately treats that are in fact vegan, making for do-it-yourself, incredibly thoughtful and eco-friendly goodness. Mix and match these recipes for a truffle sampler like none other. 

Every year the holiday season generates an incredible amount of garbage, much of it in the form of wrapping paper that is purchased, used once, and then ripped into shreds and tossed in the trash. Reduce your holiday footprint by refusing to buy wrapping paper – try these creative ideas instead.

Chris Lindland is well aware that running a non-sustainable business in San Francisco is, at a minimum, out of the question.

He’s also aware that, in this city, it’s impossible to avoid “geek and science culture,” leaving business owners at an inevitable intersection of the nerdy and eco-friendly. Chris knows this, after all, because he’s one of them; in 2009, he founded Betabrand, an online-only provider of sustainable clothing.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday may have already passed in their flurry of head-spinning discounts, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still score some major deals on holiday shopping.

And what better deal than the eco-satisfaction of purchasing an item bound for the landfill and reusing or repurposing it, especially if you can turn it into a one-of-a-kind gift for a loved one? Shopping secondhand makes your eco-conscience feel good, and it’s even better when you can get it for cheap. Am I right?

Get to surfing the Web for unique eco-holiday gifts with these websites, you thrifty thang.

When it comes to holiday gifts, few things go down better than a box of homemade truffles. They're infinitely more thoughtful than storebought gifts -- ironic, because you can make a huge batch to take care of your entire list in one day.

My all-time favorite truffle recipe is this dark ginger-spiced ganache with a white chocolate coating and a topping of crystallized ginger. This recipe makes about two dozen creamy, chocolatey, spicy morsels. Make sure you have a candy thermometer and a fine strainer on hand.

Need to whip up a tray of appetizers -- five minutes ago? Even if you don't have time to devil eggs and stuff peppers, you can turn out fabulous-looking, flavor-tastic hors d'oeuvres in a matter of minutes. Here are a few no-cook, no-blend, no-toothpick masterpieces that'll leave you time to prepare a more important party presentation: Your happy, relaxed self.

Who’d have thought two such unrelated things could mesh so well? That classic metal box grater you use to grate cheese, slice and dice veggies, and shave fruit peels into a nice zest can also easily revamp your outdoor holiday décor.

You can easily scrounge up enough cheese graters for your decorating needs at antique malls, thrift stores and flea markets. Plus, these salvaged shredders make hardy decorations. There’s no need to sweat it if they rust; a little corrosion only adds to their old world charm.

Ready to try “grating out” your home? Get inspired with these four ideas to blend cheese graters into your holiday decorating.

Sometimes the holidays seem to come around a little too often. The shiny season can lose its luster if you get bogged down in the commercialized aspects of the holidays, leaving you stressed and anxious for the calm, dreary days of February.

Sound familiar? You need to celebrate Festivus: A holiday for the rest of us.

As I'm writing this post, I'm listening to the new record by the Black Keys, El Camino. It's midday and I'm somewhat thirsty. Normally I'd just go refill my water glass. Now, thanks to a group of music hacker nerds in Boston and a complex algorithm that I'll never understand, there's Drinkify. I go to the site, type in the band's name and out comes my drink.

There's no shortage of confusing information about whether or not caffeine is actually good for you. Recent studies have linked coffee consumption with a number of benefits like lower prostate risk for men and decreased risk of depression for women. Camellia sinensis—the tea plant—has also been proven effective in a number of health-giving properties including the presence of powerful antioxidants known to prevent cancer. And naturally occurring caffeine actually has its own exclusive antioxidant benefits (in addition to the ones found in coffee or tea), which may help to prevent heart disease and Alzheimer's. But what about the caffeine added to energy drinks, juices, chocolates and sodas? How does that affect our bodies?

It’s the eternal debate: Paper or plastic? And now, in the heat of the holiday season, this question becomes even bigger, literally. Your family must decide on which Christmas tree is most sustainable. Artificial plastic trees are reusable, but they are full of hazardous chemicals. Live trees are natural, but they are a limited resource and aren’t often raised environmentally. Both sides have merit and raise very serious concerns for the green-minded elf. But before you throw your hands up in defeat, check out these sustainable options for finding the perfect Christmas tree.