Green Giving

Any mention of environmentalism in the same breath as presents likely calls to mind that ill-favored form of recycling, regifting. At the New York International Gift Fair, however—which has a stake in keeping the unwanted goods that circulate endlessly to a minimum—there’s a plan afoot to green the industry in more ambitious (and more polite) ways. From August 11 to 16 an exhibit called Sustainability: Design for a Better World will highlight products made from environmentally friendly materials and processes, such as Stephen Burks’s TaTu table and stools for Artecnica —which are handwoven by South African artisans—and the Seeds of Life tree-­planting kits. As if generosity weren’t virtue enough!