Father's Day gifts for the businessman, the sports nut, the gadget guy and more

Why It's Good:

You know you love him, he knows you love him, and any gift will show this. These gifts, however, also show that you love something else beside yourself (cough, cough, Mother Earth) and what could make your Dad more proud than that?

Why It's Green:

As more than half of Americans don't know what to buy even days before Father's Day, we wanted to do our part and get you to get Dad something before the last minute, so you don't have to run around and overnight ship, both carbon-emitting activities.

The Ultimate Father's Day Gifts

You'd think that except for the fact that he hates to shop or spend money (i.e., the "Reduce" part of the three "R's") and still wears old tees from 1992 (the "Reuse" part), Dad isn't generally that eco-friendly. Except that he is, if only by accident. All those rules he had us live by—driving pre-owned cars, drinking from the tap, never throwing anything out, telling us to take shorter showers and turn off lights, keeping the thermostat at 62 degrees in the dead of winter (we could go on)—are actually good for the environment. In honor of dear old Dad, outdoorsy grandfathers, grilling-obsessed fathers-in-law, busy brothers with kids who need a break, and first-time best-friend fathers, we present Sprig.com's first Green Father's Day Gift Guide.—Julie Fowler

The Outdoorsy Dad

1. If your father's a force of nature, he'd love anything having to do with the outdoors. To carry all his gear, the Classic Continental Rucksack from LL Bean has been a favorite for over 20 years but now contains recycled polyester fabric. It even costs the same as it did in back in 1987: $39.

2. The Marmot DriClime Catalyst Jacket (pictured, top center), $110, is a green outdoorsman's dream. Based on months of trail testing, the versatile jacket is durable, breathable and water- and wind-resistant. The recycled polyester outer layer is treated with eco-friendly water-repellent finish without using chemicals that harm the environment, and the lining is made of 80% post-consumer material like plastic bottles—even the zipper is completely recycled.

3. For orinthologist fathers, the Bluebird Nesting Box, $49.95, is made of environmentally friendly, 100% recycled, long-lasting plastic to replace old wooden bird houses. The plastic helps protect birds from wood-inhabiting insects and is chew-proof against those marauding squirrels.

4. Now that you've flown the coop, man’s best friend is your Dad's best friend. If he has a dog, give him and Rover some eco-friendly toys from West Paw Design. Try the Zisk, $13.50, which is like a Frisbee, but it flies, bounces, floats and is soft on gums. When done, Dad can simply mail it back to West Paw and they will recycle it into another dog toy.

5. The Solar Hat Fan, $10, clamps on to any hat (stiffer brims are recommended) to keep Dad cool in summer heat and sun. A mini- photovoltaic panel soaks up enough solar energy to power the fan. Try it with this Panama Straw Hat, $49, handwoven from the sustainably harvested leaves of the Panama Palm Tree. With or without a hat, get him to keep those harmful rays at bay with this new line of biodegradable sunscreens made with organic ingredients from Sun Stuff, starting at $2.99. Added bonus: These products meet the rigid standards for sunscreen allowed in the protected coral reef lagoons of Mexico, so you know they can't be bad for Dad, either.

The Gadget Dad

1. Perhaps you've already achieved the impossible and partially liberated a tech dad from a wired existence with the highly acclaimed solar-powered Solio Universal Hybrid Charger, $99, and he's now juicing up his cell phone, digital camera and BlackBerry off the grid. Go one step further and get him a salvaged-tire handmade Tread case, $24.95, to keep his prized new gadget nice and shiny.

2. Not for everybody, but some Dads (like mine) love to mow the lawn. Now he can go gasoline-free with the Neuton Battery Powered Mower (pictured, bottom right), $479, the most eco-friendly lawn-care gadget outside of a hand mower. The EPA estimates that 800 million gallons of gas are used to power lawn mowers annually, and that 17 million gallons are spilled, which can contaminate ground water. This mower runs on a rechargeable battery that gives an hour of mow time, and produces zero CO2 emissions. We happen to think it's pretty, too (but don't tell him that).

3. While he's busy mowing, he can let the IRobot Looj gutter cleaner, starting at $99, do its thing. Powered by wireless remote, the R2D2-like Looj keeps Dad from the dangers of using unwieldy ladders, and quickly dislodges, lifts and tosses gutter-clogging debris. An eco-friendly choice, the Looj runs on electricity, not gas, and saves on using plastic garbage bags because the organic material is dispersed throughout your yard.

The Chef Dad

1. For those off times when Dad wants to whip something up in the kitchen, odds are the spices he's using are way past their sell-bys. JR Watkins, the 140-year-old go-to for organic and all-natural spices, has just expanded their line by packaging 12 of the most popular spices into smaller 2 oz. gold medal tins (pictured, middle left), starting from $3.99 each, to preserve freshness and protect from light. In general, organic spices are produced using no chemical pesticides, and we swear they taste better, too.

2. Shiny new knives like the three-piece Distinkt Bamboo Handled Knife Set from Ikea, $19.99, for a set of three, will give your Dad the look of a professional chef while not being, ah, cutting to the planet, as bamboo is a fast-growing and sustainable grass. (Only available in stores.) The knives will feel right at home at this counter-worthy lacquer Bamboo Box Knife Holder, starting at $49. An ingenious design, the boxes will hold the knives safely without affecting their sharpness.

3. If Dad's more of a griller than a gourmet chef, he's gonna love this seven-piece Chefmate Bamboo Grill Tool Set, $19.99, which includes everything he never knew he needed to cook up those burgers and dogs.

The Businessman Dad

1. The new Eco 'Brella, $30, is what we hope will eventually replace every umbrella that ends up turned inside-out in landfills around the world. The canopy is 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles, the frame is 70% recycled aluminum and the handle is made of bamboo with a waxed hemp strap. The Eco ‘Brella also features the recycle symbol on top so Dad can proudly advertise his green-ness while he’s protecting himself from the elements.

2. Father deserves the ultimate office chair, and if he's a design guy, he will cherish one of the first-run numbered editions of the Nine-O™ Swivel Armchair by Ettore Sottsass (pictured, top left), the designer of the iconic Olivetti Valentine typewriter. Part of the vintage-looking seating collection that Sottsass designed based on Emeco's classic 1006 Navy chair, Nine-O refers to the designer's age when he designed it shortly before his death on December 31, 2007. Made of 80% recycled aluminum, it has an estimated lifespan of 150 years, $975.

3. What does Businessman Dad look forward to most of all? The weekends. Get him out of those holey running shoes or plastic sandals with some new summer shoe staples. We love the vegan Men's Sno Tire-Hemp sneakers from Simple (pictured, bottom left), $55 pair, made of organic cotton and hemp and no animal byproducts at all. The soles are PET (polyethyleneterephthalate) plastic, recycled from plastic bottles, and recycled car tire bottoms.

4. I know a lot of Dads (and guys in general) who would love nothing more than the most thoughtful and personal gift of all: Beer. Deschutes Brewery's Green Lakes Organic Ale will be a flavor he's never tasted (prices vary according to shipping). It's the first beer ever to be brewed with five types of 100% organic malted barley and balanced with Liberty and certified salmon-safe Sterling hops. Even Green Lakes' brewhouse was certified organic by Oregon Tilth. What about the taste, you ask? Oh, it just won a Gold Medal in the Amber Ale category of the 2008 World Beer Championships. Doesn't Dad deserve the very best?