The four female designers of Hungary-based Plastenka are passionate about keeping plastic out of landfills. Turning plastic trash into fashionable bags — laptop skins, wallets, messenger bags and bike bags — each item is individually made by hand.

Durable and waterproof, the upcycled line of accessories is constantly evolving. Ideal for Williamsburg walkers, Oregon bikers and eco conscious hipsters worldwide. buy here.

UPDATE: IT’S OFFICIAL, OUR LUCKY WINNER IS KIM OF MA. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR PARTICIPATING. BEST WISHES FOR A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY. (original post follows…)

We’re happy to announce our latest great green giveaway … generously sponsored by Boulder, Colorado-based etailer, vickerey.com. One lucky winner will receive a $50 Vickerey Gift Card – perfect for spreading some good green cheer these holidays. (Winner must reside in the USA.)

Vickerey’s made holiday gift buying a cinch – just follow their Gift Guides with hip ideas for the: Fashionista, Weekend Warrior, Gardener, Green Goddess, Globe Trotter, Spa Princess, Yogi, Green Guru or take a peek at their cool collections organized by price range. With beautiful journals, calendars, soaps, candles, spa & bath gift baskets, plus clothing for you or that significant other – you’re sure to find that special something.

to enter this giveaway:

• simply sign up for their free Newsletter … AND be sure to tell us by leaving a comment on this post.

more optional ways you may enter:
(with each bullet below, leave a comment & receive an additional entry)

• like Vickerey on Facebook
• like AltCon on Facebook
• subscribe to AltCon’s free monthly e-newsletter with insider news
• subscribe to AltCon daily RSS feed
• follow @vickerey on Twitter
• follow @altCon on Twitter
• tweet about the giveaway (no more than once per day), include @altCon

note – be sure to include (m at alternativeconsumer.com) in your address book so if you’re the winner you’ll be able to receive our notification.

Our lucky winner will be selected at random. Contest ends December 21, 2011 at 11:59p (EST). Winner has 24 hours to claim prize, or the offer is null and void. Winner’s name will be included on this post. As always, we will not share your contact info with anyone, (except Vickerey). Good luck!

Are corporations really people? Here at The Alternative Consumer we’ve always favored the little guy. As big box stores are flooded by pepper spray-wielding consumers wrestling over the latest X-Box, we find ourselves drawn to a simpler, more civilized approach – buying stuff from real people – crafty folks who make great products by hand utilizing their personal skill, craftsmanship and ingenuity.

Here are five of our latest eco finds from that leading bastion of individual craftsmanship – Etsy:

(photos above) Our first tasteful gift idea: do you have a loved one whose abode could use sprucing up with some eco-art? Artist Tracy Melton created this set of five striking, organically-shaped tree ring paintings on reclaimed wood. These unique works of art can be found at Tracy’s focuslineart Etsy shop.

(above) This Rctees custom organic cotton t-shirt comes with a powerful message, and one you can express every time you wear this shirt – World Peace – from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe and all the countries in between. The tee is produced as a family affair from an original design created by shop-owner Toni’s son and hand printed by her husband in white ink on a soft, 100% preshrunk, certified organic cotton youth tshirt. You can find it for a very reasonable $18 @ the rctees Etsy shop.

Do you reduce your carbon footprint by riding a bike? Here’s a clock (photo above) handcrafted from a recycled bicycle wheel. The one of a kind clock is made from a real bike tire so it has the commensurate scuffs, dings and character of a used wheel. The clock measures roughly 20 inches in diameter and runs on two included AA batteries. Made in the USA by Allan Young and sold at his pixelthis Etsy shop for $129

There are dozens of great jewelry designers selling their handmade wares on Etsy. Designer Raminta Jautokas is one of the best. Her striking Silver Cuff Bracelet Flower (pictured above) was created from recycled sterling silver and features a Mexican fire opal stone.

Find it at @ the Raminta Etsy shop

We recently posted about these sweet little cork Christmas Trees made from recycled wine corks. The cute ornamental trees would make a perfect addition to any holiday mantle or tabletop. 4 Eyes and Ears makes the trees in various sizes, all handmade and one-of-a-kind @ the 4 Eyes and Ears.

Related: more eco-friendly gift ideas from The Alternative Consumer

Today marks the kick-off of Green America‘s GreenDeals.org inaugural holiday shopping event called Green Tuesday … you can save money all week while you shop for eco-friendly gifts on the GreenDeals.org website. Here’s how it works:

Between now and next Tuesday, GreenDeals.org is offering a total of 15 to 20 green products and coupons from members of their Green Business Network™, at discounts of 30 to 60 percent off.

Operating like a “green Groupon,” GreenDeals.org features a new green deal or discount every 24-48 hours. Here are some deals you can expect to see within the next week, in celebration of Green Tuesday:

• Jewelry made from recycled nuclear bomb equipment, by FromWartoPeace.com
• Indoor mushroom garden kits (as featured in the Wall Street Journal)
• USDA organic-certified Organic Essence lip balms
• Green auto (and bicycle!) memberships through the Better World Club
• Fair Trade and organic clothing for women and men from Indigenous Designs

It’s one week only, so sign up today and tell all your friends about it, too.

The Argentinian design firm, Gruba, creates products from salvaged urban fragments, like the upcycled wooden blinds used to make the table and chair pictured above, and below.

GRUBA’s creative team of Maria Constanza Nuenez and Gabriel Pires Mateus creates their re-made products and alternative architectural spaces from the debris and salvage of their Buenos Aires community.

Related: more Home Decor discoveries on The Alternative Consumer

• This isn’t going to end well…Climate Talks Open Over Dying Kyoto Protocol – msnbc
• Black Friday set a record and now….Cyber Monday 2011: Record Sales Expected – the washington post
• Geothermal – A Clean Energy Resource too Large to Ignore – triplepundit
• Tar sands production triumphs over emissions cuts…Canada Pulling Out of Kyoto Commitment – bbc
• Snow in South, record temps in North…Snow-vember Surprise: Why Deep South is Seeing Frosty Weather – livescience
• Wandering Wolf Inspires Hope and Dread – yahoo! news
• A single US restaurant can produce 25,000 to 75,000 pounds of food waste per year…Don’t Toss That Turkey: Unilever Says Restaurants Need to Cut Food Waste – npr

As we all know by now, certain plastic food storage containers (recycle #7) can unfortunately leach Bisphenol-A (BPA) into liquids and food. For safe food storage, especially warm food – I prefer eco-friendly glass. Under proper conditions and use, glass can be microwave, oven, freezer, and dishwasher safe. Extra perk – you can easily discern what’s stored in each container in your fridge. Here are a few good glass food storage options you might want to try: (more…)

There’s a lot to love about these cute Flower Owl 2012 calendars. First, they’re created in the image of one of our favorite creatures – the owl. Second, these calendars are eco-friendly, each wall hanging calendar is handmade from sustainably grown and harvested birch. Both biodegradable and fully recyclable – at the end of the year, you can just chuck it in with the rest of your paper and cardboard recyclables.

Oh, one more thing, these nifty calendars are only $18 each @ Night Owl Paper Goods Supermarket Shop

Related: more green gift ideas from The Alternative Consumer

The much anticipated 11/28/11 Cyber Monday is finally here … have some fun and get stuff done. Let your fingers do the walking while you kick back, score and save some green.

Gaiam.com – an eco-emporium of fabulous gifts for your entire family … Cyber Monday – up to 60% off selected items. OR, save $50 on your $200 order & $20 on your $100 order – offer expires 12/5/11. Use code HOLSAVE at checkout. Check out their Top 25 Green Gifts Guide

Hipcycle.com – cool upcycled gifts for neighbors, friends and the entire family … 15% off all orders + FREE shipping on orders over $99.

Palma.com – sexy, sustainable and handmade jewelry, receive 25% off with TheAlternativeConsumer special discount code: thanks25 (all lower) – good on your entire order, thru 12/31/11.

EthicalOcean.com – featuring 12 different amazing offers from 25% to 60% off items like organic coffee, Matt and Nat handbags, organic chocolate, organic clothes and more.

JunoandJove.com for clothing & accessories for you and your home – 15% off everything; at checkout, use promo code CYBER11.

Kaightshop.com – NYC-based, eco boutique – 30% off online only – entire web store; enter code CYBER30 at checkout.

MaggiesOrganics.com – Fair Trade and organic fiber socks, scarves, apparel and gift sets – save 25% + FREE freight on your order of $50 or more; use code SAVE112511 at checkout. (Not valid on outlet, irregular o items already on sale.)

nau.com – sustainable and stylish outdoor gear for him and her … save 25% off 2 or more selections from the men’s or women’s gift collections, now thru 12/6/11 – use code 2for25.

speesees.com – save 30% on adorable organic cotton baby clothes, (excludes recycled & handmade items); code: thanks2011.

ShopECOgoods.com – all Plan baby toys on sale now through 12/31/11; no code necessary.

Amazon.com – glass food storage containers, enjoy their safe and stylish versatility.

Related: eco-friendly and philhanthropic Gift Giving Guides