Category Archives: Environmentally Friendly

Have You Added the 4th R to Your Thinking?

Anyone concerned about the environment knows the 3 Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. But there’s a 4th R, and it goes in front of the rest.  It’s related to Reducing, but may be a stronger reminder that you should be cutting back on what you buy.

It’s Refuse.

Refuse that plastic bag to carry your purchases. Refuse single use containers. Refuse unnecessary packaging whenever possible.

This isn’t easy to do in some ways. Packaging isn’t something you have much control over in some ways. Dodging that plastic bag when you shop by bringing your own reusable bags is easy, drinking water from a reusable bottle is easy once you build the habit, but actual product packaging you have only a little control over.

Even if you just do the easy things, you’re making a difference. Millions of water bottles are thrown out every year by Americans. Use your reusable bottle and help others to see how much fun it is to have your own bottle. It’s not all that inconvenient, after all, and the savings versus buying single serve, single use bottles comes quickly.

Pack your reusable bags in your trunk or someplace else where you’ll actually remember to bring them every time you go shopping, not just at the grocery store, but anywhere you shop.

The most challenging part is refusing to buy things that are overpackaged. It’s the area you have the least control over.

Some things you can buy online with less packaging, such as those products available with Amazon’s Frustration-Free Packaging. The selection is limited, but better than when it started. You can also seek out products locally that aren’t as heavily packaged, but you still face the challenge of getting something that isn’t heavily packaged.

When you’re stuck with packaging, think about what can be done to reuse it before you send it for recycling. Anything biodegradable can go in the compost pile. Some packaging materials can be used in crafts or to store other things you already own.

You can also avoid excess packaging by buying in bulk when possible. Buy concentrates and refills when they’re available. This is a habit that can save you money as well as reduce waste.

In general, we need to think when we shop. It’s not just what we buy, it’s how we buy it. Think about what you really need, consider the packaging, consider how you’re going to bring it home and try to make the best decision for your situation. You can make a difference by showing that you care how things are packaged and using less single use packaging whenever possible.

Is Working at Home or Shopping Online Really the Most Eco Friendly Option?

A part of what I love about working at home is that it’s so eco friendly. I don’t have to drive to work. Most days I don’t drive anywhere, in fact. I use some electricity around the house, but I don’t think it’s all that much.

I also enjoy shopping online when it’s practical. I don’t do much of that, as most of the shopping I do in general is for groceries. I don’t buy a lot of things, and so I don’t often have something that I can buy online.

I found this press release claiming that it’s less eco friendly to work at home or shop online very interesting. Very much so counter intuitive, and I can’t say that I entirely agree with it, even though I don’t have numbers to back me up.

Some of the trouble is that it’s hard to tell where all of the data comes from. Are they considering all factors well enough?

From the press release:

The research reveals that people who shop online must order more than 25 items otherwise the impact on the environment is likely to be worse than traditional shopping.

It also highlights that working from home can increase home energy use by as much as 30 per cent, and can lead to people moving further from the workplace, stretching urban sprawl and increasing pollution

A part of the challenge is that it doesn’t say how they’re assuming the shopping is done or how they’re calculating the carbon cost of the shipping. I hope the full report does that. It’s hard to calculate, especially when you consider that much of the carbon cost of getting a package shipped to your home would happen whether or not you bought something. That cargo plane is still going to fly, that delivery truck is very likely to go through your neighborhood to deliver a package to someone else. These aren’t things that can easily be accounted for.

On the other hand, if you’re using public transportation to go shopping, the same could be said of the carbon cost of that shopping trip. It’s near enough there either way.

The working at home bit can be really tricky. As I own my own business, of course it’s more eco friendly to run it from home. I don’t need an entirely separate office, and I don’t have any transportation costs. My computer and so forth are things I would own anyhow. I live where I do so that my husband can get to his job.

But if you’re working for someone else, there are more variables to consider. Do they have office space available for those who work part of the time at home and part at the office? Are all their workers spread out? Does this, as the report suggests, encourage them to live further from urban areas?

I have a sister who works for an entirely virtual company. They don’t have offices, and their employees are spread out across the United States. Are they more or less energy efficient than one that requires all their employees to work in offices? I know their costs are significantly less than companies that pay for office space. Is it more eco friendly? I don’t know.

The trouble with this kind of report is that the right answer is extremely variable. It depends on where you live, what you’re buying, and so forth. I don’t think there is one right answer, although anything that makes us rethink our assumptions isn’t an entirely bad thing.

Some of the Best Things in Life Are Green

You’ve heard the saying “the best things in life are free.” It’s true enough, although not everyone will perfectly agree with that sentiment. Now if you start listing the things in your life you most look forward to doing, you may find that not only are many free or very cheap, they’re pretty eco friendly.

In my life, a big thing is playing with my kids. We can walk to the playground and they’ll have fun there for as long as I care to stay. It’s usually sad to leave. Free to do as well as green.

Better yet are hiking trips. We love getting out in nature as a family. There’s a small cost in terms of driving to a good hiking spot, but from there it’s quite reasonable and helps to build an appreciation for nature in my children, and it’s quite relaxing for me… so long as all the kids stay more or less in sight. It will be more relaxing once my toddler quits deciding that running off in random directions is the way to go.

Thinking about the free and eco friendly things you can do in your life can help you to cut down on the amount you spend on entertainment. You may find that you don’t really need to spend money to have a good time.

You can spend time with your family using things you already own, and I don’t mean the television or computer. Try some of the board games you already own, play tag or just goof off together.

You can read a book. You can get a new book from the library if the ones you already own aren’t inspiring you.

You can work on a hobby that you already have the supplies for. If you tend to go overboard on supplies, you could even go through and figure out something to do with the excess.

Start a new, eco friendly hobby. You may find that you love organic gardening, for example or making recycled crafts.

You can watch a sunset.

You can look into the free activities available in your local area. Most communities have resources to help you find activities online.

If you think there isn’t much you enjoy doing for free, start a list. Get a good start on it, and add to it over time. Use it as a resource when you need something to do. It may help keep you from spending money out of sheer boredom.

Where is the Balance Between Eco Friendly, Convenience and Cost for Your Family?

Being eco friendly is not the easiest thing to do as a family. If you’re serious about it and not just doing the convenient stuff, there are going to be some sacrifices made. Where do you find the balance for your family?

Most of us simply cannot afford to do all of the eco friendly things we dream of. Getting to a point where your family can live off the grid takes a huge investment that most of us simply can’t afford.

The cost factor is the simplest line to draw. If you can’t afford the more eco friendly option, of course you aren’t going to go with it!

Fortunately, many eco friendly decisions don’t cost any money or help to save money. Continuing to use what you have is often the greenest decision you can make. There may be a difference in energy efficiency, but how long does it take to offset the energy cost from a new item being made? Can you dispose of the old item in a way that is better for the environment?

What About Inconvenience?

The inconvenient decisions are much harder to make. How often should you walk or ride your bike rather than take the car? Are you ready to give up your little luxuries?

You can change your perspective on some inconveniences and make them into a treat. You may find that you love riding your bike to run errands, for example. You might enjoy having television free nights, weeks or even a complete television free lifestyle. You won’t know until you try.

I love walking my kids to and from school, for example. We live very close, but many people who live closer still drive their kids to the school.

I find it’s more fun to walk. It’s a great time for just talking with my kids.

It’s also faster than loading the car, driving to the school and dealing with the crowds in the parking lot would be. I was told by one parent that they have to get there at least 20 minutes before school gets out in order to get a parking space. Why would I drive there when I can walk it in under 10 minutes?

Kids love walking in the rain, by the way, or at least mine do.

Don’t Feel Like a Hypocrite for What You Can’t Do

Odds are good that you aren’t going to live your dream eco friendly life. For most of us the realities of just getting by are going to keep us from that. There isn’t always public transportation to replace the car, and there aren’t always jobs in range of a bicycle.

Have a priority list for what matters most to you and what you can afford to do. Starting a garden is a great choice if you the chance. Rethinking your choice of electronics and cutting out the ones you really don’t need is a great choice. Skipping unnecessary purchases is a great choice. Keeping reduce, reuse, and recycle in mind and in order is a great choice.

If you can do every eco friendly thing you want to do, you’re one of the lucky few. The rest of us have to prioritize and find ways to make enough happen while understanding that it can’t all happen.

Why Don’t People Buy Environmentally Friendly Products?

Lots of people want to be more environmentally friendly. Not everyone; in fact, some are downright opposed to the idea, and strongly. But even those who want to be more eco friendly in their homes won’t buy the products. Why is that?

Confusion

Confusion may be a large part of the problem. The various claims are confusing and often misleading. People don’t always know which products are really eco friendly versus merely being greenwashed.

Uncertainty About Quality

Many people aren’t at all certain that eco friendly products are going to be as good as conventional products. Conventional products are comfortable to use, and people know what they do. They’ve been using them after all.

Eco friendly products, on the other hand, are less well known. Many people don’t have a friend familiar enough with the products to share success stories or to say to avoid particular products that don’t work so well.

Many eco friendly products are not advertised in the same way conventional products are. You don’t see them on television so much unless they’re made by one of the big brands. While some don’t like to admit it, such advertising has a big effect on how products are viewed.

Hard to See Personal Benefit

Telling someone that a product benefits the environment is great. Lots of people like to hear that. But it’s hard to get people to take action without a quickly obvious personal benefit.

That’s much harder to demonstrate, as the basic benefit of using an environmentally friendly product is about the same as using a conventional product. The potential long term personal health benefits and benefits to the environment are much harder to see.

Cost

Eco friendly products are perceived as more expensive. That’s because many of the most visible products do cost more. Organic cotton products cost more. Hybrid cars cost more. Solar panels are expensive.

Yet many eco friendly products are easily affordable. Vinegar and baking soda work very well as cleaning products, but many people aren’t aware that they can be used in this way or that they do such a good job. Other eco friendly products can also be affordable.

“One Person Can’t Make a Difference”

Many people feel that what they do personally doesn’t make a significant difference. They’re both right and wrong about that.

Choosing eco friendly products can be better for your health, and while you can’t define that difference much of the time, it can be a difference.

But even more important is that as each individual makes the choice of buying eco friendly products shows businesses that it’s worth their time and money to provide eco friendly products. Choosing to do business with companies with eco friendly practices makes it worth their while to continue to improve those practices. It takes more than one to make that difference, but if individuals don’t make those choices, the pressure never builds up on the businesses to make the change.