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LEGO’s Commitment to ESG: Building a Sustainable Future

In an age where sustainability is no longer just an option but a necessity, companies worldwide are being called upon to integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles into their operations. One company that stands out in its commitment to these values is LEGO. Renowned for its iconic building blocks, LEGO is also constructing a legacy of sustainability and ethical practices that other corporations can learn from. My family and I had the wonderful privilege of visiting LEGOLAND in Windsor during the opening weekend of the Woodland Village and we realized that not only do we love LEGO as a product buy by the end of the visit, we fell head over heels realizing their approach to design and running the amusement park serves an example to us all of what good corporate ESG can look like.

This post explores LEGO’s comprehensive ESG initiatives and highlights key takeaways for other businesses aiming to enhance their sustainability efforts.

Environmental Stewardship: Beyond the Bricks

Lego’s commitment to the environment is evident across multiple dimensions of its operations, from the materials it uses to the way it powers its facilities.

Sustainable Materials:

  • Bio-based Plastics: Lego is pioneering the use of bio-based plastics, derived from sugarcane, for its bricks. By 2030, the company aims to make all its core products from sustainable materials.
  • Recyclable Packaging:The company has pledged to make all packaging sustainable by 2025, focusing on recyclable and renewable materials to reduce plastic waste.

Energy Efficiency:e

  • Renewable Energy: Lego achieved its target of balancing 100% of its energy consumption with renewable energy sources by 2020, primarily through investments in offshore wind farms.
  • Energy-efficient Operations: The company continuously upgrades its factories to minimize energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.

 

Waste Reduction:

  • Zero Waste to Landfill: Lego factories have adopted zero waste to landfill practices, recycling and reusing materials whenever possible.

Social Responsibility: Building Strong Communities

Lego’s commitment to social responsibility is reflected in its efforts to positively impact communities and support the development and well-being of children worldwide.

Education and Play:

  • Learning through Play: The Lego Foundation invests in research and initiatives that promote learning through play, supporting children’s development across the globe
  • Community Engagement: Lego actively engages with local communities, providing resources and support to enhance educational opportunities.

Employee Well-being:

  • Inclusive Work Environment: Lego promotes diversity and inclusion, ensuring a supportive and respectful workplace for all employees.
  • Employee Development: The company offers extensive training and development programs, fostering a culture of continuous learning and growth.

Health and Safety:

  • Safe Products: Ensuring the safety of its products is paramount for Lego. The company adheres to rigorous testing standards to guarantee that every Lego piece is safe for children.
  • Healthy Workspaces: Lego prioritizes the health and safety of its employees, implementing comprehensive safety protocols in its manufacturing plants and offices.

Governance Excellence: Leading with Integrity

Lego’s governance practices underscore its dedication to ethical conduct, transparency, and accountability.

Ethical Business Practices:

  • Code of Conduct: Lego’s robust code of conduct outlines expectations for ethical behavior, covering areas such as anti-corruption, human rights, and fair competition.
  • Supplier Standards: The company enforces strict ethical standards for its suppliers, ensuring responsible sourcing and fair labor practices.

Transparency and Accountability:

  • Sustainability Reporting: Lego publishes detailed sustainability reports, providing transparency about its ESG initiatives and progress.
  • Stakeholder Engagement: The company maintains open lines of communication with stakeholders, incorporating their feedback into its strategic decision-making processes.

Lessons for Other Corporations

Lego’s comprehensive approach to ESG offers valuable insights for other companies striving to enhance their sustainability practices:

  • Integrate Sustainability into Core Products: Innovate to create sustainable products that appeal to consumers and reduce environmental impact.
  • Invest in Renewable Energy: Achieve energy efficiency and reduce carbon footprints by investing in renewable energy sources.
  • Promote Inclusive Work Environments: Foster diversity and inclusion within the workforce to build a supportive and innovative organizational culture.
  • Ensure Ethical Supply Chains: Maintain high ethical standards throughout the supply chain, ensuring responsible sourcing and fair labor practices.
  • Engage Stakeholders: Actively engage with stakeholders and transparently report on sustainability initiatives to build trust and drive continuous improvement.

Conclusion

Lego’s ESG initiatives demonstrate that a commitment to sustainability and ethical practices can go hand-in-hand with business success. By prioritizing environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance excellence, Lego sets a benchmark for other corporations. Companies that follow Lego’s example will not only contribute to a healthier planet and society but also position themselves as leaders in the increasingly important realm of corporate sustainability.

For businesses looking to enhance their ESG practices, the message is clear: take inspiration from Lego and start building a more sustainable future today.

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Colorful and Conscious: Eco-Friendly Ways to Celebrate Holi

 

Ah, Holi – the festival of colors, joy, and unapologetic fun! But hold your horses, eco-warriors; before you dive headfirst into a pool of vibrant hues, let’s talk about how we can celebrate this Indian extravaganza with a touch of green. Get ready to sprinkle some eco-magic on your festivities!

1. DIY Delights:

Instead of rushing to buy pre-packaged holi powder (which often contains harmful chemicals and synthetic dyes), why not channel your inner Picasso and whip up your own? Raid your kitchen for turmeric, beetroot, or even spinach to create natural, biodegradable colors. It’s like playing chemist, but with a colorful twist! If you’re low on time, you can also just take any random flour, mix water and food colouring, let it dry and pulse back up in a blender and walah, eco friendly holi powder!

2. Say No to Plastic:

In the spirit of Mother Nature, bid adieu to plastic cutlery and plates. Opt for reusable or biodegradable alternatives. Picture this: scooping up delicious treats with eco-friendly utensils – that’s a win win for everyone. There are so many companies out there offering alternatives. If you’re in India, I highly recommend this company https://ecoware.in

3. Balloon Bananza:

Balloons may seem like innocent fun, but their environmental impact is nothing to scoff at. Skip the balloon barrage and opt for eco-friendly decorations like paper streamers or homemade banners. Trust me, your conscience will thank you later.

4. Water Wisdom:

Water scarcity is a real issue! Let’s honor our planet by conserving water during Holi. Instead of drenching each other with gallons of water, opt for a water-efficient celebration. A sprinkle here, a splash there – remember, less is more!

5. Channeling the Gods:

Ever wondered how the Hindu gods celebrated Holi? Legend has it that Lord Krishna, the mischievous deity, would playfully smear colors on his beloved Radha and other gopis (cowherd girls) using natural pigments from flowers and herbs. Taking a cue from the divine playbook, let’s keep it au naturel and eco-friendly!

6. Share the Joy:

Holi is all about spreading love and cheer. Instead of hoarding all the eco-friendly goodies for yourself, why not share your knowledge with friends and family? Host a DIY holi powder-making workshop or organize a green-themed Holi party. Together, we can make a colorful impact on the planet!

7. Clean-Up Crew:

The party doesn’t end when the colors fade away. Take a cue from Marie Kondo and tidy up your holi mess with gusto. Dispose of waste responsibly, recycle what you can, and leave your surroundings looking spick and span. Mother Earth will be smiling from ear to ear!

So there you have it, folks – a whimsical guide to celebrating Holi in style, all while keeping our planet in mind. Remember, every colorful step you take towards eco-friendly celebrations is a giant leap for our precious Earth. Let’s paint the town green (and pink, and blue) this Holi season!

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Harvesting Change: The Agricultural Impact on Climate and the Case for Seasonal Eating

Harvesting Change: The Agricultural Impact on Climate and the Case for Seasonal Eating

As our world grapples with the escalating challenges of climate change, it’s crucial to examine the role of the agricultural industry in contributing to this global issue. From extensive transportation emissions to resource-intensive farming practices, the impact is profound. In this blog post, we’ll explore the ways agriculture influences climate change and why opting for seasonal fruits and vegetables can be a powerful step towards a more sustainable future.

The Agricultural Carbon Footprint:

1. Transportation Emissions: Agricultural products often travel thousands of miles before reaching our plates, contributing significantly to carbon emissions. For instance, fruits like avocados from Mexico or berries from South America accumulate substantial transportation-related carbon footprints.

2. Land Use and Deforestation: Clearing land for farming, especially for cash crops like soy or palm oil, leads to deforestation. This not only releases stored carbon into the atmosphere but also diminishes the capacity of forests to absorb carbon dioxide.

3. Intensive Farming Practices: Many industrial farming methods involve excessive use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. These practices emit greenhouse gases and contribute to soil degradation, further exacerbating climate change.

Seasonal Eating: A Sustainable Alternative

Choosing seasonal fruits and vegetables can be a game-changer in mitigating the environmental impact of agriculture. Here’s why:

1. Reduced Food Miles: Seasonal produce is often sourced locally, minimizing the carbon footprint associated with transportation. Opting for fruits and vegetables in-season can significantly cut down on the emissions generated from long-distance shipping

2. Support for Local Agriculture: By favoring seasonal items, you’re supporting local farmers. This not only boosts regional economies but also encourages sustainable farming practices that are often more environmentally friendly

Examples of Seasonal Produce and Their Origins

1. Apples (Fall): Apples are abundant in the fall in regions like the United States and the United Kingdom, reducing the need for imports and lowering associated emissions.

2. Berries (Summer): Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries thrive in the summer months. Buying them in-season helps reduce the carbon footprint associated with importing from distant locations

3. Tomatoes (Summer): Tomatoes flourish in the summer, and purchasing locally grown tomatoes during this season can significantly cut down on transportation emissions

Our food choices play a pivotal role in the fight against climate change. Opting for seasonal fruits and vegetables is a simple yet impactful way to reduce our carbon footprint. By embracing locally sourced produce, we not only contribute to a healthier planet but also support sustainable farming practices that pave the way for a more resilient future.

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Everyday lifestyle changes to support the fight against deforestation

After a long break, I am so pleased to be writing about our latest collaboration. We’re joining forces with Latina Makers Club and Global Girls Give to help Rainforest Alliance with the Amazon fires, that started in Brazil, however, have now spread into Bolivia and a region of the Peruvian Amazon.

On August 25th, we kicked off our first of several live Instagram events for the cause. Over the next two weeks, you can tune in to stories shared, statistics, and impact of the crisis. The rainforest has been burning for more than 14 days. We hope that you will join us in making an impact over the next 14 days.

To read a quick recap of our first live event, check out the Global Girls Give blog here. 

We appreciate that after reading that (alongside everything in the news), you may feel completely overwhelmed. Believe me, I’ve been there and continue so. That is why I started Imperfectly Green, and it is important that even just by participating in this campaign, you are supporting the cause. While you can’t stop the fires directly (unless you go fly there with a fire hose (but please don’t be one of those either unless you know what you’re doing and have been formally invited by an organisation because you have the right skill set), there are some important things you can do. Let’s also remember that deforestation is not a new issue. Years of bad consumption habits have lead to this, and this is the best time you can enact a life style change, a new resolution, or whatever you want to call it!

To start, there are a lot of broader one-off (or regularly occurring) advocacy activities you can take part in such as:

  • Donate to emergency appeal campaigns like ours to stop the fires now
  • Get involved with a reforestation project
  • Give to organisations that protect land and indigenous communities
  • Challenge big businesses who make our goods and provide services
  • Sign petitions which address local and foreign governments to take appropriate actions in their respective jurisdictions

Today I want to spend more time talking about 5 lifestyle changes that can directly address deforestation.

Reduce your Beef Consumption, Full Stop – I think its generally known at this stage that eating less meat can help save the environment, but you might not have realized its specific connection to the Amazon rainforest. CNN reports, many of the Amazon forest fires started out as smaller fires set by farmers to clear away grazing land for their cattle. Rainforest beef is typically found in fast food hamburgers or processed beef products. In both 1993 and 1994 the U. S. imported over 200 million pounds of fresh and frozen beef from Central American countries. Two-thirds of these countries’ rainforests have been cleared, in part to raise cattle whose meat is exported to profit the U. S. food industry. When it enters the US its typically not labeled with its country of origin, so there is no way to trace it to its source. Brazil is the world’s largest beef exporter, so it’s up to us to decrease the demand for rainforest-raised beef.

Avoid Palm Oil – Palm oil, found in half of all processed foods in the US, and many common household products is a key contributor to rainforest deforestation!  Some quick example are – Snickers bars, Doritos, most processed/packaged food items (instant noodles), and even many vegan cheeses so please look at your labels! Read your food and product labels carefully and refuse to buy products with palm oil or insist on sustainable alternatives.

Be Mindful of Soy Products – This was was a bit of a surprise to me when I was doing my research. People typically jump to the thought, “isn’t soy a health food staple – edamame, soy milk, tofu etc. ?” The reality is that only about 6% of soybeans grown worldwide are turned into food for consumption. They go mostly into animal feed, or used to make biodiesel. In fact, 75% of the world’s soy goes into feed for cows and other animals. While the direct ipact of soy has been addressed by global campaigns (see this success story here), it is still playing a role in tropical deforestation. For example, when ranchers sell pasture land to be converted to soybean production, they may use the profits to continue their operations in forested areas – making soy an indirect cause of deforestation. Experts have also said that some of the deforestation avoided in the Amazon has simply moved to other regions.

Reduce Paper/Wood Consumption –  I save this one for toward the end because I think its simultaneously the most obvious answer but oddly the thing we haven’t caught on quickly enough. We live in a world where 98% of all data is digital, yet there is enough demand still for paper and wood-base products, so it’s left me wondering, for what? I have personally struggled with this one but at the end of the day, it’s about being conscious about choices. I’ve seen a bit of a “renaissance” in home furnishings, kids toys, greeting cards and other goods be made with nice paper and wood because its seen as more environmentally friendly than plastic. The problem there is that while its true that wood will eventually degrade, we’re not changing our consumption habits to realise the benefits. The best thing you can do is practice minimalism, and reduce the pressure on our remaining forests by using less wood and paper. Continue the obvious things like use your own cloth bags at the grocery store, use cloth napkins and towels, and avoid disposable paper plates and cups. If you use biodegradable cutlery, make sure to throw it out with the compostable refuse rather than normal trash or it wont get a chance to degrade when it ends up in a normal landfill.

Reduce Your Use of Fossil Fuels – This is also an obvious one in my view, but it needs to be here because its a part of our lifestyle. The burning of oil, gas, and coal is the primary cause of climate change, a trend that is threatening the stability of the global climate. Scientists have predicted that if we stay on our current path, global temperatures will rise between 2° and 9° Fahrenheit in the next century -a warming rate faster than any occurring in the last ten thousand years. In addition, oil exploration projects lead to toxic pollution and massive deforestation, posing a threat to pristine ecosystems and indigenous cultures worldwide. You can help alleviate oil’s impact on the environment by reducing your own oil and gas consumption. The next time you purchase a car, choose one that gets good gas mileage and avoid gas guzzling sports utility vehicles. If you drive somewhere regularly, start a carpool. Whenever possible, leave your car at home and instead walk, ride your bike, or take local mass transportation. Support funding for mass transportation and bike lanes -options that will serve our transportation needs and our planet much better in the long run.

I know that it may not be possible for you and your family to make a ton of changes in all of these areas overnight. The easiest way to commit to a new lifestyle change is to break down the goal into bite size objectives, with milestones to aim toward. So for instance, if you eat beef 5 times a week, maybe cut back gradually to 4, then 3 and onward as it best suits you. It gets even easier and more fun if you get someone involved with you. Include your mom, best friend, partner, kids, whoever. Make it meaningful, make it fun.  As a new mom, I am conscious that these are things I want my child to learn as he grows up and I am keen for him to be proactive about these issues from day one. Since he’s quite young, one of the ways I am involving him in my goals is by reading stories about the environment. A few my favorite titles are:

 

and finally…rather than leave you with just all the things to avoid with no alternative, here are some companies and sites to explore further:

 

A bit about our amazing Save the Forest Campaign Contributors:

Global Girls Give (GGG) focuses on broadening the word community by fostering mentorships and connections for women across all generations worldwide. We aim to inspire, provide support, and empower women through our programs, to give back and break local barriers.

Latina Makers Club aimed to equip Latina entrepreneurs with the right tools & resources to successfully run their own businesses and become innovators and leaders in their fields and industries. Breaking barriers to create a space for Mujeres in our community to grow, to be seen and feel represented, and empower and inspire them to speak up and own their space.

Imperfectly Green highlights the adventures and conscious choices of a woman on a journey towards a greener life as a working woman, mother, and consumer. Wanting to point out the disparities and struggles within our society on efforts be more green, as well as wanting to hold herself accountable, Imperfectly Green became a space to vent, explore, and resolve the crippling feeling from the range of options, the scale of problems, or lack of clarity about what to do. In a world where it’s not particularly easy or affordable to be green, especially if you’ve grown up with a certain set of habits, Imperfectly Green sets out to help change how to balance the art of truly being green in a realistic manner.

Eco et al. is a scientific communication page created by a Brazilian Ph.D. in Ecology and Biodiversity to spread the science to the non-academic public. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram.

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My time of the month just went “Perfectly Green”

Happy International Women’s Day!  I hope everyone has had a lovely weekend. In spirit of this national holiday, I thought I’d finally write a post about a decision I made 4 months ago that completely changed my life.  I started to use a reusable menstrual cup for that not-so-lovely time of month.  My blog is all about how imperfectly green, but I am proud to say this might be my greenest move yet.

You may be thinking, “ugh that’s gross” and “wouldn’t that be uncomfortable?” and “how does that work?!” All were thoughts running through my head before I gave this a try.

But first, let me start with some statistics – cause I love a good horror to prompt me into action:

  • In one’s lifetime, an average of 11,000 tampons or pads will be used to cover menstruation. That’s 22 in a month or 264 a year! Imagine multiplying that number for every woman on the planet!

*Image by OrganiCup

  • It’s not just the tampon or pad, how about the waste? Besides the cardboard box, the individual plastic packaging is rarely recyclable and it generates more than 200,000 tonnes of waste per year. Average user will throw away 125 to 150 kgs of tampons, pads and applicators away in their lifetime, YUCK! And you know where they end up….landfills, and even worse, oceans and beaches.  In 2010, a UK beach clean found an average of 23 sanitary pads and 9 tampon applicators per kilometre of British coastline.  In the US,  12 billion pads and 7 million tampons pollute landfills annually.
  • Tampons, pads and panty liners are mostly made up of plastic, about 90% to be precise.  A pad is equivalent to about 4 plastic bags.  Also, similarly  cited in my post about reusable vs disposable nappies; it takes a tremendous amount of time for tampons and pads to break down,  upwards of 500-800 years. Imagine it having a longer life span than you and several generations! Especially when it’s wrapped in plastic.
  • Manufacturing takes a toll on the environment too; turning wood into soft cotton like fibres is resource and chemical intensive. Disposable of menstrual products leaves a carbon footprint of 5.3 kg CO2 equivalents.  Not to mention,  products also contain dioxin, chlorine and rayon which get soaked by ground water and are released as pollution into the air.
  • Finally,  its an expensive time of the month.  A study by Plan International UK averaged that a period cost £500/year for the average woman. This amount includes not just the cost of the menstrual products but also accessories like pain relief and new clothing/toiletries, because it is not easy dealing with this!  If a woman uses 11,000 or more disposables in her lifetime, she will buy 20 tampons/pads at average £3-5 a box, you’re basically going to spend thousands on trash.

So between the environmental impact and cost savings, I knew I had to give this a try.

My mom introduced me to it over a decade ago, at the time it was more like a menstrual disk. She said that it changed her life and I wish I had listened back then. I don’t think there was a whole lot of talk about  at that time, nor the sheer number of options.

I started to Google around and there are several brands offering reusable products. I found reusable menstrual pads (ones which you wash) but I was pretty sure I didn’t want to go that route; not only do I hate pads with a passion, but that wouldn’t work for me on the go, and the laundry requirement would mean a lot of water/energy consumption. Instead, I went with the reusable menstrual cup by Intima.

Intima has several versions and types of cups. I went with the Intima Lily Cup One because it was marketed as the best one for beginners. It has an easy-pull tab, and it folds into this adorable little pink clam shell case.

I won’t lie to ya, it was a bit awkward getting in and out the first couple times, mainly because you have to fold the cup to the right shape so it goes it properly and then opens to create a “seal” that then collects fluid and prevents leaks.  I don’t want to go into much detail but I did have a mishap the first 2 days I used it cause I didn’t quite get it right. But once I did, it was absolutely perfect. It’s made of soft silicone and very comfortable going in. You don’t feel a thing (just as you wouldn’t with a tampon when inserted properly). My favourite part is that it lasts for up to 12 hours, so if you’re a medium-flow person like me, you wont have to worry about it for most of the day.

So what if you have to change it? This is the awkward part but I don’t mind it anymore.  I can put it on in the morning, not have to deal with it until I come home. But if its a particularly heavy day, you might want to take it out, dump, wash and reinsert. The only way you can do this especially if you’re out and about is to go to a family or disabled bathroom so you can use the sink in privacy.  This is what I do but it’s rarely a need since the cup covers me for 99% of the time.  There are a few models I’ve seen which now have a “release valve” at the tip/end to dispose of menstrual fluid  without needing to pull out the cup entirely. I think I might have to give that a go next, but so far so good.  I am so glad to never again have to uncomfortably sneak of tampons to the bathroom at work, or deal with gross dangling strings and cold applicators.

So if you’re imperfectly green woman with a period and want something easy to reduce your carbon footprint now, this is seriously an amazing place to start.

Below are a few brands that I’ve read of that you can give a try. As I mentioned above, I’m not quite into the reusable pad option due to the laundry/water/energy requirement, but they are still a far better option than disposables.

  • Intima Cups – the brand I went with to start, has a great variety and very reliable
  • Tulip Cup – the one that has a “drain” or “release” valve
  • Glad Rags – has both reusable cups and pads, and great for educational resources
  • Flex – this is the one for you if you want to have sex while on your period
  • Diva Cups – the one that seems to be the most popular one on YouTube. Recommended for people with vaginas who haven’t given birth vaginally
  • Lunapads – the one all the girls seem to say is the most absorbent and leakproof if you want to go with pads.
  • Earthwise Girls – same as above but UK version
  • Greenlife – this brand makes a cup that’s made of a Fair Trade natural rubber.
  • ImseVimse – a Swedish brand that makes a lot of reusable products
  • OrganiCup – a great brand  made of soft, organic materials.
  • Monki x Lunette – a great brand if you want to support a company on a mission to help women around the world.
  • Eva Cup – this one is cool because it comes with an extra set and a water-based sanitising spray to keep you clean.

Above is definitely not an exhaustive list, but give them a go!  I wish I had known about these brands before I bought my cup and wrote this blog.  There are quite a few cute ones here I would have liked to try. However, in the interest of minimalism, reducing my spending and overall waste, as the expression goes, if it “ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” I love my cup and I’m a user for life (or as long as my cup lasts me)!

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It’s the most Eco-Unfriendly time of the year

Today, I want to talk about the most pertinent topic on everyone’s mind – the holidays.

Whether you observe an end-of-year holiday or not, it is very likely that your spending has gone up, and the trash associated with it.  The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the amount of trash people produce goes upwards of 25% just over the holidays! Some of you, with the best intentions aim to recycle holiday items, but we all should know by now, very little that goes in your recycling bin can and will be recycled – just ending up in landfills overseas. I hope you keep reading because there may be things you’re doing that you didn’t think were earth-unfriendly but with just a few small tweaks, even you can bring in the new year on a greener note!

Holidays share of waste and my goal is to minimise as much as possible. My personal goal each year is to have a waste-free Christmas. I think this year our family’s experience is imperfect but it’s a start. So how did we do it? 

I’ve raked through the Interwebs and talked to a few eco-experts to get some ideas. 

 

Gifts & Gift Wrap

I am a sucker for  beautifully wrapped gifts. However, it was only this year that it occurred to me that a lot of gift wrap is not recyclable. This article from the BBC explains that gift tags and paper often contain foil and glitter elements, which automatically make it impossible to recycle. A lot of fancy wrapping papers also contain plastic pieces and when its laminated into the plastic (the shiny look and feel) it’s a guarantee it will end up in the dump. Because of this, many recycling plants won’t take wrapping paper and, according to one study, about 108 million rolls get thrown away. When the bits of tape are left on, that is problematic too. 

Before I go any further and sound like the Grinch, you should know I am a very artsy person, so here are some ways I’ve gotten around it:

  • Use brown paper bags and get yourself some creative holiday stamps to decorate the bag and wrap gifts per usual.
  • Go retro and use newspaper, music sheets, or fabrics such as hand towels or pillow cases (this is an especially fun one because it serves as a second gift!)
  • Buy eco-friendly wrapping paper or fabrics. A few I like are: Etsy Happy Wrap, Re-wrapped, Paperchase and Brightstem. A lot of these can be found on Amazon too. 
  • Use twine or paper tape to seal your gifts

If you need some further inspiration, Glamour Magazine put some great pictures together. 

** TIP – when sorting out your paper, keep a separate bag and rip off the chunks with tape and recycle the rest to make your local recycler’s life a bit easier!

This year, I have also opted to gift some of my closest friends and family members experiences rather than things. Research out of the University of Toronto, published in the Journal of Consumer Research, concludes that experiential gifts forge stronger relationships than things. This is especially salient with kids, when toys are quickly forgotten.  Think of the emotional responses and memories you’ve made from great experience – the fear and awe of a safari trip, the high of a concert or pure bliss from a delicious meal. This will leave a longer lasting memory (and less of a carbon footprint!) than a material item. If you’re thinking of purchasing an experience for someone, here are some tips:

  • Purchase through a local service provider and ask about flexibility of dates/times so that your recipient can use it when its most convenient for them
  • Consider his/her hobbies; show how well you know and love by someone by supporting their interests or even a side hustle!
  • Know a bit about their spending/transport habits – don’t pick something too far away, or that requires additional logistical considerations. Easier you can make it, the more it will be enjoyed. 

This is probably easier with adults than with kids, but our family is making it a goal to give the gift of experience and things in the most environmentally friendly way possible .

Lastly, I just wanted to put a short spot out there for home-made gifts and gifts made by local artisans. The older I get, the more I appreciate them. I will not use this post to go over types in detail, as there are just SO many online and a simple search will get you there. However, I’ve ventured into making my own coffee scrub (seriously works, I made formula #5) and soaps. I don’t think there’s a better way to show someone you care than making something especially for them.  If you purchase from small businesses and local artisans, you’re helping your community and forging better relationships. This year, I put out a call to friends and family on Facebook asking them to let me know if their personal business/side hustle (jewellery making, clothing, personal training, massages etc), I made it a goal to at least get 25% of my gifts local.  I know many of you will be tempted to use your Amazon Prime count in the final hours (don’t worry I’ve been there too!) but as love is blind, as are we to the environmental cost of ecommerce. 165 billion packages are shipped each year (at least 5 billion through Prime), equating to over 1 billion trees. It’s one of many environmental issues we have and we need to take responsibility for reducing the impact packaging has on the environment. 

Holiday Parties

Are you hosting a get-together this year? If so, there is a lot to consider. If it’s a small gathering, you may use your regular dishware and cutlery which is ideal. However, if you have a large party, you may itch to use disposable materials. 

It’s better not to, but if you do, here are some options if you need it:

Also, what food are you serving at your party? Without spending too much time here talking about the myriad of issues around unsustainable livestock/farming practices, the most obvious suggestion here is to buy from a local farm/butcher committed to sustainable practices. I am impartial to seafood, but I am struggling to eat it knowing that fishing gear is making up 46% of the waste pile of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. 

I love farmers markets with a great passion. A quick Google search for farmers markets in your area should get you to some great options. Of course, once you find one and go, don’t forget your reusable bags!

Also, when your guests arrive, make sure to set up at least refuge bags – one for trash and one for recycling. Your garbage man/woman will thank you. 

Decorations

This is probably the hardest one to tackle. It seems like just about every holiday decoration item is made of crap that will last centuries beyond us, and not in a good way!

For starters, here’s my no-no list for decorations:

  • Tinsel – this is completely and utterly non-recyclable, so please don’t do it. RecycleNow has outlined a few items here for further consideration. 
  • Plastic/Glittery Ornaments (Tree and stand-alone) – just dont do it. They break easily and nothing can be done with them
  • Pre-made Party Poppers – this one was hard to let go. I love these things; but the little gifts inside them, almost no one keeps. They are wasteful as is the popper itself, which is typically made of non-recyclable material. Note there are a lot of DIY options online that use balloons and other non-reusable materials that just seem like a complete waste (you’ll end up spending more time to just create more waste?). Check out this eco-friendly DIYer. If you do it, hold the glitter and confetti please!

My home is minimalist in design and decor. I’ve just put lots of branches, pine cones, candles and holly around the place to spruce it up, but I can’t afford much more than that and that’s a good thing. You don’t need to literally deck the halls to celebrate the holidays.

Now let’s talk about trees! The debate on which type of tree is the most eco-friendly is an often-discussed topic this time of the year. In most of my research online, people argue that a potted tree is the best choice. You treat your tree like a regular plant and you move it to your garden after the holidays or donate to a local park (if they take them) or send them a recycling center to turn into mulch. 

In London where we live, there seems to be a lot of tree cycling services, which provide mulching service right after holidays. I would have loved to buy a real tree this year, but we have a small flat with little space, so what to do?

For starters, I used to think artificial trees were the best option, after all I could use them year after year. To some extent this is a good thing (we should all keep reusing) but we do eventually discard such trees. Additionally, when its artificial pines flake off, they go straight to the trash. These trees are made of chemicals like PVC and sometimes lead. They are not recyclable and end up in landfills where they sit for years. 

So what are some greener ideas for Christmas trees?  Here’s a shortlist of some alternatives that are green, super chic and non-traditional (if you want to go that route!)  

  • Hanging Christmas Bulb Tree This is a super cool, ultra modern take on a tree. It floats and its beautiful. Only con if you get new ornaments, not sure how you’d add them to it (you may have to make a new one each year to incorporate new ornaments). However, if you want to create something unique, this is a great option.
  • Stick Christmas Tree This is the tree of choice for our family this year. It’s an eco-friendly alternative helps you clean your yard and celebrate the holidays at the same time!  I bought mine online, as I don’t have a yard to get raw materials, but I love the idea of making this.  All you have to do is grab a few sticks, stack from from short to long and attach to some rope using a staple gun. Use your regular lights, popcorn on a string or any other decorations of choice and voila! It’s also a great space saver!
  • Ladder Christmas Tree I saw this online and fell in love with the idea. We don’t have one but if we did, I would do this in a heartbeat. I love that they repurposed a ladder for a tree. The added bonus is you can stack your gifts under it. Gorgeous, right?
  • Strand of Lights Tree  I did this one year when we were living in the US and had our dog and two cats with us, and it was absolutely perfect. This space-saving and pet-proof “tree” will get you in the holiday spirit. All you need is a string of lights and either bits of tape or command wall anchors. You just place the anchors strategically to create an outline of a tree. 

These are just a few of the greener things we’ve incorporated into our holiday celebrations this year. I hope these inspire you to try them too! There are also these great books to check out if you want to dig further:

If you have any ideas or suggestions, definitely shout them out to us!

 

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An Imperfectly Green experience in baby feeding

This post is about something which weighs very heavily in my heart. A topic that plagued the early months of first experience as a mother and I don’t think is talked enough about. It’s about bottle feeding and the physical, emotional and societal pressure that comes with it. You may be wondering, what does this have to do with the theme of this blog? If you’re a new parent, every single thing you do from now on will need to be prefaced with a thought concerning your baby’s welfare. Will that concern always align with your mission to be green? The short of it is, not always. I wanted do parenthood the “green” way from the beginning – natural pregnancy, birth and through to natural feeding, but my experience was everything but. This is one of many spheres of life which I am most imperfectly green.

Before you continue reading, let me make clear that I am not advocating for or against breast feeding, bottle feeding, formula or combo. This is purely a piece about my own experience, and some helpful words of support which were shared with me.

A summary of my birthing experience: After 32 hours of labor, I unfortunately was robbed of the opportunity of a natural birth and had an emergency c-section. I was gutted because I had envisioned going on an all natural route. Too bad, this is how the universe intended it, and it’s times like this I am grateful for modern medicine for saving both my life and my child. My husband and I are overwhelmed with love for our little boy.

Due to the emergency c-section, my milk did not come until about 2 weeks. I did everything I could to increase my milk supply: hired a double pump, ate oats and paak (an Indian treat packed full of nuts, dates and other ingredients to help moms), drank beer, took fenugreek pills and even worked with a lactation consultant.

Once my milk finally came in, it wasn’t enough. I was making about 15 oz (426 ml) a day at best, and this is by pumping every 2-3 hours. I was dogged about it. By this point, my son was used to the bottle and would not latch. He would scream bloody murder every time I brought him to my breast and we would both cry when we couldn’t make it happen. For men, as well as women exclusively breastfeed, you simply do not understand how saddening and painful this feeling is. It’s like, we had known how to communicate with each other for months while in the womb, and suddenly in the most tender of moments, we just could not understand and give each other what we needed. Mother nature didn’t care about supply/demand. At that point, I had to come to terms that he would be bottle fed.

For the first 3 months of his life, we combination fed him (alternating formula and breast milk from a bottle) and then dropped off to formula only once he started to increase his intake and I couldn’t keep up. I had been filled with guilt and it certainly contributed to my postpartum depression. It didn’t help that other mothers judged me, as well as NHS midwives and staff. One NHS clinic staff had the gall to tell me, “You should really be breastfeeding, you know its best. Besides, it’s free!”

Please don’t patronise me, you think I don’t know its “free?” Sure it’s free if you’re endowed with milk-producing breasts. However, if you give any value to my time and consider motherhood a true job, then saying it’s free implies I am no better than an indentured servant making no income. My time has a whopping value of 0. I should add that breastfeeding is not completely free, it also comes with its share of accessories and supplies – nipple shields and balms, breast pumps, storage bags, speciality supplements, and more. This same person also made a hard sell on breastfeeding for such stereo-typically girly reasons (she assumed again I chose formula over breast milk), such as “you will burn 500 extra calories a day, so you’ll lose weight faster and it reduces risk for breast and cervical cancer.” Well gee, do people think I don’t want those things? 

As most mothers do, I blew past the unsolicited comments and went on my way. I looked online for resources on how to handle the formula feeding transition both physically and emotionally. I came across this tweet and shared on Facebook. It made me chuckle and gave me a sense of comfort. To my great surprise, I was attacked almost instantly. 

https://twitter.com/carolinehirons/status/1025871911992082432?lang=en

I thought I was safe among friends, but it was the acquaintances I knew less that had such strong opinions. I was accused of spreading misinformation, not caring about my child’s health, being no better than Trump with my fake news and that it was irresponsible and it wasn’t even my content! Below is a snippet of a very long exchange, which I should not have participated in. He will not be named, but it’s just to prove I can’t make this up!

People missed the point entirely; she is not saying that breastfeeding doesn’t matter in its entirety. She is saying that in long term outcome of food preferences, it will not matter. 

Why do people have such intense opinions over decisions that do not apply to them? Or more importantly, need to make those opinions known when it does not affect their lives directly in any form? The female body is politicised enough, but it just gets worse with motherhood. This person, along with several others have no clue how much they hurt me over something they probably will never think about again. 

In my journey, breastfeeding wasn’t easy, but neither was bottle feeding. It’s complicated, there are many types of formulas and a lot of supplies you need to make it happen. Regardless of reason, formula feeding is perceived as an inferior path, as a lack of dedication to one’s baby. It is not the “easy way out” or indicative that you gave up. In fact, it demonstrates the latter, it’s that you’re trying to keep your baby healthy and happy. Formula feeding is also absurdly expensive. The average box is between £8-14, and if you blow through a box a week, that at least  £730 a year and that is not including equipment such as bottles, teats, prep machines, sterlisers, pre-made formula for on-the-go and other supplies). It creates so much trash, the environmentalist in me cringes every time. Also, it is a royal pain the a$& to travel anywhere with a baby on formula; doesn’t matter if its short distances or far, you always have to make sure you’ve packed all the supplies and right amounts for the duration of your journey. I would love to just be the walking food source! If formula is a part of your bottle feeding experience, it’s not like you’re choosing to “support big corporate” (yes, someone has said that to me too). Each family has to make difficult choices, and this is not one that is easily made or swayed by branding, misinformation, corporate interests or popular mommy trends. I don’t have empirical data to substantiate this claim but from my informal conversations with other parent groups, it seems more often than not, the choice to formula feed part or full time is a matter of need, rather than an either/or choice over breast-milk. 

I am a mother to a healthy growing boy and finally no longer feel ashamed. However, it took me a very long time to get here. I wanted to share with you some of the wonderful things my family and friends have said to help me get through this time. I hope that it will help you too:

  • You may not be feeding your baby in the most eco-friendly way, but you tried your hardest, and you are more than making up by living greener in other ways – eco-friendly nappies, purchasing gently used/recycled/plastic free toys, and more. You will always find new opportunities to be greener with your child, just wait until weaning!
  • Your son is not going to grow up saying to you, “what the hell, you didn’t breastfeed me!? You’re a terrible mother.” Believe me, you’re bound to do something else to mess him up and make him angry at you. Breast feeding is not going to be that. :-p
  • Your son will still get sick. This is the natural order of life. We are built with different immunities. This isn’t some magical sauce that will prevent common illnesses and disease in its entirety.
  • Formula or breastfeeding, your child will still likely suffer common problems with feeding; fussiness, colic, constipation, wind and more.
  • If you’re bottle feeding, it’s likely the activity then is shared between mom, dad and other family members. This will help your child associate feeding as a non-gender specific activity. This is important in a world where we are still fighting for gender equality at home and in the work place.
  • If you’re worried about bonding, there is a lot more you’ll be doing than just feeding to accomplish that. Cuddles, skin to skin, talking, contact, time and love are the things that your little one needs.

As Assistant Professor Cynthia Colen stated in a study, “I’m not saying breast-feeding is not beneficial, especially for boosting nutrition and immunity in newborns…But if we really want to improve maternal and child health in this country, let’s also focus on things that can really do that in the long term – like subsidised day care, better maternity leave policies and more employment opportunities for low-income mothers that pay a living wage, for example.”

So here I am 7 months later, I no longer have the guilt but I still think a lot about this. After all, nature designed our bodies to do it and breastfeeding is truly the least wasteful method of caring for your baby from an environmental perspective. No plastic bottles, no silicone teats, no formula powder containers and scoops. But sometimes nature doesn’t work, and never was a time like now that I am grateful for modern medicine and availability of formula. It’s what enabled my baby and I to survive and live this great life. This is yet another example where I am imperfectly green. I absolutely hate that I have to constantly buy formula, which comes in only partly-recyclable packaging, and I have lots of plastic supplies to go with it. But my commitment to living greener is that I will do everything I can to recycle and reuse to extend the life of these items, and advocate to the companies who sell formula to better design their packaging to minimise waste. 

If you’re a mother who has struggled to make and live with this choice or “choice,” here are some helpful resources.

Resources: Facebook Bottle Feeders’ Support Group; Fearless Formula Feeder , Buy Guilt-Free Bottle-Feeding
Books: Bottled Up How the Way We Feed Babies Has Come to Define Motherhood, and Why It Shouldn’t 

 

 

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To Reuse or Dispose – a Debate about Nappies (or Diapers)

Nappies to my British friends, Diapers to my American friends. Whatever you call them, this is a big conundrum for those trying to be green.

While I was pregnant, I was inundated with horrifying statistics about the environmental impact of babies. Just in the UK alone, 2.5 billion nappies are thrown away (that’s 7 million a day, or 6,000 per child). That is 2.4% of all household waste. The average baby uses about 4,000 disposable nappies by the time they are potty trained. This is equivalent to half a tonne of carbon dioxide.

If you look at the issue from a waste perspective, the clear choice is to go with reusable nappies. Reusables mean less waste sent to a landfill. It seemed so obvious, all the benefits were there and manufacturers have made them quite easy to use. Even though use of energy involved in cleaning reusable nappies is significant, it could be reduced by air-drying, and still lower than use of fossil fuels needed to produce disposables to begin with. After some initial research (and a LOT of opinions thrown at me), I decided I wanted to go the reusable route.

Fast forward to the day baby was born. It was pure chaos. As a single parental unit living in the city with no extra support, there was no way I could keep up with the laundry requirement. I was absolutely exhausted the first month; My son was feeding every 2-3 hours and somewhere in between I had to sleep, pump, shower, and do other basic things. I just could not afford the time to do the extra laundry. Additionally, in a small apartment, the dirty nappies left a weird “hamster cage” like smell in the bin and my germophobic nature kicked in hard at the mere scent of it. It made me wish I had a bigger home to line dry the nappies. Additionally, my washer/dryer unit is not as big or powerful as the ones I am used to in the US, and it just ended up not being practical for me. Also, I found poop disposal tricky. I had a disposable liner in my nappy, which is supposed to capture poop before it goes through to the nappy. It rarely worked that way for my son, and so I’d always have this fumbling experience of catching the poop, wiping up excess around the nappy and on him, then needing to rush to the toilet to discard, and then put a fresh nappy on him. Heaven help you if your child is sick and he/she has explosive diarrhoea (it is a serious nightmare to clean and those stains don’t leave the nappy unless you can line dry in the sun)! There are YouTube videos that make this look quite easy, but it took me awhile to get it right. All this aside, I didn’t want to give up so I kept going with it, and admittedly it got much easier once he started weaning and had more solid poos. 

You may be wondering why didn’t I go with the eco-waste delivery method. If this is the first you’re hearing of it, it’s basically the Amazon Prime of cloth diapering – you get the benefits of using cloth and have a delivery company come pick up your dirty nappies and leave fresh nappies for you. This is a great option and probably preferred – but unfortunately the options available to me were not in my budget.

Since then, I’ve also given eco-disposable/biodegradable nappies a go, but this is an area to tread carefully as well. I felt like I was caving in to the world of disposables, but if I was going to do it, I would want to do it the greener way. There are a lot of brands out there, all of which boast being better for the environment. I’ve tried 5 different brands between the US and UK and on the whole, the following are my observations:

  • They are surprisingly absorbent; I changed my son fewer times than I did with normal disposable nappy and a reusable nappy.
  • They seem to prevent nappy rashes. My son never got one (fingers crossed) and several others who have shared their feedback said that they seem to do a much better job
  • Cost wise, they will run you a bit more than a regular disposable nappy, but for the above benefits, it could end up being a saving

Notice I have not mentioned anything about actual biodegradability. Turns out, they don’t differ all that much from regular disposable nappies. It’s not because of the material, but because of how we discard them.

Biodegradablity is meaningless when 90% of nappies (in the UK) end up in landfills. Landfills are anaerobic (there is no light or air), which is necessary for the decomposition process. The nappies will break down, but very slowly just as regular disposables. What this means is that any nappy that is biodegradable can only break down if its properly composted.  Bear in mind, we don’t mean regular old home composting method either! Laws covering landfill sites are aimed at reducing the amount of biodegradable waste in them but it is not always easy to filter the trash, especially when items co-mingle; the greenhouse gases released from the rotting waste is difficult to capture.

Eco-disposables get their name because they are produced according to environmentally-friendly production methods, or that it is chemically friendly to babies. However, it does not make comment on how it affects landfills. There are some eco-disposable brands that have specialist nappy recycling/incinerating services but of course those only exist in more environmentally-progressive countries such as the Netherlands or Sweden.

To flip this essay back to reusables for a moment, I started to dig more deeply into how they are produced and maintained. Most cloth nappies are made of cotton, which is an extremely thirsty crop and requires regular dousing of pesticides, making it very expensive and harsh on the environment. There is also a social dimension to include – cotton fertilisers are greenhouse gas emitters and the trucking of cotton to farms to industrial gins and weavers generates emissions, which is further compounded by the production process. There is also the persistent history of human exploitation, in countries like Uzbekistan, India, China and others where cotton has been linked to forced labour and human trafficking. There is virtually no transparency in the manufacturing chain for reusable or disposable nappies. 

Needless to say, I was feeling pretty defeated; there is no true easy and environmentally-friendly alternative or at least not an obvious one from a new mommy and consumer’s point of view.

So after all that, you may be wondering what I chose to do in the end of the day? The first was, I had to stop and accept that right now, there is no perfect solution. Secondly, I found a hybrid approach – a combination of reusable and disposable nappies worked best for me physically, emotionally and financially.

I use disposables (of the eco/biodegradable kind) majority of the time, especially when I am on-the-go, travelling, and for evening changes. I don’t use these for the biodegradability feature, but because they fit my need for convenience, ease, and are produced in an environmentally-friendly way (see Nordic Swan Eco label). However, to save on costs in the long term, and to reduce the amount I discard, I use reusable Bambino Mio Solos during the day when I am at home. I need to do laundry fairly regularly but I am okay with this, especially on days where I stay in town. What is also nice about the Bambino Mio Solo set is they are AIOs (all-in-one) nappies that grow with your baby, so I don’t need to worry about having the right size. I’ve also read from other users that it is a great way to encourage your baby to potty train as they get used to feeling wet or uncomfortable and associate a visit to the restroom with clean and comfort. Let’s hope that happens. This combo approach helps me address two of my concerns; waste (addressed by reusables) and climate change (addressed by disposables). A combo approach is a great way to reduce your carbon footprint.

At the end, I wanted to spend more time with my son, and not get caught up in laundry all the time. Disposables are a convenience of modern day life that our ancestors did not have, and many of us living in the city or by ourselves don’t have the village to help us raise our kids, which is often why we opt for the convenience. I think if I had my village, I would probably be using reusables majority of the time. 

Do not feel eco-guilt when pragmatism is needed. Parenting is so hard; it is stressful and you’re tired all the time. But you don’t have to abandon attempts to be green if you use disposables once in awhile, in fact, I’ve learned this is precisely what a lot of reusable nappy users do.

If you’re a new parent trying to do the right thing for the planet, here is what you ought to keep your eyes peeled for:

  • Check if your local council offers incentives such as trial packs, laundry services or cash back on reusable nappy kits
  • Consider using recycled paper in their products
  • Use renewable energy for the production process
  • Utilisation of sustainable sources of pulp from managed forests, or other renewable materials
  • Investigate technology for recycling/incineration of disposable nappies
  • Lower the weight of their products
  • Review worker welfare and benefits provided by the company from whom you’re buying and request information about supply chain

In Conclusion

Whichever way you go, it is helpful to make a list of your priorities. In the long run, if cost is your biggest concern, then reusables are the way to go. It’s much cheaper than disposables, even when taking into account cost of electricity/water when washing them. If you want to know the true cost between the two, a simple Google search will tell you. When doing so, be a bit more earth friendly by waiting to have fuller laundry loads and air-dry your nappies. If cost is no issue, go with an eco-waste service so you get the best of both worlds; a company expert in waste disposal and reusable nappies! However, look into the carbon footprint of the pickups/drop offs (is the company using fuel efficient cars?) If you go for disposables, it’s worth doing some math on cost per and your options for disposal. Also research the manufacturer and their policy on sustainable forestry and promoting composting systems. If one day we had systems in place to collect biogas from disposables, there would be a clear winner over reusables in eco-impact. There are a lot of factors that affect the environmental impact of a product, and biodegradability is just one of them.  When you are trying to reduce your eco footprint, it is important to look at the entire life cycle of the product you choose, rather than a single factor.  

Here’s a summary of my findings between the two “earth-friendly” nappy options. Hope this helps you make the choice right for the planet and your family!

Feature Image (Disposables v Cloth Diapers) Credit 

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Hello world, let’s get 50 shades of green!

I have always felt compelled to live in a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable way, but nothing has motivated me more than my son and the future he will inherit from us.

I know it is deeply overwhelming to think about climate change and the various facets of that change; waste, energy, pollution, water quality and more. But it’s okay to feel this way, because it is! 

The important thing is that we don’t let it cripple us the point of inaction because we can’t afford that anymore. 

I have to believe that we all want to do the right thing; the evidence is compelling and I assume people are trying to make a change. There are an array of natural and earth-friendly products out there, that just by making a few green swaps for natural, chemical free, or recycled products could help save money and reduce our impact, but how to do we think bigger? 

My husband and I sat down and outlined 50 facets of our lives in which we are imperfectly green – meaning either we’re currently doing something about it to some degree or another, or are conscious of environmental impact but don’t know of a readily-available solution.

Some of these may not be obvious (ie. how can sex be greener? think condoms!) or they might be huge topics, which can be unpacked (ie. food can be about organics, preservatives, chemicals, shopping local, packaging and more). Some also slightly overlap depending on context and finally, several have a larger environmental footprint than others.

This blog is about my journey toward that end. My goal is to explore all 50 of these topics in my own life, and then write about them because we can certainly inject a little more green in our lives.  I do my best to recycle, reduce and reuse plastic containers and the like, but I think I can do more.

Start your “think global act local” approach by considering what shade of green you are. Give yourself a point per topic below if you’re actively taking a greener approach. 

I will admit right now, I am 12/50, that’s not great. 

  1. Food
  2. Drinks
  3. Clothing
  4. Accessories
  5. Cleaning Products
  6. Laundry
  7. Dry Cleaning
  8. Cooking & Kitchenware
  9. Bedroom
  10. Toiletries
  11. Makeup
  12. Skincare
  13. Home Décor
  14. Architecture & Design
  15. Plants and Garden
  16. Water Usage
  17. Energy Usage
  18. Paper & Printing
  19. Compost
  20. Trash
  21. Recycling
  22. Eating Out
  23. Technology & Gadgets
  24. Appliances & Applications
  25. Work & Office
  26. Sex
  27. Mental Wellness
  28. Health & Medicine
  29. Arts & Crafts
  30. Education  
  31. Social Events
  32. Exercise
  33. Transportation
  34. Travel
  35. Finance & Banking
  36. Outdoor Excursions
  37. Holidays
  38. Gifts
  39. Celebrations
  40. Mail & Delivery
  41. Music and Entertainment
  42. Advocacy & Civic Activism
  43. Social Media & Web Presence
  44. Baby – Feeding
  45. Baby – Nappies/Diapers
  46. Baby – Accessories
  47. Baby – Toys
  48. Pets – Feeding
  49. Pets – Accessories
  50. Pets – Toys

Have I covered them all? Probably not.

Here is another way to look at it. Below is a list of general questions, targeting the ways in which it is easiest or most commonly-known method to going green. Depending on your answer, if most are in the positive direction, you’re doing alright but can do more.

  1. Do you switch off your TV/computer as its plugged in?
  2. Do you let the water run when you brush your teeth?
  3. Do you grown your own food?
  4. How much household waste do you recycle/compost/trash?
  5. How did you travel to your last holiday?
  6. Shower or bath?
  7. How many times do you re-use plastic bags shops give you?
  8. Have you bought fast food in a plastic or Styrofoam container in the last couple weeks?
  9. Have you paid more for something because it’s environmentally-friendly?
  10. Do you use public transportation or a ride-share system?

I am willing to bet that most people do things that are recommended, as long as it is not an inconvenience or intrudes too much on day-to-day life.  I intend to go beyond that.

If you think of any others to add to this list, let me know! Stay tuned for my adventures in going green.