Reducing my impact, one habit at a time

Above: Two weeks worth of recycling and trash. Since we have been composting, our trash bag has been reduced to half of a kitchen bag every two weeks. There is always room for improvement, but this reduction is significant.

In the wave of environmental awareness that washed over the US after An Inconvenient Truth I was one of the many that realized I should be aligning my actions with my values. I have always considered myself an environmentalist, but it was clear that I had more to learn and I would have to change some habits.

We have stated on this blog the importance of tackling one habit at a time. I have found that it takes me about three months to make a complete transformation from one habit to another. So I average about four habits a year. Below is a list of the habits I have changed this past year:

1. Reusable mug and fair trade for the coffee addict.
I started using my reusable mug for coffee runs - no more paper cups allowed. At the D2E office we buy only fair trade coffee and we make our own more often than we run out to the coffee shop. This has saved us a lot of money as well, which is a bonus for a small business. We love the New Mexico coffee from Trader Joe's and of course we run to the farmers market regularly to get our fix of Equal Exchange.

2. No more bottled water
I have a Shaklee water filter at home so I can feel good about drinking the tap water, and I have a Soda Club seltzer maker since my husband and I are addicted to bubbly water. I stopped buying bottled water and use my reusable metal bottles when I need to have water on-the-go. I have a small one that is easy to keep in my purse and a larger one that I bring with me on trips.

3. BYOB - Bring Your Own Bag
This one took some time. I now have multiple reusable bags that I keep for my shopping needs.

- I keep a bag that folds up into a little zipper pouch in my purse for unexpected purchases.
- I keep four bags at my apartment, two at my office and two in the trunk of my car. People that use their cars often will probably keep more bags in their car, since they will drive to the grocery store. I tend to shop at lunch time and I only buy for two meals at a time, for only two people. So I can get away with one or two bags that I can carry on the bus or in my messenger bag when on my bike.

Once you figure out your system - how many bags you need and where you keep them - this habit is very easy to keep. Since every time you use reusable bags at the grocery store, you are a walking advertisement for environmentalism, there is a bit of public pride that goes along with it. People often say to me "Oh, you are so good. I find it so hard to remember to bring a bag." and I always reply "One habit at a time. Don't be too hard on yourself, and give yourself a few months to change one habit." On the days that I don't have enough bags for my groceries or if I did forget to bring my bag, I get a paper bag so that I can use it to hold my paper recycling. There is an arguement about paper vs. plastic that is worth investigating. Each time I read about the bag issue, it just makes me realize how important it is that I bring my own bag.

4. Waste, Compost and Recycling
I have always recycled, so this was not a habit that I had to pick up. But I did start to look at what I was recycling and ask myself if I could change my purchasing habits so that I would not have the packaging that needed to be recycled. For instance - buy more fresh fruit and vegetables rather than frozen or canned. The great thing about this habit is that besides cutting down on packaging materials, I am also getting healthier food and supporting our local farmers.

I started composting and this has significantly reduced the amount of garbage that goes to our curbside. The photo above is what our curbside looks like every two weeks. We have significantly reduced the amount of trash we generate. We don't have to put the trash out every week. I highly recommend this. It really feels great.

5. Food
This one was tough for me and I am still working on it. I have been running my own business since 2001 and in the first three years I did not have much time for cooking. So I got into the habit of getting take-out or eating at the bar of a local watering hole. Besides the health and weight issues associated with this, I was spending way too much money on my meals. So I have spent the past year working on my cooking skills. I shop at the farmers market or walk down the road to Trader Joes during lunch. This has helped since it doesn't take time out of my day, and once I have purchased the fresh produce I am committed to cooking it. There is nothing worse than good food gone bad.

- Shop for produce and fruit at your local farmers' market. Many farmers' markets also have cheese, meat and baked goods.
- Look for grass fed, free range and organic labels (this labeling/certification is not perfect, but it is a good start and it encourages our food industry to recognize that consumers demand quality)
- Pay attention to where the food comes from - Local is always better.
- Pay attention to the packaging. Less is more.

6. Eco Clothes shopping
This one is another ongoing effort. I wear clothes every day, so I consider fashion an important way to express my values. Thanks to D2E I have found some great local stores that buy only from sustainable brands or local designers. This makes shopping easier since I do not always have time to sift through the clothing racks looking for organic cotton or bamboo. Besides that, there is more to the equation than just using non toxic and renewable fabrics. The company should have an invested interest in fair manufacturing practices. The communities that labor to make our clothes, whether they are in Los Angeles or Nicaragua, should be fairly compensated. The clothing industry should be a positive part of their local economy.

You will find a lot of great fashion companies at D2E who can educate you on the materials they use and the manufacturing standards they demand. All of our exhibitors care about the earth's resources and the people that help them manufacture their clothes (worth investigating: ENVI, IBEX, Jute & Jackfruit, Helen E Reigle, Tara Lynn, Del Forte jeans and COVET).

Some simple guidelines that I have adopted:
1. Think before you buy. Do you really need this garment?
2. Buy quality clothing that will last. Get away from purchasing cheap garments that start to deteriorate after a few washes or quickly go out of style.
3. Renewable and non toxic materials: Bamboo, Organic Cotton, Tencil, wool, hemp
4. Second hand shopping or trading with friends. Afterall, one woman's trash is another woman's ball gown.
5. I use non toxic, gentle laundry detergent from Shaklee to wash my clothes. I am more selective about what clothes go into the washing machine and/or dryer and I take good care of my delicates.

The fashion issue is so big, that even after making efforts to educate myself and shop wise over the past two years, I still feel there is much more to learn. I have learned that the leather used for boots and shoes has the largest impact in the whole process. Transportation from one country to another has a minimal impact compared with feeding the livestock, the methane that cows emit and the manufacturing process to turn a hide into a boot. I'm not sure if faux leather is better than real leather - this needs to be investigated. I'm plagued by doubts - it aint easy being a conscious consumer, but it is necessary.

I hope sharing my venture into a sustainable lifestyle can help others make changes. We are all in it together, and our purchasing power is one way we can make a difference.