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.

B.Y.O.B

Here at Down:2:earth we try to come up with ways in which the average person could become more eco-friendly.

Sustainable Tip of the Week- Bring your own bag

If you haven't heard the facts about the plastic bag issue, it's worth investigating.

• According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
• According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion.)
• Plastic bags are made of polyethylene
• Polyethylene is a petroleum product
• Production contributes to air pollution and energy consumption
• Four to five trillion plastic bags are manufactured each year
• Americans use over 380 billion polyethylene bags per year
• Americans throw away approximately 100 billion polyethylene bags per year
• A plastic bag can take between 500 to 1000 years to break down in the environment.
• On average, we use each plastic bag for 12 minutes before discarding it. It then can last in the environment for decades.
• Plastic bag litter is lethal in the marine environment, killing at least 100,000 birds, whales, seals and turtles every year. After an animal is killed by plastic bags, its body decomposes and the plastic is released back into the environment, where it can kill again.

Until now Germany, Australia, China, and Uganda are some of the countries that have banned, or are working towards banning plastic bags. Although the U.S. has not banned plastic bags yet there are several companies taking a responsible approach to the issue.

What can we do? Say goodbye to plastic bags and say hello to stylish cloth bags...


EcoVixen made in the U.S from recyclable cotton. Left. " You don't want to return as a bag do you"?... Don't mess with Karma. Right. I'm not made in China. Made in the United States...and proud of it.
For a proud and responsible Bostonian. A product of Sea Boston USA made from 100% Cotton Canvas.

ECOBAGS EarthTone Cotton String Bag Set. These colorful cotton string bags are great to store away in your purse, great for your produce.

Verde Bags were created by Gina Sample as a stylish statement against plastic grocery bags.
Happy Bags has a wide variety of bags with fun designs on them, some of them are even made from recycled water bottles.
Mini Maxi Shopper. Lorelei has this one and can vouch for how efficient it is. "I keep it in my purse because it can fold up to be a wallet sized pouch, and when I need it come grocery time, it's there."

This concludes our sustainable tip of the week. Tune in next week for more!

Sustainably yours
Nathalie Zegarra

Home made seltzer!

It is amazing what joy these little bubbles can bring. I try to drink as much water as possible and I avoid sugary drinks all together. So my favorite drink when looking for some flavor is seltzer water with a splash of cranberry or a wedge of lime. However since I became aware of the huge water bottle issue, I feel guilty each time I buy a bottle of seltzer. Living with guilt is such a bummer. But it can be a good motivator to find a better solution.


Enter the Penguin by Soda Club. I have to start off by saying that I love this machine. I love the design and I love the crackling bubbles that it produces. I smile each time I see this penguin on the counter next to my Alessi sugar bowl - the two are quite a hoot.

Just yesterday I made my first bottle of seltzer water. It reminded me of the time I made butter in girl scouts. I stared at the clear bottle with all of the beautiful bubbles rising to the top and I could not help but wonder, where did these bubbles come from? Of course, they came from the CO2 container, but the moment was quite magical.

Details: Assembly was simple for someone like my dear friend Brenda who has no problem reading through an instruction manual and following the steps. It was a bit more challenging for someone like myself who prefers to plow through everything on my sometimes faulty intuition and muscle power. Luckily I am old enough to know my limitations. So when I opened the box and pulled out the parts and the manual, I set it back down and let it wait until I was in the right frame of mind. My husband rolled his eyes, thinking that he could probably assemble it blind folded as it was really only a few parts. But I did not want to damage the machine in haste, which I have done numerous times in the past trying to shove parts together. So I waited.

Yesterday was designated the day of assembly. I did not have any appointments to run to and could focus on the job at hand. My mind was clear, and I did a little seltzer jig to bring good vibes to the room. First I put all of the pieces out on the counter and opened up the manual. I read each stage and followed the directions. I got a bit tripped up trying to figure out how to open up the canister that holds the glass bottle. This is one of those things that just requires "getting the feel" for it. Once you have released the canister it pulls up and opens for you in a cool Star Trek way. After opening and closing the canister a few times I managed to get the feel and now it is easy.

I was a bit freaked out with the CO2 canisters. I do not normally handle things like this, so I had Hollywood driven fears that it would explode in my hand. It did not. I had some trouble trying to take a protective plastic cap off the canister, but my husband easily popped it off by using a butter knife as a lever. Very clever. In Hollywood that would surely have been a disaster, but I guess in real life it is okay.

Once I had everything assembled, the water bottle was filled with Arlington tap water and ready to rip, I pushed down on the penguin's cute little bill to bring on the gas. I was a bit timid at first, again fearing that the Penguin would explode and trigger the pipes in our building to burst and then a tidal wave would engulf the town of Arlington. But my fears soon turned to pure joy when I hit the gas release button and opened the canister to find a bottle of bubbly seltzer ready to enjoy.

Ahhhh.... bliss....

Impact: As always, we need to look at the big picture. What waste does this machine bring and how does that compare with buying seltzer in plastic bottles, or just denying myself of seltzer altogether? Soda Club does a good job talking about the impact of their product and at this point I feel good about it. I can send the empty CO2 canisters back to the company and they will reuse them. Soda Club states that "Empty carbonators are returned to Soda-Club to be cleaned, inspected and refilled with CO2 drawn naturally from the air. Carbonators are reusable as long as they remain in good condition."

So at this point I am feeling good about my penguin. The main impact comes from manufacturing the product and shipping. I used to think shipping was a huge issue, but now I am learning that it is a smaller part of the big picture. This leads me to believe we should look into this subject a bit more and blog about it.

Amazing how one blog always leads to the next.

I lost 5,000 pounds!

Yes, it's true. The office at D2E went on the Low Carbon Diet and I have lost 5,000 carbon pounds since we started this exploration. Since I never shy away from a challenge, I have set my goals on loosing another 5,000 pounds between now and June. (After a networking event I sat down at the bar to do my homework. Luckily this diet does not deprive me of wine.)

What are carbon pounds you ask?
This nifty workbook takes you through action items that shrink your carbon footprint. You calculate for your whole household - which means my footprint is significantly larger now that I am married. I went from being equal to a European citizen, taking public transportation and abiding by my good eco-habits, to being a typical American. I have my work cut out for me.

For those interested in learning about actions items they can take and working on it together as a team, this workbook is great. We did it together at the office and it did help to hear other stories, share tips and hold each other accountable.

Samples of some habits I picked up:
- Yes, we changed our light bulbs. It is one of the easier tasks, and it must be done.
- Shorter showers. This one is very difficult for me, as my apartment is old and cold.
- Turn down the heat. Keep the temperature low when not at home and at night while sleeping.
- Cold water for cleaning clothes.
- Eating lower on the food chain. More veggies and bugs! (Okay, I have not yet bitten into a bug, but I can't wait to see David Gracer grill up some insects Friday night at D2E.)

Future goals
- I will compost! I am looking forward to learning about my composting options at D2E. The Alternative Energy store should have some information.
- Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) - I am going to sign up for a CSA this year, and I am very excited about it. Harvest Coop will be at D2E and they are a convenient drop-off, so I'm hoping they can help me choose the right one for me.

Re-boot for the New Year

One way a fashionista can conserve rather than consume – the local cobbler.

While taking stock of my wardrobe I noticed that my boots needed some TLC. So rather throwing out the old so I could buy some new, I brought them to my local cobbler. This is one of the little things in life. It sounds silly, but I felt all warm and tingly inside knowing that I was bringing some business to a neighbor and extending the life of my beloved boots that have served me so well over the years.

Some background: I decided when I turned 30 that I would not buy cheap shoes. I have a pair of boots from 1999 and two pair from 2006 (I fell for the "buy one get the second for half price"). They were not cheap, but I wear them often and now they fit like a glove.

Cost: $60.00 for four heel repairs, adding protective rubber and a polish to top it off. That is significantly cheaper than a new pair of leather boots.

Conclusion: I have no intention of hanging up my boots! I am almost officially in the bragging zone – next year my black round-toed boots will be ten years old. That definitely qualifies as bragging rights over a fair-trade shade-grown latte with my girlfriends. At the 1369 Coffee Shop, of course. Buy local!

Unwanted Catalogs

What to do with unwanted catalogs? I have always had two romantic visions of what I would do with these invasions of my mailbox.

1. Art - I will make collages or some form of paper art and become a self-sustaining paper artist that works only with found objects.

2. Leisure - I will sit down with a glass of wine and flip through the pages of all the catalogs, ordering up whatever suits my fancy.

As you have probably already guessed, neither of these is going to happen any time soon. So into the recycling bin they go!

I think back in 1999 I bought a pair of hiking boots from the Campmor catalog and they ended up not fitting me very well, a bit too tight in the toe area. Due to my busy lifestyle, I never got around to returning them so now my sister-in-law wears them when she is walking her very cute dog, Roxy.

I'm okay with all of that. I am happy to live my busy life and go to work each day to help plan D2E. To be honest, considering how seldom I actually go shopping, it is a real treat for me and I like to go into the stores to feel the fabrics, flip through the books or sit on the furniture. Call me old-fashioned, but I love the experience. So if you are like me and each time you get a catalog in the mail it goes directly into the recycling bin - I have news for you. Catalog Choice is an on-line service that will cancel all of your catalogs for you. When I get a catalog in the mail I rip off the address info where my customer number is. Then I log into Catalog Choice, find the catalog that I want to cancel, put the information in and before you can say "recycling is fun but consuming less is bettah" I am done.

Hope this tip helps!

Green office in the Gray Urban Landscape

How can an office take steps to produce less waste and consume less energy? First of all, the people that work in the office must want to make a difference. After all, it is us humans that create the waste, not the office walls.

We aren't perfect here at 715 Boylston Street, but we have taken some basic steps at the D2E office over the past year. And as we continue to learn more about the great services and products available, we do more. Below is a list of the changes we made in 2007.

1. Consume less
- Only print when needed.
- Use both sides of paper
- Use ceramic mugs for coffee and glasses or SIGG bottles for water (Some in the office are hard-core and will not allow themselves to get a coffee at our local cafe unless they bring their own mug.)
- We use cloth towels in our bathroom
- We keep two shopping bags hanging from the coat rack in case anyone needs to do some shopping and forgot their bag.
- Turn heat off at night and weekends.
- Only use lights that are needed.

2. Recycle
- Earthworm picks up our paper to recycle
- One office's trash is our office's conference table.
- We signed up for the Stonyfield recycling program so that our yogurt containers can be turned into plant pots
- I found my desk on the curb (elbow grease and paint to spruce it up)
- 2 office chairs are from a second hand shop
- We have a table from Artists for Humanity that is made out of old catalogs and magazines - very cool. (see top photo)

3. Public Transportation
We moved our office to the Back Bay so that it would be right on public transportation. Now everyone either takes the bus, the subway or rides a bike to work - even Lucy the Black Lab.

The next big step for the office is the Low Carbon Diet. At the encouragement of Dan Ruben, we have all purchased a copy of the work book and this week we are having our first team meeting. More to come on that subject.