Make your food last longer…

In Habit #11 we learned how to prevent overbuying food. Habit #12 is about how to make the food you buy last longer so you don’t throw as much out.

4 Tips to using your food better:

Expiration Dates

Don’t live and die by expiration dates. They are useful to help you prioritize the foods you should eat first, but you don’t have to throw something out the day it reaches its “expiration”.

Humans are innately capable of detecting bad food. It’s in our DNA. Use your eyes to look for mold and use you nose to tell if something’s gone bad. I’ve been following this rule for over 10 years and have yet to get sick from eating spoiled food.

Fridge Organization

It turns out that we are not innately good at organizing the food in our refrigerators. Luckily it’s not that hard to learn and it can make a big impact on how much food you save. You can dig deeper into this topic on ThinkEatSave, but here’s the basics:

Develop a habit of organizing the ol’ icebox. As mentioned in tip #11, take an inventory before you shop. When you’re doing that, move the stuff that’s going to expire the soonest to the front. When you bring your new groceries home place them behind the existing food (and the leftovers!).

This will prevent you from finding old moldy sandwiches during your spring cleaning because it’ll prevent you from leap frogging food. Instead of chowing the food you just bought from the store, check the fridge first to see if there is something there you can use first.

The Freezer

You can freeze and revive just about anything. Don’t be afraid! My stepmom even freezes whole gallons of milk after a Costco run. Does that sound crazy? One time when I was living in Alaska I froze 12 California burritos from San Diego and took them back with me… they were a big hit.

Katherine Martinko gives some good tips for freezing food in her article on TreeHugger.com if you want to dig deeper.

Leftovers

Eat em. Nuff said… Save time, save money, save food. ⌚+💸+🍕=👍

 

Your Action Items

1. Remember that you don’t have to live and die by expiration dates; use your eyes and nose (and common sense).
2. Get in the habit of organizing your fridge so food doesn’t get pushed to the back and neglected.
3. Try freezing more stuff instead of letting it go bad in the fridge.
4. Eat your leftovers!

 

Just Eat It:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<< #11 Stop Food Waste from the Source

---

Resources:

Facts About Food Waste

This post summarizes the jaw dropping facts about food waste in the US and includes Jon Oliver’s rant on the issue which is a must see!

Tips for Freezing Food

Katherine Martinko gives some good tips for freezing food in her article on TreeHugger.com.

Guide to Fridge Organization

This advice about how to organize your refrigerator from Think.Eat.Save is a quick read that can help you optimize the way you manage your fridge space.

Buy food smarter…

Bad News: Food waste is a big issue. The average US household wastes 15-20% of the food they buy. Get the facts and learn more about food waste here.

Good News: It’s not that difficult to reduce your personal food waste.

In part one, we are going to stick to the root problem of food waste in our homes: we buy more food than we can eat. In the next two posts we’ll dig deeper on storing food and diverting excess food from the waste bin.

If you want to get radical, join Rob Greenfield on a dumpster-diving expedition. Rob’s on a crusade to save perfectly good food from dumpsters and get it to hungry people. On his site he provides tips and resources for anyone who wants to join the fight against the food waste fiasco.

If you want to start small and work on your personal impact, start by being more disciplined about what you buy. You’ll find that when you’re more organized with your shopping you’ll save food and money. Simply following a few basic steps can help cut down excess food in your shopping cart.

Try these action items to stop food waste in your home at the source:

Your Action Item

Get better at buying only what you can use.

• Assess what you have before you hit the supermarket.
• Make a shopping list and stick to it.
• Don’t shop when you’re hungry.

 

Just Eat It:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<< #10 Eco Education

#12 Food MGMT >>

---

Resources:

Rob Greenfield

Rob Greenfield has been working to solve America’s food waste for years. He became well known (and even gave a TED Talk) for his dumpster diving expeditions where he would save shocking quantities of perfectly good food from going to the dump.

We Hate To Waste

wehatetowaste.com has some good tips for waste reduction (not limited to food waste). This article is one of many cool stories they post about how people are working to cut down on food waste.

More Quick Tips to Reduce Your Food Waste

In this post I offer a few more tips and a bit more of an explanation around how to decrease your foodprint. There’s also an inspirational Weird Al video included as a bonus!

It’s all about you…

One of the best things you can do to be more eco friendly is to simply stay informed, because informed decisions are better decisions. Unfortunately this can be one of the hardest parts of being a responsible human – unless you know how to approach it.

Diving into environmental topics can be utterly overwhelming and terribly depressing. Our oceans are being overfished, the polar ice caps are melting, dozens of species go extinct every day, and the headlines never stop. So let’s take a step back from the mayhem.

Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be concerned, because you definitely should be. But being concerned about the right things can make a big difference on the impact you actually have as 1 of 7 billion humans on the earth.

The Puzzle

Trying to keep up with every environmental and social issue is like trying to put together a million piece puzzle whose picture is constantly changing. You might be able to get a few of the border pieces, but before too long you’ll give up altogether and put it back on the shelf to collect dust.

Luckily there are a lot of people working on the puzzle🎉. Expert marine biologists are working on the ocean scene, climatologists on the skies, and NGOs are recruiting more volunteers to help turn over and organize all the pieces.

Soooo, what part do you want to work on?

Find a few issues that really matter to you, really understand what’s going on in those areas, and find a way to contribute. Yes, I think it’s important to know about what’s going on in the world and I’m not recommending you intentionally bubble yourself. But narrowing down your scope will set you up for success better than trying to save the whole world.

Some Tools to Help

For both looking at the big picture and staying informed about your niche of interest, try a few of these:

• Podcasts – Great for travel. Check my list of sustainability related podcasts if you need ideas.
• Twitter Lists – A Twitter list will allow you to follow only a handful of accounts that tweet about a specific topic so you can reference a “biodiversity” list or “stop microplastics” list rather than getting lost in your Twitter feed.
• Email Subscription – Having an update right in your inbox allows you to browse a pre-screened selection of important and popular posts from reliable websites like The Guardian or Triple Pundit so you don’t have to go out looking for it.

One last note: Something we often overlook is what’s happening in our own community. While our day to day actions like reducing consumption will help the overall effort, our biggest impact might be in our own community where we can have a considerable impact in local politics and environmental groups.

Your Action Item (s)

1. Pick a topic or two you’re most interested in.
2. Find a few trusted news sources and dedicate either 15 minutes a day or an hour a week to stay up to speed.
3. See what environmental issues are going on in your own community.

 

A piece of the puzzle:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<<#9 Navigating Digital Media

#11 Don’t Waste Food >>

---

Resources:

Learn More, Save Time

In this post I explain how I go about being an informed environmentalist in 2hrs or less per week.

Environmental Podcasts 

This list has a few environment and sustainability related podcasts. It’s a good place to start if you’re looking for a new and informative podcast to follow.

Merchants of Doubt

This is an eye opening book that will help you understand why so many people are still on the fence about things science has known for years.

MeetUp

Find an environmental group near you.

In the last 7 habits I’ve explained ways to reduce our environmental impact by reducing the amount we consume and improving the quality of what we do consume. Up to this point I’ve only touched on physical, tangible products but in this piece I’ll talk about a less tangible aspect of conscious consumption: Tip #9: Consciously consume digital media.

Attention is Money

The more time we spend on a website like Facebook, the more valuable their ad space becomes. Because of this new currency, apps and websites are being optimized to keep us coming back. Facebook used to just be a platform to check the relationship status of college peers, now many use it to get their daily news and our “wall” adapts to our preferences.

A better experience = more time on the fb = higher ad revenue. And it’s working. The average user spends 50 minutes on Facebook… each day, up from 40 minutes in 2014.

So what’s the big deal?

Spend it Wisely

Because our attention is money, we can choose to vote with it just as we vote with our wallets when we shop for products at the store.

There are two questions to ponder:

1. What could you be doing with the time you would save from not sticking your face in your phone?
2. Are you giving your attention to things that matter?

I’ve found that by simply muting many of my notifications I open apps less and save a ton of my time. Instead of checking my phone every time it pings then inevitably getting lost in a stream of kitten videos on Instagram, I try to only check my SM apps a couple times a day.

As far as I can tell,  the world is still spinning.

Now that you’ve saved yourself potentially an hour each day, what do you plan to do with your time? I’ve found it fulfilling to donate some of my newfound attention to the things I wish I had more time for. Like actually reading the interesting articles I bookmarked and then totally forgot about.

The benefit of investing time into actually following campaigns that have a positive impact, reading up on environmental news, or listening to an informative podcast are two fold. 1) You’re learning about things that will make you a more informed citizen and 2) The fact that you’re dedicating your precious attention to these things gives them value.

Your Action Item

Turn off your notifications. Choose a couple apps that you know have been demanding your attention, go into your settings, and set your notifications on silent. (Don’t worry, you can still check your apps… they just won’t be nagging at you throughout the day)

Reallocate your time to education about an environmental issue you’re interested in.

 

Like being sustainable? Join the club:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<< #8 Deny The Swag

#10 Invest in Yourself >>

---

Resources:

Attention is Money

Raw Data is a podcast produced by the Stanford Cyber Initiative that covers topics related to big data and tech. This episode digs into “the never-ending, epic battle to catch – and keep – your attention” that is happening on the internet.

Facebook Wants More

This is an interesting NY Times article about the time we spend on Facebook, how it correlates to ad revenue for the company, and how FB is growing.

What Percentage of People Get Their News from Facebook

This article clarifies the commonly quoted “44% of Americans get their news from Facebook”. In fact, more like 18% of Americans regularly get their news from Facebook, but still, it’s quite a few and the number is growing.

Our Time on Smartphones

This brief Huffington Post article about how much we use our phones is … a little scary.

This is why it’s really not cool…

By swag I’m talking about promotional products, aka gifts and premiums, aka cheap marketing sh** usually given out for free. It comes in many forms as branded:

• hats
• mugs
• pens
• koozies
• keychains
• water bottles
• phone chargers
• etc.

The history of promotional products actually goes back to the 1800’s when companies plastered their logo and messaging on everyday goods like bags and started giving them out free. It was a quite clever and effective marketing technique at the time, but now, like many other things it has gotten out of hand.

Today you can find swag everywhere: at your real estate agent’s office, in “goodie” bags at conventions, and at the entrance of many sporting events. These cheep marketing props are being mass produced overseas, shipped in to the states, handed out, shortly after thrown away. It’s time to put an end to the madness. Habit #8: Deny Swag.

The environmental issue with promotional products is pretty clear. They are throw aways made as cheap as possible and go from cradle to grave with little chance at being reused or recycled.

Not only is the use and post use of these products downright toxic, but their production is also about as bad as it gets. To be affordable as a mass marketing tool they have to produced as cheaply as possible which means manufacturers frequently forego environmental regulations and fair labor practices.

I understand the appeal of something free, but is it really free? Maybe it’s time we start asking what the environmental implications of those playoff thunder sticks really are…

Your Action Item

Recognize promotional products for what they are and make a conscious effort to deny them. When in doubt, ask yourself if it’s really going to add value to your life because chances are:

1. You don’t need it
2. You aren’t going to use it more than once
3. You don’t want to be a walking advertisement for a brand you don’t support

 

Stay responsible:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<<#7 Drink Responsibly

#9 The New Currency>>

---

Resources:

In this post I briefly share my experience with promotional products and continue my rant about swag: Why I Say No To Swag

 

 

In case you needed another excuse to drink great beer…

I’ve got the easiest and possibly most enjoyable eco friendly habit for you. Habit #7 is Drink Responsibly.

If you’re concerned about water, energy, and IBUs… craft beer is for you and you should enjoy it more knowing that by choosing a local craft brew over an international giant, you’re decreasing your environmental footprint.

From the hops to the packaging and delivery, the environmental impact of beer can add up.

• Water usage for the brewing process is about 5:1 – To make one liter you need five liters of water, and…
• Considering the ingredients like the barley and hops that go in, the ratio of water to beer produced moves up to 61-180:1 – That’s anywhere from 8-24 gallons of water just for one pint!
• It takes about 0.2 kilowatt-hours of energy to brew a pint of beer which is enough energy to power a 40″ TV for almost 3.5 hours.

So now that you’re appreciating every sip a bit more, let’s see how microbreweries are working to reduce these stats.

• Stone Brewing reclaims 75,000 gallons of water each day
• New Belgium diverts 99.9% of their waste from landfills
• Alaskan Brewing’s CO2 recovery system prevents over 1 million pounds of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere each year. That’s the equivalent of the emissions from 45,000 gallons of gas.
• More: microbrew sustainability facts

I looked into it and I was surprised to find the lengths to which some microbreweries are going to be environmentally friendly. Some have gone as far as foregoing profits in order to make their production more sustainable. I dig deeper into it here: The Sustainability of Craft Beer.

Check out the resources section below to see if your favorite beer is from one of the most sustainable US breweries and remember: when in doubt, drink local.

Your Action Items

When you drink, drink responsibly. Support local breweries that are working toward being sustainable and that are a part of your community. Investing in them will be an investment in the environment and your community. Plus, the beer tastes better!

 

Like being sustainable? Join the club:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<<#6 Eat Sustainable Seafood

---

Resources:

Water Consumption of Brewing

You can learn a little bit more about water use in the brewing process in this short Triple Pundit post: How Much Water Did It Take to Make That Pint of Beer.

Energy Consumption of Beer

The Brewer’s Association outlines the industry average of energy use, renewable energy, energy reduction best practices, and much more in their Energy Usage, GHG Reduction, Efficiency and Load Management Manual. In a much more concise explanation, Ember Strategies breaks down the energy use to brew a pint of beer.

Sustainability Efforts of Microbreweries

These posts from various sources like Triple Pundit and CraftBeer.com highlight some of the steps microbreweries are taking to reduce their environmental impact.

The Sustainability of Craft Beer

7 Most Sustainable Breweries in USA

Top 10 Sustainable US Breweries

Notable Breweries and Their Efforts

 

Do it for the sushi…

At the rate we are fishing now, it’s estimated that the world’s fish stocks will collapse by 2048. It seems unfathomable to many, but along with deforestation and global warming, the decimation of fish stocks is a reality backed by science.

Yes, it’s possible that within our lifetime there will be little to no seafood. That means no more sushi (just California rolls with imitation crab… and nobody really likes those)

Good News: Fish populations can rebound if we manage them properly.

For the sake of the seas and all they provide us, Habit #6 is: buy sustainably sourced fish.

Here are two really simple ways you can stop contributing to overfishing and start supporting sustainable fishing practices:

Look for the MSC eco label

Only fish that has been certified by the Marine Stewardship Council can bear this eco label. It’s one of the few reliable identifiers that distinguishes responsibly sourced seafood from illegally harvested sources.

Use Seafood Watch

Use the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s guide to sustainable seafood. They have an app and a pocket guide that simplify seafood choices. Their guide lists fish in three categories – Best Choices, Good Alternatives, and Avoid – so you can quickly see what’s okay to eat and what’s not.

Their guide is geographic specific, so you can be in the know in every state and they even have a sushi guide.

Contrary to what some may be scared of, looking at this guide isn’t going to ruin your love of fish or make it impossible for you to find fish without feeling terrible. It simply helps you find the right alternative for fish that we shouldn’t be eating.

For example, did you know that salmon from Alaska and New Zealand are more sustainable than salmon from California, Washington, or Oregon? And farmed Atlantic salmon have a considerable negative impact (Avoid)?

Same fillet, different sources, big environmental implications!

 

Your Action Item:

Look for the MSC seal of approval when purchasing seafood.

Reference the Seafood Watch pocket guide or app to help you make more sustainable choices.

 

Like being sustainable? Join the club:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<< #5 Wise Up to Greenwashing

#7 Drink Good Beer >>

---

Resources:

Sustainable Fish Guide

This post explains a bit more about the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s pocket guide and app.

WWF Facts

The World Wildlife Fund provides more information and resources if you’re interested in digging deeper into the state of our fisheries.

Sustainababble Podcast

Sustainababble is an environmental podcast with a comedic twist. The two hosts from the UK cover environmental concerns with a spice of dry English humor that’s good for a laugh. Episode 53 covers the state of our fish and it’s a good listen if your interested to learn about how fish stocks can be properly managed as well as the challenges we are facing between the economics of the fishing industry and the health of fish populations.

Holistic Wellness

More tips on how to improve your health naturally.

Your intentions are good, but don’t be fooled!

The term greenwashing covers all tactics used by companies to improve their image, but this post will only be discussing its application to product labels.

There is a lot of deception in product labeling and you have to be careful not to take everything for face value. The following info will help you know what to look for and how to find out if a product’s claims are authentic.

Habit #5: Know the signs of greenwashing and look deeper.

Instead of immediately going for a product that has the “All Natural” stamp on it, take a deeper look. Do you see any real eco labels? What are the ingredients? Is the brand reputable?

It can be difficult to tell the difference between genuine products and greenwashing. My strategy is to do research and find brands that I know I can trust, then stick with those brands. If I come across a new brand, I’ll usually look it up online and do some digging.

Signs of greenwashing:

Fluffy language

Marketers love to use terms like “natural” or “eco friendly” which have little meaning. Be wary of products that make broad claims like these with no backing.

Percentage claims like “60% more recycled materials”. 60% more than what? Plus, using recycled packaging materials is standard across most industries and the majority of truly green brands don’t go out of their way to brag about it.

One thing you can trust: “made with organic ***”. This claim is regulated and organic ingredients have to be certified by the USDA.

Rule of Thumb: Look for real third party certifications on product labels.

Irrelevant claims

Sometimes products will make claims that sound nice but are totally irrelevant, like “CFC Free” even though CFCs were banned more than 20 years ago.

Difficulty finding more info

If you try to look into a product or brand by searching online and have difficulty finding their sustainability information, they’re probably neglecting to publish it for a reason. Brands that are truly making progress are almost always openly advertise what they are doing to be eco friendly and socially responsible.

Misdirection

Misdirection is a classic greenwashing technique and it can be a difficult one to figure. A brand will tout one of their environmental achievements even though the rest of their operations are terrible. They may have done something like donated to an environmental organization or planted a tree for every item sold, but many times this is just a ploy.

Pretty packaging

Don’t be mislead by green packaging or pretty pictures of nature. Most of the time this has little indication of how environmentally friendly the product really is.

 

Your Action Item

Keep an eye out for greenwashing. Now that you know the signs, ask questions when you’re unsure. You’ll quickly figure out which brands you can trust and which ones you should avoid.

 

If you’re not on board this eco education train already, you can get on here:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<< #4 Know Your Eco Labels

#6 Sustainable Pescadarian >>

---

Resources:

Greenwashing

In this post I go a bit deeper into greenwashing and how to recognize it.

Greenwashing Index

The GWI is a movement to help consumers report greenwashing. If you recognize greenwashing in any industry, you can report it here and see what others are saying too. Note that this is a new initiative and hasn’t acquired much data yet.

The Evolution of Greenwashing

To get a brief history of greenwashing, check out this article from The Guardian. It’s a great education and will make you re-evaluate the way you see ads.

 

You’ve seen them, but do you know what they mean?

What Are Eco Labels?

Eco labels are a form of sustainability measurement that help consumers guage the sustainability of a product. They are represented as small seals and are usually found around the edges of products.

There are over 460 eco labels, but only a handful are relevant to our everyday shopping.

What You Should Know

Knowing the basic eco labels is one of the easiest ways to support responsible brands and lower your personal environmental impact. In the highly competitive world of product labeling, there  is a lot of deception. Luckily there are a few trustworthy labels you can look for that give you some security about the quality of the product inside.

To help you navigate products in the supermarket, Habit #4 is to know the main eco labels and look for them when shopping.

This post is only going to cover the main eco labels for items typically found in the supermarket. There are also eco labels for electronics and other products we buy less frequently and you can read about some of those in my in-depth piece about eco labels.

Note: You need to know that there are many fake eco labels out there that use loose verbiage and made up stamps of approval to try to win your business. I’ll cover this more in tip #5 greenwashing, but for now just be aware that you can’t trust everything that looks like an eco label.

Here are the main eco labels to look for:

Fair Trade

If a product has any of these eco labels it means they have been audited and approved for fair labor practices by a third party. Each eco label has slightly different standards but they all signify that the certified product has been produced under fair labor conditions.

Fair trade eco labels are most common on coffee and tea products which have a notorious history of exploitation, but they are starting to branch out and can now be found on bananas and some cotton products.

Organic

The USDA Organic eco label is issued by the US Department of Agriculture and it’s one of the most prevalent eco labels. While it isn’t perfect, the USDA standards prohibit the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, antibiotics, GMOs, and more. You can count on these products being more sustainable and in general higher quality.

Others

Rainforest Certified – The Rainforest Alliance eco label certifies products that originate on or have ingredients that come from a farm or forest operation. The certification criteria for the label is designed to conserve wildlife, safeguard soils and waterways, protect workers and their communities, and support long-term sustainability.

This eco label can be found on coffee, chocolate, tea, fruit, flowers, paper products, furniture, and even on some tourism lodges.

Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) – The MSC certification seeks to approve seafood that comes from sustainable fish stocks and that was harvested in a way that minimally impacts the environment. If you like to eat fish but are concerned about your impact, this is good one to keep an eye out for.

See more seafood eco labels here.

Your Action Item:

Just getting started:

If you’re new to eco labels, start looking a bit closer at products and identify these main eco labels. If you have specific areas of concern such as animal welfare, you can research the right eco labels to look for (like Leaping Bunny). I’ve provided a few resources to help you get started in the resources section below.

Advanced conscious consumers:

If you’re already pretty well informed about eco labels, double check to make sure you aren’t getting duped by some of the lesser-known “eco-labels”. Many brands will use fake eco labels and misleading verbiage to gain your trust. If you are unsure of an eco label, do your research and let me know what you find so I can share it with the group!

Want to learn more? Join the club:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<<#3 Consume Smart

#5 Wise Up to Greenwashing >>

---

Resources:

Ecolabelling

In this post I dig a bit deeper into eco labels, including labels for electronics and the B Corp eco label.

Greener Choices

Consumer Reports offers some helpful information about eco labels on food products in their Greener Choices initiative. This site will help you understand the value of eco labels commonly seen on food packaging.

EcoLabel Index

If you find an eco label and you’re not sure what it means, you can look it up here. This has just about every eco label and offers a brief explanation on each. If you search an eco label and don’t find it here, it’s probably phony.

The everyday activist…

Consuming less is great! The next best thing is consuming responsibly. This can be a bit tricky because there are a lot of misconceptions out there, but I’m going to give you some tips and resources to make it a whole lot easier.

For the conscious consumer there are a lot of variables that factor into buying decisions. Here are a few examples:

• Are the ingredients sustainably sourced?
• How far did it travel to get here?
• Can it be re-used or recycled when I’m finished with it?
• What’s up with this packaging?

There are hundreds of variables that contribute to the sustainability of a product and everyone has their own bias about certain aspects. When shopping for personal products like body wash, one person may be highly conscious about animal testing while another is more concerned with microplastics.

Don’t worry: You don’t have to know everything to influence change.

Which cause you care about isn’t as important as how you act on those concerns. The key to having a positive impact is keeping yourself educated about the topics you’re most concerned about and doing your best to buy products that align with your values.

There are many areas of consumer goods that need to be transformed and while it would be nice to consider all factors of a product’s sustainability, it just isn’t practical for everyday citizens to do that. So to start, keep it simple –

Habit #3: Find something you care about and factor that into your shopping decisions.

Already doing this? Super. Here’s what you can do: Jump to advanced tip

If you’re just getting started as a conscious consumer, thank you for making a commitment to changing for the better.

As long as you’re making conscious decisions about what product to buy based on your values you’re redirecting the money you spend which will influence the market. Rather than wearing yourself out by trying to dissect every last aspect of a product and find the greenest one, start with one thing you’re passionate about and expand from there.

A few examples:

• Passionate about worker’s rights? Look for the Fair Trade seal of approval on products like tea, coffee, and bananas.
• Care deeply about the rainforest or chimps? Steer clear of products with palm oil in them.
• Worried about climate change? Buy local produce.
• Concerned about overfishing? Buy sustainably sourced seafood.

There are a lot of tools out there to make shopping smarter easier. I’ll cover a few of the biggies throughout future tips.

No matter what your specific cause is, there are a few guidelines everyone can follow that will significantly reduce the environmental impact of their consumption. I’ll highlight a few of those in the next tip.

Your Action Item:

Think about your regular shopping habits and choose one area to improve. Just one. You can always expand to more later.

Check out the resources section if you need a place to start, or reach out to me with any specific questions.

An easy way to identify sustainable product attributes, and possibly the easiest starting point for beginners, is to look for eco labels. More to come on that soon…

For the experienced conscious consumer:

If you’re already shopping local, buying fair trade, and supporting responsible brands please:

1. Let me know how you’ve incorporated these values into your routine so I can learn and share with the group.
2. Run a quick self assessment. Is there an area where you can improve? If so, set a goal for yourself to improve an area of your regular shopping routine where you can.

 

Hey, are you new here? Get up to speed and stay up:

[mc4wp_form id=”747″]

<< #2 Consume Less

#4 Know Your Eco Labels >>

---

Resources:

How to avoid products with palm oil:

The WWF has a great guide to help you understand which everyday products contain palm oil so you can avoid them.

Say No To Palm Oil has a 28 day challenge that serves as a great recipe and brand guide that will make reducing your palm oil consumption much easier.

Apps to make conscious shopping easier:

Buycott

Buycott is an app that makes it easy to support or boycott specific campaigns when you shop. For example, if you’re against products with GMOs, you can follow the non-GMO campaign and find out which products align with your values. You can boycott things like child labor, whole brands like Nestle, or even “Trump products”. Give it a shot.

Think Dirty

Think Dirty is an app and website that helps women identify safe beauty and personal products by making product and brand research really easy. Not sure about a cosmetic product? Look it up with Think Dirty.