Why Reduce?

I won’t teach you to suck eggs but here’s a quick recap:

1. the global supply of raw materials is finite / limited (we need to get creative and smart, not just with what we use but also how much of it we use)
2. toxins and pollutants are destroying the air, water and land, including farming and forests – let’s face it we all need air, water and land to sustain a healthy, happy lifestyle for generations to come.
3. Reducing what we consume saves valuable time and money

Why is it hard to make changes?

Changes in general are hard to make but with green changes there is a sense of the unknown. The flip side is an excessive amount of new information has overwhelmed us. We are still in the digestion stage.

Oh, and we typically move forward when a few more people take the plunge. Lead by example to keep the momentum.  I’m here to break this down into little chunks to help you with the changes. Ultimately these adjustments will help you save money, the planet and your health.

Once we understand what actions are the best ones we can move forward!

What are the areas we need to reduce?

Reduction is not just about garbage anymore, the scope has become much larger. There is a constant state of flux – we need to continually review and improve our efforts.

30 Questions to Ask:

Energy:

1. Will this product cut down my energy consumption (water, electricity, heating/cooling)?
2. What is the Carbon Imprint (CO2 emissions) to make, deliver & use this product?

Product & Packaging:

1. Is it certified? (i.e. Energy Star, EcoLogo, EcoCert, Rainforest Alliance, FSC, USDA Organic, and Fair Trade)
2. Is it organic, natural, biodegradable, hypo-allergenic & non toxic?
3. Is there an alternative to plastic? (i.e. stainless steel, glass)
4. Is the company committed to the environment?
5. Is it made with recycled material?
6. Is the material reusable or recyclable?
7. Is it sustainable? (will the resources “die out” – think of overfishing)
8. Can I avoid making garbage with it?
9. Can I buy in bulk?
10. Is the packaging excessive?
11. Can I avoid a bag, container or wrapping? (bring your own – mug, bag, lunch, container)

Paper:

1. Can I replace disposable paper with cloth product or rag?
2. Is this made from recycled material?
3. Is there an renewable alternative (such as bamboo or hemp)?
4. Is this bleach free?
5. How can I reuse this paper product?
6. Can I eliminate my mail?

Location:

1. Can this be found locally?
2. Is there a lot of transportation or travel involved to get this?

Philosophical:

1. Do I  REALLY need this?
2. Can I reduce my activities to a few that I really enjoy? (and do more of them)
3. If I simplify and reduce what I own how much money can I save?
4. Can I get money from the things I don’t use?
5. Is there an area of my life I can simplify?
6. Can I wait 30 days to see if I really want this?
7. Will this save money?
8. Will it make a difference – globally?

Water:

1. Will this product save water consumption or protect it from pollutants?

There certainly are many more questions you can ask but just start to review this list and ask these questions and you will start to rapidly educate yourself and get in a habit of green change.
In our next article we will help you disseminate all this info with some cool resources and a short list for the simplest things you can do, the things that have the biggest impact and the things that will save you the most money.

if you liked this post, take a gander at these ones!

• 12 obvious ways to reduce household waste
• impact of disposable paper products on the environment
• the impact of not recycling
• green changes that make a big impact
• 8 traits of eco friendly packaging