I'm thrilled to share today's special q + a with Hillary Mendelsohn, editor-in-chief of thepurplebook series. I met Hillary about a year ago, and she's a remarkable self-starter that created thepurplebook shopping guides to answer her own struggle as a mom trying to find the best of the web in the most efficient way. Just as Zagat is my go-to guide for restaurants, thepurplebook has become a favorite shopping guide for me. (I'm a big fan of thepurplebook's wedding edition too, which was so helpful during wedding planning.) Hillary and her team really did their homework to find the best online eco-friendly stores in thepurplebook green edition. I'll share more on her green shopping guide soon. For now, here's one of my favorite evergreen experts, Hillary Mendelsohn.
1. three simple ways you've gone greener
Well, I never throw away anything that works– especially advice– so I’ll start by telling you the same thing recommended in thepurplebook green and dozens of eco articles: I bought reusable containers so I can stop using disposable ones. I probably get the most use out of my cloth grocery bags, which I keep in my car so I’m always ready to stop at the grocery store without having to resort to using disposable plastic bags. But my water bottle is also indispensable.
So far as that goes, I’ve tried to drive less by accomplishing more when I do need to use my car, like stopping at that grocery store on the way home rather than making a second trip of it. Living in a sprawl like Los Angeles, it’s especially important to make my driving time more efficient by coordinating errands… so if I know I have to go to a certain part of town one day, I’ll plan my itinerary to include other stops along the way. The more I can pack into a single car trip, the less gas I use and the more time I have left to go on a hike, or sit on the beach; you know, enjoy our environment?!
In the same spirit, I try to optimize my laundry and dishwashing loads to conserve water (also of huge importance in Southern California!). I wash bigger loads using nontoxic detergents, and when weather and air quality allows, I’ll put up the clothesline to air dry. Notice, of all these things I’ve mentioned, hanging laundry is the only thing that comes remotely close to being inconvenient. It’s amazing how just becoming aware of your actions sometimes is all it takes to make the subtle change to a greener lifestyle.
2. last green purchase
Believe it or not I still have a few things around the house that take the traditional 9-volt or AA batteries, so I picked up some rechargeable batteries from Green Batteries to keep my smoke detectors and remote controls working without having to constantly buy disposable batteries, which notoriously leak chemicals. Of course, I keep the battery charger unplugged when I’m not using it– it and any charger for your phones, cameras or computers suck power from an outlet even when they’re not in use!
3. one green initiative you'd like to see enacted in your community
As many businessmen and politicians like to point out, it’s up to individuals to make personal lifestyle changes to reduce their negative impact on the environment. However, there are so many ingrained common practices that are systemic and will ultimately require legislation to remedy. One that drives me crazy is the use of polystyrene carry-out containers in restaurants. The Styrofoam will never be recycled, and will not fully decompose for centuries, but just about every restaurant owner I speak to claims the difference in cost keeps them from switching to something more responsible, despite the fact there are increasingly affordable options available for all manner of disposable catering supplies. Others mistakenly think they’re using “recyclable polystyrene” because it bears the number 6 within the recycling arrows symbol. Of course, every plastic container is marked with a recycling number, 1-7, but of these numbers only 1, 2 and occasionally 5 indicate recyclable materials. In either case, this doesn’t seem to be a problem that will be resolved without community enforcement. Until tighter restrictions are in place, the Green Restaurant Association can help you stick to restaurants with better than average sustainability.
4. best green gift you've given, received, or coveted
Seeing as part of having a greener lifestyle being able to sleep at night, it’s hard not to covet the luxury organic cotton sheets offered by AnnaSova. The high-grade cotton has been bleached, washed and dyed using eco-friendly processes and boasts a 600 thread count– that’s my idea of a good sleep all right!!
5. hardest habit to break to be more eco-friendly
One of the toughest areas to go green is personal hygiene. While there are some eco-friendly grooming products that work, a lot of “all-natural” products either don’t perform well, or use clever ingredients lists to mask the use of chemicals. But the bigger problem is finding toiletries, skin and hair products that don’t use plastic packaging, often inefficiently (think about how much deodorant is actually in one of those plastic tubes). In the case of better-known national brands, you may find bulk size shampoo or liquid handsoap, which will minimize the amount of plastic you use, but unless you have a local co-op that lets you refill reusable containers with all-natural grooming products, there’s no easy answer here.
6. three ways you want to be greener this year
One way to reduce your personal impact is to control how you eat. Raising cattle requires a huge amount of natural resources and often contributes to deforestation (not to mention the methane gas produced by a large herd!), so I can easily reduce my carbon footprint by eating less beef. Also, by shopping for locally-grown produce, I’m more likely to find organic fruits and vegetables, and know that less energy was used to package and ship food that’s being grown nearby anyway.
Another way I’m looking to contribute to a greener culture is to buy products manufactured from recycled materials. I have been recycling for years, and I think pretty much everybody by this point has gotten good at separating glass, paper and metal out of their regular trash (and hopefully numbers 1 and 2 plastic!). However, that’s only half the story, and I think we need to all be open to buying products made from recycled materials to close that loop. These days you can find clothes, accessories, toilet paper, yoga mats — the list goes on.
Of course, you mentioned eco-friendly gifts earlier, and that’s really a great way not only to participate in the green economy, but to promote it among your friends and family. Some people may just not know where to get started with their own eco-lifestyle, and may appreciate the gesture. Or, I can just pick out a gift card to a good eco-friendly shop, such as Gaiam, EcoChoices, or GreenFeet. We happen to have a book full of great web shops that offer terrific gifts… and I happen to think thepurplebook green edition is a pretty good green gift itself!
A big thank you to Hillary for being a part of Green Swap!
{green swap photograph by charlotte jenks lewis}
friday's q+a: ben jervey
tomorrow's q+a: lindsey and gwen of the laundress
what's green swap? find out more here
