The Sustainable Spot

1.  Shop smart.

• Make informed choices and get to know the story behind the products that you use.  Surround yourself and your loved ones with products that are safe for your health, are ethically made and environmentally friendly.  Use resources such as the Good Guide to help you choose what is best for you.

2.  Shop local.

• It is much easier to know where your food comes from and how it is farmed if you know the person that does it.  Eating locally can be an enjoyable process as you get to know the friendly faces at the food stands at your local farmers market or the neighborhood butcher, baker or brewery and feel good about helping them and your local economy.

3.  Be picky about your protein.

• When it comes to meat, dairy and eggs always choose organic, humane and cage-free.  Avoid eating mainstream meat as it contains added hormones and antibiotics.
• When it comes to seafood, choose sustainable.  Overfishing is a huge threat to our oceans and their health and many fish are caught in ways that are extremely harmful and destructive to the ecosystem.  It’s important to choose the type of fish or shellfish wisely as well as the way they are fished.  Find out more at the Monterey Bay’s Seafood Watch Program.

4..  Say no to single use plastic bottles.

• Save money and plastic waste by switching from plastic water bottles to water filtration system. Read more to learn about your options at Sustainable Ways to Stay Hydrated.

5.  Save money by saving energy at home.

6.  Save money by saving water at home.

7.  Save money by getting more mileage from the pump.

8.  Reduce waste.

• Be sure to recycle everything you possibly can especially electronics as they contain toxic substances that can make their way into water sources if they wind up in a landfill.  Visit Earth 911 and download iRecycle app to find out how and where to recycle everything from batteries to baby products.
• Be creative and reuse everything you can.  Rinse out ziploc bags and reuse, transform wine bottles into candle holders, make mason jars into colorful centerpieces.

9.  Share more.

• From car sharing (carpool, Zipcar) to sharing just about anything and everything (FreeCycle, Yerdle), save money and resources by finding creative new ways to share within your community.

10.  Create.

• These days you can find simple and natural recipes and DIY projects to make everything from homemade face masks to homemade cleaning products.  An easy fun way to save money and make organic products all on your own.

And most of all, wishing you and yours a healthy and happy New Year!!!