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HOLISTIC GUIDE
EcoLiving
EnvironmentallyFIT
By Paige Wolf
From the basic to the less obvious, greening your
lifestyle can save money, time, and maybe the planet.
“Greening” one’s lifestyle has recently become in vogue, but it’s not the sort of trend that can really be
labeled a fad. The importance of the environment and the presence of global warming are only becoming more evident each day, and we are all forced to take a look at the rampant consumerism that has
simply gotten out of control. It is practically impossible to be “eco-perfect.” As much as I try to practice
what I preach, my husband and I still share a 10-year-old SUV we can’t afford to replace and I’ve been
known to throw away a Starbucks cup in a pinch. But I do try very hard to green my life in every way I
can—reducing, reusing, and recycling—and finding it inspiring, creative, and often money-saving!
THE BASICS:
There are a few easy things even the laziest folks can do to make a difference. Swap your incandescent bulbs for longer-lasting, money – and
energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). Keep your thermostat just a couple degrees cooler in the winter and a bit warmer in the
summer to cut your energy consumption and lower your bills. Use a filter for your tap water and reuse your water bottle, which is also a big
money saver. These tips can quickly become second nature.
Reduce − There are so many simple ways to reduce the amount of
“stuff” we use. Take paper, for instance: use both sides, put your printer
on draft mode, and check out changethemargins.com and printgreener.com for more easy ways to save trees. Some stuff we get we don’t
even want—like junk mail! Put a stop to as much as you can with free
services like greendimes.com and catalogchoice.org.
Reuse − One of the easiest things to reuse is shopping bags—the cotton totes are also more durable and easier to carry than paper or plastic. I
like to keep one rolled up in the bottom of my handbag just in case. And
it’s not too hard to find a free one either. Steve Madden uses them as
shopping bags, special events offer them as gift bags, and even make-up
counters have given them away with their bonus gifts.
Recycle − Most parts of the city now offer streamlined recycling,
which means you can put paper, glass, cans, and plastic all in the same
bin. Recycling bins are available for free at several locations or you can
just write “Recycling” on any trash receptacle, which should work just
as well. And if your conscious isn’t enough to get you sorting, recycling
is the law in Philadelphia. If you don’t recycle, you can be fined up to
$300! For more information on how to recycle in your district, visit
recyclingpays.phila.gov.
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HOLISTIC GUIDE
Buy Used – I’ll bet you a carbon offset that you can find the
perfect armoire, roller skates, or lampshade faster on Craigslist.org
than you can at Target. You’d be surprised what people are selling
cheap—and even free! And if gratis is all you can handle right
now, check out Freecycle.org for fabulous freebies and before you
dump some possible treasures of your own. And when it comes
time to stock your office, recycled paper and office supplies save
tremendous amounts of trees and energy. Check out greenlinepaper.com for 100 percent recycled paper and more.
!!
Call for FREE treatment.
of spending $500 on Manolos are over. The chicest wears are oneof-a-kind vintage from Buffalo Exchange and insanely-cheap-used
designer suits from the Career Wardrobe’s monthly sales. For various odds and ends, sprig.com helps you find endless products and
tells you why they’re green, why they’re good, and where to get
them! A map of earth-friendly businesses in your area also can be
found on the Sundance Channel’s eco-community Web site. If you
need something that can’t be found close to home, shopping
online can save serious fuel since you’re already on that UPS
route. For big online shopping savings, check out sites like cheapstingybargains.com.
Go Organic – Organic products are grown without the use of
synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones, and
other harmful additives. Organic food and products are good for
the body, good for the environment, and good for the small-scale
farmers and farm workers who produce them. Plus, organic producers tend to take special care of the environment when packaging and shipping, and buying locally saves on transportation energy and costs. Shops like Whole Foods and Essene do a great job of
stocking locally produced products, but for the best homegrown
bets, check out a local farmer’s market or join a CSA (Community
Supported Agriculture) where you can pick up or even have fresh
produce delivered by a local farm—yes, even in Center City!
Check out localharvest.org to find one near you. What you put on
your body is as important as what you put in it, and there are fabulous organic skin and hair care products on the market that are literally good enough to eat! For a luxurious, organic pampering
experience, try an organic salon and spa like juju salon & organics,
where all the products used are all-natural, non-toxic, and organic.
Use a (Wo) Man-powered Engine–We know you need to ride that
car sometimes, especially if you don’t live in the city. But when
possible, a bicycle is a great way to burn calories without burning
fuel and cab fare. And trust me, it’s true what they say—even if
you haven’t ridden since you were 11, it’s a cinch to get back on!
And instead of trekking the Stairmaster, try something easy and
natural like yoga or Pilates—or just walk.
ken0708
Buy New Smarter – Sorry Sex and the City, but the days
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Turning Dreams Into Reality
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Phone: 856-854-2940
Mobile: 856-266-8898
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It can feel overwhelming to try to make the right environmental
choices all the time, but just a few simple changes and arming
yourself with a little bit of knowledge is enough to create a big
difference.
Paige Wolf is the owner of Paige Wolf Media & Public Relations,
an environmentally-conscious public relations firm in Center
City. For more information or to sign up for the Paige Turner enewsletter, visit www.paigewolf.com. Contact Paige at
[email protected]
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