Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Bike time!

I've been meaning to post about this all summer but every time I sat down, I had another random idea and posted that instead. So today:

Get a bike, get on it and go somewhere!

As a kid, my parents drove me to school every morning, and later, I drove myself. There were no school buses going to my school so we drove the 20km to school, while other friends walked (from a much closer distance). It sounded crazy to me that anyone would ride their bike to school. (Though I knew it'd be possible if I lived closer too.) If someone had asked me what a good distance to bike to school would've been, I wouldn't have been able to say, because I had no concept of the distances vs. speed vs. effort ratios of riding a bike. I had also gotten into the bad habit of driving absolutely everywhere...



Fast-forward a few years and a move to Finland later, subtract the car and money to buy a car but add a shiny yellow bike, and here I am.
This summer I decided to challenge myself. My work place is 7km away (by car) and about 7.5km along a bike path. It sounded like a crazy distance to me at first but I tried it out anyway. It turned out it wasn't the distance that was challenging on this route, but the incline. One morning, after crawling out of bed and procrastinating as much as I could before leaving the house, I biked to work. Even better, I biked back too. It felt really rewarding walking into the office (admittedly a little sweaty, but you can bring a change of clothes too) having already done half an hour of exercise that day. I only took the bus once or twice more after that (on days I thought would be rainy after already biking during the rainy ones - again: change of clothes are key!) but I much preferred my bike. I also have to say, that I have a one speed Jopo (somewhat of a favourite in Finland, pictured above) and I need a fair bit of effort to make my way up hills. As a result, I have people zooming past me every morning as I make my way slowly towards my destination. But I've had a lot of time to think during those trips, and it's quite nice to slow down and take the world in.

In any case, if I can do it, you can do it too!
I have to admit that Finnish bike paths are far more prominent than Toronto ones but short trips to the grocery store are a great way to start, and are especially easy with a basket.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Quick tip: Reusable bottles.

Quick Tip: Carry a reusable water bottle around instead of using disposable cups or plastic bottles (especially PET ones).

You have many options and, much like the cloth bag, I highly recommend you get a bottle you really love and want to carry around.

There are 4 different options (or if you want to think of them as such, schools of thought):

1. Reusable plastic bottles: many people believe that regardless of the type of plastic, some of it may still leach into your water and consequently, your body. There are different types of plastic and this option is better than one-time use bottles but as far as production and disposal goes, they're still produced from fossil fuels and can only be downcycled.

2. Aluminum: is light and quite cheap. I have an aluminum bottle but I'm not in love with it. I do, however, still carry it around everywhere. It's lighter than glass, which is convenient but I'm not sure how long it'll last me. The problem with aluminium is that mold tends to grow in the bottles eventually (though this can be cleaned), so to prevent this, I empty mine and leave it to dry every night.

Not the most beautiful bottle (Asaklitt) but for 5 euros from Clas Ohlson, it's treated me well this summer.

3. Stainless steel: has all the perks (light weight) of an aluminium bottle with the added advantage of higher quality (for which you pay the higher price). If you're looking for an entirely plastic-free stainless steel water bottle, Kleen Kanteen has launched one. (Featured on myplasticfreelife.com) Or check out the product on their website here.

4. Glass: There are some really nice glass bottles you can get, for example, this glass one with a bamboo sleeve from the Canadian site Life without plastic. The bottles are a bit heavier but also very versatile. One of the best suggestions I've read for reusable drinking options is made of glass: a mason jar. Since glass is really easy to clean, you can use it for more than just water (coffee, tea, hot chocolate, juice, soup...anything!) I've actually been having some issues finding mason jars in Finland but since it's packing season now at the end of summer, you may have luck checking out what the bigger grocery stores have in stock.

Quick facts about water bottles here. (I don't completely agree with the 'solution' part of that link but the problem and impact sections are without bias.)

If you want more information on this stuff, do a Google search to see which choice is best for you and what products are offered in your area (or if you're within shipping distance of some of these online stores.)

If you have more thoughts on the subject, feel free to comment and start a discussion.

N.B. After posting this, I found this from a trusted website:
"Plastic may leach chemicals into the water and aluminum bottles are lined with an epoxy resin, some of which has also found to leach into water depending on the brand. Why take a chance? Read [Beth Terry's] posts about bottled water for more information:" http://myplasticfreelife.com/category/issues/issues-bottled-water/

New habits: Start shopping at your local farmers' market.

I couldn't sleep in today, so I decided to wake up and start my day early. The farmers' market a few blocks away is open until 2pm on Saturdays (and every weekday morning) but I like having time to browse so I hopped on my bike and headed there. I've been shopping there for about a month and I only just realized that, although I'm cooking different things, I use more or less the same ingredients every time. I started by walking up and down the isles and looking at all the produce and prices, making mental notes as I go.

What to bring:
+ Bike and bike basket (it speeds up the whole process)
+ Cloth bags to hold everything while walking around
+ Containers (like the Tupperware I already own) or other bags for messier items which need packaging ie. berries
+ an egg carton, if you're planning on buying eggs.

What to look for:
- check the prices.
- check how the items are packaged. wrapped in plastic? put in boxes?
- where do the products come from? I noticed this summer that people were selling cherries from Portugal, for example. Or lettuce and cucumbers wrapped in plastic from the same source as the grocery store (Here I failed to see the point of buying from those stalls.) Talk to the sellers about their products and origins.
- After doing a good warm-up walk around, you'll notice many of the same products on the tables. The products you see most often are those which are in season. In season products are a more sustainable choice than those which require extra resources to produce. I'm still learning "what grows when" but the visual aspects of it at the market makes it easy to understand :)



So now that you know what to look for and what to bring, you just need to find your local market and go there! I love coming home and admiring all the freshness, and I get a thrill out of knowing the stuff is local and not covered in plastic!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Realization: Dishwashing practice makes perfect...

It just so happened that the plastic awareness challenge coincided with me running out of dish washing machine tablets/powder for the first time. Since I've been using up the products I already had before being aware of the harm they were doing, my plan is to switch to eco-friendly products (meaning what I deem to be eco-friendly, not just because it says so on the box) gradually, as I run out.

Yesterday I headed over to the local "green" store, called Ruohonjuuri, in search of something to clean the full dishwasher that was waiting for me at home. I expected, however naively, to find the perfect product there... that wasn't the case. But I did instantly want to blog about the experience because I think it reflects many choices we have to make in our everyday lives when it comes to making greener choices.

This is what I found...
(By the way, I don't know everything about toxins in these types of products but my rule was: if they don't hurt the wildlife, that's usually a good sign AND I kept an eye out for packaging because that's a big concern for me. Also, I didn't have ALL the info you see below but I got it off the company websites for you :) !)


Product #1 - Ecover

Quantity: 25 tablets
Price: 9.20€
Country of origin: Belgium
Website: www.ecover.com
Pros:
+ Cardboard box, made of 95% recycled materials
+ plant based ingredients, not based on petrochemical ingredients
+ no chemical residue left on your dishes
+ GMO enzyme free
+ no artificial fragrance
+ no phosphates nor chlorine bleach
+ optimum level of biodegradability - far exceeds legislative requirements
+ safe for all river and marine life
+ no animal testing
+ safe for septic tanks
Cons:
- Each tablet is individually wrapped in plastic (it's recyclable but you can't recycle plastic in Finland... actually I should look into this...)
- Price

Product #2 - Attitude

Quantity: 26 and 40 tablets
Price: around 12,30€ and 16,38€ (Though only $8 and $11 in Canada!)
Country of origin: Canada (to be more specific, Quebec)
Website: www.labonneattitude.com
Pros:
+ individual sachets dissolve
+ Certified EcoLogo, an Environment Canada program
+ CO2 neutral: no contribution to climate change
+ Vegetable-based / Natural / Biodegradable
+ Free of phosphate and chlorine
+ Free of color dyes and artificial fragrances
+ Pure essential oils
+ Non-carcinogenic (selected ingredients not listed on the IARC Categories 1, 2A or 2B)
+ Vegan product
Cons:
- The 26 pack comes in a thick plastic bag (to protect from moisture)
- The 40 pack came in a hard plastic box
- Price

Product #3 - Alma Win

Quantity: 25 tablets
Price: around 11€ (I don't remember!)
Country of origin: Germany
Website: http://almawin-usa.com/cms/
Pros:
+ Comes in a cardboard box
+ FREE from phosphate, chlorine and GMO
+ Excellent water softening properties
+ Sodium citrate prevents lime deposits on dishes
+ Biodegradable, natural occurring poly aspartic acid aids even dispersion
+ Environmentally-compatible mild oxygen based bleaching agents improve degradation
+ Fragranced with certified organic essential lemon oil
+ Naturally and effectively remove persistent food particles, starch and protein with proteases, not enzymes
+ Suitable for vegans
+ Not tested on animals
Cons:
- Individually plastic wrapped tablets
- More expensive than Ecover (which is packaged the same)

My decision:
I may have to shop around, so I picked Ecover (the cheaper and less-plastic-y of the bunch). In case it doesn't clean my dishes and work my way up (price-wise), I figured it was smarter to start with the cheaper option.

Afterthoughts:
Ironically, I went to a bigger grocery store after and found the same Ecover box for only €6.50. I know stores like Prisma definitely benefit from economies of scale and most of their products are not sustainable but 2.70€/box is a pretty hefty price increase. I went back to Ruohonjuuri today and apologized to the super nice sales person. They still have products you can't find elsewhere though and I plan to support them that way.
Again more irony, I realized I could've tried making the dishwashing powder myself, but I'll have to give that a try later (and post about some dishwashing- vs. dishwasher-related debates). Baby steps.

Do you have any products you'd like to recommend? Have you tried making your own dishwashing powder? Feel free to post about your experiences!

Friday, August 26, 2011

Quick tip: How to make sure everything you can recycle is recycled.

Our apartment is 46m2. For those of you who think in feet, that's 495.13 feet2. (Apparently... that sounds like a big number to me.) But the point is, the apartment is small. In this space, we have a kitchen garbage, a kitchen bio-waste, an 'office-looking' garbage can in the living room, a garbage in the bathroom and some recycling for paper, cans and bottles, which we keep in the hall closet.

It takes about 3 seconds to get to any of these from where ever you'd be standing, yet I still notice that we throw bits of paper in the living room garbage, and tissues in the bathroom garbage. I know from experience, this only gets worse when you live in a house and are too lazy to go all the way downstairs to properly dispose of paper, tissues, etc.

The solution?
Have recycling and composting options readily available throughout the house.



In the bathroom:
- you can add a folded newspaper to use for composting, or a biodegradable bag (newspapers are better but we only rarely get them)
- Write a little note in the garbage bin (not the bio one) that bio waste doesn't go in there. I did this mostly to remind myself but also for guests!
In the living room:
- we use our garbage for plastic packaging or other non-recyclable waste, cut-up credit cards, etc.

Although it's an easy change, I find it so worthwhile to see every tiny piece of paper or tissue being diverted from the landfill. Especially since it's much easier to make recycled paper than it is to make it from pulp.

Last note: Here's a video and the same step-by-step instructions in a PDF from the City of Ottawa on how to fold a newspaper to use for composting! I was also really impressed with this video for a different shape. I haven't tried them yet (have to get newspaper from somewhere) but I wanna hear about your experiences if you do!

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Quick tip: Switch off the lights.

I'll be the first to admit, I never understood the point of occasions such as Earth hour. For those of you who are not familiar with Earth Hour (now I'm second guessing myself and wondering if that's what it was really called): earth hour was an hour once a year when everyone around the world turned off their lights for a full 60 minutes. This usually coincided with Earth Day on April 23d, which is meant to remind us about environment issues.

As you may have guessed, today's quick tip is about conserving energy in the form of lighting. (I'll keep it simple and keep heating out of this until the fall and winter months are upon us.)
Quick tip: Only turn on the lights you need, and only keep them on for however long you need them.




Remember how much fun you would have as a kid during power outages? (I was scared of the dark for a long time but power outages were always fun!) How about spending time at a cottage without electricity and lighting candles once the sun went down?
Here's a short list of things that are fun to do by candlelight or in the dark:
- Playing board games or cards
- Eating dinner
- Having friends over for wine!
- Sleeping
- Romance
- Listening to music

Last words: I recently found out that beeswax candles are the best option. This is because they contain "no paraffin, benzene, acrolyn, lead, stearic acid, or any other chemicals. As a result no toxic petrochemical by-products are released during the burning of beeswax candles." Source. For this reason, I'm burning whatever candles I have now and will make the switch once I burn through my current toxic candles.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

This week's challenge: Plastic awareness.

I was going to post about something else tonight but in the last few hours, I’ve gotten excessively antsy about plastic. You may have noticed that my blog lacks the usual abundant and frightening amount of statistics that comes with most environmentally-related information.
The usual tactic: scare and then encourage (change).
My approach is rather: awareness (which you do yourself) and then change. I’m not going to fill this post up with scary statistics about plastic and waste, I’ll limit myself to one fact okay, two facts, and a challenge. So here goes…

Plastic facts:
1. Plastic cannot be recycled, it can only be downcycled. [Want to know more about downcylcing? Click here.] So all the plastic that is produced will eventually end up in landfills.
2. Just like the tobacco and alcohol industry, the plastic industry has lawyers and individuals who lobby the government in order to ensure themselves a profitable future. [This to say that we can’t rely on the government to pass laws. We need to start changing our habits and asking governments to change these laws.]

This mid-week’s challenge:
Observe, or if you’re motivated enough keep a list, of all the plastic in your life. Look around your home, the grocery store (warning: that’s the scariest part), at work, at school, at restaurants and where ever else.


My own on-going exploration with awareness brought me to realize that the products I use in my bathroom need improvement…


I look forward to your comments, realizations and even pictures!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

2 easy tips for buying less clothes (while still keeping things interesting.)

This weekend has been pretty eventful, due in large part to the fact that I got to attend my first wedding as an adult! (The other 3 occurred while I was between the ages of 2 and 13 so my memories escape me a little.)

I had a dress all picked out and I'd aimlessly left it lying on the bed. When Juha walked into the bedroom, he asked "What's this?" to which I replied that that's what I'd be wearing to his cousin's wedding on Saturday. "But the invitation says 'smart casual.'"

"Oh."

I didn't end up buying anything new though, so here's how I did it.

Tip 1: When dressing up for an occasion, invite a few friends over (1 or 2 days ahead of time) and ask them to rummage through your closet and dress you.
Maybe this is more of a tip for women, but regardless, it would work for men too. (Ask your girlfriend, sister, mom, friend, etc.)


Because seriously, when are you ever gonna wear this again? Credit here.


What ended up happening is that Juha's mom and sister were also wondering what to wear. They invited me over and since I had been with my friends that afternoon, we stopped by to give a trifecta of opinions! When a belt or scarf would have completed the outfit, one of us was likely to own it if the other didn't.

After this exercise, we headed to my place where I proceeded to empty out my closet, gather all my shoes and open up my jewelry box! Not only did I end up with a great outfit that I would've struggled to put together on my own, but I wore a few items which had been sitting in my closet with the tags still on, and the whole thing lasted about 10 minutes. Best of all, the total cost of the entire operation was $0.

This brings me to tip 2: Give your clothes away, swap them when they don't fit and borrow when you need something for an occasion.

A friend of mine did this a few months ago. She invited people over for an evening, and it just so happened she had emptied out her closet that day. She had a big pile of clothes on her bed and they were all up for grabs. Whatever we didn't want, she'd try to sell or give away.

This doesn't only apply to clothes but also shoes that never quite fit you but you love (you'll still see them around but on your friend instead) or other pieces which you've tried to incorporate into your wardrobe but it just hasn't worked (after trying out Tip 1). Whatever is left that none of your friends want, you can give away to second hand stores or recycling pickups. Of course there are still some things you'll need to buy new (underwear, socks, comfortable shoes, etc.) but try this method before heading to the store.


Isla Fisher in the movie Confessions of a Shopaholic, photo credit here.

What's in it for you?
- It's fun.
- You save a lot of money.
- You reuse and enjoy clothes (as they pass from hand to hand) instead of throwing them away.
- You discover different combinations, freshen up your style and keep boredom at bay.
- Your friends can do the same when they want to get rid of something and you'll be on the receiving end.

Related posts:

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Why sustainability is shedding its hippie image.

In North America, sustainability, environmentalism or eco-friendliness are often falsely associated with hippies, poor hygiene and a love of peace. It’s only recently that it’s dawned on me, as I tried to defend my recent interests, that this does not apply all over the world. People in different countries and of different cultures do not associate the environment and its preservation with a skewed stereotype that is meant to put the majority of people off the idea entirely. So how is it that those things were associated to begin with? And why should we change this perception?


If you're not familiar with 'said perception' of a hippie and/or are looking for photo credit click here.

hip•pie
[hip-ee] noun
a person, especially of the late 1960s, who rejected established institutions and values and sought spontaneity, direct personal relations expressing love, and expanded consciousness, often expressed externally in the wearing of casual, folksy clothing and of beads, headbands, used garments, etc.
Thank you, dictionary.com.

They may not all wear bellbottoms, experiment with hallucinogenics, refuse to wash their hair and rally in protest of the government but the baby boomers from the 60s and 70s are, for the most part, still around.
I have to pause here and reflect on this image… and how American it is, because to some, it seems like a global phenomenon. My parents, and all those related to me who were alive in the 1960s and 1970s were largely cut off from this phenomenon due to the fact that they were born behind the iron curtain. For this reason, I myself have never quite been able to understand, nor romanticize the notion of hippiness.. or hippihood?
Their purpose was the pleasure of living without the hardships of those who lived through the two World Wars and the Great Depression had to suffer through and maybe today isn't all they had imagined but its definitely different than yesterday.

Okay, so what does that have to do with the environment?

I wanted to bring up that idea of the original hippie, not to wake the one within you, but rather to contrast it with the incorrect stereotype of today. When I bring up the environment in conversation or vegetarianism or pollution or over-consumption, I notice a change in people’s perceptions. Like this whole time they had thought I was someone ‘normal’ and suddenly they’ve discovered I’m one of ‘those people’ who has lost the joy of riding in a car or eating steak: the tree-huggers.


These crazy kids came from here.

The more you disassociate the two, the hippie and the environmentalist, the more likely you are to realize that we're all in the same boat. I simply think that these perceptions are instilled in us for a reason: money and fear (and denial.) Okay 3 reasons, but denial and fear go hand-in-hand.
To put it simply, whenever there have been times of change, there have been those to resist it. The future is unknown to us and so we fear it. The present is frightening with scientists crunching numbers for when we'll destroy the planet and generations to come will suffer and yet we don't know what to do about it. Yet, there are some very powerful people who want to continue profiting from the way we are currently living. There's nothing wrong with profit (most of you know I went/go to business school) when all the externalities have to be accounted for (which right now is not the case.)

So where does that leave us?

Well that’s really up to you. Hippies and those conscientious about the environment do have something in common, and it’s not pants, hair nor drugs. It’s a revolution. But while one set of people took to the streets, protesting the system and arguing against war, the other set is going about it much more silently. Changing habits little-by-little, talking to family and friends, coming up with solutions to help one-another, getting the government involved, revolutions can come in many forms. So although there are similarities, there are also stark differences. Habits and years of them stand between where we are now and where we’d like to be (in terms of consumption, pollution, conservation, sustainability and other big scary issues that need tackling) but we need to start somewhere…

And that’s where this blog comes in.
(And the infinite resources of the internet. But “And that’s where this blog comes in” sounded catchier.)

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Life motto: Be the change you want to see in the world.

Do you ever happen upon a really dirty area in your neighbourhood? Is there a bench in a park you love that always seems to pile up a lot of garbage?

I've been spending a lot of time wondering about this lately and asking myself how people can care so little for their surroundings. It just so happens that I think many people care, but sometimes they're waiting for someone to come along and ask them to help. This is why today, I want to talk about a motto that a friend of mine cites as her inspiration.

Life motto: Be the change you want to see in the world.

Last night, I got home late and noticed that outside a neighbour's balcony, the ground was covered in cigarette butts. I found this repulsive last night, and woke up this morning with the urge to go clean it up. I toyed with the idea of leaving it there for a bit so the negligent neighbour could see the harm he'd done but I worried that the wind would blow everything around. So instead, I wrote the person a letter, asking him to use an ashtray next time. Then, I went outside and picked up 207 cigarette butts off the street. (Yes, you read that right.) I used a thicker plastic bag I had as a glove and a little bread bag to hold the garbage. I've also decided that when I deliver my letter, I'll also return the bag to its rightful owner.

Before:

After:

All 207 of them, plus a few packets of snuff, a ball of paper towel and 2-3 empty packs of cigarettes.

To be honest, I noticed people staring at me this morning while I was doing this and that made me happy (though I also felt slightly awkward!) I don't think it looked like I'd been out partying the night before so I hope they didn't think that was my mess. But if you see someone doing a clean-up like that, you're more likely to go out and do one yourself. Which is actually how I ended up out there in the first place...

I've been having a lot of ideas lately. Some of them are good, like this blog (I hope!) and some of them not so much. I'm sure I'm not the only person with ideas and that's why I think when you have a good one, you should go with it. Try it out, see if it can work, and when it takes off, you'll be all the more grateful for trying.

For example, my friend Donna has been taking the bus to and from the city for the past 2 years. Through the changing seasons, she's noticed that the bus stops can sometimes be really filthy places. To remedy this, she spoke to a friend about going out there and cleaning them up herself (even though there's a company who owns them and therefore should look after them properly.) The friend she spoke with offered to help and said she's sure other people would come help too!

So here we are, a few weeks later, organizing an event to gather the community together and show people we can make a difference. Tampere has been getting increasingly dirtier, especially during the weekends after long nights of partying (and sadly, littering). Over 60 people are expected to come help out and the local newspaper Aamulehti will be there to take pictures, talk to people and write about the event so more people can hear about it.

It hasn't been all smooth sailing though. It can be quite discouraging to walk around and see lots of trash sitting there or blowing in the wind, but we have to believe that people didn't realize what harm they were causing when they threw that trash there. Some people don't see a point in picking it up, while others think it's a great idea and are bringing the kids to teach them about it too. But what I take away from this, is that many ideas can turn into something really positive and that even making a small difference, for example, in terms of garbage picked up, can end up inspiring people to do the same, or at least, think twice about throwing garbage on the ground.

I'll post more about the event on Sunday, after it takes place!

Update: I just went over to the building and spoke with the guy who had the party. I rang his bell, handed him the note (no mailbox) and gave him the bag of butts. I really don't feel any anger and he seemed like a nice guy, just embarrassed. I think that keeping an open mind and being friendly always goes a long way too.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Still a long way to go!

In the interest of self-disclosure, I just bought some new flats that have nothing to do with the environment. I pondered about whether or not I should post this but decided I didn't want to come off as someone who does everything right without any effort, because that wouldn't be true. So instead, shoes go on my eco-friendly wishlist for next purchase!



I had seen them weeks, if not months, ago but at 96€ full price, there was no way I was gonna gamble on another pair of flats. Since they went on sale though, and I knew I really loved them, I went back and got them today.
[See my previous post on only buying stuff you love.]

I'd been trying to decide which items get my focus when it comes to sustainable-living and I've decided that I'm of the opinion that shoes should be made for the individual and not bought second-hand. Though I suppose if they're heels or party shoes and you wear them rarely then the fact that they're not shaped to your foot is not a huge problem. Otherwise, I have some issues with the hygiene of it all but you could make sure they're properly sterilized too.
The irony was that when I was trying them on, I looked up at some other shoes. They were really colourful and, I have to admit, pretty ugly, but they were 100% recycled. The guilt hit me a little but the style was so far from what I'd wear that I couldn't even consider wearing them, let alone ever paying money for them. It seemed to me there are lots of options for eco-friendly shoes which are comfortable but they are restricted to more casual styles... that was before I came home and Googled a little and found this article: Top 10 Eco Friendly, Socially Conscious and Vegan Shoes. Okay so it's not the perfect article because those shoes aren't 100% perfect either, but each of them has something sustainable, whether production methods, content or labour. I was thinking more along the lines of Simple shoes or another shoe company which I cannot find right now, despite the last half an hour I just spent Googling...

What can I say? I have a long way to go. I hope they last me forever. My next purchase will be sustainable! I welcome your comments and suggestions.

Making tough choices? Figure out your priorities.

I met my friend Donna today because I'm helping her organize a community garbage pick-up event this coming Sunday and we had some running around to do. One of the spots we ran through was Tampere's central square, which is host to a variety of festivals and different vendors throughout the summer. This is one big reason that the center has tons of garbage flying around it but there are also nice things available there. This week, the theme is French Cuisine and products!

The bakery has a line running through the square (it's run out of a truck) and other vendors are selling candy, fresh nuts or even soaps! I noticed a huge stand of French natural soaps from Marseilles and couldn't resist. I promised myself that I'd stop buying liquid soaps, in an effort to reduce waste. In addition, I've been buying only soaps without any waste at all (no packaging, no bags, etc.) They usually tend to run about 5-8euros/bar but I get such joy out of using them that I don't mind paying a few euros extra, and they last long too.

Today in the square, the soaps cost 5 euros each or 5 for 20 euros. I got so excited but there were a few things to consider:
+ no waste
+ natural soaps
+ great price
- driven in a truck from France
- production impact unknown
= how do you calculate that?

In the end, I came home with 5 bars of them and had a photo shoot! It's sometimes hard to make decisions like that but those decisions are part of every day life. I'm trying to make lots of choices at the same time, and all my intentions are good: I don't want to have a negative impact on my surroundings. But this takes some getting used to and should be done step-by-step (especially since this is in the sub-title of this blog.)

So the moral of this story, and the lesson for this post is: Figure out your priorities.

If energy and water are more important for you, focus on those. If emissions are on your mind, reduce those first. If waste is your most pressing concern, start with that. I could keep going but you get the point. So long as you're aware and you start somewhere, you're heading in the right direction.

And now for the photo shoot... (these should last me about a year!)





Easy adjustment: Only buy things you really like.

Okay shopaholics, this one is for you, but hear me out first.

An easy life adjustment that would save you space, be good for your bank account and good for the planet is:
Only buy what you really like love.


I myself am still trying hard to put this into practice but I think I'm getting better at it. This is usually how it works:
- I realize I need something (cheese grater, candle, table, etc.)
- I go to the store and buy the first one I see.
- I bring it home and I don't really like it.
- I keep an eye out for a better one.
- I find one and feel guilty having two. (I may or may not keep them both or give one away or even worse, throw the one I don't like out.)
The end.

Alternatively, it could work this way:
- I'm already at the store and see something I like.
- I think for a few minutes how it would look at home or in my closet (or not even.)
- I buy it.
- I bring it home.
- It never gets any use... and even worse, I feel guilty.
The end.

So here's my proposal on how this should work:
- I see or think of something I need.
- I do some research about prices, analyse your closet or kitchen or where ever this thing would go. Check out my favourite websites/stores, like www.etsy.com (They're not paying me to promote them, I just stumbled across it a few weeks ago and think it's a great idea. There are lots of cool things on there.)
- I find something I really love.
- I buy it. I use it. I love it.

I realize I may be coming off as slightly idealistic but I haven't given up on window shopping. I use it as a way of brainstorming for things that I would really love to own and then I keep a look out for them. If you wanna go a step further, step into a second-hand or vintage store every once in awhile and see if someone is selling something you really want to own. This includes waiting and saving up for something that's high quality and will last you longer. Once I started being aware that objects can actually make me happy if I've really, really found something I love, I started being more careful about what I choose to buy.

For example...


...I've been wanting a new strainer for a long time. We own an ugly plastic one, which I really don't like. I don't remember where it came from but I'm guessing we've had it for awhile. My friend showed me her beautiful strainer one day while we were cooking in her kitchen and I've been dreaming of one ever since. I went to Bonus Kirppis on Itsenäisyydenkatu in Tampere and found the perfect one! I actually found two: a red one and a green one, but settled on the green one because it was randomly 2 euros cheaper. I still love it though, and I get a certain pride out of using it. Those are the kinds of objects I want in my life, not the ones that give off guilt for being mistreated or left to gather dust.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Quick tip: Take the stairs!

Our lives are often filled with lots of stress and running around. Ironically, none of it is actually associated with running or getting much movement at all. In the process, we've also forgotten how to stay active as we automatically hit the elevator button or head straight for the escalator when the stairs are within sight.

Quick tip: Take the stairs - every time!
Even if your friends/neighbours/strangers are taking the elevator.

I started doing this in July, and it's now almost mid-August. The only exceptions I've made were for carrying really heavy or bulky things (like my vacuum cleaner - don't ask) up and down the stairs. I've found that it challenges me to take a few extra steps and regardless of how high up you're headed, it can also be fun!




Now you may not save the world by saving a few buttons-worth of electricity used to power an elevator but to convince you, I've made a list of reasons to take the stairs every time:
- More exercise (up and down the stairs)
- Less guilt (I feel great!)
- More energy (thanks to more exercise)
- If you're proactive about this, you'll end up making a bit of extra effort in other areas of your life. (ie. Like riding your bike to the grocery store or the farmer's market.)
- Less need to go to the gym (depending on how many stairs a day you climb, this could be a valuable source of exercise! Why waste time on the stair-master when you can just get in the habit of doing it regularly, and for free.)
- The feeling of accomplishment that comes from doing a little extra.
- Sexy legs! (That's right. I said it.)
- Not using extra electricity when your legs can carry you. And saving it for when you need it. (ie. Like when you bring home furniture!)
- It's fun!


While brainstorming about this entry I happened upon some really great pictures of staircases, maybe they'll inspire and remind you to take the stairs! Click here for more.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Awareness.

This next post is just as important as the previous one on canvas bags, but it's more of a mental exercise. I wouldn't call it a quick tip either though, but once you start thinking about it and noticing it, a lot of things get pretty obvious (and I find it's really hard to stop thinking about it... which is really good news!).

Today's tip: Be aware.

It has been said that every purchase is a political decision. I know I've thought this was extreme before, and I'm sure there are others who still think it's extreme. But once I started looking around at the packaging (plastic, paper, metal, glass, etc.) that are used in every-day products, it's hard not to notice anymore.

Don't just try this at the grocery store (where this exercise is at its scariest) but look at clothes, shoes, electronics, accessories, beauty products and pretty much anything else. Be aware of how things are packed in the store, and also what they are made of. Start thinking beyond the product's usage span and into its entire life cycle: from beginning to end.
Can you reuse the packaging somehow?
Will this go straight to the landfill?
Can the parts be recycled after you're done using it?
Will the company take back any of it for recycling and future production?

I'll build on this more in future posts but for now, that's your challenge: notice and register! The subsequent changes will come.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Quick tip: The cloth bag.

Replace any and all plastic bags used to carry any forms of shopping with reusable cloth bags (and bring them with you where ever you go).

You probably get the idea, but a few notes...

I find it really important to love at least one of your cloth bags (since you can have several.) So don't buy just any bag, but find out which is aesthetically pleasing and you enjoy carrying around with you. This is ironic since you don't spend too much time worrying about what your plastic bags look like but that's just it; this isn't a one-time (or few-time) use plastic bag, but a durable bag (like a unisex purse)!

I have a few bags and I usually carry them around in my purse. I found this a bit challenging at first because I'd always forget to take them with me but then I made a small effort to make a habit of it. Guys can put these in a backpack or a bag they have or even just carry it around as a bag with your wallet and keys in it. I'm also open to other suggestions.
Now, even if I'm not going out shopping, I don't leave the house without one. If you have a car, this is even easier because you can leave a few of them in the car.

This is my favourite cloth bag:



It's from Marimekko (a Finnish textile and design company) and it was a gift from my friend Emilia.



The reasons I love this bag so much:
1. The design.
2. The colours (or shades if you're being specific.)
3. The fact that it's made from Silver-medal materials. (This means that the textiles were not gold-quality but close and were thus used for another purpose than their main purpose.) There are probably more eco-friendly bags out there but since I already own this bag and love it, there's no reason to get rid of it and replace it with another. While we're at it, Marimekko is also synonymous with high quality, so it's bound to last me many trips to the market!

Update: There's currently a lawsuit being launched by multiple plastic bag companies against Chicobags, a company which sells reusable bags, due to the content of their website. Their website has a 'Learn the Facts' section which explains why using reusable bags is more sustainable than using plastic bags. (Apparently this is bad for the plastic bag industry.) The petition can be found here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/191/658/839/