Personal Sustainability Program

According to the post, Who's the Biggest Greenwasher of Them All?, consumers are the biggest greenwashers.  And perhaps, rightfully so.
 
The author, Joel Makower states, "For more than two decades, they've said one thing and done another, making outsized claims about their environmental commitments — and the actions they take where they live, work, and play — with little evidence to back up those claims." “If consumers were a corporation, we'd be boycotting them."
 
Which brings us to the case in point: Sustainability is two sides of the same coin.   Business sustainability and personal sustainability.   Businesses are stepping up to the plate.  As a consumer, are you?  At the PEW Center for Climate Change's Energy Efficiency Conference held in Chicago last April, one of the plenary session speakers stated a remarkable statistic.  Only 8% of what you DO is sustainable -- the other 92% is in the supply chain -- in other words, what you BUY.
 
As a result, we may not always have time to participate in the latest cause or campaign, but we do have one very powerful tool to affect social change… our consumer dollar. How we spend our money speaks volumes about our beliefs and values.
 
Noted in our sustainability consulting, sustainability needs educated consumers.  Everything you buy affects the Earth, but some choices have a lesser impact. Educating yourself about the products you buy can empower you to make a difference in protecting the planet. It's called "green purchasing," and it's easy to do. As a green living consultant, I've found the problem is, most people are simply not aware of the problems associated with purchasing less sustainable products, let alone the solutions.
 
So if the problem is a lack of education, then who is responsible for fixing it? We are.  Individually, we have a responsibility to seek out information on sustainable products and companies.  The easiest way to promote a sustainable lifestyle is by living your values. Sustainable purchasing is one way to demonstrate that value.  In fact, getting others involved in your purchasing habits is a great way to spread eco awareness to friends, neighbors, and others in your community.   

When you look back, what will be the defining moment in your company’s history?  Will it be a point of inspired action that lead to success or will it be a look back at a missed opportunity?  Chances are that this turning pint will come down to a definable and distinct moment of clarity and a simple decision to do something different. 

Exploring past choices and discussing resulting outcomes with business leaders, our professional consulting finds inaction is most often the greatest point of regret when business leaders look back on past business choices.  However, we still find many organizations in the current economic climate businesses are still ‘inactively’ waiting to see what is going to happen next rather than taking business sustainability ‘action’ now.
 
With more companies beginning to evaluate profitability and business sustainability as a similar pursuit,  the sustainability value proposition is becoming more defined.  Over the last few years, we have seen a noticeable step-change in the clarity of sustainability concepts and a resulting refinement of understanding within the business world.  In particular, our personal and professional consulting has witnessed a significant shift in the knowledge of our own client base as well as the general public’s expectations of corporate action. 

•    Is your business ready? 
•    Will you be on the front or trailing end in your industry?
•    Could you transform the future of your company with immediate action?

By leading the business sustainability conversation and facilitating alignment with business partners, an organization is setting itself up for business sustainability success.  At Taiga Company, our professional consulting encourages business leaders to take an internal approach to sustainability.  We help build focused business sustainability programs that define internal sustainability values in conjunction with key business stakeholder interests.  

Sometimes, corporate sustainability is like playing telephone.  Witnessed from a high level, a company's corporate sustainability plan may embrace all the right frameworks, include the buzz words, and authentically and credibly, embrace sustainability initiatives.  However, witnessed from the employee level, all that jargon and vision may be lost. 
 
While there may be a disconnect  between a corporate sustainability plan and the practical application in an employee's day to day activities, perhaps energy efficiency measures is one way to connect the two while simultaneously improving productivity by creating meaningful work. 
 
Employee engagement is an effective, but possibly underutilized strategy for improving energy efficiency.  In fact, energy efficiency can be a gateway to wider business innovation and engage stakeholders in broader process evaluations.  Suggestions made in our eco friendly training include:

• First establishing a baseline of consumption for benchmarking efforts.
• Create an energy policy for the business.  Using your consumption information, you may want to identify areas of improvement.  
• Implement behavior and usage modifications. 
• Measure and monitor your progress.
• Communicate your success and appreciation to employees for taking eco action.

 
Tying corporate sustainability initiatives to day to day processes makes CSR more personable to an employee and helps employees to identify their role in corporate responsibility.  Additionally, energy efficient  programs educate and inform workers of best practices in reducing energy consumption that can be applied at home and in the community expanding eco awareness and sustainability concepts from the workplace into the community for even greater energy savings.

How does your business view the current economic, political, and socially conscious business environment?  Are you taking advantage of the sustainable business strategies available to your business to increase productivity as well as stay a step ahead in the business sustainability conversation?
 
For many business executive searching for answers, now may the perfect time to revisit traditional business plans and strategies.  Our professional consulting finds progressive companies are considering changes that more accurately reflect current business sustainability risks and opportunities.
 
A business sustainability plan can be a road map for a company to truly differentiate itself in an increasingly competitive and consumer conscious market.  It is also an opportunity to communicate to stakeholders and the broader business world that the company is headed in a positive direction, responsive to change, and committed to addressing current expectations. 
 
As a sustainability consultant to small and growing businesses, we advise our clients to continuously review their business plans, keeping stakeholder expectations and sustainability concepts in mind.  Businesses looking to reduce cost and integrate sustainability concepts in business operations are looking to commuting alternatives to do the trick.
 
Telecommuting is working from a remote location (generally ones home workstation) using computers and telephones rather than commuting via automobile or other mode of transportation to and from an employer's work site to perform equivalent work. 
 
A second option: coworking.  Coworking is a gathering spot for individual entrepreneurs or employees from multiple companies sharing a common work space.  Coworking works in a variety of ways with facilities offering a personal desk or workstation for a few hundred dollars a month.  Not only do you get a place to sit, but also a range of business services and equipment at your disposal, including fax machines, photocopiers, printers, and wi-fi Internet access.   In addition, many coworking facilities provide free coffee and snacks, lectures and workshops, and group activities. Some have conference rooms available, phone and receptionist service, mail delivery, and other amenities more typical of an office suite.
 
A personal favorite: bike commuting.  Two recent post offer ideas to embark on a successful bike commuting  program.   Top 10 Benefits of Bicycle Commuting Programs for Businesses, explores bike commuting benefits to employers while the post, 10 Reasons to Bike Commute to Work, gives employees ideas and inspiration to ride to work. 
 
As explained in our business sustainability programs, the benefits of alternative transportation include:
 
•    Conserving Energy.
•    Preserving the Environment.
•    Improving Worker and Public Safety.
•    Reduced commuter traffic which also reduces toxic gases and dust particles spewed into our atmosphere as well as chemicals washed into our waterways, wells, and rivers.
•    Reduce parking cost.
•    Reduced carbon emissions.
•    Reduce turnover: Employers who appreciate workers' personal needs have less employee turnover.
 
Exploring alternative transportation for workers can result in reduced cost for the business but also positive gains for the environment.   Our sustainability consulting works with clients to define business sustainability value drivers and integrate them into existing processes and evolving business models.  Need help getting started?  Contact us today. 

With coal, oil, and natural gas receiving most of the popular press, the often forgotten resource that may present the greatest challenge to many local communities is the availability of fresh water.  Unlike energy constraints, water cannot be economically brought in from neighboring areas in tankers, on trucks, or even in transmission pipelines.  For the most part, communities rely on the access and availability of a local water supply.

While water is not a new issue, rapidly increasing eco awareness may be expanding individual participation in management options.  Our sustainability consulting finds communities are becoming increasingly aware of their water supply and are actively managing demand.  According a recent report, the everyday consumer is becoming more aware of the community risk and economic trade-offs of water management.

Taking it down to an individual level, we encourage our eco living consulting clients to be actively aware of their consumption and water disposal.  We stress the inclusion of water management as a sustainability concept in an overall business sustainability program.  Some simple personal actions might include:

•    Create a personal water management philosophy
•    Identify high consumption activities (showers, watering lawn, washing clothes and dishes, etc.)
•    Identify and practice water conservation actions
•    Install water efficient equipment and fixtures

Want to learn more?  Visit the Taiga Company blog for tools and resources to raise your eco awareness and to implement solutions that meet your specific needs. 

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "Good thoughts are no better than good dreams, unless they be executed". Translated into today's language that equates to actions speak louder than words.  Translate again to sustainability language, and eco actions speak louder than eco speak.
 
So, how do you walk your talk?  Misconceptions encountered in our eco friendly consulting falsely believe that a sustainable lifestyle is an all or nothing approach.  The truth of the matter is that you do not have to live a 100% sustainable lifestyle to make a significant difference.  By aligning personal incentives with just a few sustainability concepts, you can reduce your carbon footprint almost immediately.
 
•    Vehicle Fuel Consumption: The most significant area of personal impact and one that is well within your sphere of influence.  Sustainable actions directly aligned with personal savings include: alternative fuel transportation, fuel efficiency and personal reduction (commuting, ride share, alternative transportation).
 
•    Electricity Consumption: By switching to wind or renewable sources, the average family could save the equivalent to thousands of miles driven in a car.  Sustainable actions include: source control (wind, renewable, offsets), home efficiency (energy star appliances), and personal energy management.
 
•    Water Consumption: Clear fresh water is rapidly becoming an endangered resource in even the most developed countries.  Sustainable actions directly aligned with personal savings include: water management (personal use and outdoor watering) and waste water management (controlling what goes down the drain and into the storm drains).  
 
•    Waste Disposal: A large portion of what goes into the average garbage is recyclable.  By separating your plastics, glass, and paper, the weekly volume sent to the landfill could be cut by more than half.  Sustainable actions include: inquiring about recycling programs with traditional collectors and locating recycling centers in your area.
 
When you consider that over 80% of our personal impact can be bucketed into four major categories, taking eco action becomes easier. Take eco action today! Walk your green talk. 

In addition to executive management playing a critical role in the success of a company, business sustainability requires leadership across the entire organization.  While management may ultimately carry the responsibility of sustainable business results, employees have a part to play in the definition and implementation of the company’s business sustainability programs.
 
It seems there is a disconnect between a corporate sustainability plan and how that vision filters down and is exercised in the day to day processes of an individual worker's life.  Granted, there are leading organizations that have successfully tied process to sustainability initiatives; currently, they are the exception, not the norm.
 
So what are your employees saying about your organization?  Are they equipped with information and engaged in your company’s business sustainability programs to passionately communicate the message you would like the world to hear?  Leading ‘green’ talent organizations are responding and creating sustainability advocates by:
 
•    Cascading business sustainability strategies down through organizational and individual performance goals.
 
•    Informing, motivating, and actively engaging employees in the company’s business sustainability programs.
 
•    Integrating Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) into the business processes, corporate performance, and employee recognition.
 
•    Actively engaged with key stakeholders on sustainability issues, including employees to understand how sustainability issues are affecting the business.
 
•    Performing transparent reporting on sustainability concepts and sensitive issues, with both positive and negative results.
 
Tying corporate sustainability initiatives to day to day processes makes CSR more personable to an employee and helps employees to identify their role in corporate responsibility.

Children are quickly gaining eco awareness and are in many cases educating their parents. Given access to and experience with sustainability concepts, children often take the lead on green living ideas. Why not give them the sustainability tools they need?
 
With summer is coming to an end, the kids will soon be back in school. Take this as an opportunity to expand your children’s eco awareness and introduce some concepts of sustainable living as they head into a new year of learning.
 
Going back to school can be an exciting time for both parents and children. It is a time of renewal and discovery, as you visit the stores to load up on the supplies needed for the coming school year. It can also be a great way to introduce your family to some fun sustainable alternatives.
 
As a green living consultant, I most often speak with adults about incorporating sustainability concepts into their daily lives. Here are a few tips to raise eco awareness at home while ‘greening’ your back to school:
 
    · Parents take the time to teach your children about sustainable living.
    · Children educate your parents on green choices.
    · Use as many of last year's school supplies as possible.
    · Seek out recyclable canvas and cardboard binders instead of plastic.
    · Promote the use of recycled paper.
    · Use reusable water bottles instead of plastic.
    · Use a lunch box, not paper bags.
    · Reuse or donate last year's clothes instead of throwing them away.
    · Reuse your backpack. Decorate it with cool patches.
    · Buy local and organic food for lunches.
    · Turn your computer off when you're not using it.
    · Carpool with friends and neighbors daily to school and to school functions.
    · If you live close, ride your bike or walk to school.
 
As a personal consultant to individuals seeking a more sustainable lifestyle, I encourage parents and children to continually evaluate alternatives in all areas of life.  A large part of building a personal sustainability plan for your family includes choosing options and products that are good for both the environment as well as your personal well being.  Take this new school year as an opportunity to expand the thinking of your children and to explore alternatives which promote a more sustainable lifestyle.

Packing for college can be a lot of work.  In the face of the many pre-college activities, it’s easy to fall into old habits and fall amiss to living a sustainable lifestyle.  With a little planning, the move to college can still embrace eco awareness and keep you on course with your personal sustainability plan. 
 
In our eco friendly consulting, we advise clients to employ the sustainability concepts reduce, reuse, and recycle whenever possible.  Moving to college offers a great way to revisit old moving habits and replace them with choices that get the job done as well as reduce the impact on the environment.  Here are some tips:
 

• Reduce the packing load by minimizing the items you bring with you.
• Make use of your empty suitcases to pack up items and accessories.
• Look for used boxes on Craig’s list, local liquor stores and grocery stores.
• Put storage crates from around the house or boxes used for bulk purchases to good use.
• Ask neighbors and friends for bubble wrap, cardboard boxes, padded envelopes and other packing materials instead of purchasing them new.
• Newspaper and towels as great packaging material.
• Consider the use of a greenbox.
• For new purchases, make them at the destination to avoid additional transportation cost of moving it.  Good sources include: Goodwill and Salvation Army stores.
• Evaluate your moving options: is a hybrid car or biodiesel-powered truck available?
• Once moved in, take eco action to reduce moving waste by re-listing boxes and material on Craig’s list or Freecycle and recycle the boxes beyond repair.

 
Keep in mind, that while at college, you are building a new life of sorts for yourself.  From life-long friendships and relationships to jobs, classes and internships, the college years of a person’s life are sure to be memorable.  Personal sustainability can touch every area of your life and usually encourages others to become involved.  As a green living consultant, I can't think of a better time to begin a lifetime of good habits embracing eco awareness and eco actions.

"If someone is going down the wrong road, he doesn't need motivation to speed him up, he needs education to turn him around." ~ Jim Rohn
 
With that being said, does it make sense to blast or "make wrong" those individuals and businesses that have not yet embraced sustainability?  Think about it from a personal perspective.  When someone points out a fault or wrong doing, does it encourage you to make a different choice?  Or, does it create resistance, justification, and denial?
 
To create change, what other options are available?  As mentioned in our eco friendly consulting, first and foremost, awareness is a first step to sustainable change.   Whenever you want to improve in a specific area or program, just the process of increasing awareness will yield improvements.  The same applies to living a sustainable lifestyle.  Most of us recognize that change can be tricky:  habits and convenience make it far easier to slip back into the comfortable way of doing things.  However, implementing effective sustainable change does not have to be a laboring process.  The key is conscious awareness.
 
Additionally, educating yourself about the products you buy can empower you to make a difference in protecting the planet. It's called "green purchasing," and it's easy to do. As a green living consultant, I've found the problem is, most people are simply not aware of the problems associated with purchasing less sustainable products, let alone the solutions
 
So if the problem is a lack of education and unconscious choices, then who is responsible for fixing it? We are.  Individually, we have a responsibility to seek out information on sustainable products and companies.  The easiest way to promote a sustainable lifestyle is by living your values. Sustainable purchasing is one way to demonstrate that value.  In fact, getting others involved in your purchasing habits is a great way to spread eco awareness to friends, neighbors, and others in your community.  
 
Each day we are presented with opportunities to expand our eco awareness and make informed choices.  The trick to capitalizing on those opportunities is being aware and making educated choices.  As Louis Nizer said, "When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself.”

Many in the field, including our sustainability consulting practice, agree that the gap between eco awareness and action may represent the single largest opportunity for global sustainability progress.  While traditional ‘green’ efforts have focused on expanding awareness, the recent explosion of information and global interest indicates that the message has been sent out and received. 

In fact, a recent Gallup poll shows 94% of Americans are aware of Climate Change issues and 75% feel something needs to happen.  The next step (opportunity) is closing the gap between knowledge and personal action.  With the limitless option available, you may be asking yourself:

•    Where do I even begin? 
•    What should I focus on?
•    How do I know what if I am making a difference?  

Don’t worry you are not alone.  Our eco living consulting encounters these questions, among many others, in our daily practice.  We remind clients the answers are within each of us to discover.

To help you get started or past that sticking point, here is a suggested reading list:
 
•    Following Your Personal Sustainability Passion 
•    Rewards of Personal Sustainability
•    What is a Personal Sustainability Plan?
•    Keeping It Green in Today’s Environment
•    Live Green- Conveniently
•    Are YOU and eco inspiration?
 
The pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle is a continuous improvement process , commonly described as a journey, that can only be defined by personal experience and discovery.  Our sustainability consulting practice provides information and resources to help release resistance and embrace the benefits of personal and business sustainability.

"Certain people have a way of saying things that shake us at the core. Even when the words do not seem harsh or offensive, the impact is shattering. What we could be experiencing is the intent behind the words. When we intend to do good, we do. When we intend to do harm, it happens. What each of us must come to realize is that our intent always comes through. We cannot sugarcoat the feelings in our heart of hearts. The emotion is the energy that motivates. We cannot ignore what we really want to create. We should be honest and do it the way we feel it. What we owe to ourselves and everyone around is to examine the reasons of our true intent." ~ Thurgood Marshall   
 
As a sustainability consultant, I ask, what is your sustainability intent?  Sustainability begins with each of us as individuals - in our thoughts, choices, and eco actions.  The journey of a sustainable lifestyle goes beyond just ‘greening’ your life.  Personal sustainability is a mindset change that shifts the personal value drivers in daily activities- it shifts your intent. 

• What is it that you want to create for yourself and this world? 
• What contribution do you want to make? 
• How can your words, your actions play a role in the bigger picture of sustainability? 

Examining your personal sustainability drivers compared to your results will give you the best clue as to how you are measuring up to your own personal sustainability potential.
 
It's easy to fall prey to convenience, or "this is how we've always done it", but sustainability is about innovation.  It calls for fresh views of traditional practices that reap rewards of respecting our natural resources while simultaneously advancing society. 
 
Is your intent to live a sustainable lifestyle when it's convenient?  Perhaps it's to take on a bit more daily and stretch your goals.  Inspire others?  You'll know you're succeeding when you see it in your results.  Results are intentions manifested.  

The increasing desire to translate personal eco awareness into career ambitions is now being met with a similar growth in demand for an alternative skilled workforce among many leading companies.  As we follow these job market trends, our sustainability consulting believes the convergence of business sustainability value and personal sustainability interest could be a stabilizing force in the global job market.

As any jobseeker knows, there are a number of factors that go into the selection of an ideal candidate, and the definition of ideal may just be changing. Our professional consulting experience leads us to believe that many of the businesses currently reducing their workforce will soon be returning to the job pool in search new talent.  The selection criteria that define the next generation may be very different than they have been in the past.

When asked about ‘green’ job qualifications, we advise jobseekers to not over think it.  Target companies with similar values and proactively align personal interests with the company's business sustainability value drivers.

•    Highlight personal interests and passions for business sustainability.
•    Stress a record of accomplishment in applying sustainability concepts in business.
•    Correlate past successes with similar business sustainability initiatives within the organization.
•    Explicitly define how your unique passion could directly benefit the company.

In today’s environment, businesses resources are often very limited.  Building and motivating top talent has become critical to both short and long-term business sustainability.  Combining traditional business functions with aligned passions for sustainability, both employers and employees set themselves up to win.

Do you fall prey to routine habits out of convenience or do you take extra steps to embrace sustainability concepts in your daily life?   It seems in recent years being busy has become the rule rather than the exception.  With busy comes conveniences and sometimes conveniences means having to compromise on values.  Fortunately, that's no longer the case.  With growing eco awareness sprouting more and more environmentally friendly options, those living a busy and sustainable lifestyle can take their green on the go. 
 
At its essence, personal sustainability is about addressing the environmental concerns of carbon, water, and energy on a smaller scale: your life.  Committing to sustainability in your personal life is holding yourself accountable for the very commitments and eco actions we are asking our leaders to make.    Additionally, it's about leveraging your financial dollar to support credible and sustainable businesses.  Vote with your financial dollar; as a shareholder, uphold reporting, transparency, compensation related to business sustainability.
 
Looking to make your green life more convenient?  Enjoy some of the tips shared in our eco friendly consulting practice.
 
Get green on your iPhone?  Take eco action now and check out these top green apps:
•    Carbon Tracker: This GPS-enabled carbon footprint application allows users to calculate their carbon footprint from daily commuting, business trips or vacations.
•    iRecycle, makes it easy to find recycling locations anywhere in the U.S. Find places to drop-off your old cell phone or other items, get directions and find out what else they accept.
•    GoodGuide:  Use this app to find out what’s in 75,000 common household products.  Reviewers praise the level of detail in the GoodGuide database as well as its ease of use.  Especially handy while shopping.
•    Greenpeace Tissue Guide: Research brands of consumer paper products to find the greenest tissues, paper towels, and toilet paper.
 
Get personal with green.  Carry your reusable mug, reusable water bottle, and PeopleTowels.  PeopleTowels are 100% organic cotton, reusable personal hand towels that are portable and preserve environmental resources.
 
Get mobile updates on sustainable lifestyle choices and businesses going green from twitter and Facebook.
 
A primary aspect of a sustainable lifestyle is the recognition that every action is part of a larger whole and even the smallest change can make a difference.  Taking eco action on the go keeps your values in line and contributes to everyone’s efforts towards the greater environmental good.  

Consider for a moment that the average person makes over one thousand decisions each day.  Some of these choices may be small, while others may have significant influence on our own life or the lives of others.  So where does sustainability rank in your decision process?

The factors that lead us down one path versus another are most often defined by unique circumstances and personal value drivers at a given point in time.  The swaying factors present defining our choice in one moment could be quite different than in another. 

By incorporating sustainability as a criteria in the personal decision process and recognizing that the pursuit of personal sustainability is an opportunity to make alternative choices, sustainable living can become part of your daily thought process.

Our eco living consulting work focuses on the daily choices we, as individuals, make that can have significant impact on our social surrounding, the environment in which we live, and on our personal life experience.  We encourage others to:

•    Focus on sustainability concepts that are inspiring.
•    Note the choices that easily fit into your current lifestyle.
•    Be aware of external comparisons as a means for defining action.
•    Find the joy in making sustainable changes.
•    Realize you will never all be done…there is another sustainable decision to be made right around the corner.

Remember, the result of every choice does not have to be directly aligned with sustainable values.  Simply including sustainability concepts to your daily decision making adds to the process and will ultimately aid in the pursuit of your ever-evolving sustainable lifestyle. 

With 4th of July right around the corner, you are probably attending a family BBQ, company picnic or some kind of other function.  Do you want to glam it up as a firecracker or a sparkler?  
 
They say beauty is only skin deep, but what you put on your skin matters.   Skin is the biggest organ in your body.  With growing eco awareness today is increased scrutiny in products we apply to our skin.
 
Traditionally, personal care product preferences have been very heavily brand-driven.   As a personal consultant to individuals seeking a more sustainable lifestyle, I encourage clients to evaluate alternatives to traditional brands.  Building a personal sustainability plan includes choosing products that are good for the environment as well as your personal health.  
 
Why opt for organic makeup?  According to the Organic Consumers Association (OCA), many conventional products continue to have alarmingly high levels of carcinogens and recommend avoiding products containing the following ingredients:
 
•    Cocoamidopropyl Betaine
•    Oelfin Sulfonate
•    Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
•    Potassium Cocoyl Glutamate
•    Parabens
•    Phenoxyethenol
 
With so many eco friendly personal care products now available, there's also a variance in the degrees of how "clean" they are.   Our eco friendly training directs questions pertaining to safe ingredients in skin care to Skin Deep.  Skin Deep is a safety guide to cosmetics and personal care products brought to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group.
 
For distinctions on natural, organic, and biodynamic, check out the post from EcoSalon:
How to Buy Organic and Natural Makeup Before Your Head Explodes.  
 
Using organic personal care products are not only good for you, but it's also good for the environment and good in supporting sustainable businesses.  By making a choice for alternative products, as a consumer, you are raising eco awareness and expanding the market for organic and environmentally friendly products.   Sparkle on!

Absent of common definitions, standards, or consistency in guidance, the growth in public eco awareness and personal sustainability action has largely been through personal experience and situational application.  While general concepts can be used to describe the broad topic of ‘sustainability’, our green living consulting has come to realize that each individual has a unique and personal story in the pursuit of a sustainable lifestyle. 

Who are the characters and how does the story go?

Based on our experience, we most commonly come across personal sustainability stories stuck in initial sustainability concept identification (as in, what is green living?), challenges in personal implementation, or difficulty maintaining action.  In general and almost without exception, we find that everyone has a unique perspective on ‘what’ and ‘how’ to incorporate sustainability concepts into their daily living.

The process of defining the ‘what’ aspect of personal sustainability is often sparked by a personal growth in eco awareness and a desire for personal improvement.  Finding concepts that you are passion about and can assign personal sustainability value to is an important first step in building a personal sustainability plan.  Some of the common questions we ask clients to consider in their journey:

•    Will a different choice increase personal satisfaction?
•    Will the path lead to personal growth?
•    Will this decision decrease personal expenses?
•    Will this direction decreased time spent on unfulfilling activities?
•    Will this choice improved health and general well-being?

Each day presents an opportunity to expand our eco awareness and make informed choices.    By making changes that are inspiring and manageable relative your current life, the process of incorporating sustainability becomes much easier.  Being conscious of sustainability concepts when you shop, work and play, allows your sustainable lifestyle story to simply play-out.

Guess how many trips Americans take in a day?  It's a big number.  In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that Americans take over 1.1 billion trips per day.  They also reported that 78% of these were in single occupant vehicles.  It is estimated that motor vehicles account for roughly 50% of urban air pollution and 30% of greenhouse gas emissions -all contributing to climate change and air pollution.
 
Sustainable businesses looking to reduce cost and integrate environmental programs in business operations are looking to remote work options to do the trick.  Apparently, there's more to gain than just "helping" the environment.
 
 A report by the President’s Council of Economic Advisers highlights benefits of remote working including “reducing absenteeism, lowering turnover, improving the health of workers, and increasing productivity.”  The same benefits are borne out by the results of a report by The Telework Coalition, “Wired Working as a Lifestyle,” that found:

• Businesses save an average of $20,000 a year for each full-time employee who works remotely;
• Employee productivity increased by an average of 22 % when remote working was allowed;
• Remote working reduced employee turnover by 50 %.

 
There are environmental benefits as well.  As shared in our sustainability consulting, remote working as part of a sustainable business strategy helps:

• Conserve energy
• Preserve the environment
• Reduce commuter traffic.  This reduces toxic gases and dust particles released into the atmosphere as well as the chemicals washed into our waterways, wells, and rivers.

 
Finally, there are additional benefits to both employees and businesses to be considered. 

• For employees: lower commuting-related expenses, enjoying flexible scheduling, and making physical handicaps a non-issue.
• For businesses: Freeing up physical office space, reduced travel expenses, no capacity limits, and improves flex benefits offerings for recruiting purposes.

 
What are the options available?  There are several and listed are a three recommended in our business sustainability programs:
 
Telecommuting is working from a remote location (generally ones home workstation) using computers and telephones rather than commuting via automobile or other mode of transportation to and from an employer's work site to perform equivalent work. 
 
A second option: coworking.  Coworking is a gathering spot for individual entrepreneurs or employees from multiple companies sharing a common work space.  Coworking works in a variety of ways with facilities offering a personal desk or workstation.  
 
A personal favorite: bike commuting.  Two recent post offer ideas to embark on a successful bike commuting program.   Top 10 Benefits of Bicycle Commuting Programs for Businesses, explores bike commuting benefits to employers while the post, 10 Reasons to Bike Commute to Work, gives employees ideas and inspiration to ride to work. 
 
For businesses seeking business sustainability and a culture of eco awareness, Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC) is an innovative program that provides qualified employers with national recognition and an elite designation for offering outstanding commuter benefits, such as free or low cost bus passes, strong telework programs, carpooling matching and vanpool subsidies.

It is that time of year, when many of us engage in the fun and festive activities of summer that bring out our creative and youthful spirit.  If you are like me, you are probably overjoyed with the idea of digging into your warm weather toys and heading to the beach, camping, or maybe just to the park for a fun day in the sun.  Focusing on the coming long Independence Day holiday weekend as an opportunity, my mind is swimming with possibilities to express my own sustainable lifestyle passions.

Promoting sustainable living and inspiring others can take all forms and shapes.  In our sustainability consulting, we address eco awareness and the integration of sustainability concepts into daily living.  The easiest way to inspire others to living a sustainable lifestyle is by living the joy and the expression of the value you find in the sustainability concepts that you embrace in your life.  

As a personal consultant, I am always looking for creative ways to introduce sustainability concepts into daily living.  Fresh air outdoor activities can lift one’s spirit and remind us of the simple joys in life.  Here are some fun personal sustainability actions that can expand your eco awareness and may just engage others around you this weekend.
 
1.    Check out the local Farmer's Market for local fruits and veggies.
2.    Plan a bike adventure and invite your friends.
3.    Enjoy a local park and have an organic picnic.
4.    Bring a new organic beer to your Independence Day Celebration. 
5.    Try a new organic personal care product to protect against the sun.
 
Personal sustainability can touch every area of your life and celebrating its joys and benefits often encourages others to become involved.   What better way to raise the eco awareness than to engage your family and neighbors in the process this holiday weekend.   

Do you download music from the web?  Do you monitor your thermostat? Wonder about gas prices?  With so much focus on going  green it's easy to fall prey to the misconception that we are currently lacking in taking eco action.  The truth may be that we're all in the process of going green.  Perhaps we may all be in different stages on the sustainability continuum. 
 
Thanks to the sustainable business strategies of leading organizations, there are more and more eco friendly products and services available.   Do you drink Coke? Pepsi?  Both companies are reducing water consumption, waste, and recycling  - all "behind the scenes" to the consumer.  To the non- green consumer, it's just a refreshing soda.  Who knew in that moment, they were going green?  
 
While leading companies like Nike, Pepsi, and Dell, make it easier for us as consumers to be green, the catch is that whatever stage anyone of us is currently on in our personal sustainability path, it is up to us to take that next step.   As individuals, we're responsible for continuing on our ever evolving journey of going green.   So how do you keep the momentum flowing in living a sustainable lifestyle? 
 
•    Follow the path that is most inspiring to you.
•    Expand eco awareness on topics that interest you.
•    Take on a few changes and build from there.
•    If the change becomes too difficult to maintain, seek an alternative.
•    Remember: momentum brings visibility to previously inaccessible ideas and behaviors.
•    Reward your successes.
 
 
As mentioned in our eco friendly consulting, each day we are presented with opportunities to expand our eco awareness and make informed choices.    By making changes that are inspiring and manageable relative your current life, the process of incorporating sustainability becomes much easier.  Each of us evolves on our personal sustainability path and collectively, we advance us all forward to a brighter future.