Sustainability: business, life, environment

As a personal consultant in the area of creating sustainable lifestyles, I like to offer fun challenges to our clients to see how many green things they can do in a day, a week, or month.   Using creative ways to introduce sustainability concepts keeps a personal sustainability plan fun and fresh.  Also, by focusing on a specific day, weekend, or event, it elevates the priority of eco awareness that sometimes gets lost or buried in daily habits.

If you are looking for some eco action this weekend, try some of these suggestions:
 

1. Determine your carbon footprint and take action to reduce it.
2. Check out your local Farmer's Market for local fruits and veggies.
3. Sample organic beer.  Which ones are your new favorites?
4. Go paperless  for the entire day.
5. Have shower contests!  See who can take the shortest shower.
6. Use technology to go green.
7. Create a green discussion group at your place of worship or in your neighborhood. 
8. Practice energy efficiency: unplug seldom used appliances and use as much natural light as possible.
9. Try an organic personal care product.
10. Take public transportation.
11. Replace chemical cleaning agents with natural, biodegradable, phosphorous free cleaning solutions.
12. Attack your closet!  Apply the 3 R’s : reduce by removing clothes you no longer wear, reuse and recycle by donating to a local clothing donation.
13. Do crafts with reusable household items.
14. Plan a cycling adventure.
15. Start an Herb Garden.
16. Ban bottled water: Commit to a plastic bottled water free weekend.
17. Enjoy a local park and have an organic picnic.
18. Discover your favorite green blog at BestGreenBlogs.  (I hope ours makes your list)
19. Find and visit local sustainable businesses in your neighborhood: try Sustainlane  and GenGreenLife.
20. Share with a friend what inspires you most about green living. Together, look and see what value there is for them and create some eco actions to do together.

 
When others see you living a sustainable lifestyle, and see that you are enjoying it, it inspires them to make similar efforts for themselves.  Personal sustainability can touch every area of your life and usually encourages others to become involved.   What better way to raise the eco awareness than to engage your family and neighbors in the process.