Last June I wrote a blog post about my personal Green Guilt. The post detailed my eco-sins, and at the end of it I promised that I’d try and make some meaningful changes and work towards reducing the negative ecological impact I was causing with these actions. In the 9-months since publishing that post, I am happy to report that, all-in-all, I’ve done a pretty good job at changing my behaviors and lessening my impact on the Earth. So without further ado…

1. The first item on last year’s list was the fact that I was driving 500+ miles per week. Between my 70-mile daily commute and trips back and forth to visit friends, I drove 26,000 miles? in just one year’s time! And while I do drive a relatively fuel-efficient VW Jetta, keep its tires properly inflated and get the oil changed regularly, I drove more than double the national average. According to the EPA’s Household Emissions Calculator, my driving habits in 2008 produced a whooping 8.3 tons of CO₂ last year – 3.7 tons more than the average driver!

Since the beginning of 2009, I have made an effort to reduce how much I drive, and so far I’ve stuck to the plan. While I still have the same commute, I work at home 2-3 times each month, and I visit my far-flung friends less often during the week. I’ve also been taking fewer trips to visit my family (who live about 50 miles from my house), and am staying longer (often overnight) when I do visit. In making these minor changes, I’ve shaved off 500 miles a month from my total – and am producing 1.92 fewer tons of CO₂ annually.

2. Next on my list was my lack of recycling at work. Because my workplace does not participate in mandatory recycling (on any level), I would often toss my plastic bottles and paper into the garbage bin beneath my desk. Since June, we’ve not yet implemented an across-the-board recycling program in our offices, but I have started recycling more and more on my own. And having cut down on purchasing beverages packaged in plastic bottles, I’ve reduced the overall volume of what I consume. In terms of work, I also essentially stopped printing anything, started turning off my computer more often, and do more lunch-time carpooling with co-workers.

3. My next sin was the fact that I threw away all kinds of food. This one killed me. I would buy beautiful fruits and vegetables with the highest intentions, only to let them rot in the fridge while I ate with friends, in restaurants or not at all. Since June I’ve gotten a lot more careful about not wasting food. I’ve started buying smaller amounts of food, cooking at home, and making sure that my veggies are chopped up and ready to eat when I load them into the fridge.

4. When I would go out on the weekends, I used to leave NHPR playing on the radio (for the plants perhaps?). Now I simply don’t!

5. Another of my previous guilt-inducing actions was that I didn’t always being a reusable mug when filling up at the local coffee shop. I am proud to say that, since June, I’ve probably filled up with reusable mugs 95% of the times I’ve enjoyed java from my local coffee shops! If I leave the house without a mug I go back and get it! And in an effort to further reduce my waste, I try to reuse the paper bags that come with the scones that I so love (thanks Popovers!).

6. OK, so I do sometimes (though not as often) buy coffee from Dunkin’ Donuts. When I do however (and it’s really only 2-3 times a month that I do), I have started going into the stores (instead of using the drive-through), and filling up with my reusable mugs.

7. Number 7 on my list was the fact that I liked to drive around with the windows open and the air conditioning on when it was hot outside. Honestly, it’s been cold for so long now that this seems like a moot point! And while I honestly can’t remember if I was still doing this at the end of the summer – I’m pretty sure I wasn’t. Most of my driving is on the highway, and it’s nearly impossible to be comfortable while doing 70 with the windows open.

8. The next item on my list dealt with my purchasing less-than-green clothes. In addition to the fact that I bought clothes made from synthetic fabrics, I would also buy goods manufactured by companies with sub-par eco-policies and processes. I’ve made some improvements in this area of my life, but my actions still aren’t as green as they could be.

My winter coat, ski hat and ski-pants are made by ecologically-conscious companies (The North Face, and Obermeyer), and about 50% of the clothes I’ve purchased since June have been second-hand. I will admit that I’ve bought a few Van Heusen shirts however, and their messaging on Corporate Responsibility includes one sentence on the preservation and improvement of the environment. I doubt the adorable Marc Fisher heels I bought last week are eco-friendly either!

9. Purchasing pre-packaged organic meals was another eco-sin on my list. And while I have reduced the amount of pre-packaged meals I’m buying (in large part because I’m cooking more), I still love Amy’s Kitchen organic meals – especially the Mattar Paneer! All I can say is, at least it’s organic!

10. Last but not least on my list was my love of Polar Seltzer and the countless plastic bottles produced through my freakish seltzer consumption. And while I am enjoying a bottle of the Black Cherry Seltzer as I type this, I have gone from drinking 2 bottles a day to about 2 bottles a month. The build-up of plastic bottle induced guilt was just too much, so I did what was right and put the bottles down.

While I can’t say I’ve changed all my bad habits and rid fully rid myself of green guilt, I think I’ve done a pretty good job of making changes that make a difference. I’m driving less, recycling more, reusing whenever possible, and remaining consciously aware of what I buy and how those products are sourced. My recycling bins have fewer plastic bottles kicking around, my closet is filling up with more second-hand treasures, and my plants seem perfectly content even though they no longer listen to NHPR when I leave the house.

Hope you’re having luck changing your habits too, and I would love to hear about the changes you’ve made for the planet!

Related articles by Zemanta

• E-Waste Not
• RecycleMania

I know that long underwear isn’t the sexiest or most exciting thing out there – but on nights like tonight (it’s about 15 degrees and windy outside, and I’m sitting here watch huge trucks haul snow around my town) – long johns are the greatest product ever made! And since winter here lasts forever (well, not really – I’d rather be here than in Alaska!) – I try to buy several different kinds of long underwear to last me through the season.

The good people who make Icebreaker products sent me an email about their products back in November. I wasn’t ready to write about eco-long johns at the time, and saved the email for future reference. In looking over their product line, I wish now that I’d ordered one of these Delta Scoop long sleeved shirts (to the right). Icebreaker uses all natural merino gathered from 30 New Zealand farmers to make the Nature Ultralight fabric from which their clothing is produced. The company is passionate about the wool they buy to make their clothing, and even discusses how purchasing inferior merino in the past almost put them out of business! Fortunately for us, the company prevailed and is still making their luxurious wool clothing.

If you’re looking for cold-weather athletic gear, consider the Midweight Rapid Leggings for men or women – these leggings enable you to stay warm, dry and comfortable when you’re running, biking or hiking in chilly temperatures, while their articulated knees give you extra freedom of movement. The Bodyfit Active Base Layer for men (below on the right) and the Olympia Crewe for women are the perfect complements to the leggings, and are both rated for cold to very cold conditions.

Icebreaker is committed to manufacturing sustainable products, to the welfare of the animals from which they source their merino, to an ethical manufacturing process, to maintaining a transparent supply chain, and to buying merino from local farmers with whom they have long-term relationships. And if you’re looking for something other than long johns, Icebreaker also makes merino wool socks for all seasons, and as well as athletic gear and accessories for men, women and children.

Cuddl Duds is another eco-retailer that is making sustainable long underwear to keep us warm on chilly nights. If you’re looking for traditional long underwear with an eco-twist, you might like their eco-bamboo Scoop Neck Long Sleeve Shirt. At $28 this shirt is affordable and sustainable, and is finished with a gray stripe and ribbon that add a feminine touch to the practical garment. You can also grab matching Long Pants or a Tank Top to complete your winter wardrobe.

Other excellent sources for environmentally friendly all-weather long underwear and layering garments include gear companies like REI, The North Face, Patagonia and Marmot. Look for all natural merino wool baselayers for men and women on the North Face website, and Marmot Upcycle underwear that’s made from natural, organic, recycled and discarded materials. Even though Upcycle goods are made using materials that would otherwise end up in landfills, there’s no way you could tell when you are wearing midweight crews and midweight bottoms created using this revolutionary technology.

Hopefully you can find something here that’ll help on these frigid winter nights and keep you cozy all season.

A few weeks ago my mom and I set out to find me a new winter coat. I had donated 2 coats to charity at the end of last winter in an effort to force myself to buy a new coat before it got cold this fall. Thinking that it’d be easy enough to find a reasonably priced, attractive and eco-friendly garment at Macy’s, my mom and I set out to the mall with high hopes of finding something quickly and with little effort.

The mall was a bad idea (isn’t it always…) – the coats were all overpriced ($400 – $700 for “brand name” wool overcoats manufactured in countries like Bangladesh and China), unflattering and ugly, and poorly made. After trying on 2 or 3, I knew my new coat wasn’t at Macy’s, but I noticed something else as well… the coats all smelled like formaldehyde! Yeah – no. My mom and I were out of there as soon as we both realized what the smell was, and we both realized the need to stop supporting companies that don’t manufacture sustainable goods.

From our horrible experience at Macy’s, my mom and I headed over to REI – I had wanted an overcoat but decided to go with a ski coat instead. My new North Face jacket was designed in a LEED-Certified building that’s powered by 100% renewable energy, and sold by a cooperatively-owned company that takes environmental concerns into consideration when buying products and working with vendors. In an effort to help others out there who may be looking for outwear and winter gear, I’ve compiled a list of eco-committed companies who make great coats that DON’T smell like formaldehyde when they’re unpacked and tried on.

Patagonia - Patagonia’s commitment to the environment is evident when you visit their home page – instead of having an environmental policy that’s buried in the “About Us” section of the site, Patagonia advertises their environmental policies in the site’s navigation bar, and directs users to learn more about how their company is “leading the examined life.”

Patagonia has developed an online tool that I’ve been searching for, but had yet to find until I checked out the company’s environmental policies. Dubbed the “Footprint Chronicles,” Patagonia has built an interactive site where you can track the environmental impact of Patagonia products – from design through delivery. I have always wanted to know the carbon footprint of bumper stickers and t-shirts, and while I can’t track the exact carbon footprint of a “Visualize Whirled Peas” bumper sticker, I can track the movement of Patagonia t-shirts and know that each one produces 3.5 pounds of CO_2. In addition to tracking their products as they move across the world, Patagonia includes commentary on each of the products they track, and points out the positive and negative impacts generated by each item.

In researching all kinds of companies and looking over their eco-policies, I would have to say that Patagonia ranks pretty high in terms of their commitment and actions related to reducing their environmental impact. Look for shoes, clothing, outwear, and backpacks on their site and feel confident that Patagonia is looking out for the Earth and spending their profits wisely.

REI - OK, before I get started with REI, let me just disclose that I am a partial owner of the company, and have been since about 1990. REI is a cooperatively run company, and members are invited to vote on the Board of Directors (who are responsible for the overall direction of the affairs and the performance of REI), examine the company’s financial statements, and share in company profits in the form of annual dividends.

With that said, I can honestly say I feel good about the fact that I’ve held an REI membership for so long – the company is committed to environmental stewardship and gives serious thought to how they manufacture, source, package, distribute and sell their products. REI has developed a strategic focus in planning for the future, and in doing so has identified 5 environmental-+ priorities in which they want to create change: greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, green building, paper sourcing, reducing waste and recycling, and responsible product stewardship. You can read the company’s Environmental Stewardship Report to learn exactly how REI is cutting their greenhouse gas emissions, reducing their reliance on paper, eliminating waste, building greener retail facilities, and designing ecoSensitive gear.

In terms of immediate benefits to consumers, REI has started the ecoSensitive Label – clothing and gear made using eco-friendly fabrics and materials that include bamboo, organic cotton, organic wool, Polylactic acid (PLA) – a biodegradable and recyclable polymer, recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – an easily reclaimed and re-purposed recyclable type of plastic, as well as post-industrial recycled polyester from Polartec.

The North Face - A dedicated ski gear company, The North Face is named after the coldest side of a mountain, and sells clothing designed to keep people warm in the coldest of places. As with much of what the company does, The North Face approaches sustainability as a journey, and has been developing and tweaking their technologies over time to create the most sustainable products possible.

With LEED-Certified headquarters in Quebec, and renewable energy powering their North American operations, The North Face has identified 4 key areas where they are committed to focusing their eco-energies: the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions; the design of innovative and sustainable products; the elimination of waste in operations; and the encouragement of employees and customers to “Live the Brand” (I am not sure what this means, but I am guessing it is related to volunteering and giving back to the community/the environment in the name of North Face).

While I found plenty of information about the technologies The North Face uses in designing their products, the R&D section of their site didn’t specifically call out any environmental benefits realized by these practices. From looking over the corporate website, I get the impression that they don’t have anyone updating the environmental policies being put into place by the company – their page on sustainability was last updated in May, and while I know that my coat has tags explaining the various eco-policies used in its design, there was nothing like that on the site. If you’re looking for the warmest gear around, check out North Face products and don’t be shy about asking sales people or telephone representatives to explain the eco-benefits of your purchase.

Marmot – Founded in 1974 by UCSC grad students working in Alaska, Marmot is a premiere manufacturer of clothing, outerwear, tents, sleeping bags, backpacks and other outdoor gear for men, women and children. With a Code of Ethics to outline their sustainability practices, Marmot has built eco-practices into the foundation of how the company does business. The Marmot Code of Ethics applies to “every employee, executive officer, agent, representative, consultant, and intern of Marmot Mountain LLC, and…directs the conduct between any employee and our customers, distributors, competitors, vendors, and contractors.”

In defining their goal of reducing their negative impact on the environment and creating a company that will be sustainable for years to come, Marmot has declared a corporate ethic that seems to guide how the company makes business decisions, designs products and selects vendors and partners with whom they will work. You can also read about the small steps the company (and their employees) is taking to clean up the planet and do their part for the environment.

Many products produced by Marmot (and the other companies listed here) are made from GORE-TEX fabrics; if you want to learn more about the environmental stewardship of GORE-TEX Fabrics, you check out the W.L. Gore & Associates Environmental Statement.

You can find other gear companies that are doing their part below:

Keen Footwear – Learn about how Keen is rethinking their product design on their Hybrid.Think page.

Columbia Sportswear – Find out how Columbia gives back to environmental organizations.

Timberland – Read about New Hampshire-based Timberland’s Environmental Stewardship.

Mountain Hardware – Learn how Mountain Hardware is funding eco-organizations.

Merrell - See which eco-based companies Merrell has been supporting.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Office Depot trying to demystify green, recycling
• For The North Face, (eco)Life begins at 40
• Environmental Performance Index