OK. Let’s be honest. I am not the greenest person alive. In fact, there are days that I don’t recycle. But I have an excuse! I live in a condo, and to recycle you have to cart everything down to the basement. So, if I were to have a recycling bin, I would have to carry that down, then carry it back up, then go back down the elevator to leave to say, go to work. Which is three 25-floor elevator rides. Who has time for that? The other option is just to put my recycling in plastic bags and tote those down, then recycle the bag, too. Which works, it’s just that then you have to make a trip like every single day. The point is though, we all have excuses, which is just not very productive when you’re trying to make a green planet, is it?
Which is why I just have to buck up and make a trip daily. Which I’m trying to do. In the meantime, however, there are other, more fun!, ways to be green. And they’re all listed in the cutest little book:
Filled with useful ways to greenify your life, it’s like a little reference manual that you can flip open to any page for a bit of inspiration, such as:
• Buy vintage and recycled jewellery (since mining for gold and silver are notoriously polluting).
• Pretty up with organic, biodegradable hair products, body washes, moisturizers and makeup
• Party with the planet in mind: have a fabulous fiesta with organic and seasonal goods from local farmers’ markets! (including all-natural cocktail recipes)
• Answers to those questions that everyone wonders but is afraid to ask, like Dishwashing or handwashing?
The best part is that the book is printed on recycled paper and is small enough to tuck into your handbag, so you have a constant reminder (or, something to read while I’m riding the elevator to the recycling bin).
Shopping info: The Eco Chick Guide to Life: How to Be Fabulously Green by Starre Vartan, St. Martin’s Griffin, $16.95 US/$18.95 Cdn, at bookstores.
