Live. Work. Play.
One Shade Greener is a philosophy. The idea that changes – small or large – compounded over time will make a positive difference for both people and the planet . The book and blog focus on sharing tips, brands, and inspiration to make changes at home, at work, and in in our communities. The goal is to support you on your journey to make your environment healthier and greener.
Systemic change will take big ideas and innovation within large companies and governments to make a significant impact. Everyday people like us are the thought leaders in those large organizations and our voice can inspire change. Let’s strive to educate and our companies and communities on opportunities to become One Shade Greener. Together, we can make a difference.
One Shade Greener at Home.
Are you looking for resources and ideas to lighten your environmental impact, bring fewer toxins into your home, and live simpler?
If so, this book is full of tips and resources for your One Shade Greener journey. With over 200 brand recommendations, you’ll be sure to find products and ideas for every room in your home.
Available in both paperback and Kindle formats.
Services
Moving to a sustainable future is a process. The One Shade Greener team is here to help support you along the journey.
Lifestyle
Lives today are overwhelming. Creating a sustainable life ensures you have the time and space for innovation and making a difference at home, at work, and in your community.
Home
Learning to live more sustainably at home is a process. Classes, coaching, and content are available to help you at every step of your household journey.
Business
Focused on sustainability strategy. Business plans, ESG strategy, go-to-market plans, and communications strategy we are available to meet your strategic business needs.
Driving Considerations
Transportation is one of the top four categories contributing to our carbon footprint. According to Hedges & Company, there are 1.47 billion cars on the road today worldwide. Of those, 19% or 284 million are in the United States. And the transportation sector in...
Sustainability & Minimalism
The paths of personal development are interesting. You may start wanting more time in your day. You might be seeing focus. Or your purpose in life. Adding more joy and happiness. Leaning into a hobby. In all cases, we are looking for space in our life for something we...
Moving Beyond the Home
As we start making changes at home and realize the positive impacts, we can expand our thinking to our workplace, schools, and neighborhoods. Today, we will focus on ideas for the “neighborhood”. This could be our street, our subdivision, our town, or the nearest...
The Economics of Sustainability
I’m currently taking a course on the circular economy. This is the focus on an economic system based on the reuse and regeneration of materials or products. Basically, the goal is to turn waste into raw materials for products and keep waste out of the system. Last...
Secondhand Trends
I just came across this chart from Statista that shows the increase in secondhand shopping in 8 different countries. The US was second on the list moving from 49% in 2019 to 60% in 2023. I was impressed by the increases from 2019-2023. However, with the...
Raising Packaging Expectations
In 2010, I wrote a blog post that was one of five a carried from my old website to the new. The post was titled “Expectation of Green Companies”. I covered my disappointment in the packaging material that an eco-friendly company used to ship their products to...
Circular Economy – Post-Product Use
In a prior post, I covered categories businesses could consider as they start their sustainability journey. Since that post, I’ve started taking a course focused on the circular economy – this is when products and materials are kept in useful operation for as long as...
Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas
As Valentine’s Day quickly approaches, we are looking for gifts for our loved ones. Something to show them how much we care. Last year, I wrote a post that gave some gift ideas for traditional valentine gifts including candles, perfume, chocolate, and cards. This...
Sustainability at Work – Where to Start?
When sustainability comes up in professional conversations, there is a lot of discussion around things like the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit), ESG (environmental, social, and governance), or possibly conducting a LCA (life cycle analysis). Then, there is...
2024 – One Shade Greener
As we kick off 2024, now is a great time to set a One Shade Greener intention. Before diving in, it’s good to spend just a little time thinking about why you are starting the journey and what your approach may look like. Below are some questions and thoughts to...
Watching Our Food Waste
As we move into the week with many holiday parties, food waste is a challenge. We touched on this during our reducing waste post a few weeks ago. Moving into the new year, this is a great area to raise awareness and look to make small changes in the year ahead – this...
What is Sustainability?
My definition of sustainability starts with the dictionary where the term is described as “capable of being maintained at length without interruption or weakening”. This simple definition has been expanded to apply to the environment as demonstrated in this...
Reducing Holiday Waste
During the weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years, household waste increases. With more gatherings and gift giving, this isn’t a surprise. There are a lot of articles that reference a 25% increase, but I couldn’t find a source. A few contributors to the increase are...
Christmas Tree – Real or Artificial?
As the holidays approach, one of the first activities is decorating. This process often centers around a tree. The choice tends to boil down to two options - a real tree or an artificial tree. There is much debate on which alternative is the more environmentally...
Green Holiday Ideas
With the holiday season approaching, below are ideas to consider in several different categories. Future posts will go into detail on some of these areas. In the meantime, I hope this prompts some ideas to make your holiday One Shade Greener. Decorating &...
Sustainable Life
I have written in previous posts that I believe the first step of sustainability is personal. If our lives are not sustainable, we don’t have the space to solve difficult problems. If we feel overwhelmed, we strive to just get by. We are not advancing our thinking...
Eco Friendly Entertaining
With the holiday season right around the corner, many of us will entertain in our homes. A little intentional planning can help lighten the impact on the environment. We may also save some money and lighten our stress along the way. My Perspective Entertaining...
Eco Décor – Leverage Nature
As the weather turns and the holidays are in sight, we look to make our homes cozier. A great way to update our décor is to bring a bit of the outdoors in. Today, our world is saturated with mass-produced home décor. Foraging from our yards or neighborhood can create...
Halloween One Shade Greener
Halloween is full of fun and festivities. Along the way, there are many potential purchases. Below are just a few ideas to make this Halloween one shade greener than last year. Reduce and Reuse The first place to start is to assess what we already have. Pull out...
The Commons and the Tragedy that Haunts Them
My first interaction with “the commons” was in college. This was the gathering space to study and informally connect with others. A shared space. My next interaction with the term was back in class. I’m currently enrolled in MIT Sustainability Certificate program and...
Sustainability at Work
For those getting started with sustainability, there are a lot of frameworks. These frameworks can be helpful at home, at work, and in our communities. Starting with sustainability itself, the definition is the ability to maintain or support over time. Digging in...