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...