Wanting to become greener and even buying a book like One Shade Greener at Home is a great start.
We build knowledge through books and podcasts to learn what to do and what to look for.
Yet, when the time comes to purchase products, we are often so busy that we don’t have time to find a greener option. This leads to buying the same brand we’ve always used.
I thought I would share my process and see if this might help you on your journey.
My Story
In many ways, I think I wrote One Shade Greener at Home for myself as much as I wrote it for you.
I was growing my knowledge base, but falling down when it came to some of the purchases.
For the last six months, I’ve been using the book and a new process that is making all the difference.
Here are the highlights:
- As supplies get low on products , I add them to a list I keep on my phone.
- For any product that I want a greener alternative, I mark them with an “*”
- On Saturday’s I pull out the list and my book.
- I flip to the section and scan alternative brands and DIY solutions.
- From there, I make a decision on which to go with.
- If the product can be picked up at a local store, I put it on my shopping list. If not, I order online.
The process takes just a couple minutes for each item. Below is a photo of how the brands are structured by category in the book. Light Green have better ingredients and Dark Green brands also have tackled the plastic packaging challenge
Since I add items as products are getting low, sometimes I wait a few weeks until the list builds up and then I shop for all the items at one time. That is what is happening today. Here’s my list:
- A new face wash – I’ve been using Murad and want to try a different brand.
- Concealer – Mine is running out and the last brand I tried (Mineral Fusion) wasn’t quite for me.
- Shampoo – I tried a bar soap and it’s OK, but I really want a liquid alternative. My prior brand was Organix and had an EWG rating of “4”. That’s not bad, but I would like to try something new.
- Soap – This is one category I love trying new brands just for fun.
- Glass Cleaner – I don’t use glass cleaner often because vinegar & water work well. However, I like to have an alternative on hand for some needs that the vinegar and water just don’t seem to be able to handle as well.
As I start to use the new brands I order, I’ll keep you posted on what I think.
Your Turn
I hope this post has made the task of selecting greener products for your home a bit less daunting.
Always remember – You don’t need to change everything at once!
Small changes over time make a big difference.
Cheers to becoming One Shade Greener!