Winning Green Friends And Influencing Others

I have a lot of green friends.  I have a lot of friends who are starting to go green.  I am finding that I am also influencing others with the information that I freely give away.

A while back I told you about my commitment to not use take a way containers from restaurants.  Well, last night I was at a networking mixer and ordered the 2-for-1 wings as I usually do at this event.  I ate my fill and pulled out my container to take the rest home with me.  A little while later, I see a friend pulling out her own re-usable container and filling it with her extra wings.  I couldn't believe it!  I did my little happy dance.

I talked with my friend later in the evening and she said that her family was taking up my challenge to reduce the amount of restaurant waste when they go out to eat.  We talked further and she was telling me about more little things they were doing to reduce their overall environmental impact.  Something she said really made me giggle a little and admittedly made me proud.  She said that when they accomplished some challenge I set or tip I had given, they would say "Christopher would be so proud" or if they had a question about something, "What would Christopher do?"

Is Your Business In the Green part 2

The health and well-being of employees and customers should be a top priority for business owners.  In todays business world, however, this is too often overlooked or ignored altogether.  Why?

Most business owners think this is strictly about providing insurance for all of their employees.  They couldn't be more wrong.  Insurance is like a band-aid on the real issue.  The real issue is providing a work environment that is healthy and safe for their workers and customers.  How many of your employees have Asthma or allergies?  Chances are, the majority of your employees have some form of allergy or Asthma.  How many of those employees call in sick, A LOT?  Now think about your customers.  That number goes up exponentially. If a customer or client enters a space that causes them to not feel well, they will leave it and never return.  In their subconscious mind, they are equating your office or retail space with feeling bad. 

Most of the issues these employees and customers face is caused by a chemical trigger.  That trigger could be the chemicals that were used to clean the floor, the chemicals that are being used to give the restrooms that "fresh" scent or even the chemicals that were used to clean the display area.  Does your office area or display area receive full sun in the morning or afternoon?  Is this time time of day when employees are more likely to go home because they are not feeling well?

Changing your cleaning products from chemical based cleaners to all-natural cleaners is fast, easy and will end up saving your company money.  There are some industrial cleaning supply companies out there who have been touting their "all-natural" cleaners, yet they are guilty of green washing.  If you look at the label on a bottle of cleaner and you cannot pronounce or immediately recognize the ingredients as being plants or fruits, then that product is not natural.  Finding truly all-natural products, in the past, has been the hard part of the process and requires a fair amount of work.  As always, I want to make this entire process easier for you.  The ingredients in our cleaning products are very clearly labeled and contain only ingredients that are plants and fruits.  They have been formulated to provide maximum cleaning power and yet leave no scent behind.

As a business owner you want to keep your best employees and customers coming back, yes?  By making this incredibly small change in the way your facility is managed, you are making a bold statement to your employees and customers that says, "We care about you, your families and the environment".  Wouldn't you like to be quoted in the papers saying that?  Businesses who have made this statement in the past have all been hugely successful.  When you tell people you truly care about them, they will choose you over the other guy.

Contact me today and I will show you how your business can become OnlyGreen Qualified.

Topher And The Blustery Day

Living in Arizona we do not often see the effects of climate change.  This year, however, we are seeing some crazy, crazy weather.  We have had days where the temperature only reached the upper 40's during the day and we've already had days that have hit the low 80's.  All this in only the past two months.

Today we are experiencing another day of strong winds which is making it near impossible to enjoy spending any time outside while the temperature is still warm enough.  Most of our winter has been pretty windy.  During one storm we found everything in our back yard (patio furniture, table and chairs, 7 burner grill, etc) thrown against the wall within seconds.  As a native, I can say with certainty that this is not what the weather was like growing up.

With this change in the climate, there comes new opportunities.  There's change blowing on the wind, as they say.  We still have an extreme number of days with full sun, so the application of solar energy production is still a no-brainer here.  However, with the massive increase of windy days, we can now look at wind energy as a viable option as well.

Imagine it; you have solar energy panels on your roof and it's reduced your electric bill to almost zero.  What's preventing you from reaching that zero dollar amount on your next bill?  What if you added a small wind-turbine?  There are new turbines on the market small enough to go in your back yard without being an eyesore.  We have the energy resources we need to take our city off the grid.  My question to you is; why aren't we taking advantage of it?

Understanding Nanoparticles

Over the past year, there has been a lot of discussion about the use of nanoparticles in skin care and cosmetics. Nanoparticles are particles that have a dimension that is 100 nanometers or less in size.

While they are very widely used through the Health and Beauty industry, much of the controversy surrounding them is due to the lack of knowledge regarding long term effects on a consumer’s body. The nano- sized particles have the ability to absorb into skin and blood stream much faster compared to regular ingredients.

“Nanoparticles are unbelievably tiny, man-made chemicals. They are so incredibly small that tens of thousands of them can fit on the point of a needle. Remember how we were taught that the atom is the smallest component of matter? Well, nanoparticles of various substances are made to be so small that they can be inserted into atoms. Once there, they may undergo a change in the way they normally function, and sometimes their toxicity can be enhanced with a potential for more severe action than normal chemicals.” (ewg.org).

Many lobbyist groups are now fighting to ensure that companies that use nano technology in their manufacturing will be forced to disclose that information on the labels of their products. Right now there is no distinguishing between products which contain an ingredient in a nano- size versus a full particle size.

At OnlyGreen, we have never used nanotechnology to create our products. Any minerals that we use, such as titanium dioxide or mica, are only used in full particle format.

Take That!

As many of you know, I am making a series of commitments this year to clean up my personal environment.  I only stop at my favorite coffee houses if I have my re-usable cups with me, etc.  I made a new commitment this month: to take a re-usable container with me if I go out to eat.  Some may think this is a little crazy and I'm perfectly okay with that.  When I go out to eat I enjoy the meal as I always do.  Only now, when I've finished, if there are any leftovers I wish to take home with me, I hand the waiter/waitress a re-usable container to place the leftovers in.

When I first made this commitment, I was sure I would be met with shocked stares and disbelief.  So far I have received only excited smiles, thanks from the restaurant staff (it saves the restaurant money so they can pay their staff more) and positive responses from other patrons.

I challenge every person who reads this blog to do this the next time you go out to eat.  Will you accept this challenge?

It's A Blizzard, Auntie Em!

Okay, so here's the deal:

The average temperature increases by a degree or two from all the garbage in the atmosphere.  This causes the ocean temperature to rise by a degree or two.  This warmer water causes the glaciers at the North Pole to melt just a little bit.  Then, because it's just a hair or two warmer than usual, those glaciers start to deteriorate.  Once this happens, they begin to break apart. Our natural solar reflector is now in pieces and floating away into much warmer water, where the pieces melt completely.  This causes the average temperature to rise a few more degrees.  More precipitation in the air means more severe storm activity.  See where I'm going with this yet?

Anyone who tries to deny that man has any effect on the environment only need take a look outside today.  This is what we've done.  We have no one to blame but ourselves.  Did we foresee this coming 100 years ago?  Nope.  Did we see it coming 50 years ago?  There were some wacky theories making the rounds at that time.  Did we see this coming 20 years ago?  You betcha!  Could we have prevented our Northern ice cap from melting?  We could have done a lot more to prevent it.  I don't know if we could have stopped it altogether, however I do know that we could have slowed it down considerably if we had only taken the initiative to do something about it.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the result of Global Warming.  Ain't it fun?

Earth Hour Every Week

Ever since Earth Hour first started, I have been a huge proponent of the idea.  I love it!  It reminds me to step back from everything and take a breath.  We usually end up going waaaay past the alloted hour each year.  We light a few candles and enjoy spending quality time with the neighbors.

We decided we like the idea so much, why not do it once a month?  So we did.  Once a month we would unplug all the unnecessary devices/appliances in the house and read by candle light or have a drink and play a board game with the neighbors.  This became a habit after a few months.

After our second official Earth Hour we asked ourselves, why don't we try doing this once a week?  So we did. Each week we unplug and spend some quality time together.  There's no ringing, buzzing, beeping or "background noise".

What would happen if you and your family decided to do Earth Hour once a month instead of once a year?

Schrodinger's Cat

I sometimes look at my inbox and want to run away from it.  A lot of what I get is junk, some is not expected yet worth keeping and some of it I have been waiting impatiently for.  Does this sound like you?  Or do you see how many unread messages are there and don't bother looking, you just move on to something else?

When designing my weekly newsletter, I sent out the mock-up to many people asking for feedback.  I worked hard to implement the suggestions given.  Some of them just didn't work and were scrapped.  Others made my newsletter so much better than I had originally planned.  I needed it to be something that was easy to read, informative and something that people looked forward to receiving each week.

Have you seen it?  I send out a new one every Monday morning.  In it you will find a recipe for dinner, information about current eco-issues and questions from subscribers.  You'll find the sign-up form just to the right of this post, please take a minute to fill it out and subscribe.

Is Your Business In The Green? part 1

I have said before that I do a lot of networking here in the valley.  Every week I meet business owners who may recycle at home, yet they don't in their business.  I find this very strange.  I know that part of the reason is that there is no recycling service as part of their regular waste disposal in most cities here.  I try to impart this little nugget of information to each business owner I meet; greening your business is more than just recycling.  Recycling just happens to be the most popular place to start for most people.

Does your business have a break room or kitchen?  Do you supply the cups, cutlery and plates/bowls?  There are amazing products available to business owners to make a HUGE difference in just this one area.  There are cups, cutlery, plates and bowls made from corn, made from sugarcane and other plants, that are biodegradable/compostable.  There are garbage bags made from corn that break biodegrade so that the contents can properly break down.  Next week, keep an eye on your break room or kitchen and take a mental note of the waste and types of waste produced in five days.  Once you have an idea of the amount, now multiply that by 51.  Now think about this; what if all of that completely biodegraded and didn't exist after a few months.

I Tripped!

You never see it coming.  That crack in the sidewalk.  The little stone on the path.  They are always there and always ready to trip you up.  The same goes for when you are undertaking a new long-term venture.  Little things pop-up and trip you.  I went out with some friends after a meeting this past Friday night and without thinking, decided I was going to have a chocolate shake.  I ordered it and it wasn't until I received it that I realized what I had done.  My commitment for this year was to avoid using cups from any outside sources (coffee shops, etc).

Did I beat myself up over this trip?  Nope.  I recognized that there is an area that I didn't consciously think about.  I moved on and continue with my commitment.  Have you ever tripped on a diet or exercise plan?  Did you let that install doubt about your plan.  Don't let that hinder you from reaching your goals.  Recognize and continue.

I Know I Should Do More part 4

"I just don't have the time to go shopping around for green products.  It's easier to just use what I can get at the store."  If I had a dollar for every time I have heard that, I'd be able to afford a new electric car.  Have you ever used this as an excuse to just buy whatever is on sale at the grocery store?  I used to use this excuse before the popularity of the internet rose to what it is today.  Once independent stores started putting up their own websites selling their products, I was on my green path full time.

The first thing you need to do is sign up for my newsletter.  Look to the right of this post and you'll see the sign up form.  Every Monday I will send information that will help you make the informed purchasing decisions that will green up your life.

The second thing you need to do is visit my website, www.onlygreen.com/cruggles, where you can find all of the products you need in one place.

The third thing I would recommend is hosting an EcoWorkshop.  By hosting an EcoWorkshop, you can learn more about ingredients in your current every day products and experience some great green alternatives.  You also get to spend an evening with your friends.  These are fun, informative events that are big on education with no hard selling.  Contact me today to book yours.

I Know I Should Do More part 3

It is my hope that you have thought about taking control of your environment.  The next step is the most vital piece of information you need on your path to going green.  Are you ready?  Here it is: Only buy products as you need them!  Far too many people think they have to change everything all at once.  This will empty your bank account fast.  If you notice that you are running low on a product (shampoo, lotion, bathroom cleaner, etc), then start looking for an all-natural replacement.

If you follow this one simple rule, your transition to a greener, healthier lifestyle will be super easy and will probably actually save you money.  In fact, if you host an OnlyGreen EcoWorkshop, you can take advantage of our wonderful Host Rewards program and receive several of the products you want at no cost.

Variety Is The Spice

The saying goes; "variety is the spice of life".  If that is true, then most of us live pretty exciting lives!  I know I sure do.  I want to throw out a question; Is there any variety in the products you are using every day?  Or are you still using the same products you were using back in 1990 because they are familiar?  It's probably time you took a long look at those products (soaps, lotions, cosmetics, etc) and make the decision to try something new.  Not just something new, something that is all-natural and new.

The majority of us go through our day using products that we don't think about.  We've been using this product for 10 years and it works just fine, why would we switch?  Well, it's not switching just to switch.  It's switching to something that will increase your health and help clean your personal environment.

Go into your bathroom right now and look at all the products you have in the cupboard.  How long have you been using each one?  Pick the one you have been using the longest and do an internet search for a healthier version of that product.  In fact, give me a call and I can show you several.

The Cost of Living Green

I attend quite a few networking events here in Phoenix.  I was at one last night, which is my favorite, and met someone who asked me what I do and proceeded to tell me, quite forcefully, that living green was cost prohibitive and that one couldn't sustain that kind of "lifestyle" indefinitely.  She also said that it would eventually lead people to a life of crime to pay to continue living this way.  This last statement really shocked me.  How on earth could living a green life lead one to commit crime?  Her reply to this question was simple: truly green products and services cost too much.  Aha!  I hear that a lot.  "I know I should use natural products, but they cost too much.  I can get the regular stuff much cheaper."

If you are shopping for green products at your local grocery store or boutique store, these products are going to be more expensive.  Are they really more expensive to create and manufacture?  Nope.  They are actually cheaper to produce than the chemical alternatives.  You don't need special training for your employees to handle the ingredients because they are all-natural.  Your insurance costs go down because your employees are healthier.  You don't need special storage and removal equipment and services to handle the, oftentimes, toxic chemicals.  Companies are charging more for these products because they can.  To make matters worse, the majority of these products aren't really "green" at all.  There are several companies, however, that are stepping up to the plate with truly green products at prices that meet or beat what you can purchase at the supermarket.  OnlyGreen is one of those companies.

When you make the decision to stop onto the path of going green, you are laying claim to your personal environment.  I talked about this in a previous blog.  Your environment is that area commonly known as "personal space".  I urge you to read it, it's good stuff!  Once that commitment has been made and you begin walking that path, you are going to find some undeniable truths; your health will improve (which will result in lower medical care costs), all-natural products are often concentrated (you use less to do more, saving you more money), more and more businesses are offering discounts on goods and services (many stores give you a discount for each bag you re-use, many coffee shops give you a discount for bringing your own cup).  If you are saving money at almost every turn, it's impossible to rationalize this idea.

The idea that going green is more expensive is a horrible myth that we must dispel.  I always urge my clients to investigate the products they currently use and the total expense of that product.

It's A Numbers Game

I recently came across an amazing video that I want to share with you.  It was made by National Geographic.  The statistics shown in the video are incredible.

I welcome your comments.

I Know I Should Do More part 2

Do you feel your curb-side recycling takes enough?  They don't.  Most city recycling centers are still in "landfill" mode and don't see the benefits to increasing their recycling capabilities.  This doesn't mean that you can't do more.  You can recycle as much as you want.  If you take a little time at the beginning, the process is simple, quick and actually makes you money.

You can recycle almost anything.  Here are the steps to recycling more:

1. Look at what you are putting in your regular garbage can.  Make a list.  Are you putting in plastics, papers or glass that you suspect could be recycled?

2. You want to locate a good recycling center near you.  To do that, you want to visit this link: Earth911.

3. Almost all recycling centers require you to separate everything once you are there.  Save yourself all that work and separate it before hand.  Look at the list you made in step one and pick up a container for each type of material you are going to take to the center.  Now when you throw that stuff out, it's already sorted and you don't have to do it at the center.

4. Decide when you are going to take your materials to the recycling center.  Will you need to go once a week, two weeks or maybe only once a month?  You'll have a better idea of when you need to take it in once you start collecting it.

5. Take your containers to the recycling center.  They will normally have bins to transfer the materials into.  Since you don't have to stand there and sort everything out, this is super easy and quick.  They will weigh everything and give you a receipt and send you to the office where you will get paid for the materials you brought in.

What are you going to do with that extra money?  I really want to know how you do with this.  Leave a comment telling everyone how your efforts are going and what you are going to do with the extra money.

I Know I Should Do More part 1

This is a comment I hear A LOT!  People who they should do  more, yet don't.  Most often when asked why they don't do what they feel is "more", they usually say, "I just don't have the time" or "I don't know where to start, there's so much to do and I feel overwhelmed".

Have you said those things?  Are you still saying those things?  Someone recently asked me who my main competitor was.  I gave my usual reply and they told me I was wrong.  This was obviously confusing; how could I be wrong?  I keep on top of that kind of thing.  Her reply was, Time.  Time is the competitor to all.  It's always working against us and it's usually in the lead.  So I looked at the "I just don't have time" response and asked someone who has given me that excuse what their typical days consists of.  I was blown away by the response!  This person was doing less in an entire day than I do in 2 hours each day.  Yet, somehow, they just couldn't get things done and are always putting things off.  You've no doubt heard the phrase, work smarter not harder.  We each have the same 24 hours every day.  What makes the difference is HOW those hours are spent.  Are you trying to multi-task?  Here's a secret; multi-tasking doesn't work.  It only serves to keep you distracted from finishing anything.  Do you have systems in place to take care of all the repetitive stuff?  You should.

One of the reasons I started my business was to help people who were "overwhelmed" and give them a starting point.  There is an amazing amount of information out there and it can be extremely time consuming trying to sift through it all to learn what you need.  If you had access to someone who knew the answer, wouldn't give them a call rather than spend all the time trying to find the answer?  I wanted to be that person.  I am that person.  If you have any questions about anything "green" feel free to contact me.

Oh What A Beautiful Morning

I had shared a link a few months ago leading to an article for a grassroots movement made  up of people who are committed to making the world a cleaner place.  Here is the basic story:  Each day while going about their usual routines, each person should pick up three pieces of litter and put it in an appropriate waste or recycle bin. This idea really resonated with me.

Yesterday I was chatting with a friend and they asked me what my resolutions were for the new year.  Well, the first thing I did was direct them to my social media.  LOL  Last night I received a message from her talking about this particular story and how it resonated with her.  She has now made the commitment to picking up three pieces of litter per day.

What one thing are you going to do this year to make the world a cleaner, healthier place?  If this idea resonates with you, you can find out more information here.

What Is Organic Cotton?

Cotton is one of the most heavily sprayed agricultural crops in the world, using chemicals that are harmful in many ways. Cotton accounts for more than 10% of pesticide use and approximately 25% of insecticide use worldwide. Organic cotton farming avoids the use of chemicals by promoting healthy plants and soil to control the pests and weeds, and eliminates the need for genetically modified crops.

While conventional cotton farms use spray chemicals as insecticides and pesticides, organic cotton farming involves physically removing the weeds by hand hoeing and cultivation, working the land as we have done for centuries. Nutritionally rich soils are established by proper crop rotation – letting the earth naturally run it’s cycles. Insects are controlled by planting other crops used to lure the insects away from the cotton. All in all, it’s a much healthier and beneficial means of farming – following our roots and bringing farming back to the way it was.

It is said that nearly ½ lb of chemicals are used for each regular sized t-shirt produced using regular cotton. This is a frightening thought. Thankfully, with organic cotton production doubling year over year, more products are becoming available that are made from this fantastic all natural material. OnlyGreen is proud to say that we offer a wonderful line of organic cotton products, from baby wipes to bath mitts, cosmetic squares and kitchen towels.

Contact me today to make the change to organic cotton, as well as learn about the many other great eco-friendly alternatives OnlyGreen has to offer.

A Different Conversation

The environment, it's not some abstract concept that you can not touch or feel or see.  It is very real and always around you.  This is how I want the conversation to start: Are you concerned about YOUR environment?  This is a pretty easy question to ask, but not one that is easy to answer for most people.

Let's define the idea of "your environment".  We all know what personal space is.  It is a three foot perimeter around you.  And if someone invades that space, most of us get defensive and irritated.  You've already claimed that area around you.  But are you taking care of that space?  What are you doing to ensure that area remains free from cancer-causing chemicals, hormone-altering pesticides or even physical debris?  I've really only changed the name of "personal space" here, however, now that it has a new name and some definition, it has a completely different emotional impact.

Now that you have been put in control of your environment, what are you going to do to make sure it's a healthy space?  How would you feel if someone littered in that space?  Or if they sprayed harmful chemicals in that space?  Your environment doesn't belong to anyone else and no one has the right to pollute it without your permission.  I have already made the commitment to keep my environment as clean as I can.  Will you?

A New Start

Well, the new year has started and I am looking at my list of commitments for the coming year.  WOW!  There is a lot of stuff on this list.  Here is just a short list of things for this month: start writing a book, 10 EcoWorkshops, attending a 3 day seminar, increase the size of my team to 6.

What is on your list of commitments for 2011?  Are any of them green?  I would ask that you make one commitment for this year and start it now.  Whether it's always, and I mean ALWAYS using re-usable bags for ALL of your shopping (including department stores), or it could be using your re-usable hot/cold cup at your favorite coffee house.  It can be anything that reduces your impact on your environment.

Another goal I have for this year is to change the conversation we have about the environment.  I will talk further about this in another post.