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That’s Natural!*
September/October 2008 *Printed on 60% Post-Consumer Recycled Paper
A Sustainable “Back To School”
By Tammy Alhadef Sustainability. You’d be hard pressed to find someone who disagrees with it in principle. Not many of us would say, “I’d like my milkshake with lots of hormones and antibiotics, please.” But, incorporating sustainability into our daily lives can be a challenge.
Convenience and necessity have been known to trump the lofty goals of even the most dedicated Greens among us, especially when faced with big projects like remodeling or back-to-school shopping. Toss enough ecofriendly products into your cart and you’ll realize you’ve probably spent twice as much as you budgeted. But, a greener life can be had simply by reusing what we already have on hand or by recycling things that would have made their way into the dustbin. By taking our cues from the generations that came before us, we can make purchasing new items special again and instill in our children and ourselves the idea that the things that we do buy should be cared for and cherished. The new school year is here. For my family that means digging around under the beds and in the junk draws to find school supplies we can salvage. I’m not one to deny a child the joy of opening a new box of crayons on the
first day of school, but last year’s supplies are usually just as good as the new ones we dutifully replace them with year after year. Scissors, rulers, pencils—even backpacks can be reused again and again. Sending the kids back to school can put a strain on anyone’s budget. But, over the years I’ve learned that with good sustainability practices, gathering all those extra items can be easy on the environment and still leave a little green in my pocketbook. One of the ways we save money and the planet at our house is by hitting the secondhand stores and shopping the Internet for gently used clothing before we head to the mall. During a recent visit to www.craigslist. org I spotted 41 boys shirts, 2 winter coats and 4 pairs of pants, all for $40. Imagine how many bags that would fill, if set out on the curb for the trash truck. Not to mention the fact that you couldn’t buy one new coat for that price, much less make it yourself. So, not only do I get to feel good about recycling, I get the satisfaction of knowing that my purchases didn’t need to spend time on a leaky diesel barge from China just to get to my door, (at least this time around.) My teenage daughter and I are eagerly planning a trip to The Leech Pit, 708 N. Weber St., in Colorado Springs. This hip boutique deals in vintage, Punk Rock, Indy and other “recycled” modern clothing that you can buy, sell or trade. When we do have to buy something new, we buy the very best quality we can afford. A good, heavy-duty backpack should last a long time, so we skip the cute, cartoon emblazoned Story Continued Page 7
We believe that every human being has a right to health, education, the arts, and to be a part of the local economy. We believe that entities and products that encourage this should be promoted. We believe that educating the public about the inherent truths of our health, our education, our culture, and our economy is paramount to our rights as citizens.We believe in hope, change,and the power of a free market economy. We believe in the power of a consumer. And we believe all of THAT is very NATURAL!
Putting the Power in the Consumer’s Hands - That’s Natural!