“Sustainable” things that might not be all that Sustainable….

Electric Car.

Love the reduction of emissions, but is the electric source renewable? Or is it just burning fossil fuels offsite? Did you need a new car? If you’re buying an electric car to be sustainable…. But you didn’t actually need a new car? Well that’s not sustainable/. Fixing what you have (within reason) or replacing an ancient gas guzzler, definitely is…but remember, a new car is a huge resource and the batteries use a ton of mined minerals. Electric Cars are great, but its not black and white, and constantly upgrading your functional car….isn’t either. Good Read

Vegan Leather…

appreciate the intention but it's not going to last very long and it's usually just fancy plastic.

Leather that lasts forever and is well cared for and comes from a vintage or ethical source-  100%. I’m all for the ethical treatment of animals, so PETA don’t come after me. I think those that keep a vegan lifestyle are awesome (that just hasn’t worked for me). However, its not always so simple. Make sure your vegan leather isn’t just adding to more plastic pollution (and subsequent animal habitat degradation) 

Compostable Products

Love that for you. But I’ll shout it from the rooftops. THINGS DON”T COMPOST IN A LANDFILL. So buying all the compostable products and not actually composting them…..meh. I’m still stuck on this one. Often times the compostable products, like bioplastics use more energy and water to create than other products…but plant based…so no petroleum. It's a little bit of a wash. Also, they aren’t recyclable…you can’t recycle a compostable cup.…. Read more from Beyond Plastics.

Essential Oils

Undisclosed fragrances = bad….often times filled with toxic chemicals that have scientifically proven endocrine disruptors. Gross. So clear answer is Essential Oils right? Well…not exactly. They are definitely often better for you (but remember, not so much for your pets , and lavender & tea tree EOs in excess might not be so great…I’m not coming after your lavender, I’m just saying chill out a little).  

 But sustainable? In high volume, well no. Essential Oils require a ton of plant for a drop of oil…and time a product is made in high volume, that can lead to a host of other environmental challenges like deforestation. This is a good summary for those who want to read more, as is more information about synthetics fragrances from our friends at Dip. 

Recycling everything

Hey there wishcyclers and aspirational recycling of everything. Just because it CAN BE recycled….doesn’t mean it CAN BE recycled in your area. Tetra Paks CAN BE recycled, wax cartons CAN BE recycled, but I’ve never been in a town that does. What happens when your CAN be things end up in the recycling? It contaminates the recycling and the recycling ends up in the trash. For MA locals, Recycle Smart is such a great resource.

Moral of the story so you don’t get anxious and stuck in the weeds….just consume less and responsibly as best you can.