Sustainability - March

March has brought along with it so many things that I don’t think many of us expected. In the US, although we had heard over the last several weeks about the devastation that COVID-19 was wreaking in China, unfortunately, it wasn’t until it hit close to home that its severity and impact were made totally clear.

Since I live in the PNW, close to Seattle, I have felt intricately engaged since the beginning when the first cases were identified in the US. The world right now feels shocking and overwhelming. From cruise lines shutting down, Disneyland closing its doors, and local restaurants only serving take out.

I canceled a trip that I was supposed to go on in April. I canceled birthday dinners and outings with friends. I canceled organizing sessions with clients. I know that I have suffered so much less than many. And I am grateful. I want to surround everyone with love and compassion and empathy.

If anything, the developments in the outside world have made me even more determined to continue to make progress on my internal growth - making my life (and hopefully ultimately, the world around me) more sustainable.

In times like this, it feels like the little changes that we make matter little and the steps we are taking are pointless. I know that feeling! In the middle of the month, I spent about a week feeling just icky and off. Part of the work I have been doing is just letting myself feel my feelings - so I did. I just sat with the yuckiness. I let it be okay that I didn’t feel like doing extra work. I let myself watch tv. I ate ice cream. I went on lots of walks. I read. I didn’t make it mean anything. And sure enough, after a few days, I felt ready to adjust to this new normal and take on the world again.

Although I will admit, with what has happened in the world as well as in my own life this month, I haven’t been able to spend as much time focused on sustainability as I would have liked. I ended up finding a new apartment and moving this month! I also started my coaching certification program through the Life Coach School in March. I don’t mean any of that as an excuse. This is life. However, it hasn’t changed my dedication towards my focus on sustainability either.

Moving is something that only happens occasionally - and thus not something I have to try to integrate into my life to make “sustainable”. Although my new apartment has some features that will benefit the environment and are going to fit my lifestyle really well.

My certification program, on the other hand, is something that will be part of my life for the next year. I will have to dedicate several hours a week to focus on my homework and so that is something I will need to fit into my schedule. Thankfully, I’m pretty sure that the only thing I will have to sacrifice is probably time spent working in front of the TV and maybe a bit of reading. An hour a day is nothing in the grand scheme of things - and those are the hours that are going to get me to where I want to go.

I decided to focus what time I did have this month on learning about sustainable clothing.

I started by reading MagnifEco: Your Head-to-Toe Guide to Ethical Fashion and Non-toxic Beauty. This book was incredibly detailed and a little tough to get through - but it gave me a good starting place for launching into the world of sustainable fashion. I researched several of the companies that the book mentioned (there were dozens) and I used those as a starting place for much of my research.

I definitely didn’t need to purchase anything to fill out my closet - I have more than enough to last me for right now (especially as I was packing for a move!). But I did enjoy spending time looking into sustainable brands.

The only thing that I am likely to purchase in the near future is some new tights. Several of the pairs that I wear weekly have small holes (and a couple have holes that are quite big). But since the holes are in unnoticeable places, I decided to sew up the holes for now - a very sustainable option - instead of just tossing my current tights into the landfill and having to purchase new ones that will likely end up there someday too. I know that this is a temporary fix, but it works for now!

And thanks to my research, I was able to find Sheertex, a company that makes very strong pantyhose. The fibers are mini versions of the ones used in bulletproof vests! When I am ready to make the investment in new tights (because the ones I have now have finally hit the dust), I will definitely be purchasing these. They will not be ending up in a landfill at any time in the near future.

But I will admit, investing in sustainable products is just that - an investment. For example, I love the new bags that Rothy’s has just released. When I upgrade the bag I use every day (it is starting to tear), I will probably order one of those! The one I was originally considering replacing it with was a $20 one on Amazon - but I really have no way of knowing where or how that bag was made. So while it may be beneficial for my bank account, it likely wouldn’t benefit the earth and certainly isn’t made from recycled water bottles like the one from Rothy’s!

I know that the process of making stuff from recycled water bottles isn’t totally problem-free, but it is definitely better than some alternatives.

Since I didn’t end up purchasing any clothing during my month focused on clothes, I took a slightly different tack. I decided to get some things that would help my existing clothes last longer.

I ended up deciding to get some lingerie and wash bags to keep my more delicate stuff safe in the washing machine. In addition, I got some dryer balls to hopefully cut down on my energy usage and to keep my clothes soft.

I will admit, I haven’t gotten to use these items quite yet, since I’m moving. But once I get them unpacked and do my first load of laundry in my new home, I’m excited to try them out.

Since I have also been spending a lot of time reading and researching about which is better for the environment - purchasing online or in stores, and I haven’t quite found a conclusive result, I decided that I would pick up these things during the course of my normal errands, rather than trying to find a specific place to order them online.

I’m excited to implement all of my sustainable items and products in my new apartment! I will be starting off in the best way possible.

Until next time,

Carly

Photos by Mason Joel Photography