8 Simple Ways to Live Greener

I really love Earth Day. Over the past few years, Earth Day has become my favorite holiday because it makes me think about the world around me. Each April, I spend time evaluating how I am living my life and the impact that I have on the community around me. It's always a great reminder to see how I can live in a more sustainable manner and do my part to ensure that I am creating a better planet for generations to come. 

I think most of us are bombarded on a constant basis with horror stories of the world around us changing: global warming, landfills piling up, animals losing their native homes. When I think about these things, it makes me feel helpless and overwhelmed. Then I always come back to the same defeated thought:  But, I'm just one person... how can I possibly make a difference?

When I was in my graduate program several years ago studying societal change and creating change within organizations, we always talked about the power of individuals and the community. Every change starts with one person wanting to make a difference. It certainly helps when you have community support, but change usually starts with one person who is willing to stand up and make different decisions. When I feel helpless about the state of our planet, I have to remind myself of this. Yes, I am just one person, but my decisions matter and they make an impact.

In the spirit of Earth Day, I thought it would be fun to share some of my best tips for living a more sustainable lifestyle. I think we typically hear the same things again and again: drive less/bus more/commute by bike whenever possible, take shorter showers and use less water, buy used items instead of new, don’t leave lights on, etc. So, I wanted to share a few of my favorite tips for living green that are easy enough for anyone to do and will help you to live healthier, save money, and reduce your impact on the planet.

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Love Your Liver Juice & SPUD Juicing Program

I'm really excited to share something fun with you today.  I was recently contacted by SPUD (Sustainable Produce Urban Delivery) and asked if I would be willing to try out their new juicing produce boxes and share them with you. An excuse to juice more fresh, local produce? Of course I was up for the challenge!

I've seen SPUD's delivery trucks around Seattle, but didn't know too much about their company until recently. The more I learn about them, the more I love their mission. SPUD was founded in 1997 as a sustainable way to directly connect local farmers with customers. 100% of their produce is either certified organic or locally and sustainable produced and over 50% of their products are sourced locally.

One of the things I love most about SPUD is that it's incredibly convenient to order produce online and since the deliveries are consolidated into specific routes, one of their vans leaves with their warehouse with over 100 orders, reducing both pollution and traffic. Pretty cool, huh? SPUD currently serves 6 urban areas in North America: Seattle and the Eastern Puget Sound, the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles and Orange County, Vancouver, Victoria and Vancouver Island to Nanaimo, and Calgary (see their full delivery map here).

SPUD recently started a new Juicing at Home program and now offers Organic Juicing Boxes for people who are looking to boost their health by juicing and want a convenient way to save time and money. They have five different produce boxes to choose from and, if you need a juicer, you can even purchase one through their weekly payment program and start using it right away. (I love this idea!)

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