You are currently browsing the category archive for the ‘Sustainable Practices’ category.
I did it. I ordered my wedding invitations! Thankfully I avoided a bridezilla moment when I found out the Orla invitations are out of stock for a few months — the InviteSite team recommended the Carmine style as an alternative, and after receiving the sample, I like the Carmine just as much as the Orla, if not more. The tree-free mulberry wrapper is a gorgeous deep shade of red, and I chose the chocolate brown taffeta ribbon (red ribbon is shown on the site). Plus, the ribbon will be much easier for my clumsy hands to tie than the raffia that comes with the Orla.
The printing is underway; and I should receive the entire kit — with vegetable-based-ink-printed recycled invitations and reception cards, tree-free wrappers, recycled envelopes and ribbon – ready for assembly, in time to mail the invitations in June.
Yay!
So. Today marks exactly six months until my wedding. To commemorate the occasion, I thought I’d outline our green wedding initiatives. Most are very simple and easy things to do — we’re on a small budget compared to many, so the expensive ideas are out of our range. Several that we can afford help us save money, too, which is a secondary goal to minimizing our environmental impact. In case you’re curious, our budget is $10,000, give or take $1,000.
Here’s the rundown:
- The ceremony and reception are at the same location, which eliminates extra travel and its impact on the environment. Our location, the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul, is heated and cooled geothermally, so there’s no external HVAC system. Bonus.
- Our hotel room blocks are all within a mile or two of the Caves. Provided our out-of-town guests book reservations at either one, that’s another tick in the “reduce travel” column.
- I’m ordering tree-free and recycled invitations from invitesite.com. We’ve split our guest list into ceremony+reception goers and reception-only goers, and only those on the ceremony+reception list get a printed invitation. (Mom insisted on this, so I have to abide.) Reception goers will get an electronic one – designed by me, if all goes well – to reduce the number we need to print. This wasn’t done in an effort to be exclusive, but the room we’ve chosen for the ceremony accommodates 100 people at most, hence the guest list split.
- I built a “wedding website” through ewedding.com to house every last detail of the big day, which cuts additional printing on the invitations. All RSVPs will be done through the site, so there’s no reply card to mail back — reducing the cost and impact associated with snail mail.
- We’re not requiring our wedding party to wear matching outfits, so they don’t have to buy a new dress or suit if they choose not to.
- I’m planning to take my matron of honor (or send her with directions) to the St. Paul farmer’s market the morning of to choose our bouquets. The only other flowers we plan to have are those for the flower girls and possibly boutonnieres for the groom and best man. Fresh, local flowers are the best!
- We’re eliminating table favors altogether. We’d rather not spend the money on something most people will throw away, and that includes eco favors like seed packets. Not everyone will put the effort into planting them, ya know?
- The table centerpieces will be in-season potted plants that guests can take home and nurture for a long time.
- We’re using the bar staff and liquor supply provided by the Caves, which eliminates one more vendor from having to travel to our location.
- Our photographer shoots all-digital photography — no 35mm film or unnecessarily printed prints to deal with.
- I created an Alternative Gift Registry, since we don’t need “things.” We’ve requested charitable donations, gift certificates for local restaurants, carbon offsets, and outdoorsy-related gift cards and memberships, instead of stand mixers and bath towels. We also have a Northwest Airlines registry to help us pay for a California honeymoon (staying close to home) — which we’ll offset with the requested carbon offsets, should anyone be adventurous and buy them. I know some guests will insist on buying a tangible gift, so the very teeny-tiny Target registry I created has mostly green or impact-reducing items on it.
I will admit that I bought a new wedding dress, but I saved a slew of money buying it at 50% off. Additionally, we can’t afford an all-organic (or locally-grown-food-only) caterer, so we had to nix that idea. I did research some local organic caterers, and their prices blew that prospect right out of the water. I thought about a home-cooked menu, but I honestly can’t handle the stress of orchestrating that task. I’m not that organized.
That’s all I can think of for now. I’m happy that we can incorporate some aspects of the traditional wedding blueprint while still making it unique to our values and personalities. I really didn’t want a cookie-cutter wedding with a giant carbon footprint, and thankfully we don’t have to!
The name Miessence has popped up in a few places I’ve been recently, from the Skin Deep database to greenhome.huddler.com. And since I’m very nosy and need to know what the hub-bub is about, I went directly to miessence.com to get the scoop.
Miessence (pronounced MY-essence) is the skin-care division of Organic and Natural Enterprise Group (ONEgroup), manufacturer of the first certified organic lines of health-, skin-, personal- and hair-care products. Many organic advocates recommend that you look for the USDA Organic label on organic items — and Miessence products are independently certified organic by the USDA, the Australian Certified Organic organization and Europe’s International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). While not all products are certified by all three organizations, many are certified by at least one or two. (To be labeled “organic,” the USDA requires that a product must contain at least 95 percent organic ingredients. A pretty rigorous standard compared to most.)
The certification standards alone were enough to get me interested in trying some of the products. However, I thought about the environmental repercussions of ordering online from a company based in Australia — the shipping alone leaves a rather large carbon footprint, despite the fact that its U.S. distribution center is in Nevada. Apparently ONEgroup is just as concerned as I am, if not more. All freight-shipping activity is offset by tree planting through Greenfleet, and the manufacturing plants are powered by wind sources to reduce CO2 production. Plus, product packaging is PVC-free and made from recycled glass and plastic. While I’m still not crazy about ordering items that require shipping, these factors eased my mind about the impact it has on the environment.
So, yes … I did indeed order a handful of items. I’m saying goodbye to my Method hand soap and body wash, my Kiss My Face deodorant, my Avalon Organics moisturizer, and my Aveda Tourmaline Charged exfoliating scrub, and replacing them all with the Miessence equivalents. I was happily surprised to discover that I’m not required to buy the products through a local rep. The option to sign up with a rep is available, but unlike other home-based-business companies, I didn’t have to know someone who sells Miessence before I could order.
I received my order yesterday (UPS 3Day Select shipping: awesome!) and promptly tried the foaming hand wash upon opening my package. I’ve never had cleaner or nicer-smelling hands. Plus, there’s a refill available, so I can reuse and refill the pump. Love it. The garnet exfoliant was remarkably effective, and I am one tough cookie when it comes to evaluating face washes and scrubs. And the purifying moisturizer was light, oil-free and absorbed quickly. No greasy buildup in my T-zone. Again, I’m ruthless about moisturizers working properly. Lastly, my delicate underarms stayed dry all day thanks to the Tahitian Breeze roll-on deodorant. I smelled a little bit like a pine tree this morning — from the moisturizer and deodorant — but it’s a pleasant scent I can handle, and the scent from both dissipates rather quickly. It’s reminiscent of times spent at the cabin during my childhood. And hey, if the products work, who cares if for 10 minutes I smell like I (lightly) rolled in some pine sap?
I’m very pleased with what I’ve tried so far, and I’m super impressed with ONEgroup as a sustainable, environmentally conscious company. I will certainly be ordering more Miessence.
Organic skin-care products that are safe and that work — who knew?
[Edited 3/20/09. I inadvertently said I purchased the purifying skin conditioner, when I actually purchased the purifying moisturizer. Error corrected.]
Quite a while back, my company implemented a few “go green” measures to reduce waste and enhance recycling efforts in the office. One of them was to replace all of the plastic and styrofoam cups in the kitchens with compostable cups made from corn. A pretty bold move for a small company, considering the cups are not cheap. But nevertheless, a good start to eliminating trash. You can see the cup literally disintegrate when you pour hot water on it.
However, we use an awful lot of these cups, and they have to be thrown in the trash — they can’t be recycled. I myself am just as guilty as the next person for using too many and tossing them. I’d find two or three empty cups stacked one inside the other sitting on my desk, and I’d wonder how I got so lazy as to bring yet another cup back to my desk when there was already one there, ready to be re-used.
Well. Enter the Minnesota Public Radio February membership drive. Woah, wait. What in tarnation does that have to do with wasting compostable cups?
You see, I’m a sustaining MPR member, and I was lamenting the fact that we sustaining members don’t get a thank-you gift every year, as new and renewing members do. Come to find out, there’s a top-secret website sustaining members can access for thank-you gifts of their own, but you’re required to email Member Services to obtain the link. I did just that, and found my gift: a 24-ounce, BPA-free Camelback water bottle (emblazoned with the MPR logo, of course).
Since receiving the water bottle, I’ve been challenging myself to drink 48 ounces of water at work every day — without the aid of compostable, must-trash cups! So far, I’ve met my goal, and I’m not peeing out my ears yet. Yet.
So, sayonara plastic cups! My Camelback water bottle is my new best friend. Thank you, MPR.
The totally awesome water bottle, in all its glory, on my desk (as seen from my cell phone)
More food-related blibbity-blah today. I just received a really cool thank-you email from Driftless Organics, confirming my membership! The owners seem really committed to keeping their members informed and up-to-date on the farm goings-on, which is pretty dang awesome. It’s great to know what they’re up to, and that they’re just as excited for the growing season to start as we are.
In addition to maintaining its well-organized and thorough website, Driftless Organics started a blog to communicate to members on a regular basis. OnePotatoTwo is the perfect way for me to check in and get to know the farmers. Love that.
Tally ho! We’re on our way! I’m feeling really good about choosing Driftless Organics for my inaugural CSA season.
Mississippi Market saved my sanity today.
I spent at least an hour and a half scouring the Coborn’s Delivers site to determine if grocery delivery was a viable and economical option. The name has been stuck in my head since the Minnesota Public Radio membership drive — I heard the Coborn’s sponsorship announced countless times over the air. Plus, I wanted to explore another local business. Needless to say, my search was somewhat frustrating; the site does have a “natural/organic” category, but there are limited brand and quantity options (I don’t need 32 oz. of chicken, thank you). I filled my cart with as much organic stuff as I could and supplemented with non-organic where necessary. But by the time I got to the checkout, I hesitated, wondering if perhaps Mississippi Market would have what I was looking for, for less. I really didn’t know if Coborn’s prices would be comparable to brick-and-mortar grocery stores, or if the prices are inflated to reflect the delivery costs.
Since my conscience was telling to me to stop and think, I did just that and emptied the cart. Despite the fact that I hadn’t showered or even brushed my hair, I still donned my jacket and drove off to Mississippi Market with a printout of the Coborn’s list to compare prices. I am so glad I did! I came home with more items for the same price and didn’t have to sacrifice organic items to do so.
And the best part? I finally joined the co-op. I’d been mulling it over since we moved back to St. Paul and knew I’d do it eventually. I shopped at MM the first few years I lived in St. Paul, so I knew the selection was good and the prices were fair.
I was a member of the East Side Co-op when I lived in Northeast Minneapolis, but the membership doesn’t really do me any good in St. Paul. (I know I can get a membership refund, but there’s a long and complicated story behind why I haven’t done it.) Now, when I shop at MM, I can say, “Yes!” when the cashier asks me if I’m a member, instead of sheepishly saying, “I’m a member at East Side.” And I’ll be a member-owner in my own community. Sweet.
Yes! I have buy-off from Doug, and we are going to submit a member application to Driftless Organics for their 2009 CSA.
I mulled over the information yesterday, and calculated the weekly cost to be about $17. If I were to buy organic produce at Whole Foods or Kowalski’s, I’d spend at least that or more every week. Plus, I’m horrible at deciding which vegetables to buy at the store — I can never make up my mind on what would be good to eat that week. Having the every-other-week CSA box will motivate me to do more meal planning around what we get in each box. (We decided that a weekly box would be too much for two people to consume.)
I’m really looking forward to this!
I had a chance to look over the Land Stewardship Project’s CSA brochure (downloaded as a PDF from the LSP’s website). After leafing through the 40-plus pages of CSA listings, I think I may have found one that fits our needs.
Driftless Organics in Soldiers Grove, Wis., offers an every-other-week share at a reasonable price, with the option to split the cost into two payments. I don’t think we need a full box every week, since there are only two adults in our household — so it wouldn’t be practical for us to buy a full weekly share. And the St. Paul pickup site is close to home, which is ideal. They also offer specialty boxes, such as a Thanksgiving box and beef boxes (of organic, pastured beef!).
I nearly did a backflip when I saw that parsnips are available — I’ve had a fondness for parsnips since a scrumptious meal at The Crafstman introduced me to them a little over a year ago. I am intrigued by the prospect of learning to cook with them.
I think my overworked brain would benefit from sleeping on this thought, before I instinctively pull the trigger on the application form, as I am usually wont to do when it comes to making and acting on decisions.
There are days when I really wish the previous residents of my house would submit a permanent address change to the Post Office, but today is not one of them, for once! I went into the office to grab my laptop and spotted the misdelivered “mix” newsletter from the Twin Cities Natural Food Co-ops association. And lo and behold, the cover story is “The ABCs of CSAs.” How appropos, given the suggestions I’ve received based on my recent “meat research” posts.
As I presumed, there are several CSAs within Minnesota, and a handful of local co-ops are having CSA fairs this spring, where consumers can meet the farmers and see which CSA best fits their needs.
Needless to say, I will be doing some research to see if this is a viable option for us — I am totally on board with the concept and would love to give it a try.
I don’t think I can wait for the Seward Co-op’s fair the last weekend in April (because I’m an anxious, compulsive weirdo), so once I return from the gym tonight, I plan to check out the following websites for more information:
More to come, once I’ve had a chance to work off my nervous energy and focus on this newly discovered option.
Holy cow. Add another hash mark in the “love it!” column for invitesite.com. I requested a sample invitation on Friday and received it yesterday — how’s that for a quick turnaround?
Not only that, but I absolutely love the invitation style, so much in fact, that I’m looking no further. I posted a link to the Orla save-the-date booklet on Friday, but ordered a sample of the standard invitation — which actually uses less printed paper, surprisingly. One piece of cardstock, that’s it.
Mom and I decided that it will be best for InviteSite to do the printing, as well, so the invitations will be offset-printed with vegetable-based inks. The outer paper is made from tree-free mulberry and mango leaves, and the card stock is 100% post-consumer recycled content. (I could say, “You can’t get more green than that,” but I guarantee someone would come up with something to beat it. Nevertheless, it satisfies my criteria for green.)
This is the invitation in its “packaged” form:
And opened:
Gorgeous, and green! Love it.
Recent Comments