Go GREEN in New York City

By Chelsea
updated 2 months ago

Whether you're a Democrat of a Republic, a Conservative or a Liberal, and Independent or completely indifferent, "Green" isn't a political issue, but rather a world issue that we all need to be aware of. A lot of people get the concept of going green confused with politics when it's really just a great concern for everyone that is an inhabitant of this Earth. New York City burns up a ton of energy and resources everyday and though "going green" may be difficult for some of us, or "inconvenient" there are certainly things that we can do to help our planet, even if we just put out a little effort, it will help our planet.

Why go green???

Our world is fixed with an a certain amount of resources that unfortunately, keep depleted…many of which, are already depleted. As we continue to grow our population is rapidly burning up those natural resources.
Saving clean air, water, fuel sources, and soil is incredibly important for not only us but the generations after us.

As I’m learning about “going green” I did some research on the Going Green Initiative and learned this:

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Did you know…

For every ton of paper that is recycled, the following is saved: 7,000 gallons of water; 380 gallons of oil; and enough electricity to power an average house for six months.
You can run a TV for six hours on the amount of electricity that is saved by recycling one aluminum can.
By recycling just one glass bottle, you save enough electricity to power a 100-watt bulb for four hours.”

Even the smallest effort like recycling one bottle, can save a ton!

Natural Heights

688 Washington St, New York, NY 10014

Natural Heights isn’t just eco-friendly to the home, but also has products for body, garden, babies, etc. Whether you’re looking for green cosmetics or green house cleaning products they have it all, the perfect one stop shop!

Make your makeup bag green!

Not only is going green good for your planet, but for your skin as well! When you think of all the chemicals that we put on our faces or wash our faces with everyday it’s actually a bit scary….

As the trend catches on, going green isn’t as expensive as it used to be either!
Switch to:

Aveda
Burt’s Bee’s (May I suggest the honey chapstick…which can also come in different tinted shades)
Tom’s of Maine
The Organic Pharmacy
Avalon Organics
Origins

Go Green Laundry

Between 75 and 80 percent of our clothing’s lifecycle impact comes from washing and drying. It takes so much energy to heat the wash and run the cycle. Here’s a couple things you can do to help:

1. Buy Energy Star. Switching to an Energy Star-qualified top-loading (or “horizontal axis”) machine can save as much as 7,000 gallons of water per year. Over the approximately 11-year life of a washer, that’s enough water to fill up three backyard swimming pools or provide a lifetime of drinking water for six people.

2. Hang things out to dry.

3. Wear things more than once…that’s right, as long as it isn’t too funky.

4. Use Green laundry detergent.

5. Go to the laundromat! They’re much more efficient than home washers.

Loomstate

5 Crosby St, New York, NY 10013

“Loomstate is fully committed to organic farming, which is a form of agriculture which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, plant growth regulators, and livestock feed additives. Organic cultivation requires managing and preserving the sensitive ecosystem as opposed to stripping the land of its resources as conventional farming does.”

Loomstate isn’t only chic and classic when it comes to design but incredibly comfortable as well, without looking lazy or as if you hand sewed your outfit yourself.

Learn more about going green!

The best thing that we can do for ourselves is educate ourselves on the issues at hand! Reading, watching documentaries and staying aware is incredibly important. Check out some of these books: