Smart Ideas Around Food

• Choose local and in season—learn more about where your food comes from
• Select organic and hormone free if possible especially produce on the “dirty dozen” list
• Grow your own food or get involved in a CSA (community supported agriculture)
• Consider reducing meat consumption for health and planetary concerns

Research Insight:

People are looking for trust and confidence in their food purchases. Sometimes that’s a personal relationship with a local farmer, sometimes it’s the stamp of organic certification.

Smart Living Jumpstarts:

• Try meatless Monday
• Have a dinner party with all the food coming from within a 100 mile radius of your home
• Shop the perimeter of the grocery store for real food

Factoids:

• Livestock is responsible for 18% of US greenhouse gases, more than all transportation combined
• By buying local, 90% of what you spend stays in the local economy compared to only 7% when not buying local
• Each vegetarian’s diet saves an acre of trees a year

Smart Ideas:

• Match your vehicle to your trip—often a bike or small car is all you need
• Buy into the dream – when you are ready for your next car, go hybrid, go electric
• Maintain your vehicles – keeping them tuned, tires full, increases fuel efficiency

Research insight:

Many expressed guilt about driving but couldn’t imagine changing their driving habits. For those people who actually tried alternative transportation, many were pleasantly surprised and empowered.

Smart Living Jumpstarts:

• Once a week, get to work a different way—bike, bus, carpool, etc
• Work at home one day a week
• Group errands, ride with a friend – make it a game to reduce mileage when feasible

Factoids:

• 77% of people commute alone in their car
• When a person starts to bike commute, they lose an average of 13 pounds in their first year
• Only 4.7% of commuters use public transportation

• Become more aware of your home energy use–where are my energy dollars going?  Out the windows?  Up the chimney?  To the electric utility?
• Use technology to save money and energy without sacrificing comfort
• Know your most obvious energy weak spots

Research Insight:

People who tried programmable thermostats in our research found them to be cheap, effective and easy to use.  No down side, only energy and cost savings.

Smart Living Jumpstarts:

• Seal windows and doors—cheap, easy, effective
• Install programmable thermostats and other energy management/automation technology
• Diversify your lighting mix. Use daylight whenever possible and mix CFLs and LEDs to balance personal preferences with conservation benefits.
• Reduce phantom power loads – use power strips and unplug gadgets

Factoids:

• Phantom energy loss accounts for 10% of your yearly power bill
• Save 10% a year on heating by turning down thermostat 10 degrees for 8 hours a day

Smart Ideas:

• Minimize radiation exposure by moving electric devices and cell phones away from beds
• Pay attention to air quality – you spend 30% of your life breathing your bedroom air
• Consider natural bedding – you touch it, breathe it, and live in it every night

Research Insight:

Good sleep is cherished however, many people report wanting more sleep or better quality sleep

Smart Living Jumpstarts:

• Conduct a simple test: unplug all electric devices in your bedroom and see if you get better sleep
• Limit rugs and other dust collectors and consider an air filter and/or humidifier

Factoids:

• We spend 1/3 of our lives sleeping
• New research has linked the radiation emitted from cell phones to insomnia

• Conserve water – 75% of your in-home water use happens in the bathroom.
• Consider natural personal care products
• Steer clear of toxic cleaning products
• Consider a chlorine-filtering shower head

Research Insight:

Even people who are conscious of water scarcity issues often find it hard to change their habits.

Smart Living Jumpstarts:

• Install low-flow aerating showerheads–they save 30% of the energy used to heat the water without compromising the experience
• Clean toxic products out from under the sink
• Become aware of the ingredients that you’re putting on your skin – no one’s watching your back. Know what you’re putting on yours.

Factoids:

• 25 gallons per person per day gets flushed
• A 10-minute shower with an old shower head uses 40 gallons of water
• On average, people put nine products on their skin and body daily

Smart Ideas:

• Cut waste—reduce packaging, invest in reusable containers and napkins, buy bulk, compost, and of course recycle
• Cleaning products – consider natural product alternatives around counters that come into contact with your food
• Use filtered tap water for cooking, tea, coffee, or just to drink.  Tastier and healthier.

Research Insights:

Many people were skeptical of green claims especially as they relate to cleaning products and many told stories of bad experiences with inferior products. At the same time, they identified that natural cleaning products were an important consideration though less than half actually purchased them in the last year.

Smart Living Jumpstarts:

• Clean out under the sink—properly dispose of old toxic products and find your go-to natural arsenal
• Avoid bottled water—use reusable mugs and bottles and fill them with filtered water you can trust from your own sink

Factoids:

• The average American puts 4.5 pounds of waste into the landfill a day
• In the US 100 million disposable water bottles are thrown out every day. The oil required to make those bottles is the equivalent of 27 Exxon Valdez oil spills a year.
• Companies are not required to disclose ingredients in cleaning products

The experience isn’t about what is the greenest of the green but about finding a balance between making smarter choices while juggling what life throws at you. It’s an approachable and doable way to live that’s healthier for your family and better for the planet, and might just bring some much needed relief to your wallet.

They’ll also learn about our recently wrapped research on Smart Living where we talked to over 350 people in 17 communities across the country and more than 1000 online participants. We’ll be releasing some topline results to the public soon but until then, over the next week, we’ll post some of our findings and tips each day.

A huge thank you to our partners in this project, Boston-based Cercone Brown (they are logistical PR wizards)!

So what is the Do the Reuse Challenge anyway?

It’s a 30-day challenge taking place this September 1 through September 30 that chronicles 9 families who are giving up 1 of 3 disposable items: disposable coffee cups, water bottles or food containers.

Small changes. Big impact.

Why the Do the Reuse Challenge? We are on a mission to show everyone that they can make a difference for their family, community and the earth, and that making a difference can be as easy as bringing your coffee mug to the café with you.

Did you know:

• 23 billion disposable coffee cups are used in the US each year and they can not be recycled. That’s 63 Million a day. All those cups could fill more than 41,000 2,000 square foot house a year.
• In the US 50 billion disposable water bottles are consumed each year. That’s 137 million per day or 1,585 per second. The bottles could fill almost 850,000 school buses, nearly twice as many school buses that are in the US.
• By packing your lunch you can easily save 200 calories per meal. In a year you could lose15 lbs of body weight.

Just think if everyone took the challenge. Suddenly that one small change would make a huge difference; it’s really just that easy. And your family could be among those that prove it.

Here’s how it works:

Choose one of three 30-day Do the Reuse challenges:

• Ditch disposable coffee cups
• Ditch disposable water bottles
• Ditch disposable food containers (styrofoam, plastic baggies, cling wrap, etc.)

Apply! Tell us why your family would be good candidates for the Do the Reuse Challenge and which challenge you want to take on. Include the below application information and email it to us by August 16 to be considered. We’ll let you know by August 17 if you’ve been selected and your challenge will start September 1 and go until September 31.

MORE…

You can find the survey here: http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/330469/Combined

Please complete the survey by July 20.

We’re trying to change the world here so we need as many folks as possible from all walks of life to take this.  If you’re comfortable with passing the survey link along to your email lists, post it on blogs, or your Facebook or Twitter networks it would be a HUGE help. Thanks!