Sustainability is a buzz word, embedded in every eco-business home page out there. Clothing, food, building materials, consumer products….all of it advertised to be “good” for our earth and our families. The overall cost of marketing must be amazing, as my facebook and instagram accounts are constantly bombarded with ads for new products that will reduce plastic, save the oceans, and decrease water use in manufacturing, etc. All these potentially positive choices can be overwhelming to an individual who wants to be part of the solution to climate change, but doesn’t know how to start.

I have friends tell me that they want to make the world better for themselves and their future generations, but: “I don’t have the time” or “How can I afford to buy organic at the store? My grocery bill is already too high.” Sustainability, in the basic definition of the word, means the ability to repeat the process, to maintain the balance. Sustainability is what works for you, within your time and budget, to choose better alternatives. By making small, daily choices to be part of the solution within your means, you ARE being sustainable. For example, if you can add one or two organic vegetables to your grocery budget each week you are making smart decisions (here is a sample of produce options where organic is a healthier choice than conventionally grown: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php#dirty-dozen).

Of course, we’d all love to buy clothes made from eco-friendly materials, buy groceries at a local, organic farm, and stop buying everything encased in plastic, but the reality of life and our budgets is usually very different. Therefore, I leave you with the thought that your choice to be part of the solution, making positive resolutions, is being sustainable. Thank you for doing your part!