Love Your Planet
A few years ago, a random glance at the television planted a seed that would forever change my thinking about my footprint on this planet. Bea Johnson was chatting with Dr. Oz about her family’s “zero-waste home” and their commitment to reducing, reusing, recycling, and rotting/composting (her four “Rs”.) This was a huge wake-up call for me! At the time, not only was I swimming in far too much “stuff” at home, but the only part I was doing for the planet was putting out our recycling bin twice a month.
Bea’s blog, Zero Waste Home has since been a continuing source of inspiration for me. I wish I could say that my family and I were producing only one pint of waste per year (read Bea’s blog to find out how she’s done this,) but I’m a huge proponent of “leaning into” change. Every little bit that each one of us does can add up to not only measurable personal savings, but a profound positive impact on our environment.
Our opportunity to minimize our footprint extends into every area of our lives, including our workplace. With Earth Day (April 22) approaching, LYB has designated April as Love Your Planet month! To kick off our commitment to helping the planet, we have introduced awesome eco-friendly shopping totes that not only reduce the use of paper products, but are part of our new customer-appreciation program. Here’s how it works: Buy a tote next time you’re in for $10, stash it in your trunk, and every time you come in to shop with your tote, we’ll reward you with 10 percent off your full-priced purchase! On top of that, as long as you have your tote, we’ll always offer you an extra 5 percent off of any sale (e.g. our 75-percent-off sale rack is now your 80-percent-off sale rack!)
There’s more! For every bag we sell in April, we will donate $1 to American Forests to go towards the planting of trees. The bags are already in, so come get yours anytime!
Another baby step we have taken towards being eco-friendly is reducing the use of LYB tags on clothes. We enjoyed seeing our LYB tags hanging side by side with the tags from the labels we love, but we came to realize we were wasting an unnecessary amount of paper since we could simply paste our price tags on the existing labels. We recognize this effort is literally one grain of sand in the whole entire ocean, but we believe every little bit helps.
We are also proud to carry brands that make it easier to help the planet and those that are doing the heavy lifting in being eco-conscious.
S’well, one of our latest arrivals, was created with the goal of reducing plastic bottle waste. We cannot think of a more colorful, practical reason to ditch our plastic since aside from being beautiful, the bottles keep drinks cold and hot for hours. Learn more.
Niyamasol uses a special fabric made from Spandex and RPET, which is a lightweight fabric made of recycled polyesters, plastic bottles and other post-consumer products. Learn more.
Manduka’s entire purpose is to produce better products that last longer in order to reduce consumption and waste. All of their yoga mats are free of toxic chemicals, dyes and phthalates, which disrupt hormonal balance. Their PRO Mats are made from the highest quality PVC on the planet and manufactured emissions-free. Their eKo Mats are made from biodegradable natural tree rubber, manufactured with zero waste and with no harmful plasticizers. Learn more.
Kulae is all about “real good karma” and so its products are also eco-friendly. Its yoga mats are 100% photodegradable and 100% recyclable. In addition, they are PVC and Latex-free and toxin free. Its towels are also 100% recyclable and “clean.”
Bed Stu is another beloved brand that goes the extra mile to protect the environment. They currently produce an Organics Collection that is free from “harmful heavy metals, such as chromes, formaldehyde and other known dangerous chemicals.” In addition, they use vegetable tanned leathers prepared in an environmentally friendly way using tree bark, leaves, plants, and other organic elements. Learn more.
Threads for Thought was launched because the owners felt the fashion industry needed to be more sustainable. They began with a small collection of tees made from eco-friendly fabrics. They are now a full lifestyle fashion brand. They are truly committed to helping respect and protect the planet in both their business and their personal choices. Learn more.
If you have shopped online with us, you may be familiar with SkinLove as we have included a sample in LYB packages. SkinLove is a company that is driven by the desire to provide simple, natural and healthy body care alternatives. Their products (which include body butter, shampoo, deodorant, and foot and muscle balms, among other things) are made with high quality ingredients, no preservatives, no toxic chemicals and 100% pure essential oils. What's more, SkinLove is locally-produced! Learn more.
Finally, because a big part of being good stewards is ensuring we don’t produce added toxins and chemicals, we will soon be introducing Young Living Essential Oils. These therapeutic-grade oils can be used to benefit your body both inside and out, as well as to replace chemical-based cleaning products in your home.
What baby steps are you taking to help protect the environment? Please stop by the store to let me know! Or leave a comment below.
Cheers!
Lisa Berry