Contrary to what Kermit says, I actually think it’s easy being GREEN.  Especially these days when being green is the hip thing to do. 

My personal journey to recycle-hood (kind of like adulthood but a little less automatic) started with the simplest of all beginnings, my personal Coke can consumption (the amount of Coke I consume is not the topic of this conversation…thankfully).  Now I’ve gone from recycling an undisclosed number of Coke cans, to recycling everything from toilet paper rolls to every last cardboard box that comes into our office.  I even been spotted dumpster-diving in the alleyway to rescue misplaced recyclable plastics from the landfill.  I’ve become obsessed with recycling…nearly as much as I am with shoes.  But you don’t have to be to make a difference. Every little bit, each recycled can, helps.

So in efforts of helping you find your personal path to recycle-hood, I’ve compiled a list of a few simple things you can do to be hip, and be green.  Kermit would be proud.

1. Just say no: Ban Plastic Bags!  If you do anything, stop using plastic bags when you shop.  Bring your own to tote your purchases or carry a bigger purse and put your purchases in that. (I was pleasantly surprised with how much the Jane by MZ Wallace can hold.) You DO NOT NEED a plastic bag when you go to CVS to buy candy.  There’s no need for a bag to carry anything that fits in your pocket. So train yourself to bring a tote and improvise if you don’t have one.


2. Along the same lines, buy a reusable aluminum bottle in lieu of plastic water bottles.  Bottled water produces up to 1.5 million tons of plastic waste per year.  Besides, water actually tastes like water in aluminum vs. plastic. Design you own at MySigg.com or buy our SimplySoles version.


3. Swap out 1 lightbulb in your house for compact florescent lightbulbs (CFLs) like this (Home Depot is offering free shipping on CFLs today).  Start with 1.  Resolve when other bulbs die to replace them with the same.


4. Turn off your computer and power cords at night.  They still use power, even when items are fully charged and/or turned off.  Or if you’re like me and need time-saving strategies that are simultaneously eco-friendly, consider swapping out your existed power strip for one of these smart-strips that do the work for you.


5. Turn the water off as you are brushing your teeth.  (OK this was one hard for me for some unknown deeply-rooted reason.)  Clean water is a valuable resource that it becoming more and more scarce.   We have to learn to conserve oil as much, if not more, than water.


6. Buy organic when it’s fiscally feasible.  Pesticides make farming easier, but buying pesticide-free (food especially) is better for you and it's less harsh on the environment.


7. Call your power supply company and ask if alternative energy options are available.  The energy at SimplySoles is supplied through wind turbines. 


8. Don’t forget about the SimplySoles recycling program.  If you send us gently worn shoes to donate to Suited for Change, a non-profit helping women in transition, we’ll take 10% off your order.  This isn’t a promotion.  This is something we offer all the time, since the beginning of time (for the Company).

I hope you each have a great day, however you choose to celebrate.