Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Fake green vs. real green

In the last three months, the green movement has increased exponentially. I'm not talking about politics. I'm talking about what marketeers want you to buy.

Well, it's not real. MUCH better than buying something new that is "green" is to keep using what you already have. That is exponentially more green. My Simple shoes (at the bottom) are about 13 years old. They still work. I still wear them. (That is - when we're not going somewhere that fashion-consciousness is important.)

Think about it. If you keep using something you already have, you are not feeding some factory somewhere. You are not causing some amount of energy to be spent in manufacturing that new green item.

One exception to this is if you have a really old car that puts out a lot of pollution, then it might be better for the environment (though maybe not your budget) to start fresh.

I don't say this as a prideful thing - I'm just trying to get you to think outside the box.

Finally, one of the most ludicrous stories I have read lately is an ad for a hotel chain that was going green. They threw out all their mattresses to replace them with "green" mattresses that were made with springs recycled from old car springs and (heaven knows) free-range cotton.

2 comments:

Marti said...

Yeah, I read an article recently recommending that we all get rid of our bedding and buy sheets etc. made of organically grown cotton. I guess it makes sense that people who manufacture things would push the 'buy new stuff' options over the 'use what you have' options.

Anonymous said...

hmmm, food for thought... I hardly ever think beyond my bank account when I'm buying clothes, so maybe I should be thinking a little further.