Go for Real Green, Not Just a Green Coat

photograph courtesy of Karen Hanrahan

Sometimes I get overwhelmed by all the ‘green’ speak around me – do you? Earth Day was yesterday, and it seems everywhere I turned I saw an ad promoting a company’s commitment to being green and caring for our environment.

Forgive my skepticism, but honestly, selling microfiber clothes and soy candles does not make a company green. What about those harmful chemicals in the cleaning aisle? What other efforts are they taking to reduce their impact on our environment? An ad encouraging people to switch to compact florescent bulbs (CFLs) is nice, but seems more like putting a green coat on to hide a hideous dress.

Shaklee is different. As my friend Harriet Gushue says, “Lots of companies are jumping on the green bandwagon, but Shaklee was BORN GREEN.”

I could go into all sorts of details – but Shaklee details their environmental heritage and commitment nicely for me right here, so I’ll let you read it. The bottom line: Shaklee walks their talk. They say they’re committed to the environment – and their actions show that commitment.

OK, I have to mention that Shaklee planted their millionth tree in their Million Trees, Million Dreams campaign yesterday. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger & Nobel Peace Prize Recipient Wangari Maathai were there. Now THAT’S cool. You can see the video here.

What about you and me? Here are five very simple things you can do today to be a bit greener today than you were yesterday – and save you money.

1. When a light bulb burns out, replace it with a CFL. They cost more to purchase, but last longer & use lots less electricity.
2. Turn off the lights when you leave a room; turn down the heat a few degrees, open the windows, and turn up the air conditioning a few degrees (depending upon the weather). Again, uses less electricity & saves you money.
3. Carry reusable bags with you to the store. Yes, I forget them too, but they hold lots more groceries than paper or plastic bags, plus you don’t have to worry about recycling the grocery sacks. Shaklee has wonderful ones you can add to your next order.
4. Buy a reusable water bottle and fill it from home with Best Water. Bottled water is expensive and all those empty bottles cost money to recycle or end up in landfills.
5. Use microfiber cloths to clean instead of disposable clothes or paper towels. Microfiber cloths hold a lot of dirt or spills, plus they’re washable & reusable.

Bonus! A sixth simple thing you can do to help our earth:

6. Switch brands to Shaklee. When you do, you use high-quality products that work, which saves you time & money, and you’re supporting a company highly committed to caring for our world.

I’m all for taking good care of our environment. I just want to make sure I’m supporting companies that are actually green, not just wearing a green coat.