A Year of More Sustainable Choices in Richmond

When you move to a new city it can be tough to adjust to the new way of life. Like when I moved to San Francisco, I had to learn what went into a trash bin vs. a recycling bin vs. a compost bin.

In Richmond, sustainable habits are not intrinsic. Neither my apartment nor my employer offer recycling. I rely on a car to get around. And generally, it’s more convenient to adopt unsustainable practices, like using single-use plastics, creating more waste, etc.

But this year I’ve set out to make a serious effort to change that. I’ve identified ways to disrupt my bad habits and took the time to research business and services for establishing new, smarter choices. Throughout 2020, I’m pledging to continue to incorporate more sustainable practices into my life and share them with you!

Here are a couple of things I’ve already started to do.

 

Reducing Single-use Plastic Consumption

This one is probably the hardest habit to disrupt because it’s so ingrained into the way we consume products. Try to remember the last product you purchased that wasn’t packaged in some element of plastic… yeah, exactly.

My plan is to try and reduce my plastic cut and bottle consumption first. I started using Blueland cleaning products a few weeks after hearing the founder Sarah Paiji Yoo on the podcast, Well Made.

With a mission to make it easy for everyone to be environmentally responsible, Blueland offers a range of non-toxic cleaning products that are formulated without water (you already have that at home). Using tap water helps minimize the carbon footprint generated when shipping cleaning products from our warehouse to your home. Their products are paired with reusable bottles so you only buy the bottles once and never have to throw it away.

 

Buying Local

One way to reduce your impact on the environment is to purchase local goods. Not only does investing in local businesses support the local economy and the community, it helps reduce unnecessary transportation, which has serious environmental implications. Richmond is rich with artists and creators, so I’d love to invest more in these brilliant locally-made items

I’ve signed up for Farm to Family to receive seasonal, organic, Virginia-grown produce delivered straight to my apartment. Referred to the service by a co-worker, I’m excited to try a new approach to purchasing produce, and ultimately replace the products I was previously purchasing which are often shipped to the US from foreign countries.

 

Composting Food Waste

Food waste is a major issue in the US, and the amount that gets sent to landfills is overwhelming. Living on my own, I’ve grown more aware of the amount of waste I’m personally responsible for, especially without a separate bin for recycling and compost.

Enrich Compost is a Richmond-based compost pick-up service I’ve signed up for. Every 100 pounds of waste they collect offsets about 210 miles driven by a car. Composting will be an easy way to reduce my carbon footprint and minimize the amount of waste I’m sending to a landfill.

 

Minimizing Driving

I love my car and I rely on her so much get me to work and other places in the city. But really we need to spend more time apart. I’m excited about my office to move closer to where I live so that my 15-minute driving commute is replaced with a 7-minute walking commute.

 

I hope you will join me in this effort because this is the only planet we have and we need to leave it better than we found it. Share the ways you’re shaking things up this year and living a more sustainable life.