Sustainable Living

Is Your Favourite Brand Really ‘Going Green’?

January 24, 2022 15 Comments

‘Going green’ sells, more and more people are willing to spend more on a product or service if it comes from a sustainable company, which ideally should be a plus for the environment. However, this has taken a turn for the worst and has led to the perpetuation of greenwashing among companies and corporations.

WHAT IS GREENWASHING?

Greenwashing occurs when an organization or company devotes their time and resources to marketing their products and services as environmentally friendly when they are not, instead of actually implementing environmentally friendly practices.

Globally, more people are becoming environmentally conscious, therefore they lean towards purchasing goods and services that are green. This is coercing companies and manufacturers to shift towards eco-friendly products to attract these consumers. However, some companies’ description of their products’ sustainable qualities may be irrelevant, exaggerated, or false.

For example, some companies still continue to label products as chlorofluorocarbons-free (CFC-free) yet CFCs were banned and are no longer in use. This information while true, is irrelevant to the product. It is only included to make consumers believe that the company is environmentally conscious.

Greenwashing may sound harmless, but it can be potentially dangerous. Consumers are misled into purchasing products that are described as eco-friendly but, the company has not taken any steps to abide by environmental standards leading to further pollution, emissions, and unsustainable utilization of resources. It exploits genuine environmental concerns thus creating confusion and scepticism towards genuine eco-friendly products.

In addition, companies may focus on the positive environmental aspects of their business and leave out the negatives. These companies are aware of the negative impact their business have on the environment and choose to focus on the positive impact they have made or intend to make. Companies in the petroleum industry have been known to do this in their advertisements. The companies may mislead consumers into believing that if they pay extra for their fuel, they will be contributing to the protection of forests from logging yet there is no guarantee that it will be done.

When companies resort to greenwashing, they use buzzwords that tend to be vague to appeal to the consumer. These companies use words such as sustainable, recyclable, biodegradable, cruelty-free, non-toxic, and eco- or environmentally friendly. It is important that one takes special attention to identify these instances of greenwashing.


                                    Vague statements used in greenwashed products (Photo by CulinaryLore)

WAYS TO SPOT GREENWASHING

You should do your part by calling out greenwashing when you spot it and spend your money on brands that are legitimate. One can identify greenwashing through:

  • Images that give an impression of nature or marketing products in a visually pleasing package i.e., leaves, rivers, mountains.
  • Emphasis on one green feature of a product and omitting the negative features.
  • Greening of a dangerous product to make it appear safe or clean or claiming it has environmental benefits when it doesn’t.
  • Sharing unsupported claims with zero evidence to support that a product is clean or organic.
  • Jargon or information that cannot be easily understood by the average person; only scientists can understand.
  • Stating that they are greener than other companies. This should be substantiated with evidence.
  • Falsifying certifications or labels to mislead consumers. One should seek out products with trusted certifications.
  • Be on the lookout for marketing language that doesn’t overstate or imply a more significant environmental benefit than it could be. Marketing should be clear on whether they are referring to the packaging, the product itself or a part of it.

GREEN MARKETING

Companies should employ green marketing if they are genuinely ‘going green’. Green marketing is the marketing or advertising of products that are legitimately produced through environmentally friendly practices. The products and services are produced in a transparent and honest way by following the guidelines listed below:

  • Should be free of toxic and ozone depleting substances,
  • Should be easily repaired or reused,
  • Should not use excessive (non-biodegradable) packaging,
  • Should be made from renewable and biodegradable material,
  • Should be manufactured in a sustainable fashion,
  • Should be recycled or produced from recycled material and,
  • The company should offer an end-of-life program for its products.

If a company markets themselves as green, it should have the appropriate documentation and certification to prove this. Furthermore, it is easy for green marketing to turn to greenwashing if the organization does not stick to the environmental standards, they have set for themselves.

I believe we should take it upon ourselves to do the necessary research to find out if the green products we buy are genuinely environmentally friendly and go a step further by calling out any false claims made by companies.

Sustainable Living

7 eco-friendly landscaping ideas for your yard!

June 17, 2021 8 Comments

Landscaping is the process of making your garden or yard more attractive by planting trees, flowering plants and shrubs in an appealing manner. This is an ideal way to beautify your lawn and have a nice part of your house that you can enjoy spending time. Especially, if you are like me, and love to spend time outdoors reading a good book.

A well-maintained landscape is not only pleasing to the eye but is also advantageous to the surrounding environment. The benefits include water filtration, prevention of erosion and reducing dust. Plants and trees also provide shade, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen.

Landscaping tends to be expensive and harmful to the environment; but here are a few ways you can ensure your lawn is cultivated in an eco-friendly way.

1. Native plants

When selecting plants and trees to grow in your yard one should consider native plants. Native plants are a good choice for two reasons 1) they are acclimatized to local climates and rainfall patterns and 2) they are beneficial to local wildlife such as pollinators. They require minimal maintenance because they are naturally resistant to local pests and diseases and seldom need the application of fertilizer and pesticides. An example of a native tree to Kenya is the Meru oak.

2. Habitat for wildlife

Make sure to include flowering plants, vegetables and herbs to your garden. Flowering plants provide pollen and nectar for pollinators and beneficial insects. By planting plants of various species, you can create a mini refuge for pollinators, birds and small animals.

3. Xeriscaping

Xeriscaping is a form of landscaping that reduces the need for watering(irrigation). Succulents or drought resistant grass are the most suited for practicing xeriscaping because they tend to be resistant to drought and have water storage adaptability. You do not necessarily have to live in a drought prone area to do this but it is an ideal way to reduce water and overall lower water bills.

Examples of drought resistant grass include Kikuyu grass, Buffalo grass and Bermuda grass. And succulents – Aloe Vera plants and Echeveria elegans.

Plants with similar water requirements should be placed in one part of the garden for efficient irrigation. This will also reduce over watering of plants that do not need extra water.

Succulent

4. Water harvesting

Harvesting rain water is a great way to collect and conserve water for future use. This water can be used for watering gardens and lawns. The rain water can be collected using barrels or by setting up a system of pipes that connect the gutters to a water tank (water harvesting system). Using rainwater for irrigation will reduce the need for household water hence there will be a saving on water bills.

5. Minimize the use of fertilizers and pesticides

Before turning to synthetic fertilizers, consider using organic manure or compost in your garden. Compost and manure contain all the nutrients your plants require and will not lead to soil and water pollution like chemical fertilizers.

Similarly, opt for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) instead of chemical pesticides. IPM involves attracting or introducing beneficial insects into your garden that will feed on pests without causing damage to the plants. The most commonly used insects are ladybirds, praying mantises and spiders. Just like chemical fertilizers, pesticides pollute soil, water and air so it’s best to limit their use.

6. Composting

Composting reduces the amount of organic waste that ends up in landfills and converts it into a natural and free fertilizer for your garden. It is easy to make at home provided you have soil, a compost bin and warm area. Fruits, vegetables, eggshells and newspapers are examples of organic waste that can be used to make nutrient rich compost.

7. Alternatives to natural grass

Natural grass can be very difficult to grow and maintain; but this can be remedied by finding other alternatives of natural grass such as synthetic grass, hard-scaping and ground cover.

Synthetic grass requires zero maintenance and is safe for kids and pets, and it can keep its appearance for a long time.

Hard-scaping involves cutting back on the size of the lawn to set up either a pathway or gazebo. A gazebo would be a lovely place to entertain guests or have lunch.

Ground cover is usually over-looked in gardening but can be useful to your lawn. Instead of planting grass throughout the lawn you could try planting ground cover (moss, thyme and clovers) in one section. The benefits of groundcover are prevention of erosion and weed establishment.

Pathway on a lawn

So here are a few sustainable landscaping tips to incorporate to your lawn. Have you tried any of these tips before? Let me know in the comment section below.

Sources

https://www.loveyourlandscape.org/expert-advice/eco-friendly-landscaping/designing-your-landscape-for-wildlife/10-ideas-for-a-sustainable-landscape/

https://www.livingnaturaltoday.com/top-10-eco-friendly-landscaping-ideas/

 

Sustainable Living

Sustainability and the Jewelry Industry

March 9, 2020 13 Comments

Have you ever wondered how your favorite earrings, new Rolex watch or solitaire engagement ring has impacted the environment? Well in this article we take a closer look at the cost jewelry has on the environment. Personally, I love earrings. I will go out and buy a couple retailing at $2 and in no time have to get rid of them because they changed colour. I know I am not alone, but what does this mean for the environment?

The jewelry industry is a whopping 300-billion-dollar industry. According to National Retail Federation, Americans spent $3.9 billion on jewelry for Valentine’s Day alone in 2019. Wow, I know!!!!!

Nonetheless it has been known to have adverse impacts on the environment and society, due to unsustainable mining processes and unethical working conditions for miners.

Can this luxurious and opulent industry be sustainable?

Sustainable jewelry is the concept of producing jewelry in a way that achieves social, environmental and economic sustainability in the localities where the raw materials are mined, processed and manufactured into the final product.It involves transparency in the acquisition of jewelry; from the traceability of materials, supply chains, and fair trade between miners, middle mean and conglomerates. It also includes transparency on how waste and environmental pollution is managed.

Developing countries are hotspots for mining, especially in conflict prone areas that lack laws and enforcement capabilities to protect local miners. Contamination of land and water resources further strains communities in these areas already grappled with poverty as it negatively affects the surroundings. In Kenya, these negative effects from the jewelry industry are seen in Lake Victoria. Gold mines in Migori County are considered the major perpetrators of these pollution as they use cyanide (a known toxic chemical) to process the gold thus contaminating Rivers Kuja and Migori which discharge into L. Victoria.

TYPES OF JEWELRY

  • Costume Jewelry

This is inexpensive jewelry made of non-precious metals and imitation gemstones that have little to no value. It is also made of glass beads, plastic, wood and shells. The metal bases used to make them include brass, copper, stainless steel or non precious alloys coated with silver or gold tones.

Majority of the metals used are collected as scrap metal and recycled. The other components will probably end up in landfills.

  • Fine Jewelry

This comprises of jewelry that is made from solid gold, sterling silver, platinum and precious gemstones which are diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, and rubies.

Gold mining is described as “one of the most destructive industries in the world.” Although it’s pretty high up on the list of precious metals, gold requires large amounts of water during mining. Cyanide, mercury and sulphuric acid are toxic compounds used during its extraction. For every ounce of gold, 20 tons of waste is produced.

Diamonds are the most resource heavy and time consuming gemstones to mine.

However, approximately 80% of gold and 90% of silver is obtained through recycling. Recycling of precious metals and the use of cubic zirconia, a lab synthesized crystal, can reduce environmental pollution. In addition to this, old gemstones can be recut or polished to give it a new look.

Not all gemstones are extracted from the earth. Pearls are considered to be a renewable source of semi-precious gemstones as they are created inside living creatures. When an irritant, such as a parasite (not a grain of sand as popularly thought), gets into a clam, oyster or mussel, a defense mechanism is triggered. The sea creature secretes a substance known as nacre that coats the parasite, layer by layer, until a pearl is formed. 

Pearls are mainly comprised of calcium carbonate and it takes several years for just a single one of them to be formed. However, there is a bone of contention surrounding the method in which pearls are extracted. One method is by killing the oysters and clams while another is by skillfully removing the pearls surgically with no harm caused to the sea creatures.

EFFECTS ON MINING ON THE ENVIRONMENT

  • It causes air pollution through the emission of dust, gases and suspended particles.
  • Harmful trace elements like cadmium and lead are released into the environment and pollute surface water.
  • Aquifers are contaminated due to seepage and percolation of leached compounds.
  • Deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
  • Wastage of land which is rendered unsuitable for other activities.
  • Degradation of soil quality and fertility.
  • Loss of landscape and aesthetics.

RECYCLING

  • Metals can be recycled multiple times without degrading their properties. Recycling allows for preservation of natural resources, reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and saves energy.
  • Gold, silver or platinum can me smelted and turned into new jewelry or used in a computer circuit board or other items.
  • Steel is the most recycled material on the planet.
  • Sorting, shredding and melting occur during the recycling process, therefore, the energy required to recycle metals is much less than the energy and resources needed to extract virgin raw materials.
  • Worldwide, 400 million tons of metal are recycled every year.

TIPS AND TRICKS

Consumers

  • Buy eco-friendly jewelry.
  • Make your own cute jewelry.
  • Repair and repurpose fine jewelry into new pieces.
  • Support local jewelry brands i.e. Kipato Unbranded, Adele Dejak.
  • Sell old jewelry to recycling stores and antique stores.
  • Donate jewelry to charity.

Brands should:

  • Have an ethics and sustainability policy in place.
  • Observe the Kimberley Process.
  • Practice recycling and repurposing of old jewelry.
  • Be aware of where their metals and stones originate from.
  • Get a Fairmined assurance label.

Do you purchase jewelry from local brands? Let me know in the comment section below.

Sustainable Living

Sustainable Fashion

February 6, 2020 26 Comments

Forms of sustainable fashion

 

Sustainable fashion is a topic I realized a lot of people may not be fully aware of, especially the cost that fast fashion has on the environment. In this blog, I will discuss fashion choices and its effects on the environment.

Sustainable fashion is an initiative of fostering change towards fashion products and systems in order to obtain more ecological integrity and social justice. It focuses on environmental consideration during the whole life cycle of a product. This means our fashion choices have the ability to negatively affect the environment; especially due to the fact that the fashion industry is one of the biggest polluters in the world.

Each year 100 billion articles of clothing are produced globally in the name of fast fashion and consumers go crazy in order to purchase new trends and maximize on sales. Surprisingly, with each shopping spree or impulse buy indulged, 3 out of 5 items bought end up in landfills.

Fast fashion is the main culprit because trends are here today and gone tomorrow. These are inexpensive designs that go from the runway to closets and soon after into the garbage. In the United Kingdom, around 350,000 tonnes of used clothing go into landfills every year while in Nairobi-Kenya, 40.16 tonnes of textile waste are produced per day which translates to 1204.8 tonnes per month.

 

A landfill full of disposed clothes 

Main sources of textiles

 

  • Plant based – cotton, bamboo, flax and jute
  • Animal based – wool and silk
  • Mineral – asbestos and glass fibre
  • Synthetic – nylon, polyester, acrylic and rayon.

Cotton remains the undisputed king of textiles it being the most widely used fabric. Many retailers advertise that old clothes can be recycled into new ones, but this depends on the fabric.

Unblended materials are more likely to be recycled more efficiently because there is no need to disentangle the materials (polyester and cotton). Therefore, it is advisable to purchase sustainable apparel which is 100% of the given fabric for it can be easily recycled.

 

A 100% COTTON cloth tag 

Clothes that are made up of different materials are difficult to recycle and therefore are shredded and used for insulation. The clothes that do not make the cut wind up in landfills.

Effects of textiles on the environment

 

  • Microfibres in clothes are washed out and end up in water sources.
  • Over 1000 different chemicals are used in the textile industry; these too get washed out and end up in rivers and lakes.  These chemicals include dyes, enzymes, bleaching agents, whitening agents, detergents and basic chemicals.

Statistics: DID YOU KNOW?

 

  • The fashion industry is considered the second largest polluter (after oil & gas) because of the large quantities of water and chemicals used in growing textile crops (such as cotton) and manufacture of textiles. The shedding of plastic microfibres from synthetic fabrics and release of methane when clothes break down also contribute to pollution.
  • According to a report by the U.N, the fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all carbon emissions globally. This is more than maritime shipping and international flights combined.
  • In addition, the fashion industry generates 20% of wastewater in the world.
  • It takes 2000 gallons (7,570.824 litres) of water to make a pair of jeans.
  • The garments that produce the most carbon during manufacture are jeans, dresses and jackets.
  • Kenya buys 22 million dollars annually in secondhand clothes (mitumba) from developed nations.

 

Fun Facts

 

  • The average consumer buys 60% more articles of clothing than they did 15 years ago and keeps the clothing for half as long.
  • By extending the use of clothing approximately 10 million articles of clothing can be saved from landfills prematurely.
  • By wearing clothes for an extra 3 months this would reduce carbon and water footprint by up to 10%
  • Decomposition rates of the most commonly used textile: Polyester, spandex, nylon take 20 – 200 years to decompose whereas organic compounds such as cotton take 5 months, linen; 2 weeks, wool and bamboo; 1 year if they are unblended with other materials.
  • Shopping online lowers the carbon impact by 60% when compared to shopping in stores due to the emission of carbon dioxide during transportation.
  • Buying second-hand clothes reduces your carbon footprint by 60-70%.

Tips and Tricks

 

  • If you do not love it, DO NOT BUY IT.
  • Swap clothes with your friends and family.
  • Recycle and re-purpose your clothes to keep them longer.
  • Buy good quality and timeless products.
  • Do not submit to social pressure.
  • Donate to a reputable charity or children’s home.
  • Shop from sustainable clothing brands.

Closing remarks

On an individual level we find it hard to believe our fashion choices can impact the environment. However, accumulatively it adds up and leads to major environmental pollution. Brands also have a role to play by making more environmental conscious decisions during the production of their garments.

If you are up for the challenge, try the ThredUP Fashion Footprint Calculator at https://www.thredup.com/fashionfootprint to estimate your carbon footprint and share your answers in the comment section below.

Additional Sources:

Is Fashion Destroying the Planet? – Ethical Fashion Documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfoENTF8Lh0

Can Fashion Be Sustainable? | BBC Earth: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoiU8sprXpQ

How fast fashion adds to the world’s clothing waste problem (Marketplace): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elU32XNj8PM

 

 

 

 

 

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