Are You Going Green?
As we become more educated about how to help sustain planet Earth, our habits and even the language we use, evolve. Going “green” is being redefined as we learn about alternatives and possibilities.
The terms “green” or “sustainable” often refer to products, services or practices that allow for economic development while conserving for future generations. A product is considered green if it has “less of an environmental impact or is less detrimental to human health than the traditional product equivalent.” 1
No product is 100% green, since everything we trash will eventually impact the environment in some way. According to Sustainable Earth, green products are:
- Energy efficient, durable and often have low maintenance requirements.
- Free of Ozone depleting chemicals, toxic compounds and don’t produce toxic by-products.
- Often made of recycled materials or content or from renewable and sustainable sources.
- Obtained from local manufacturers or resources.
- Biodegradable or easily reused either in part or as a whole.
We each can contribute to sustainability in small ways. Most of us know about the 3Rs: REDUCE, RECYCLE, REUSE. Practicing the 3Rs means we are going green by decreasing wastefulness, minimizing the accumulation of consumables and sharing with our communities.
Aspects of going green are in lock-step with practicing Active Wellness: walking more and eating organic.2 Typically, informed consumers eat organic to avoid pesticides and other chemicals used in traditional forms of farming. But eating organic is much more than that, because how crops are grown impact the environment on a massive scale. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has implanted the National Organic Program, which indicates whether an agricultural product was produced in such a way that integrates biological, cultural and mechanical processes to conserve biodiversity and foster cycling of natural resources. In general, this means synthetic fertilizer, irradiation or genetic engineering practices will not be used.3
Other ways of going green include using energy saving light bulbs, improving house insulation, installing solar panels, driving hybrid cars, eating less beef, composting and using less plastic. We can purchase from bulk bins, carry water bottles and limit packaging to glass, metal and paper, as these materials can be more easily recycled, reused or biodegraded.4 And, we can pay attention to ingredient lists, so we commit to buying products that are more naturally sourced.
Businesses can lead the way and change consumer behavior by producing more green products and helping to educate the masses. Nikken Consultants can spread the word about our company’s commitment to going green. The PiMag
Sport Bottle and PiMag
Waterfall Water Filter are eco-friendly and many Nikken Wellness Products are certified organic. In addition, True
Elements Organic Skin products are certified by EcoCert.
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