New Normal- Contribution by Co-Founder Maria Bromley

There's something about March.  March 12 more specifically, which happens to be my birthday. Nine years ago, I was planning to kick off my birthday "weekend" celebrations on Friday March 11.  Little did I know that afternoon a massive earthquake and tsunami would strike Japan (where I was living at the time). Needless to say, my birthday celebrations were put on hold and we struggled with our new reality. This year I had planned to visit the SXSW festival for my birthday.  Then the coronavirus hit and the world shut down.  My friends held a subdued birthday dinner for me on March 11.  Then on March 12, we all began to practice social distancing and self-isolation if necessary. All this to say, I am getting pretty good at handling natural disasters on my birthday.

I started writing a blog after the earthquake which helped me to process my emotions during those turbulent days after the nuclear meltdown which followed the earthquake and tsunami. Here is a portion from one post I entitled "aftershock adrenaline".

We've had 25 aftershocks in the last 16 hours. It is hard to concentrate on anything else.  This morning before school my sons were looking on the earthquake website betting each other what size it was.  “I think it was about 5.0!”  “No way, it was about 6!”  It’s great they have something new to argue about.  But dropping them off at school is difficult.  I want to keep everyone together at home.  But I can’t do that forever.  I have to pretend that everything is fine.  My daughter takes a bus to a school one hour away.  It took her 8 hours to get back the night of the 9.0 earthquake.  When I say goodbye in the morning, I think about it.  Again, and again.  Last night we all slept together on the upper floor.  I felt safer being up there.  I brought up a case of water, our shoes and a backpack with supplies.  Flashlight, passports, money etc.  The boys packed a big jar of peanut butter.  Which I actually thought was a good idea. 

The Coronavirus pandemic is a very different situation.  It's global and longer term. But trying to manage the stress and deal with the anxiety is very similar. I am going to include another post I wrote for my blog...as I think it will resonate.

Everyone handles stress in a different way.  Some are fighters, some are flighters. According to website thebodysoul.com, when fight or flight hits, your nerve cells fire and chemicals are released into your bloodstream. You breathe more rapidly. Your blood is redirected from your digestive tract into your muscles and limbs. Your pupils dilate. Your awareness intensifies. Your sight sharpens. Your impulses quicken. Your perception of pain diminishes. Your immune system mobilizes. You become prepared—physically and psychologically—for fight or flight. The fight or flight response to acute stress can save your life.  It prepares you to flee or fight in order to defend yourself from danger. This is the potentially life-saving response to acute stress.   

But what about what we are experiencing now?  Long-term acute stress?  Or chronic stress. How will living under the new normal of long-term aftershocks, threat of radiation and feelings of survivor guilt, affect us physically and psychologically?  Chronic stress is a negative physiological and emotional response when it is intense and unresolved.  This kind of stress leads to wear and tear on the body and mind.  It can compromise your immune system.  You get more colds and feel run down.  Many of my friends are feeling tired and listless.  The evidence is overwhelming that a cumulative buildup of stress hormones, if not properly metabolized over time, can lead to disorders of our autonomic nervous system (causing headache, irritable bowel syndrome, high blood pressure and the like) and disorders of our hormonal and immune systems (creating susceptibility to infection, chronic fatigue, depression, and autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and allergies. Positive fighter behavior may include confronting the issues, doing charity work, or starting a blog?  Negative fighting behaviors could be aggressiveness or argumentativeness. Similarly, flight behaviors can be positive or negative. Hopping on a flight out of Japan is a flight response, literally.  Withdrawing from social interaction, even by watching television or surfing the internet, could be viewed as a flight behavior.

We are all dealing with stress, anxiety and the uncertainty of the unknown. We need to learn a new normal. Social distancing doesn't mean isolation.  We can chat with friends through text, set up Netflix viewing parties, hold skype book clubs. It is important to maintain our social connections, over virtual margaritas or latte's.  We can work out more, channeling that adrenaline into a walk in the forest or on the beach. We can do yoga at home (yoga with Adriene on YouTube is an awesome free source). We can do charity work, there are SO many opportunities to help out right now, groups are forming locally and globally to help those most affected by coronavirus. Hourly workers will be especially hit as businesses shut down.  Be generous if you are able.  Buy gift certificates to give cash flow to local businesses that can be used at a later date.  A friend of mine is a fashion designer and was feeling helpless.  She decided to take some old fabric she had leftover and sewed up face masks to donate to the hospital where supplies are running short. She says, "surprisingly, the sense of purpose and contribution has made me feel loads better and less tired."

We can update Facebook with helpful information and share tips.  We can try not to obsess about the news and try to keep our kid’s routines as normal as possible. We can take the time to clear out the clutter of our lives and our minds.  You’ve been meaning to clean your closets and organize your photos, right? I found a wonderful meditation app that I love called Synctuition. It is a digital sound technology which relaxes the brain and stimulates intuition. Through a unique combination of 3D soundscapes, gamma waves, binaural beats and personalized sound journeys, users are guided into deep relaxation and meditative states. Check it out in the app store. 

But we also make lots of mistakes.  We yell at our kids and lose patience too quickly.  We wonder how much screen time is appropriate. We are too indulgent in an attempt to make them less worried about the issues at hand.  We argue with our spouses when they seem to be oblivious to the stress we are facing.

Eating well, not too much, getting enough sleep, spending time with nature, getting enough exercise and being involved in community work is recommended.  In short, pretty much what you should be doing anyways.

Resiliency is the inborn way you cope in the midst of hardship.  If you are born resilient you are fortunate.  For others it will take some time to rebound from the trauma we’ve endured and to adapt to the new normal. 

Here’s one place to donate. 

COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. 

Since we launched it on Friday, more than 110,000 people have contributed almost 19 million U.S. dollars. 

These funds will help to buy diagnostic tests, supplies for health workers and support research and development.

If you would like to contribute, please go to who.int and click on the orange “Donate” button at the top of the page.

Is It Sustainable?

It can be quite difficult to know if a company is truly sustainable or not. Not to mention the word ‘sustainable’ in itself can be puzzling. It can mean the company uses biodegradable materials, doesn’t use fur, reduces plastic use, produces locally, pays fair wages, zero waste practices, is conscious about the end life of their garments, and the list goes on and on. So- how do we personally vouch for companies at ODC and what can you look for when shopping to ensure you’re supporting a company that cares? Check out our suggestions below!

What ODC looks for:

We like to support companies that care, and while we list brands that may not do everything perfectly, we’re looking out for those that are transparent about their practices and ones that talk about short and long term goals for sustainability. Our red flag? When brands list they are fully sustainable, totally ‘green’, or use words like ‘eco-friendly’, ‘sustainable’, or ‘conscious’ loosely. We understand all these words are thrown around a lot, we use them too, but try and avoid supporting companies that use these words as a cover. You can usually tell whether they are being authentic or not based on the evidence they back their claims with.

Some things you can look out for when looking into a business; factory information & certifications, production practices (i.e. renewable energy use, recycling, water treatment), carbon footprint/greenhouse gas emissions, packaging & shipping, and a list of fabrics they use.

1) Factories:

with regards to factory information, it’s always helpful when a company discloses where their factories are located or what kind of values the factory has; i.e. is it family run, what certifications they have or if it’s local to where the company is based? Does the company care about where their items are shipped from to avoid high carbon emissions? Lots of times, on their ‘about us’ or ‘sustainability’ section of the website, a transparent company will have pictures of some of the factory workers or a list of ‘must-haves’ for working with that facility. For them, there’s nothing to hide.

2) Production practices:

In addition to the factory information, sometimes companies will list things they practice in their factory or office. Things like water treatment, using renewable energy to run the factory/office space, mandating recycling, using low-impact dyes and chemicals in the treatment processes or ensuring there is a way to take back customers used garments to close to loop on fabric waste. Reformation does a great job listing what specifics their factories and office spaces do. When thinking about the end life of a garment, I personally think if a business is part of the production process, they should also be held accountable for where their garments end up, (somewhere other than a landfill!). Companies like For Days figured out a way to take back all customer’s used clothes and rework the fabrics are therefore high up on my ‘favorites’ list.

3) Local vs. overseas production:

Some companies will choose to source and produce all their clothes locally. While ‘made in China’ tends to have a negative stigma attached to it, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. You can find some amazing ethically run factories abroad and help finance family run or artisanal businesses this way by providing them with orders. This can help give them exposure to the Western world too. Local production does however severely cut down on carbon emissions from shipping internationally. Check out the ‘our mission’ section of Los Angeles Apparel, they talk about their reasoning for producing locally in L.A..

4) Shipping materials:

While I don’t necessarily think using recycled/biodegradable mailers is ‘enough’ of a qualification to call yourself a sustainably-minded brand, it is nice when companies ensure everything they ship their items in are made from eco-friendly materials. My personal favorites are biodegradable mailers. No Issue is a great company to support if you’re in the production world and looking for a supplier.

5) Fabrics:

Lastly, nearly all of the companies we have on this site use some sort of sustainable materials in their fabrics. Tencel, recycled cotton, hemp or linen are some awesome options and alternatives to synthetic materials (like polyester). Generally speaking plastic is quite hard to avoid, so if it’s something they mention they’re trying to phase out, that’s great. Just check in if they’re working to meet that goal. You can write e-mails to companies under their ‘contact us’ section and say you’re a proud supporter of sustainability and love the brand but wish they would invest in more materials besides plastic. Our dollar is our vote, so let them know you want to support a company that cares about the environment! We’ve survived in the past without plastic, let’s phase it out and demand more earth-friendly materials in the garments we buy (demand will help lower costs too, in addition of course to the necessity of subsidies created by policymakers).

We hope this guide helped define what different qualities make a brand sustainable or not. As a customer, think deeply about what qualities (one or all) of the aforementioned attributes resonate best with you and support companies that share the same values. And remember, the absolute best thing we can to do be conscious of our purchasing habits is to first, reduce your purchases overall. Reuse what you already have, go shopping in your own closet and if you do need something, think before you buy to make sure it’s something you truly need to buy new. Try borrowing from a friend or hosting a clothing swap party. You can also support second hand shopping. As mentioned, reusing something that’s already been produced can easily help it stay away from another landfill. This is a powerful tool we can all incorporate into our lifestyle habits.

Lastly!

Beyond small daily actions, if you can we must vote this November! Supporting companies who are doing it right is a great start but unfortunately it goes far and beyond that. Ultimately, it needs to be a combination of our individual actions and those in power who can control what protection agencies are being funded, what eco-friendly materials get subsidized, and what sources of energy are heavily taxed. Activate yourself, rally with your friends, and demand a government in power that aligns with all your values and for the safety of our planet.. And remember, the planet will live far beyond our existence. Protecting the environment is a problem that will affect us all, rich and poor. Vote!

Sunrise Movement x Green New Deal

For quite some time now I have been considering what had a greater impact on ensuring a sustainable future: the power of the individual action, corporate/government policy, or the combination of both. Leading up to the start of this year, I was an adamant supporter of ‘one action is better than none’, and still hold this mindset to be true. However, with the need to curb our carbon emissions becoming increasingly apparent, I have begun to understand the critical impact governments and big corporations have over the fate of our environment, health and well-being.  

Sustainability seems to be a topic of nearly all discussions and the fact there is now more media coverage of the crisis at hand certainly helps the average citizen realize the effect that one small change in behavior has on influencing positive growth for the sustainability movement. Saying “No” to straws, banning plastic bags, bringing your own reusable mug, supporting sustainable fashion brands – these are the stepping stones we can take to get ourselves familiarized with the complex topic of climate change. Indeed, it was the collection of those individual actions that turned into “movements”, which got the media involved, brands more aware, and customers responding by voting with their dollar. It is from those first “baby” steps, that individuals can grow interested in tackling bigger problems at hand; dealing with those in power who control big corporations and governments and identifying where the money goes and what policies are in place. It is undeniable that both of these collectively have a huge impact of the health of our planet. 

I knew someday I would personally evolve from championing the small individual actions to bigger things like getting involved in politics and striking more, but I think it’s important to note the balanced power of continuing on with your daily conscious habits and learning how you can influence whoever is in power. That, and the fact I became familiarized with youth activists and POC who have been disproportionately affected by climate change, an issue that they have been protesting for far longer than the sustainable movement became trending. With increased awareness, people who are new to the movement should acknowledge and support those who have been championing climate awareness before them and together uplift each other to organize into an unstoppable force. 

With On Duty Citizen and my approach to life in general it’s been imperative with everything I promote to let the individual be influenced with easy to follow steps to grow, and to let them get involved in the movement on their own terms, albeit with guidance. If someone is thinking about joining the sustainable movement, I personally think they will join if they feel that their individual actions are a good start (for example, remembering to bring their reusable bottle). They’ll know with time that there is more to it than that, but as a first start I truly believe that is all we can ask of people.  

For brands too, I have always championed bigger companies with infinite amount of resources ($) to take that first step, supporting the use of recycled materials in their production processes, even though they have the money to do much better. I think it’s different from an ethical standpoint, for example dealing with a company that doesn’t pay or treat their workers right. Perhaps we should call out/boycott them until they change all of their manufacturing processes. But when dealing with brands from a sustainable materials perspective, taking that first step to be more accountable is better than doing nothing at all. I’m confident they’ll see soon enough that the customers care about X, Y and Z and shift their production processes even further because, despite taking an initial financial cut, there will be profit in it for them over time. “Brands that are able to strategically connect (sustainability) to actual behavior are in a good place to capitalize on increased consumer expectation and demand.” - Entrepreneur

After roughly three years of promoting individual action, 2020 felt like the start of something new for me.  I feel ready to “graduate” to the next level of activism. I have had years of building up my practices at home, starting On Duty Citizen, voting with my dollar and I knew I was ready for pushing for bigger change from those in power. It took a few years for me to get here, but I think it’s important to note the fact that it takes a lot of work to get to this stage. To feel that you can make a difference, especially with no background or ties in politics or corporate influence, is exceptionally frustrating. I also tend to get “compassion overload”, which is the feeling that there is so much wrong with who is in power, who is endorsing who, and where the money is going that I feel I can make no difference, especially when I wasn’t a U.S. citizen. 

Nevertheless, as part of this journey I found the screening of these two films by Sunrise Movement to be the perfect start; Video one, Video two.  Before watching the film with other climate activists, I did a little research to see what the Deal was all about and why Sunrise Movement was behind their policies and actions. For lack of me being able to really translate the intricate details of the plan, I suggest reading these two articles, one by New York Times and the other by The Intercept. 

From what I understand, the Green New Deal provides a solution for the climate crisis by instating policies that would demand cutting greenhouse gas emissions all whilst tackling poverty, income inequality and racial discrimination. These issues, although separate, are all entwined within the climate crisis. And the solution would enforce advancements, like developing new technology, and also overhauling today’s grid, making it easier for homes and businesses that generate their own power to feed it back into the system.” –The Intercept. This in itself supports new job growth in the sustainable field (i.e. investing in renewable energy), and ensures everyone is paid fairly and doesn’t have to suffer from environmental pollution based on their income, race, or where they live, which is something that is definitely prevalent in today’s day and age. With regards to new jobs in the renewables sector, incoming Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D- Mich. states “it’s really exciting to be talking about rapidly building up our green, renewable energy infrastructure, because these are jobs that can and should go to our workers here in Michigan.” – The Intercept. Similarly, the same article presents the idea that “while a concerted transition to renewable energy could cost as many as 6 million jobs around the world in carbon-intensive sectors, it could create 24 million jobs, or a net gain of 18 million, and far more than the profound job loss that would stem from unchecked climate change.” –The Intercept.

The Deal looks at where the money is and where the money is going. “Given the fossil fuel industry’s role in creating an untenable situation for billions of people around the world, the government should step up and promote winners and create losers, which has happened before in the United States… Among the provisions of the committee resolution, fittingly, is that politicians who accept donations from coal, oil, and gas companies can’t be appointed to it.” – The Intercept.

“If companies are not held responsible for the pollution they cause, and the government does not act to protect all citizens, we may have several crises to choose from.”- The Guardian.  

When it comes to living in polluted areas, “researchers embedded in the EPA’s National Center for Environmental Assessment released a study indicating that people of color are much more likely to live near polluters and breathe polluted air…. A focus on poverty to the exclusion of race may be insufficient to meet the needs of all burdened populations… Their finding that the magnitude of pollution seems to b e higher in communities of color than the number of polluters suggests, indicates that regulations and business decisions are strongly dependent on whether people of color are around. In other words, they might be discriminatory.” – The Atlantic. 

What’s seemingly great about the Green New Deal is that “[it] is the only plan put forward to address the interwoven crises of climate catastrophe, economic inequality, and racism at the scale that science and justice demand.”–Sunrise Movement. I think a plan like this is needed more than ever, especially to counteract all of the Trump administration’s rollbacks on climate driven policies. “His administration, with help from Republicans in Congress, has often targeted environmental rules it sees as burdensome to the fossil fuel industry and other big businesses.” –New York Times.

What personally bothers me about politics in general is that nothing seems necessary until it is a crisis, and one that affects the rich, white people in power. Until they are personally affected, it will be seriously difficult to administer such positive change. Just like United State’s approach to the pharmaceutical industry, our administration pumps out and proposes medicine ‘solutions’ to fix what has already happened without looking inwards at the outright cause of such illnesses (in this article’s pretext, an environmental crises). Perhaps Trump being in power was ‘good’ in the sense that it ignited people like myself, interested individuals on the periphery, to care more. People have been concerned long before Trump, people who knew the land better than any new age environmentalist or environmental influencer, but now we have the power to collectively band together and realize the combination of our ability to organize, strike and vote, and that it is imperative in overhauling the power of those who govern us. 

In the 1930s, the garment workers organized strikes in the wake of the triangle shirtwaist fire which ultimately led to the new deal labor protections. – AFL CIO. And “the United States has a rich history with effective uses of nonviolent resistance. It’s time of become familiar with it.”- The Guardian. 

So, what can you do personally in addition to addressing bigger scale politics? Here are some suggestions!

•      Familiarize yourself with politics, see if what is going on in office aligns with your individual values

•      Check out this casual video series, Bridge Builders, I made with my friend Anne Therese; we go into detail about the importance of individual actions and what you can do to avoid getting overwhelmed with the environmental crisis. 

•      Follow youth and indigenous activists to get familiarized with the climate crisis from a different perspective. 

o   @indigenous.alliance.movement

o   @_coyotl__

o   @yarashahidi

o   @littlemissflint

•      Support journalists covering environmentalism. Whitney Bauck of Fashionista is a favorite of mine.

•      Support Sunrise Movement and the Green New Deal!

o   Host a viewing party to showcase two films all about the Green New Deal and how we can collectively organize, strike, and vote to overhaul the current government in power. Video one, Video two. 

o   Host or attend strike circles; “Strike Circles are local groups of 5-15 young people from the same school, college, workplace, or neighborhood. Strike Circle participants go through a 6-week program together where you'll learn how to win a Green New Deal, learn organizing skills with friends, and recruit tons of people to strike on Earth Day!” –Sunrise Movement.

•      Vote if you can!


Bridge Builders Video Series with Britt and Anne Therese

My good friend Anne Therese and I (yes, I am the only one who calls her by her full name…) wanted to start a video series to have chill chats about sustainable living and what we can do throughout the year to invoke the most change. Whether it be small individual actions or things like changing your banks to ones that don’t support the fossil fuel industry, there are a ton of things we can all do to continue on with our sustainable journey or some ‘first steps’ you can take to join the movement! We’ll be releasing videos throughout the year, all inspired by a theme of the month, and hope you enjoy our unfiltered, easygoing chats!

November, 2019

INTRO INTO VIDEO SERIES

December, 2019

A CONSCIOUS HOLIDAY SEASON

January, 2020

COMPASSION OVERLOAD, 2020 GOALS

Boots for Longevity

When it comes to acquiring the perfectly curated conscious closet, nothing seems more imperative than a pair of black boots. From fall through spring, the black boot is a closet staple that can be dressed up for dancing with the girls (or you’re like me and ‘dressed up’ is your everyday outfits with a red lip and band tee…) or paired down for your casual walk to your local bagel store (maybe after your night of dancing).

From locally made to secondhand, thrifted, sustainable materials or women-owned companies, whatever strikes your cord, these are some of our favorite boots that will hopefully last you a lifetime. Some of these companies have a lot of room for growth in the sustainable world. When buying a new boot, we hope you take the time to research what each company offers and how they can improve. Being conscious about what you’re about to buy is a great start, but if there’s something you wish the company did, for example, they’re vegan but they don’t disclose on their site if they pay their workers adequate wages, perhaps reach out and show interest in their manufacturing processes. Sometimes they need to see interest from their customers to head in the right direction.

Please also consider how often you will wear these boots. In my personal opinion, it’s better to buy something from a company that is somewhat sustainable if you plan to wear the boot almost everyday versus buying from a really great company but only wearing the boot once or twice before discarding.

And remember, if the boot you currently own has a little wear and tear, the best sustainable option is to see your local cobbler and fix what you already have. They can work magic, believe us!

Here are some of the companies pictured above (not listed are second hand options from websites like ThredUp or TheRealReal which is best sustainable option)

Coclico:

• Uses some eco-friendly/recycled materials

• Makes products by hand

• Traces most of supply chain

• Uses some animal products

Vagabond:

• Uses some eco-friendly/recycled materials

• Sources final stage of production from countries at extreme risk of labour use

• Audits some of supply chain

• Uses leather/wool but no other animal products

Ayede:

• Produced in family-owned factories in Italy

• Neglects trends, will never go out of style

• No information on use of sustainable materials or factory practices

• Transparent approach to the value and pricing of product

Gabriela Hearst:

• Uses some eco-friendly materials like deadstock fabrics

• Renewable energy in supply chain

• No evidence of code of conduct for manufacturing

Freda Salvador:

• Cut, sewn and lasted at a tiny family run factory in Spain

• Designed by female co-founders

• Uses leather and animal products

Everlane:

• Uses some eco-friendly materials like recycled fabrics

• Renewable energy in supply chain

• Sources final stage of production from countries at extreme risk of labour use

• Publicly lists all suppliers from final stage of production

• Uses some animal products

Timberland

• Goal to have 100% of footwear made with recycled, organic or renewable materials: 2018 result 69%

• Plans to plant 50 million trees within next five years

• Timberland Environmental Product Standards (TEPS) across all product categories

8 Sustainable Looks That Make Fashion Proud

In the latest issue of Harpers Bazaar, they cover eight sustainable looks from brands to trust who are transparent about the materials they use and the manufacturing processes. This is part of a new series for Harpers, the Sustainable Style, a partnership with the New Standard Institute, where they will be publishing stories devoted to the fashion and beauty industry's effects on the environment.

A new wave of change is coming in the fashion industry, a trend of sustainability and conscious fashion that will be here to stay. I’m so thankful to be able to model for companies and publications like this that support the necessary change. Thanks to the whole team who was involved in this very special project.

Check out the rest of the story here, and see some of the images below!

Brands featured:

Stella McCartney
Amur
Voz
Esse
Olivia Kane
Maggie Marilyn
Brother Vellies
Gabriela Hearst
Mara Hoffman

Hosting Waste Free

I’m not sure about you guys but my plans this holiday season are to keep the hygge vibe going strong and host as much as I can rather than going out. Not to try and be anti-social by any means, believe me I can fit a good 25 in my 700 sq foot apartment, but there’s something so cozy about staying in, controlling the music, picking at homemade tapas and not having to fight for a table or scream over music. Perhaps that’s just Manhattan style, but if you plan to be a little hermit like me, here are my plans for hosting waste free.

When it comes to hosting, I generally try and keep it pretty simple in terms of what to serve food wise. If I need an ingredient that I know a friend has, I’ll ask them to bring something over to contribute to the spread. I generally try and make everything homemade including hummus and dips to accompany carrots, celery, broccoli and the like. I honestly used to just put out the vegetables for myself but have noticed people generally appreciate a healthy spread, and it truly does look beautiful when you lay it all out, a rainbow of colors that are even punchier in hue when they come from the farmer’s market. And yes, believe me they taste better too! With this kind of spread it’s easy to waste less because you don’t have to put everything out at once. Usually I’ll put out a base, see how the crowd is reacting, and add as I see necessary. Everything leftover I can snack on the rest of the week.

In terms of shopping, something I’ve changed this year has been shopping more and buying less. My husband and I used to spend upwards of $150-200 on groceries per week and I’d say we ended up throwing out at least a third of that simply because we couldn’t eat that much in time before it went bad. We both happen to eat a lot but between dinners out and travel, it never really got finished. So now, we both shop separately and only include what we really need for that week.

In case you’re making a bit more food, have your guests bring Tupperware so they can take home some leftovers too. Leftovers happen to be an absolute favorite of mine, but sometimes my husband will get sick of it after a day or two… This way your guests can enjoy a little bit extra as the week goes on and again, you’re helping alleviate the waste you may end up throwing out. Stasher Bags is a favorite single-use plastic replacement of mine. They seal up really well and are dishwasher and microwave safe!

If you’re trying to be conscious of your spending, encourage a potluck type night where everyone brings a dish or two to make up an entire meal. It’s a nice way to try foods you oftentimes wouldn’t make at home and is much easier on you in terms of hosting. Plus, less mess to clean up! If you’re worried about everything going together, just have your friends send what they’re bringing to a group chat or assign people different dishes to bring such as apps, mains, sides or desserts.

With regards to clean up, these are a few recipes below for your own air fresheners, bathroom and everyday cleaners using just a few household ingredients. Vodka-Citrus DIY air freshener, DIY all in one bathroom cleaner and the All purpose cleaner are a few of my personal favorites. Good on You also has some great suggestions on their website.

Some more things you can do to stay green while hosting are to use cloth napkins, save wine corks for future projects (for our wedding we used them as table number holders), ensure you save all the small scraps for composting, refrigerate all half empty bottles of wine that will help keep it fresh a little longer (unsurprisingly, we never seem to have issues with wasting wine…;), and get creative with recipes for leftovers.

Check out these items below to feature at your next dinner party:

A Conscious Holiday Season

The holiday season is fast approaching, and while it may feel necessary to tap into your consuming habits, we have some suggestions for you to go into the end of 2019 and to start off the new decade with a different mindset this time around!

Reuse decorations

Think about what you already have when it comes to the holidays. A lot of the time, we think we need to buy more decorations each year, but make sure and check out what you already have. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to see you may not need another plastic wreath or more plastic decorations to cover your tree. Think simple. Use what you have. Borrow what you need. Use things from around the home to make new decorations. Use this cold weather as a time to be creative and crafty at home.

Renting holiday outfits

The environmental impact on renting clothes versus buying the fast-fashion counterpart are not studied in detail quite yet. However, here are my inputs when it comes to ordering from sustainable companies online. We have to monitor shipping and returns, types of cleaning used after each use, packaging used and the like are done consciously as well. This article by Elle magazine sums up my concerns pretty well! I do however have hope that renting is a huge step in the right direction. It’s training customers to rethink buying for every event they have, and resorting to reusing what’s already out there, which is great! The first most wasteful part of the fashion industry is the production process. So if we can produce less and re-wear more of what we have, that’s a huge advantage. And if we can continue to increase the demand of renting, perhaps we’ll also start to consider greener options within the shipping, cleaning and packaging realms. While production is the ‘dirtiest’ in terms of harmfulness to the environment, other aspects such as energy usage, transportation, recycling, and recycling issues need to be addressed as well. Check out these rental platforms below.

• Tulerie (a personal favorite)

• Le Tote

• Rent the Runway

Vacation Local/Take comfort in relaxation and staying put

Okay this is selfishly mostly for myself, but I tend to get overwhelmed by FOMO over the holidays, thinking I need to travel here, visit there, do that, see this. Because I have the time off, naturally, it makes sense to put the holidays to use and travel. But sometimes, it’s best to relax, stay home, visit the family, and take comfort in relaxation. I’ve been practicing this on the weekends, taking time for myself to catch up on work, catch up on silly shows on Netflix, read a book, and do it all guilt-free. I talked about this in a recent IG post on @ondutycitizen about taking comfort in staying put and not making any plans. So if you’re thinking about a last minute trip but can’t decide (guilty!) think about the alternative, staying home with friends and family, in a new light and while it is important to live in the now, perhaps you could save up and use that money for two bigger trips the following year. Plus you’ll be reducing your travel on airplanes by staying local which we all know is much better for the environment and C02 emissions. :)

Here are some cool travel trips on the Good Trade. They list a lot of cool destinations close to home (if you’re up for it), or stay put and cozy up at home with a blanket, a candle and a good book!

• The Good Trade conscious travel blog

Carbon offsetting

Carbon offsetting is the act of purchasing carbon credits that will support companies and nonprofits that are working to cancel out C02 emissions either by sucking up the C02 (planting trees for example) or avoiding future emissions altogether by investing in clean energy technologies. There are a few arguments against offsetting, one being it doesn’t tackle the main issue of creating C02 emissions in the first place. Writer George Monbiot famously said: “Just as indulgences allowed the rich to feel better about sinful behavior without actually changing their ways, carbon offsets allow us to "buy complacency, political apathy and self-satisfaction". I personally use it not to exonerate myself, because beyond offsetting I really do try and be ‘green’ in many other aspects of my life. I use it to offset the travel I have to do for work, but I also do other things to combat climate change. With this balance, I think offsetting is okay. As long as we’re investing in other resources to tackle the climate crisis. It’s also important to make sure the company you’re investing in is legitimate. Here are a few of the top carbon offsetting companies below and this article has a great summary of the pros and cons of carbon offsetting.

• Terrapass

• Cool Effect

• Arbor Day

• Gold Standard

• Reformation

Rethink gifts

Think about gifts that serve a purpose. Does the person you’re shopping for really need another Christmas card and scented candle? Or would they perhaps be more appreciative of a donation in their name? Here are some of our suggestions for ‘new age’ gifts. And if you buy something in physical form, think about how you’re going to wrap it, and get creative. We love the idea of using reusable wrapping paper, old fabric scraps, newspapers and reusing old cards by cutting out the side with writing and writing on the back of the clean side. There are a ton of ways to get creative that will not only help your wallet this holiday season but also help reduce the waste you create.

• Carbon Offsets (see above for some of our favorite websites)

• Plant trees

• Airbnb Experiences

Shop smart

If you have a few things you need to buy this season, think before you buy. Think about its impact in your closet or the person you’re shopping for. Don’t buy on impulse. Imagine the piece in their home and think about the longevity of it. We often have to think about closet cleanses and spring cleans, so think about the absolute necessity of the purchase before you buy. Buying something isn’t bad per se, but shopping on an impulse may be!

Do your research before you buy.

• On our site, we have curated a bunch of sustainable and ethical products from companies we believe in who are transparent about their business practices. Look to invest in companies who are open and honest about their production processes. For us, it’s better to invest in a company who acknowledges they’re not perfect but they’re trying to be better and who lists their goals for the near to far future.

• Good On You rates companies based on their environmental impact. Check them out!!

Think used! Buying secondhand is one of the best things you can do. It alleviates the waste that ends up in the landfills and gives another life to clothes that are often in perfect condition. Here are some of our favorite used sites. Alternatively, you could shop at your local secondhand store. If you’re NYC based, Tokio 7 is a favorite of ours located in East Village.

• Vestiaire Collective

• The Real Real

• Tradesy

Be smart about your sizes. A lot of the environmental harm from shopping online comes from returns and reorders. Make sure you measure your sizes, check out reviews to ensure you’re getting the perfect fit so you can avoid sending things back and forth.

Easy swaps

From plastic baggies for food storage to saran wrap and disposable razors, there’s an alternative for that. Here are our favorite swaps that help alleviate the plastic use in your home, and quite frankly for me personally, all of these swaps work better than the former alternative!

• Bee’s Wrap (a personal favorite, great gift suggestion!) -saran wrap alternative

• Stasher bags- eco-friendly Tupperware/plastic baggie alternative

• Heavy duty tote bags for groceries- plastic bag alternative

• Reusable coffee mugs- to-go coffee shop cup replacement

• Stainless steel razor- plastic razor substitute

• Reusable water bottles - alternative for plastic bottle

• Cotton facial rounds reusable (another personal favorite)- disposable rounds

• Shampoo bars- shampoo in plastic bottle substitute

Visit the farmer’s market

I try and shop organic as much as is possible, but sometimes I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that even the ‘healthy’ stuff is wrapped in plastic, some which seems entirely unnecessary. One benefit of shopping at your local farmer’s market is it’s a lot easier to reduce the amount of plastic you’re purchasing. You can bring your own bags, put things straight from the crates into your reusables without having to think about wrapping anything in plastic. A lot of the time, the markets will have paper on site too if you absolutely need to wrap something up.

In addition, most of the stuff you’ll find at the market is local and in season. This helps alleviate the carbon used when food has to travel from far away. And if you think logically about it, it really doesn’t make sense to consume things that aren’t growing seasonally in your region. For thousands of years before us, hunters, gatherers and even our ancestors solely survived on what was in season at the moment. Let’s get back to basics.

If you need some more insight on why to shop local, check out this article. They sum it up quite easily.

Hosting lots? Keep your home sparkling with home made cleaners

Hosting over the holidays can require a lot of cleaning. And while it may feel necessary to break out the bleach spray that smells and feels like you’re killing all the bacteria in sight, you may want to think twice about using them as they can actually be harmful to your health. Here are a few of our favorite recipes below for your own air fresheners, bathroom and everyday cleaners using just a few household ingredients. Easy and effective! For more options, check out this article by Good On You.

• Vodka-Citrus DIY air freshener

• DIY all in one bathroom cleaner

• All purpose cleaner

Thanks for taking the time to read through this. I hope you collected some ideas to change up your approach to the holiday season. Believe me, I know a lot of this is easier said than done, but if we can take one small step at a time, have discussions about climate change and what we can all do to be better, we’ll inspire our friends followers and families to follow our lead. A lot of the imperative change we need is from the high ups, our government, our state officials, our president. So while it’s just as (if not more) important to get political, these are the small steps you can take this holiday season to positively change your sometimes unhealthy habits.

Your Off-Duty Holiday Guide for the On Duty Citizen

Recently on ‘What to Wear’, we featured some of our favorite holiday looks from staying warm in the wintertime to holiday gift guides and sequined dresses for New Year’s Eve. While that section of the site serves the purpose of quick inspiration, it’s also our intention to provide a little background information on all the brands we choose to feature so you can dive deep and find new companies to support with an ethos that resonates best with you.

For the holiday parties…

Reformation

RefScale tracks transparency of CO2, water, and waste savings
Factory ensures eco-friendly practices
Reusable totes, recycled hangers, and recycled clothing program
Carbon offsets available for purchase on site

Fame and Partners

Designed with (almost) zero-waste sustainable manufacturing platform
Craft everything to order; eliminates need for excess stock (and air conditioned, CO2-draining warehouses where stored)

Mother of Pearl

Launched “no frills”- first fully sustainable line of core classics
Tries to use less water and source materials to the seed
Replant trees with each tree cut down used to make product
Traceability through entire supply chain
Summer 2020 line, 5% of their materials were synthetics-working to phase out entirely

Matt and Nat

Transparent company working towards becoming better in their production
Works with vegan leather and recycled materials
One of their factories is certified under SA8000 Standard meaning all workers are paid well in a safe work environment

Beachy vacations…

Fisch

Handmade from Italian ECONYL® fabrics
ECONYL® is 100% regenerated nylon fiber crafted from abandoned fishing nets and other nylon waste found in the ocean
Fabric mill is two hours from their factory; minimizes carbon dioxide waste from excessive shipping
Every year FISCH donates 10% of global profits to the Healthy Seas initiative

Hereu

Engages with local artisans to preserve mediterranean craft in Spain
Uses local materials for production
Hereu works with a local factory in Barcelona and artisans in Majorca to produce all of its Spanish leather and woven straw bags

Vitamin A

Uses sustainable fabrics like EcoLux superfine jersey made from recycled nylon fiber
Choose factories that conserve water and energy use
Made in USA

Faithfull the Brand

Designed, sourced, produced in Bali
Hand-dying, hand-printing
Work with local factories, vendors and artisans in Bali and scaled factory growth over the past decade
Faithfull team visits factory weekly to ensure sustainable/ethical standards

Stay cozy this winter..

Ninety Percent

90% of distributed profits shared with charities and those who make collections
Consumers choose which charitable cause money goes to
Garments made in Bangladesh and Turkey in ethical factories
Use organic cotton and Tencel (working to find more sustainable solutions and fabrics)

AG Jeans

Donates to Charity: Water
Made in own vertically integrated facilities; ensures quality control
Production facilities utilize Ozone Technology; cuts water consumption by 50%
Also minimizes use of chemicals and energy
Many (not all) fabrics eco-friendly
Excess scraps collected for recycling on weekly basis and repurposed as insulation
Conducts announced/unannounced audits of suppliers’ facilities

Boy Smells Candle

Developed, mixed at the founder’s home in LA
Fragrance and natural oils
All-natural coconut oil and beeswax
Hand-poured in reusable glass vessel

Everlane

$5 of every Human collection purchase goes to ACLU
Hands-on relationships with factories
Transparent about costs with customers
Uses some natural fibers like recycled cotton

Patagonia

Promotes fair labor practices and safe working conditions
Protection and preservation of the environment
Takes responsibility for entire lifecycle of products
Works with outside auditor and an in-house corporate responsibility specialist to establish working conditions
1% of sales to grass-root activists
Goal to be carbon neutral across entire business including supply chain by 2025
As of 2018, 100% renewable electricity in retail stores in USA
Current practices/goals; measure impact, reduce impact, convert to renewable energy, capture carbon

Gift giving

Ilia Beauty

All cream lip products come in recycled packaging
Certified organic bio-active ingredients
Ethos: not all natural ingredients good for skin, not ever synthetic ingredients bad for skin, finds balance in using both
Ensures everything is safe for skin

Veja

Fair trade philosophy
Avoids retail markups by doing less advertising
Careful consideration of available materials

Soko

Uses technology to empower artisans
Working with artisans and connects them with international market
They're after an ethical fast fashion world
Their mobile-enabled virtual factory operates at a fraction of the cost of traditional production; gives more earnings to artisans

Stella McCartney x Parley

Stella McCartney
No leather or fur
First and only vegetarian luxury line
Transparent and always striving to be more sustainable

Parley
Yarn used from recycled and reclaimed ocean waste
Parley hosts talks to share state of the oceans and to get support for a related initiative or project
Work with companies on collaborative projects to better our oceans
Currently they have collaborations with American Express, Soma, Adidas, and Stella McCartney..

New Year’s Eve..

Rachel Comey

Uses fur/leather from animals that have died from natural causes
Conscious sourcing from tanneries in Peru
Small-scale batches

Fame and Partners

Designed with (almost) zero-waste sustainable manufacturing platform
Craft everything to order; eliminates need for excess stock (and air conditioned, CO2-draining warehouses where stored)

Reformation

RefScale tracks transparency of CO2, water, and waste savings
Factory ensures eco-friendly practices
Reusable totes, recycled hangers, and recycled clothing program
Working to become 100% sustainable (some materials still outsourced)
Offsets available for purchase on site, partner with Brazilian Rosewood Amazon Conservation Project and Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) Water Restoration Program

Brother Vellies

Creates and sustains artisanal jobs within Africa
Transparent about who makes shoes and factories they're made in
Most shoes made with Kudu leather; animal byproduct from government mandated culling due to overpopulation
Other materials sourced from local farmers in Kenya and South Africa and are entirely byproducts from edible food industry
Many pieces are vegetable-dyed
Schedule large batch cargo shipments to reduce carbon footprint

Affordable Finds

Boyish Jeans

Uses 1/3 of water typically needed to make denim
Recycled materials for hangtags, hardware, labels and polybags
Ensure suppliers meet standards for social responsibility
Yarn, fabric and manufacturing facility within thirty miles of each other- less C02 footprint
Recycle all cutting waste

Threads 4 Thought

Uses sustainable materials like Organic Cotton, Recycled Polyester, and Lenzing Modal
Factories hold high certifications of ethical practices
Partners with International Rescue Committee

Everlane

$5 of every Human collection purchase goes to ACLU
Hands-on relationships with factories
Transparent about costs with customers
Uses some natural fibers like recycled cotton

Patagonia

Promotes fair labor practices and safe working conditions
Protection and preservation of the environment
Takes responsibility for entire lifecycle of products
Works with outside auditor and an in-house corporate responsibility specialist to establish working conditions
1% of sales to grass-root activists
Goal to be carbon neutral across entire business including supply chain by 2025
As of 2018, 100% renewable electricity in retail stores in USA
Current practices/goals; measure impact, reduce impact, convert to renewable energy, capture carbon

Tommy Hilfiger Taps Into Sustainability

I recently got to work with Tommy Hilfiger on their latest campaign for sustainable fashion.

The jacket I got to model is padded with 100% recycled down and the outside is made of 50% recycled polyester. I love when companies, especially bigger companies like Tommy Hilfiger, realize the positive impact they will have if they push for more sustainable solutions. They have a HUGE audience of people eager to listen, so to have that much of a reach to spread something I’m so passionate about meant the world to me, and is exactly why I model. To have a platform like I do is such a privilege and to be able to partner up with likeminded companies, that sometimes have an even larger reach, means we get to spread information on climate change to that many more people and makes me SO PROUD and thankful that there are companies out there willing to adjust their business practices for the better when it comes to sustainability. This is only the first step, but it’s a huge one and will without a doubt create a ripple effect with other companies similar to Tommy Hilfiger. Soon enough, those who aren’t mindful of their environmental impact will be OFF TREND. And the sustainable trend is here to stay!