Many of our employees are dedicated to sustainability—some have made a career out of it, while others simply implement sustainable practices into their everyday lives. In this blog, we’ll learn what a handful of our team members do to care for the planet, and their wallets.

Meg Bower, Baltimore, Maryland

It is so easy to carry a water bottle and refill it almost anywhere you go! We have double walled stainless steel canteens and bottle "socks" from REI, which make it easy to hang and carry our reusable bottles. We carry them everywhere, and hardly ever have to use plastic bottles! The ice lasts for hours, and the water stays fresh and cold. Additionally, my family is part of the “plastic-free” push, striving to use fewer single-use plastics in our daily lives. This summer we worked on the laundry process at home. We switched to Dropps (a gel pod of detergent delivered in completely recyclable boxes) and swapped a plastic laundry basket for a responsibly sourced one made of fabric and grass in Bangladesh that we got at Latitudes in Staunton, VA.  We also started using wool dryer balls to use less energy by speeding up the drying process, and started hanging more things to dry. The kitchen is next! Beeswax wrap, cotton produce bags, and buying in bulk are on the list for this fall.

Hannah Hart, Orlando, Florida

I am guilty of grabbing a plastic water bottle when it's more convenient, but hesitant to give them to my son, especially because many plastic bottles contain phthalates. BPA-free bottles are everywhere now, but full phthalate-free options are still hard to find.

Susan Geelmuyden, Boston, Massachusetts 

My husband and I stopped purchasing anything liquid that is bottled in plastic, like orange juice, water, milk, and carbonated water. We buy our milk in glass bottles from Whole Foods and bonus, we receive cash back when we bring them back.

Kate Corbett, Raleigh, North Carolina

I bring my own Tupperware to restaurants for my leftovers rather than using the Styrofoam the restaurant often offers. Helps with sustainability, preserves your food longer, and of course no spilled food in the car on the way home. Win-win-win!

Marlene Shade, Fairfax, Virginia

When I buy a new pair of shoes I leave the box in the store to encourage less packaging.  We compost.  I buy used stuff all the time and have several pieces of furniture I took off someone's curb.

Karolyn Gardner, Gainesville, Virginia

Our family is fanatical about recycling and we compost. And we look to find donation and reuse options for old items, whenever possible. Like Habitat for Humanity for old cabinets and fixtures when you renovate. And just listing things as "free to good home" on Facebook pages, you find someone who wants things you don't (like an old trampoline!). When clearing out our parents’ houses, my family has realized just how much we hold on to that is very hard to find someone that wants it later. Learning the lesson that often less is really more.

Julie Artieri, Fairfax, Virginia

My family is big into recycling and our bin is always overflowing on pick up day!  We re-purpose boxes and other containers for storage whenever possible. I also am a big fan on consignment sales (especially for kids’ clothes and toys) and used furniture as well. We have re-usable water bottles to cut down on plastic waste, and I always take my own grocery bag to the store. Even the small things count toward making a better future for the younger generations.

Eugene McColligan Jr., Parsippany, New Jersey

We never put weed killer or fertilizer on our lawns, and we never water them. Although we mow the yards regularly, we don't fret about white clover and other plants growing in our lawn. During the warmer parts of the year, we mulch our six gardens with lawn clippings and mulch with tree leaves in the fall. We organically grow lots of veggies and fruit to enjoy and share with our neighbors. We also beautify our yard with lots of sunflowers, zinnia, cosmos, phlox, and other flowers for hummingbirds, songbirds and pollinating insects, like bees and butterflies. Bluebirds, Goldlfinches, Cooper’s hawks, Chipmunks, Cottontails and other critters are regular visitors. All on a quarter acre lot in a residential subdivision.