Pictured: My best friend, kale.
I have a confession that I think is pretty rare in the events industry: I’m not a naturally social person.
I have a super-analytical personality, so it’s tough for me to switch gears from business and get to know people personally—and let them get to know me.
True story: One time I was at an internship interview in college, and the interviewer asked me what I liked to do outside of school. I replied that I didn’t understand how that question was relevant. *facepalm*
Thankfully, my social skills have gotten a lot better since then. However, I do still tend to be pretty down-to-business, especially in these articles, because I want to make sure I’m sharing useful information that’s worth your time.
This week I’m combining the personal with the educational and sharing some of the ways I pursue green living at home. You’re probably trying to live sustainably in your personal life as well as through your work, so hopefully these tips provide you with some inspiration, as well as some things about me you may not know!
Three Ways I Pursue Green Living at Home
1) I eat a primarily plant-based diet.
I’m not a strict vegetarian, but I began reducing my meat consumption several years ago and now pretty much only eat meat at family gatherings or if a friend isn’t going to finish meat they ordered at a restaurant. I love eating all different kinds of food, so one of my favorite ways to keep food from going to waste is to eat everyone’s leftovers.
I estimate that I eat vegan meals about 50% of the time, but I love eggs and eat one for breakfast almost every day. I do most of my food shopping at the Broad Ripple Farmers’ Market, which is just a few blocks from my house.
2) I drive a Prius (but I need to drive less).
I know my car choice is a total tree-hugger cliché, but I’ve found my Prius to be super-practical as well as fuel-efficient. I play in a folk music duo called the Thistle Sisters, and the Prius is spacious enough to hold a full-sized upright string bass, a bass drum, a guitar, a banjo, a violin, and a bunch of other stuff all in one trip. I’m also a big believer in naming cars. My old car was black Betty, and my current car is gray Gertrude.
I work from home, so some days I don’t drive at all. However, I’m still kind of a weenie and typically drive to my errands if the weather is even slightly uncomfortable. I’m trying to work on driving only when necessary and taking more advantage of how walkable and bikable my neighborhood is. I’m also trying to minimize how often I fly in airplanes, and purchase carbon offsets when I do.
3) I sort waste at home the same way I do at events.
I have a zero waste station in my kitchen where I separate recycling, food waste, and trash. I have residential service from Earth Mama Compost, and she picks up my food waste every two weeks. I do my best to purchase products with minimal packaging (The Good Earth in Broad Ripple is my favorite store for bulk shopping), so I’ve gotten to a point where I only take out the trash every six weeks or so. What I say for events is true at home: once you take out recyclables and food waste, there really isn’t much trash left!
So there you have it! A behind-the-scenes look at me and my attempts to live sustainably. These are by no means the only ways or the best ways to live a greener lifestyle. One of my favorite blogs about zero waste and sustainable living is Green Indy—definitely check it out if you’re interested in ramping up your own sustainability journey.
I would love to get to know you a little better too! Leave a comment below and let me know one thing I don’t know about you, or something you’re doing to go green in your daily life.