Wednesday, 17 March 2010
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Does Saving the Earth Cost You More Money?
"Going green" means doing your part to save the Earth. But that doesn't mean, transversly, that the environment is interested in saving your wallet. In fact, cost is one of the few excuses people can still pull out against green initiatives.
But does saving the planet really cost you more money?
It all depends on how you look at it. If you're talking, for example, about purchasing green products, you might have an expensive leg to stand on. Organic food, most obviously, costs more than the your mass-produced garden variety sustenance. So does organic cotton. Which, OK, means you might not want to buy organic clothes or organic furniture. And even I won't push you into use organic cleaning products, which are doubly pricey when you consider that they aren't, unfortunately, as effective as the toxic stuff.
And yet ...
People rallying against green initiatives for monetary reasons often ignore the basic principles of the movement. For example, if you use less water, less heat and/or less gas your monthly bills will go down. Similarly, "borrowing" requires you to spend little-to-no money, while "buying" is ... well, buying. And while other initiatives may cost your in the short-term - let's say, purchasing a thermos for $5 and then, maybe a $35 coffee-maker -you and the environment will get paid back triple-fold. Think about how much every bottle of water or Grande Soy Misto costs you. Or , more importantly, how they look piled up in a landfill.
If you then start to consider the money that these basic principles are saving you, aren't you now inclined to shell out extra $$$ for some sheets?
Can you think of other ways that green initiatives save you money? Or do you think saving the planet costs you too much?
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- From: jeanine@datingish
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Comments (5)
"Green" cleaning is much cheaper...using baking soda and vinegar to clean everything. Also, if you DIY a lot of projects and such, that oftentimes saves money as well. Making your own laundry detergent is "green" and cheaper than buying.
Buying "green" items does cost more. I think mfg. figure out that adding the word "green" just help them make more money, doesn't necessary mean the item is really green. I think people should investigate how green these item are.
Being green is a lifestyle change and it does take more work, not necessary spend more money. You have to find recycling place to recycle stuff, drop off cooking oil instead of dumping it into the sink, turn off the lights, tv, instead of leaving things on, wear more clothes (or less), etc. Just take more effort.
How green is a fridge if you need to replace it three or four times as often? Very green, if you ask the company making it.
its just like healthier stuff is more expensive..well it all depends on where u are geographically. Did they have to bring the organic food to you...or is it the farm down the street? And with green products...i use organic hair products which are much better than the chemicals that dry my hair out. and baking soda yes is a very good cleaning product. And where I live, everyone has recycling bins and they come pick it up for you so you dont have to go anywhere. And some places even have places for compost. Its not that hard really to recycle or use compost. I like toxic bugspray tho, it works, but I also have a friend that did fine taking garlic supplements. It all just depends. And I think in the long run it saves you. Its like buying a camera, it may be expensive at the moment, but think about all the disposable cameras etc that you have bought and then paid for to get developed ...it all adds up, so youre saving money. and at my university, they actually give u this card where u punch everytime u get coffee (when you bring your own thermos) and after a certain number, you get one free!
going green isnt always the most expensive thing...it does depend on how you look at it....
For clothing, I find that fair trade and organic seem to go hand in hand. I'd much prefer to spend the extra $15 bucks (or just buy the stuff on clearance) when I'm assured that the workers are being paid a reasonable wage and are working in reasonable conditions.
Organic food may or may not be more expensive depending on where you go. We just got a Henry's in town, and goddamn, that store has the cheapest produce you'll ever find, organic or not. Whole Foods? Not so much. Same with Trader Joes (but how organic are they really, when everything's wrapped in sheets of plastic?)
Cleaning supplies also may or may not be more expensive. I just started using the seventh generation brand (I think that's the name, they've been advertising on tv lately), and I've been very pleased with it, although I'm not 100% on the ingredients. Baking soda works wonders, although it's not as fancy as something in a spray bottle, and vinegar is a fantastic disinfectant, as someone pointed out already.
All together, "going green" pays for itself within just a few uses, not to mention the later healthcare costs you could prevent from incurring by eating foods that do not have pesticides on them.