by Rebecca Ness
Vice Chair. ESAC
I don’t remember when my family started moving towards a sustainable lifestyle; it’s something we’ve been working on for a long time. Now, it’s part of our daily life and we continually make small and large changes.
Living green might look differently to each of us. It doesn’t mean doing things perfectly or knowing everything about sustainability. To us it means that we recognize our impact on the earth, we’re open to learning and taking action, and that we try to get a little “greener” over time. It’s about everyone doing a bit more, not about a few people doing it perfectly.
Our shift towards sustainability involves daily questions: Can we walk, bus, or bike there instead of driving? Is that compostable? Is this available at a refillery or in Bexley Natural Market’s bulk section? Can we buy that toy used?
Here are some sustainable actions my family has taken in our journey:
1. Choosing Sustainable Transportation
Our family’s first choices for transportation are walking, biking, or public transit. One of the reasons we chose Bexley were the proximity to schools, businesses, COTA lines, and our jobs. Our son bikes to school and my husband bike or bus commutes year round to Easton. For times we do need to drive, we own one car: a plug-in hybrid Chevy Volt. The first 50-60 miles are electric and then converts to gas. We rarely need to travel beyond the electric range. Currently our electric is provided by AEP Energy which buys wind RECs. This year, when Bexley switches to an aggregation energy program our house and car, will run on renewable energy!
2. Participating in Bexley’s Curbside Composting Program
It’s painful to throw vegetables into garbage where they sit in a sealed landfill for decades releasing methane and contributing to climate change. So we were delighted when Bexley started their Composting Pilot Program in 2017. We keep a small compost bin with a charcoal filter (eliminating odor) on the counter and transfer to our 5-gallon compost bucket (provided by the city). Composting greatly reduces the amount of garbage my family creates. You can can sign up for free curbside composting at bexley.org/food-waste.
3. Exploring Greener Ways to Heat and Cool
Heating and Cooling a home is energy intensive. Columbia Gas provided a free home energy assessment and substantial rebates. We worked with Energy Tech Insulation to make upgrades. We upgraded our insulation to R42 values and used cellulose that will last the lifetime of the house. We upgraded to LED lighting (reducing energy from these lights by 90%) and completed air sealing.These upfront costs have been recouped with lower energy bills. We experimented with a plug in dehumidifier and determined it used too much energy. We’re considering attaching a dehumidifier to the HVAC as it will greatly reduce A/C needs. We planted trees and shrubs insulating the house in summer and winter. We’re considering solar on the garage, but with our variables it would only cover 20% of our electric usage.
4. Working Towards Zero Waste in the Kitchen and Bathroom
Our 2020 sustainability goal was to move our kitchen and bathroom towards zero waste. With refilleries and sustainability shops popping up, we were able to transition package-free dishwashing powder, soap, baking soda and vinegar. For the bathroom we secured many common toiletries from the Koko Refillery and Reuse Revolution. Every purchase like this keeps plastic out of landfill and signals demand for sustainable packaging.
We purchase beans, nuts, dried fruit, flours, grains, and rice in bulk grocery sections. We’ve had to pause some bulk shopping during Covid, but luckily, Bexley Natural Market still has a lovely food, tea, herb and spice bulk section.
For us, the kitchen has been the most challenging part of moving to zero waste as there is an incredible amount of packaging. We bring reusable grocery and produce bags and buy items in glass and cardboard when possible. Ultimately, we know it’s about progress, not perfection.
What are your family's 2021 sustainability goals? Green Bexley is here to support your family as you delve deeper into sustainability!