Frugally Green » alternative options

Create Your Own Green Collar Career

Tyler — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 12:00:57 +0000

Frugally Green readers are savvy about saving money and saving the planet. They’re always on the lookout for ways to do both at the same time. Personally, it’s one of my favorite things in life. But I think there’s more to frugality than just saving money. I think it’s also important to focus on making money. Earning more money (without inflating our lifestyles) allows us to achieve financial security quicker and take our minds off of earning just to survive. It also opens new doors to helping the environment in ways we may not have even known possible before.

Right now, the U.S. is reeling from economic recession. Our unemployment rate is at 9.7% and that doesn’t count all the people that have simply quit looking for work. I bet there are probably even some Frugally Green readers that have lost their jobs recently.

Maybe you’ve lost your job. Maybe you’re bored with your current work. Maybe you just feel stuck in a low paying job and want to earn more money. Well, as bad as things are right now, there still seems to be momentum building in the green industry. Where you might fit in could depend on a number of factors like your current skills, qualifications, and personal interests. With a little bit of creativity, you might find that your current environmental interests and professional aptitude overlap in a way that could bring a meaningful change to your career. Here are a few examples of white and blue collar jobs that could transform to a shade of green with a little bit of effort and ingenuity:

Artist - Ever thought about a foray into found or environmental art? There are some great creators out there working with the things we simply throw away as well as completely natural elements. These great minds bring a new perspective and vibrancy to environmentalism.

Engineer - No matter what field you specialize in, there are all kinds of opportunities to use your interest in sustainability to focus on designing systems that tax our planet less and shape the way we live our lives.

Architect - Green building seems to be an ever increasing point of enthusiasm and there will likely never be a time when we stop trying to design the structures we reside in to be more efficient and healthy to occupy.

Journalist - As society continues to grow towards this seemingly “green renaissance,” it will be the work of our reporters and journalists to convey to the world all the developments taking place. If you’re a journalist with a passion for sustainability, you might find yourself in a rather interesting niche.

Product/Packaging Designer - Consumers are starting to walk the talk with their buying choices and just about every major company out there is looking for a way to improve their products to meet these demands. Maybe you could be the one to help them along the way?

Consultant - There are so many people and businesses out there that want to do more for the environment but either don’t feel they know how or don’t have the time. If you’ve got some experience in coaching or advising and a knack for sustainability, there’s a career to be made helping them.

General Contractor - Architects and engineers aren’t the only ones trying to reduce the impact of our buildings on the planet. The folks putting the pieces together have to be just as green-competent to be successful. Many contractors and construction management companies are actively looking for environmentally conscious employees to help them build a better future. (Note: This is what I do during the daylight hours.)

Librarian - I think this would be an awesome job! Maybe you could use your knowledge of how people interact with media and libraries to help create more accessible and user friendly online libraries? I can envision an interesting consulting opportunity here.

Real Estate Agent - Some day when I buy a home, I’ll be looking for one that not only has the sustainable features I’m looking for, but also has the potential to easily incorporate even more. I wouldn’t mind having an agent that was an expert at recognizing these kinds of opportunities or one that could direct me away from a potential bad fit.

Teacher – Do I even need to say much here? Schools, public and private and at every level, seem to be looking for faculty that can help train our future generations about the importance of environmental stewardship.

Taxi Driver - With all the gas consumed by the average taxi idling and sitting in stop and go traffic all day, you might see a return on investment and, subsequently a competitive advantage by switching to a hybrid model or even an all electric vehicle as they become more prevalent.

Auto Mechanic - With a little bit of specialty training, an auto mechanic could really differentiate herself as a competent technician for the hybrid and all electric market that is growing and growing.

Carpenter - Framing a house? Why not use your passion for sustainability to sell your client on FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified lumber? Maybe you’re building a piece of furniture? There are lots of really interesting ways to incorporate reclaimed wood and repurpose other recycled materials into the design.

Electrician - An electrician might have some unique opportunities to educate his client on ways their project could use less energy and be more efficient.

Farmer - The demand for organic food keeps growing and growing. Unfortunately, a lot of it still has to travel long distances to make it onto the shelves of your local stores. As a farmer, you might have an opportunity to provide your community with a supply of better, locally sourced organic food. You might consider getting started at your community’s farmer’s markets.

Technician - As demand grows and we continue to expand our renewable energy infrastructure, the need for skilled and qualified technicians and mechanics to install and service large scale wind turbine and solar power farms will grow as well.

Landscaper - A landscaper has a unique opportunity to educate his clients, whether they’re home owners or businesses, about all the work and resources required to maintain a lawn and exotic plants. By specializing in passive landscaping with local vegetation, she could create works that compliment the local landscape and save her clients a lot of money and effort on maintenance.

These are just some of the possibilities that I could come up with off the top of my head. There are so many more out there. The best way to have a really successful career is to differentiate yourself from your competition. This is something you can do as a business owner or as an employee. It doesn’t matter. All it takes is a little forethought and willingness to learn and continue to learn in order to stay on the leading edge of your field.

Have you had success incorporating sustainability into your career? Do you see any opportunities in other careers that I didn’t mention? I’d love to hear about them.

Eco Dry Cleaning: Spiff Up Your Clothes and the Environment

Tyler — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 12:00:32 +0000

Ever since we terrestrials decided long ago to cover our loins with leaves, we’ve been on a mission to set ourselves apart with our clothing. If you work in a professional environment, dress code or not, you’ve likely found yourself the proud (or frustrated) owner of at least a few “dry clean only” garments. Myself? I do everything I can to avoid them for simplicity’s sake, but I do admit to owning a few pairs of pants that must be cleaned by a “professional.”

Once every few months (I don’t wear them often), I begrudgingly gather up these pants and march down the street to the local dry cleaner. Little did I know, the main ingredient in this process is a chemical called perchloroethylene or, more affectionately abbreviated, “perc.” Turns out, perc is a nasty toxin, classified as a Group 2A carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. In other words, it’s likely carcinogenic to humans. We already know it does nasty things to fish and other wildlife, causes skin irritations for many people, and is heavy enough to seep under the water table, making it a soil contaminant that is very difficult to clean. Did you know you might live next door to a future Superfund site?

Enter the Eco Cleaner

Given my increased awareness of these sorts of issues and an intense desire to avoid itchy legs, I decided to take my bi-annual load of dry clean only pants to a new eco-friendly shop that just opened up a few more blocks away. They call themselves ecodrycleaner and shops just like them seem to be popping up all over the country. They bill themselves as sustainable for these reasons:

Their cleaning solution is a liquid silicone that breaks down into water, CO2, and sand – no potentially harmful chemicals involved.

Their newer, efficient equipment allows them to harvest and recycle cleaning solution so that very little is wasted in the process.

They offset their electricity needs with investment in renewable energy.

Recycling of metal hangers, cuff clips, collar supports, and poly garment bags is heavily encouraged and promoted through their customer recycling program.

They reduce auto emissions by offering a free pick-up and delivery service that maximizes the efficiency of car trips to their business.

After chatting with the girl at the counter for a bit, she handed me my receipt and I was impressed to see that the cost was pretty comparable to other dry cleaners I’ve used around town. I suppose they might be better able to compete by being able to reuse more solution (most traditional dry cleaning shops I’ve frequented have pretty antiquated equipment) and by cutting costs on new expendables by encouraging their patrons to drop off unneeded hangers, garment bags, and other accessories.

Either way, now that I know that they exist and are competitively priced , I’ll continue to give my business to ecodrycleaner for my bi-annual laundry dump.

Cut down on your trips to the cleaner

At this point, you might be wondering how I manage to make such infrequent trips to the cleaners. Like I said above, I have very few dry clean only garments and I don’t wear them all that often, but I also wash them myself from time to time. That’s right, if it isn’t stained and just needs to be “freshened up,” I’ll hand wash an item to prevent a trip to the dry cleaners.

You might be surprised to know that many clothing manufacturers will label a piece as dry clean only when delicate hand washing is more than adequate. This is a marketing tactic they use because people are more likely to buy something they perceive to be less work to maintain. Turns out, most people consider going to the dry cleaner less work than hand washing. Now, you can’t do this with every item and different materials will require different types of care, but for many typical garments, some delicate elbow grease will do the trick. Check out this article for a more in depth explanation of how you can care for your dry clean only clothes.

All in all, we should act within our means whenever possible to reduce our impact on the environment. This is especially true when alternatives to what we are used to exist but require just a small investment of time to discover and implement. By rejecting the status-quo and committing ourselves to life long learning, we will continuously improve ourselves and the world around us.

E-Waste: Where Do Your Old Gadgets Go?

Tyler — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 12:15:48 +0000

Last week, in celebration of Earth Day, the construction management company that I work for recognized me in its newsletter for being sustainably minded. I was very honored, and it got me thinking. We are in the midst of a company wide cell phone upgrade process. This replacement of, quite literally, thousands of phones made me stop to ponder about how often this sort of practice occurs in other, smaller companies and on a personal, consumer level with cell phones and other personal electronic devices. Turns out, after researching a bit, it happens a lot! According to the National Center for Electronics Recycling, Americans tossed out 2.25 million tons of electronics in 2007. Not necessarily surprising, but it certainly makes you think about where all those do-dads went. 82% went to landfills.

Sure, mankind needs to continue to develop technology in order to improve the efficiency of life and devalue the cerebral cortex, but how often do you and I really need to partake in the vicious cycle? Sometimes, I wish I was more technically proficient. My computer is about 6 years old, I have a first-generation Zune that I bought used and my last TV was a nearly 20-year-old hand-me-down from my parents. I replaced it last year for no good reason besides wanting a different one. Whoops. In today’s Information Age, by my own estimation, I live in the dark ages a bit and have a hard time relating to the idea of keeping up with the Joneses. In a Frugally Green sense, here’s why:

It’s Expensive

Is it just me, or does the next generation of the item you just bought always seem to come out right after you bought it? Usually, the improvements between the latest updates are not significant enough to warrant purchasing again. If you’re like me, all your electronics are at least a few generations old and still have a number of features that you don’t particularly need. While I’m obviously not the most technologically savvy (just getting Frugally Green started was quite a task), I can’t believe that companies like Apple, Sony, Garmin, and others don’t offer consumer level leasing agreements for mp3 players, laptops, and GPS systems. If you’re the type that needs to be on the cutting edge, at least this would give you an easier out when the next best thing comes along.

It’s Unsustainable

Continually consuming new electronics for the sake of consuming new electronics is hard on our environment as it drives unnecessary demand for an unnecessary item. The amount of resources used to create these gadgets is quite staggering. The energy conserved indirectly by simply lowering the demand for these items would be astronomical, not to mention the direct reduction in the amount that ends up in landfills.

There’s good news though. If you have to have that new gizmo and the one you’ve got is still technologically relevant, there are a number of resources for you to find it a new home, either with someone less technologically inclined, like me, on Craigslist (there’s one for nearly every major city in the world now) or eBay, and many major companies now offer a recycling program for their own legacy products.

Those of us that always seem to find ourselves with yesterday’s cell phone face another challenge when we’re ready to upgrade- nobody wants it. If you find yourself in this predicament, you’re going to have to work a bit harder to be environmentally responsible. Luckily for us, someone went to the trouble to create websites like myboneyard.com, which might give you some cash if they can use the device for something, and mygreenelectronics.org, which provides a searchable database of local electronics recyclers based on zip code. A quick search revealed that I have a Free Geek in my neighborhood. I like what they stand for, so I think I’ll take my next outdated item to them. Although, the idea of getting a little cash for it is tempting. For old cell phones, I suggest doing a search for a local woman’s shelter. They’re often looking for emergency cell phones that they can give to their patrons.

What kind of electronics consumer are you? Always updating to the latest and greatest or delicately coaxing the last breath out of your dying gadget? Do you find yourself behaving similarly in other aspects of your life? Where can you improve?