When I took my boyfriend to see a new Muppet movie, he had never seen anything by the Muppets before, and being a dedicated fan since early childhood, I felt it my right and honorable duty to share the mahna-mahna’s with him. Needless to say, it was a fantastic and heart-felt show that we both laughed the whole way through. A few weeks later, we were out shopping and found this “one-of-a-kind” Kermit shirt, and couldn’t resist buying it. Like Miss Piggy, I suddenly noticed myself more attracted to everything green.
I realized being “green” is not impossible even though we are living in such a technologically consumed world. Yet, it is technology that has provided us so many outlets to become more ecologically responsible. Bills, schedules, licence plate renewals, the yellow pages, and even airline tickets are available paperless. Due to the impact of the Internet, television programs, and advertising we are more connected, and more globally aware of products available to help protect the environment.
In the home, especially if you are privy to daytime television, like City Line, the Mariyln Denis Show or the Nate Berkus Show, I guarantee that at least one segment a week focuses on how and where you can buy, reuse or create products with a green-scheme in mind. They prove that you can choose a range of products that will help sustain the environment, while still providing beautiful, sleek and modern finishes. The Home Depot has a link on their website to a section called “Eco Options,” where it is easy to locate the product type you are looking for, from flooring to appliances to décor, there is a product to help manage your carbon footprint.
Major grocery stores have become more eco-friendly as well. By providing large reusable bags/bins, made out of recycled materials and typically at a cost of $1, consumers are given a convenient eco-option. Even if you forget your reusable bags at home and buy a plastic bag for 5 cents, the plastic bag has become noticeably larger in order to try and reduce the volume of plastic bags and encourage the purchase of reusable ones. As well, food itself has taken on the green trend; I was always taught to “eat the green stuff, it’s delicious,” and now, eating green, organic food like avocado, broccoli, spinach, and kale is trendy too.
The trend in the fashion world has also become environmentally friendly. For example, H&M has created the “Conscious Collection.” It is H&M’s “action for a more sustainable fashion future.” This collection uses greener materials such as organic cotton and recycled polyester. Originally when the campaign came out in April 2011, and the colour scheme was mainly different shades of white and muted earth tones. However, one year later, they are still producing the collection but have amped up the colour pallet. Walking into the store this season, you will be bombarded—you guessed it—with green. Emerging mainly in pastel and mint, but with occasional pops of emerald, green is popping up all over the fashion world and the colour is going to be very popular this spring.
So maybe it was the resurgence of Kermit the Frog, or maybe it is because being eco-conscious has spanned to every aspect of our lives, but I am happy to say that it’s never been so easy being green. For the Silo, Hannah Richards.