Light Wallet, Lighter Footprint?

Living cheaply may lighten carbon footprint—saving money may also save the earth.  

A new Harris Interactive poll reveals that in an effort to save money, more Americans are using mass transit and carpooling, cutting back on dry cleaning, using refillable water bottles, canceling print subscriptions, and more. In a poll surveying the lifestyle and spending habits of 2,227 adults, Harris found that Americans are cutting back on buying bottled water, as two in five (39 percent) have purchased refillable water bottles to use instead—this reflects an increase from February, when one-third (34 percent) had stated that they had made this change. One quarter of Americans (24 percent) also say they drop off their dry cleaning less often in an effort to save money.

Work habits are also changing. Nearly half of Americans (48 percent) are brown-bagging their lunch, up from 45 percent back in February. About one-fifth of poll respondents said that they also have stopped purchasing morning coffee before work (22 percent), and more than one in ten (12 percent) have started using mass transit or carpooling to get to work.  Harris notes that this last figure regarding work transportation is not applicable to nearly half of Americans (48 percent) who either may not be working or may not have the ability to use mass transit or carpool.

Additionally, some Americans have also cancelled print media subscriptions, with nearly one-third (31 percent) having stopped one or more magazine subscriptions, and nearly one-fifth (17 percent) have cancelled newspaper deliveries.

Do these small changes mean that Americans are living greener while they strive to save money?

Los Angeles-based writer, producer and spokesperson Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, founder of stylish green living sites EcoStiletto and Mommy Greenest, says that environmentalism is not an ‘either/or’ question. 

“I think of it more in terms of small shifts in daily habits,” Sarnoff says. “So if we're conserving in order to save money, there's no question we're also conserving energy and in that way being more environmentally conscious.”

Citing the issue of water bottles, Sarnoff says she found that the average family spends fifty dollars a month on bottled water.

“So if you start with a refillable water bottle because you want to save money, that's a great thing,” she tells demodirt.com. “But in the long run, you're also saving you and your family exposure to toxic BPA, which is in most plastic water bottles. Plus, you're stopping one more plastic water bottle from hitting the landfill, where it will sit for hundreds of years before it breaks down.”

These eco- and budget-friendly changes may be happening in other nations as well, says Sofia Ribeiro, founder and co-owner of Canada-based green marketing services provider Kiwano Marketing.

“Across the border, in Canada, it seems that people are still caring about the environment,” she says. “According to a Harris/Decima poll conducted in August 2009, tough economic times, contrary to popular wisdom, have not led Canadians to abandon the environment: over 70 percent said environmental consciousness has become more important to them over the past few years. It’s always during difficult times that we tend to innovate, and to try to achieve more with less.”

Once prosperity returns, will people continue these money-saving, green-minded habits even as they enjoy relative wealth?  

“In the long-term, this will represent a new way of living—but, unfortunately, I believe we will see an increase of wasteful habits once prosperity returns,” Ribeiro says, citing historical cycles.

“If you take a careful look to the 20th century, you’ll notice that after a period of economic crisis, there’s one of prosperity and wasteful behaviors: the First World War and the crazy 1920s; the end of Cold War and the hippie movement; and so on,” she contends. “Most of the generation born after the Baby Boomers are more aware of their consumption habits. But, if you keep in mind the socially-accepted behaviors during the last century, you will notice that the scale is pending to reducing our consumption levels. In the early 1930s and 1950s, it was socially accepted to use one-time-use products and to throw away perfectly good items—and even food. Nowadays, this type of behavior is frowned upon.”

Sarnoff agrees that previous generations have demonstrated eco-friendlier habits than subsequent ones.

“It's really only the last fifty years that we've lived like this; our grandparents were much more conservation-minded and, in their own ways, environmentalists,” she maintains. “Maybe this is a question of Father doesn't know best—Grandfather does.”

If this is a return to the old-fashioned way of doing things, perhaps businesses that capitalize on this movement will keep eco-friendly practices going for the long run.

“The opportunity here for businesses is to set up environmental and social standards across their supply chains, in an innovative way that won’t necessarily increase manufacturing costs,” Ribeiro says. “Large corporations such as Wal-Mart are already taking steps in this direction. More importantly, we are witnessing a rise of green products across mainstream retailers—a clear sign that environmentally responsible products are not just a fad, but are here to stay.”

This new social trend has significant impact on all businesses, she adds, especially green-minded ones.

“Consumers are starting to look for products that will deliver on their promises—[that will] compete with non-green products—but that also last longer,” Ribeiro maintains. “We are also witnessing a rise of environmental-minded moms who will only buy products for their babies that are safe for the earth and for the health of their children.”

Canada-based Sharon Cole, author of the guide 10 Top 10 Lists for Going Green maintains that the plethora of green businesses will appeal to consumers of all income levels, and green product appeal will eventually become universal.

“Services and products are targeted not only to every age but to every tax bracket as well,” Cole says. “People with less money will still spend a little more if it makes a green difference, while wealthy people will choose eco-friendly ways to spend. The growth and niche-variety of green-minded businesses is astonishing and it’s being fed by consumer choice.”

The growth of green businesses, like any other business, will simply depend on the law of supply and demand, Sarnoff adds, citing cotton as an example.