Why buy recycled, eco, sustainable products?

I have always been passionate about the environment. At 12 years-old, I began my subscription to E-Magazine, I started writing my representatives, senators, and state and local authorities about laws that were on the table concerning the environment, I strongly urged, perhaps argued with(LOL?!!?), my parents as to why we should buy organic food, clothing, cleaning supplies, and beauty products, and I even I bought my friends’ recycling containers for Christmas one year in high school. Some call me a hippie and a tree-hugger, abut regardless of ridicule, name calling, shaming, and derogatory comments, I will continue to not only stand for a purpose that is beyond me, and for one that effects us all, I will do something about it. Maybe after these few reason’s why, you’ll join me:

3 reasons why charing about the environment isn’t a fad:

1. The earth is our home and, it’s all we’ve got. Just like a brick, wood, or stucco home we live, eat, sleep, and play in, if we don’t take care for our home, then, we don’t take care of our home! I have seen countless studies and quotes about keeping one’s home clean and orderly, and even how feng shui or the gift of hospitality/decorating influences the people inside that home; the earth is simply an extension of that. We are a product of our environment. That’s true not only in a small, micro-causim sense, but also in a larger scale. Think about it: people from India have a particular flavor, way of doing things, language even, so do American’s, so do the French. We can talk micro in the sense of how someone who lives in an alcoholic family will have certain traits and tendencies, as will someone who lives in the Middle East. We are affected by those and that which is around us. If we pollute, if we cut down all the trees, or if we continue to buy from companies that do these things without a thought to the bigger picture, we not only will be, but are affected by it. It’s an obvious correlation. We cannot separate ourselves from the earth. We ARE the earth. Which leads me to the #2.
2. We are made of the same substances as the earth, so what we do to her, we do to ourselves. We need clean water to drink. We need fresh air to breathe. We need sunlight to thrive (hello Vitamin D!). We need nutritious foods to eat. We need shelter and warmth and ways to cool ourselves down. And, we need play. Forest Bathing has become all the rage in Japan with numerous scientific studies confirming it’s necessity to our health and well-being as a way to de-stress. If we do not keep our waters clean, our foods (both plants and animals) free of toxins, then we will not be clean/healthy either. We are what we eat, not only in tangible junk food over healthily foods, but also in the chemical body system. If a cow is stressed out, it will have high levels of cortisol, then when we eat the steak or hamburger of that cow, we will be eating all those high levels of hormones and be susceptible to adrenal fatigue, weight gain, osteoporosis, anxiety, weakness, depression, irritability, etc.
3. Some say that recycling and buying recycled products is still part of the problem because it takes a lot of energy to recycle and particularly with synthetic clothing, we are still creating something that is toxic. Well, here’s what I say: we have to start somewhere. There’s a saying “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Or what about this one: “We have to crawl before we can walk.” Exactly my point. For me, as a professional athlete and one who works with clients of varying ability levels and in various conditions (indoors, outside, wind, rain, sun, heat, cold, etc.) I need clothing that performs. I need to be able to focus on the person and task at hand, and not be pulling up my yoga pants, readjusting my bathing suit, or suffocating from the heat of the Redding sun in clothing that doesn’t hold up to my activity, needs for safety and well-being, and leave me sweating and over-heated. So, I will continually be on the look out for new ways and products that recycle, reduce waste, look long-term, AND live up to my demanding work and life needs.

One such company I am proud to be a part of is Wolven Threads. Not only are they using recycled materials for their high quality clothing that stands up to my rigorous, athletic demands, they are also using carbon-neutral wood-pulp fibers that have been sustainably harvested, and natural dyes. Plus, an added value is that their designs are sacred geometric patterns and prints designed by local L.A. artists.

As a gift to you, I am happy to be able to offer 20% off men’s and women’s yoga, day wear, swimsuits, and clothing with the code: AudreyDlong20 at WolvenThreads.com

If you know of other companies that are making important earth/environmental/home impacts, share below! I would love to know about them!!!

xoxo