Creative Curiosities: Earth Month—CCs on Keeping Green
Get ready to put on your green thinking caps, because April is Earth Month and we're excited to celebrate with our Creative Consumers® associates (CCs)! We dug deep and asked about their eco-initiatives, sustainable wishes for companies they buy from, outdoor adventures, and their favorite green products. We'll be highlighting our findings in this article:
The Initiatives: How CCs incorporate sustainability and eco-practices into their day-to-day
The Wishes: Ways CCs feel companies could be more proactive towards eco-friendliness
The Engagements: How our CCs are engaging with nature
The Favorites: 15 of the CCs’ favorite green products
We utilized our Inspire® Consumer Insight Accelerator to survey the CCs and obtain various responses and images from them that depict their emotions, showcase the products they're using, and illustrate the environmental activities they're participating in to commemorate and preserve the planet.
The Initiatives
We asked 62 of our Creative Consumers® associates how they're staying green this Earth Month by asking, “In the spirit of all things green, how do you engage with being eco-friendly?” From lending a helping hand around the community and environment to finding alternative ways to get around, here’s how our CCs are making the planet happy:
Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle: Our CCs know how to have a good time while staying green. Every single CC we polled said that this month, they're always looking for creative ways to reduce waste and follow the three R's. Whether it's upcycling old clothes into new outfits, using scrap materials to create owl houses, reducing electrical use with solar panels, replanting seeds, or turning empty jars (or eggs!) into cute planters, they're constantly finding new ways to reduce waste and have fun doing it!
CC Jenn even showed us her personal challenge when she was, “Acting as an admin for my local Buy Nothing Project group. I wore a wool dress for 100 days straight!”
Protecting and Preserving Nature: Our Creative Consumers® associates are nature lovers at heart, and they know that preserving the environment is essential for the planet's well-being. 90% said they're all about leaving nature untouched and minimizing their impact on the environment by leaving no trace when exploring the great outdoors.
Alternative Transportation: Who says that reducing your carbon footprint has to be boring? 31 of our CCs are spicing things up by using alternative modes of transportation, like public transit, biking, and walking. They're making their commute an adventure by exploring new routes, discovering hidden gems, and enjoying the fresh air along the way.
Composting: Our CCs are all about getting their hands dirty in the name of environmental sustainability! Of the 62 we polled, 44% are going to be composting their organic waste, transforming food scraps into nutrient-rich soil for their gardens, and contributing to a healthier planet one banana peel at a time.
CC Aryn even adopted the help of her pet snail to assist with the composting!
Volunteering: The Creative Consumers® associates have big hearts and love giving back to the planet. They're volunteering in clean-up efforts, tree planting, sustainable hunger-combating programs, and other planet-happy environment-saving activities. 42% of those polled are finding ways to make a difference, all while enjoying the great outdoors and connecting with their communities like CC Julissa who helped prep 6,048 meals to feed over 16 kids for an entire year.
Donations: Every little bit counts when it comes to making a positive impact on the environment. That's why 21 of the CCs are contributing to environmentally friendly charities and organizations to support sustainable practices, protect natural resources, and advocate for the planet.
The Wishes
Get ready to make some room on your wish list, because our Creative Consumers® have some Earth-friendly asks for big companies!
A large part of reducing your footprint lies within what you buy, so we asked our Creative Consumers® associates to tell us about their wishes for businesses by asking, “What do you wish more companies did to make their products more Earth-friendly?”
Sustainable Packaging: A whopping 84% of participating CCs agreed that more sustainable packaging or products was a must-have. While recycling is helpful, reducing waste in the first place is even better. The CCs wish for more companies to prioritize more eco-friendly packaging like reusable containers or biodegradable materials that can be easily composted!
Less Fast Fashion: Another wish on the list is for products designed to last. 48 of the Creative Consumers® associates want their products to have a long, full life before being retired! They want companies to create products with quality materials that are built to last and to avoid fast fashion or planned obsolescence.
CC Leah S. even showed us her box from Ridwell, a sustainable subscription service that picks up your hard-to-recycle goods and sends them to the ideal location—whether that be a donation center to be reused and re-loved or a recycling center to be recreated into something new.
Lower Prices: While many eco-friendly products are worth the investment, 47 CCs wish that being environmentally conscious wouldn't require breaking the piggy bank. They’d like for companies to find ways to make sustainable products more affordable and accessible for everyone.
Easy Recycling: 66% of CCs wish for items that are recyclable at home. They want companies to make it easier for them to recycle their products by using materials that can be recycled curbside, or by providing clear instructions on how to recycle them.
Clearer Recycling Directions: Going hand in hand with easy recycling, 25 CCs called for clearer recycling directions. They want companies to provide clear, concise instructions on how to recycle their products rather than symbols that confuse so they can do their part in keeping waste out of landfills.
Carbon Transparency: Lastly, 25 of the Creative Consumers® associates want transparency from companies about their carbon footprint, including information about production processes, material sources, and emissions. With this information, our CCs can confidently make informed choices about the products they buy, and support companies that prioritize environmental sustainability.
CC Andrea gave us two great examples of companies that are transparent about their environmental efforts: Fabletics and Caliray!
The Engagements
Earth Month isn't just about hugging a tree and picking up litter; it's also about reflecting on what you love about the planet you live on. That's why we asked our CCs, “How do you engage with nature?”
All 62 of the Creative Consumers® associates we polled are in overwhelming agreement that walking in parks is the way to go. They love to soak up the sun, breathe in the fresh air, and take in the natural beauty of their local green spaces.
However, for 40 of our adventurous CCs, simply walking isn’t enough. They're all about hitting the hiking trails—from mountains to valleys, they're ready to explore every inch of nature's playground.
Speaking of playgrounds, 56% of the CCs who responded are dedicated stewards of the land. They're out there on the front lines, taking care of our planet by adopting trails, maintaining their own and public natural areas, and picking up litter wherever they go.
Let's not forget about the water! 20 of our Creative Consumers® associates will be spending their time on some body of water this season, whether it's a serene lake, a babbling river, or the mighty ocean.
Finally, for our curious and inquisitive CCs, there's always something new to discover in the great outdoors. 15 of them are budding ecologists, exploring, and learning about all the wonders of nature—including the age-old question of whether a tree makes a sound when it falls in the forest.
The Favorites
Lastly, we asked our CCs to give us a show-and-tell of their favorite eco-friendly products and innovations with us. Here are 20 of the products they showed off!
1. Refillable Cleaning Product Stations: “My favorite recent innovation is the refillable soap and detergent stations at local markets. Rather than buying another bulky bottle of liquid detergent, shampoo, or conditioner, I can bring my own container and fill it. This is so much more eco-friendly, affordable, and guilt-free long term.” —CC Mat
2. Zipline Drones: “My new favorite green product is a 2nd generation delivery drone by a company called Zipline. They already provide lifesaving services in Nigeria. Their fleet delivers urgently needed medical supplies in minutes to locations where overland transportation may take hours or even be impossible due to a lack of roads and infrastructure. Their new direction is urban delivery using drones that hover high above the destination to remediate noise. It lowers a powered module that can maneuver around obstacles for pinpoint accuracy. They can recharge from green power sources such as solar or wind generation. This tech is absolutely spine-tingling!” —CC Steve
3. Rothy’s Shoes: “I really love my Rothy’s made out of recycled plastic! They’re comfy, cute, and good for the earth!” – CC Andrea
4. Oddli Clothing: “My favorite green product is the Oddli clothing line by Jensen and Elli, two Stanford graduates who care about ethical fashion. They hand-make clothes out of deadstock fabrics that would otherwise go to landfills. While I don’t own any of their pieces at the moment, I am a member of their close friend’s Instagram story and the Oddli Club via the brand website. As an ethical fashion lover myself, I’m drawn not only to the customizability of their products but also to the theory and purposefulness behind the structure of their clothes. There is a lot of evident care for the consumer as well as the planet in these pieces.” —CC Millie
5. Biodegradable Plastics: “Biodegradable plastic. So many things are made with plastic, which often ends up in landfills and takes a long time to decompose. Biodegradable plastic made with biobased sources is much better for the planet!” – CC Kelly
6. Açaí Smoothie Bowls: “I love Nectar Açaí bowls because their organic, eco-friendly, healthy and get me eating greens and fruits instead of processed foods.” —CC Kristen
7. Lomi Composter: “The Lomi composter is a countertop composter and you can put everything and anything in it and it will turn to dirt that you can then put outside in your garden. It is brilliant and can save hundreds and thousands of pounds of waste.” —CC Robin
8. Reusable Straws & Napkins: “We love reusable kitchen utensils and storage from bags to straws to lunchboxes that leave no trash.” —CC Amy
“I love a good old reusable kitchen towel! I have a set of black I use as napkins, I use them to clean up messes, as potholders and oven mitts.” —CC Hillary
9. Misfits Market: “I love sustainable products like reusable water bottles, reusable straws, reusable bags, compostable plates, growing herbs and plants, recycling as much as possible, and using green electrical products but my favorite is Misfits Market boxes. I know I've already mentioned it but I personally believe it eliminates so much food waste by not throwing away/refusing to sell "ugly" foods!” —CC Chrystal
10. Beeswax Wraps: “Beeswax food Wraps replace saran, foil, covers/lids, and waxed paper—basically for packaging and storage. They are reusable, washable, sustainable, eco-friendly, and biodegradable. And the packaging is recyclable!” CC Wendy
11. Buy Nothing Group: “I just made an art project with my son’s 5th-grade class using canvas I got secondhand from my Buy Nothing group. Someone else gave me old contact paper. They used their fingerprints to add color. I think it's great to make art and save things from landfill at the same time!” —CC Jenn
12. Worm Bin Composter: “The worm bin! The worms eat scraps from the kitchen and turn them into compost for the garden. I have done this for over 5 years. It reduces so much garbage waste like coffee grounds, tea bags, and food scraps like carrot peels.” —CC Laura
13. Silicone Trays: “I love using silicone muffin trays instead of cupcake papers. It doesn’t even need oil!” —CC Angela
14. Scrap Utilizing DIYs: “My old pharmacy cabinet was taking up space but the little drawers wouldn’t! I threw the big piece away but reused what I could from it for a succulent planter! Fun and different way to plant!” —CC Tracy
15. Compostable Containers: “100% compostable take-out containers for times when you do not have your own reusable container with you. I am happy to live somewhere that does not allow Styrofoam take-out containers and uses mostly compostable or PETE plastic 1 containers for take-out (fully recyclable here). My favorite, though, is compostable take-out containers (plant-based plastic and/or compostable paper). I compost 100% of things at home that can be composted. These fit my lifestyle well.” —CC Craig
Our Creative Consumers® associates are leading the way in eco-friendly practices during Earth Month. From reducing waste and preserving nature to using alternative transportation and donating to environmental causes, they are finding creative ways to make a positive impact on the planet.
In addition, our CCs have shared their wishes for businesses to prioritize eco-friendly packaging, create products with quality materials, and make sustainable products more affordable.
Finally, the CCs shared their love for nature and the environment, with walking in parks, hitting the trails, and stewarding the land as some of their favorite ways to engage with nature.
Let’s all follow their lead in being eco-fun and do our part to make the planet a happier place this Earth Month and all year long!