Got Sole??

No, not the fish, although that could be tasty.  What I'm talking about here are the soles on shoes.  How many shoes do you have?  How many do you need?  Arguably, most of us probably have way too many shoes in our closets.   Some we wear now and then, a few pairs of these, a couple of pairs of those in various colors, heel types, out-of-date styles, etc.  Although I did a post last year entitled Surrender your Soles about donating shoes to those who are in need, a recent stop at my local Good Will drop off location reminded me that it was probably time to take another inventory.  The receiving attendant commented that Americans have way too many shoes (based on the fact that the previous donation was over 50 pairs-- from one woman!).  Kudos to her for donating her shoes.

Here's an interesting thought:  Every year, between 100 and 300 million pairs of shoes end up in landfills.  What's worse is that these shoes take anywhere from 40 to 1000 years to break down, depending on what they're made from. 

Adding insult to injury, a quick Internet search indicates that nearly 300 million people are without shoes.  No shoes.  Period.  Think about how your daily life would be different if you didn't have any shoes to wear, or anything to protect your feet.

With Earth Day celebrating its 41st birthday on April 22nd, donating your gently used and rarely worn shoes to those in need is a great way to eco-step your way to a greener tomorrow and to help your fellow humans. What a great way to show your Earth Day spirit!

From personal experience, I can tell you that donating your shoes and spreading the word is not hard at all.  Last  year, I collected 57 pairs of shoes (from just my immediate family) and sent them to Soles 4 Souls. 


You can find the nearest Souls 4 Soles Drop off location here: 
http://www.soles4souls.org/about/locations.html
 
Below are some other excellent places to donate your shoes:
 
Goodwill
 
Salvation Army
 
Volunteers of America
 
I am sure there are others.  If you know of another place to donate shoes, please share.
 
Happy Eco-Stepping and Happy Earth Day!

Happy Birthday, Earth Day!

Since this blog is dedicated to all of the little things or eco-steps we can take to make this world a better and healthier place for us, I would be remiss if I did not at least acknowledge that today marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, along with the 91,100,000 other sites that Google returned when I typed in "Earth Day."  I feel somewhat of a kindred spirit with Earth Day since I am also turning 40 this year (gasp!).  40 seems like a good age to look back and reflect upon one's life and experiences, and then to look forward to the good that is yet to come.  It is somewhat of a milestone.  In the last 40 years, we have learned a lot about the environment and our impact on it. 

Eco-Steps Toward a Better Tomorrow

The Conscious Shift in Consumer Behaviors

Sunday, April 11, 2010 by Ted Ning

The global economic downturn has not only affected many people’s wallets it has also caused a dramatic shift in the way people look at the choices they are making in their lives. In the U.S. there is a strong desire to be self reliant and to conserve resources as people prioritize their spending and behaviors towards more purposeful decisions. Choices as small as bringing meals to work rather than eating out, taking public transport instead of spending on gasoline and garden grown foods rather than store bought foods are some examples of trends that are picking up. These are changing the way companies approach green business strategy.

Today not only LOHAS consumers but ALL consumers are demanding a greater value from products and services. This value is derived from a strong desire to make the most of everything that a person has. Considerations including investment, functionality and cost are being assessed and are creating new dimensions of ROI that are increasingly a part of the emotional and social values a brand typically provides.

Lighten Up by Going Green

My last posts were pretty serious, and with good reason.  So I am going to lighten it up a bit for this installment.  After all, it’s March, the beginning of Spring, and we’re supposed to be thinking green.  We celebrate all things Irish, blossoms arrive on tree branches and grass begins to poke through the melting snow.  With that said, what are you doing to bring more green into your life?  What little changes could you make, or eco-steps could you take to make our world a greener place?