The number of environmental challenges facing the planet is daunting: There's climate change. Ocean acidification. Plastic pollution. Food wastage. The list goes on and on and on. And while plenty of young people want to leave the planet better than they found it, eco-consciousness can quickly get expensive, especially with the many upscale lifestyle brands who have co-opted green living.
Saving the planet ain't cheap. But it can be, according to Pandora Thomas, an environmental consultant and advocate. She's consulted with major brands like Toyota on eco initiatives and written curricula for teaching green building to children. She's also taught environmental mindfulness to inmates at San Quentin Prison, which is to say, her brand of environmentalism fits all budgets.
I spoke to Thomas about how to eat misshapen produce, find eco-conscious products, and other strategies to save the planet while on a tight budget.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
VICE: What would you say it costs you to living in an eco-conscious way? Do you find it to be more expensive than if you just defaulted to what everyone else is doing?
Pandora Thomas: Well, actually, a lot of what we call "environmentally friendly practices" are things people of low means do because they have to. You're saving things and you're trying to cut corners here and there, so you're using less products . It's a bulk product so then you can just add water and it lasts a lot longer.
What kind of eco-friendly products are cheap and easy to DIY?
Definitely cleaning products. You can make cleaning products with, like, three other products. Air fresheners are very simple and easy to make. Then beauty products, like scrubs and lotions. They're pretty easy to make.
How do you make a lotion?
We usually use a base of coconut or almond oil and essential oils. Essential oils are herbs, but made into oils like tea tree oil. You can take coconut oil and cocoa butter and cook it until it's melted and then you get aloe vera or essential oils and stir. You can also literally just use coconut oil. The same coconut oil you use in the kitchen. You can use it in your hair. You can use it all over your body. Actually, there's seven or eight things I think every home should have that you can just interchange.
What are those things?
Lemons, coconut oil, some type of Castile soap (like Dr. Bonner's), almond or olive oil, tea tree oil, some type of essential oil, witch hazel, aloe vera, and borax. You'll save a lot of money.
Do you think an eco-friendly lifestyle is at all at odds with a frugal lifestyle?
Not at all. I think frugality allows you to live a more sustainable life. We definitely are going to have to give stuff up. We can't continue consuming and living the way we are, but that doesn't mean that we have to give everything up. I often times tell people, "Start to track your spending. See where your money goes." I used to do this. I spent $50 on espressos in two weeks, whereas if I just bought an espresso machine or a coffee maker, I would shift that money.
To be frugal is when you're tracking and understanding your spending and then finding ways to meet your needs that aren't so expensive, but also saving money so that you can support the things that you really want to be doing.
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