Organic and Recycled products are hard to find?

No Way! With the popularity of Specialty and Natural Food Stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and of course neighborhood Farmers Markets. Organic food is easy to find and very affordable. In some cases your cutting out the middle man buyer and getting a better price per bushell.

As for Recycled products, government policies and grant projects make it easier for large and small companies to use recycled materials. Not only do they cut their expenses, but they pass those expenses onto you. Label regulations also require that they clearly display that their packaging is made of recycled material. Plus, they have pride in it, they want to be known as eco-friendly.

It's too difficult to know the difference between "Sustainability" and "Social Responsibilty."

Just know that Sustainabilty is a word that means someone is governing the business practices of major companies. An example would be a Lumber company who plants an equal, or more, amount of tree's to the amount they harvest. This company would also find ways of using the waste products such as sawdust as an alternative product to the hardwood, therefor recycling in the process. They would be a company who sells sustainable products.

A Socially Responsible company would be one that stays withing limits of harvesting. An example would be Fisherman/ or Crab Boats, that only harvest a certain amount, disgarding smaller fish/shellfish. They also don't deplete to source of food.

Both terms are good for the "Green " consumer.

Recycling is Messy and Inconvenient.

When recycling was a young process we had to drive miles out of town to get to a small, smelly, recycling center to get a few bucks out of our pick up truck load of paper, plastic, and cans. Now you can find a respectable recycling center in most super market parking lots, or on a corner lot. There are better ways to contain your recyclables also. Specially made containers can be bought at any Bulk store, or Supercenter in America. It doesn't have to make a big mess anymore.

If you don't care about the money, then just place your reclables in the City provided, curbside container to be picked up alongside your garbage, on a bi-weekly basis. If your city or municapality does not have a curbside service, call your local garbage collection provider to express interest in having one.

One person can't save the planet!

Of course not, but it doesn't take much to be the one who encourages others to join in. Before you know it a whole community is doing the 1 thing they can, and that does make a difference.

The little things add up.

It's too expensive to be so "Green"

It used to be. When only a few companies were on board with using recycled products and providing sustatinable practices, then yes the cost was passed on to you. But, now there are so many companies using these practices, that they are lowering their prices to get your business. It's basic economics, supply and demand.

Plus your practice of recycle, re-use, and reduce can also cut the demand need down so that the supply line can be better regulated, again cutting the cost of production.

Here is something else to consider. Grow a garden with your favorite veggies. A packet of seeds are pennys on the dollar. The amound of food that you can grow with just a few seeds far out waighs the amount of money that you will spend buying those products in the store. How is that more expensive. ( You can even make some money. Every garden produces more than one family can keep up with. Give or sell the abundance to your nieghbors and co-workers. Trust me you will have them lining up for more)

Boxes made from recycled products are not as good a quality.

Again, that used to be true, but advances in the field have greatly improved the way we can take plastic and paper and break them down to use again. There is also a process called downcycle. If a plastics quality is less, then the plastic is broken down and used to create something that is non essential in the consumer world. Example, a traffic cone, something that is useful, yet not needed to keep food fresh, can be made of tupperware that no longer is as flexible or maliable anymore. Still recycled, yet very useful in it's own way.

Lately, "plastic" water bottles are being made of vegatation. Meaning, we are taking plants and blending them with plastics to make a product that breaks down in the landfills better. We are finding ways of making durable car tires out of leaves and other plant life. In some cases these tires are better than their petroluem based counterparts.

It doesn't take much to be "green." Sometimes it only takes 1 thing. So find the 1 thing that is easy for you to do. Then work your way up to more.