Introducing Bethany, our new contributor!

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I’m thrilled that my good friend Bethany Daugherty is joining the Fair for All team as a contributor! She will be sharing periodic updates as she goes on a mission to buy only ethically-made or secondhand clothing this year. Here’s Bethany’s introduction to her quest in her own words. — Julia

Three years ago, I texted a number off of a really sketchy looking flyer that was posted on a bulletin board at the college I was about to graduate from. The flyer was very vague and plain, and said “Looking for a bass player for a bluegrass band. Text Kevin at 317-XXX-XXXX.”

I had just stolen a string bass, and was looking for more opportunities to learn how to play it. Okay, okay, I didn’t really steal it…I actually borrowed it from my mom and then never gave it back (thanks Mom!). I texted the number. This Kevin character texted back, and it was all set up for me to attend the first rehearsal at his house. All I could think was “I’m probably going to get murdered and killed.” Then I got another text asking if I had any food allergies. Murderers don’t care about food allergies! Little did I know that texting a random person from a sketchy flyer would turn out to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. And guess who was also a part of this band?

Group photo of Juvin: The One-Man Band

Bethany (left) with her quasi-stolen bass and the band

That’s right, none other than the lovely Julia Spangler! Over the past three years, we have become good friends, and I started reading this blog. When she screened “The True Cost,” I attended, and it was really eye-opening for me. Over the past six or seven months, I’ve had a Dr. Seuss quote stuck in my head:

Even though you can’t hear them or see them at all, a person’s a person, no matter how small.”

It really reminds me of the issues that were presented in that film. I can’t hear or see or know the people who are at the other end of the goods that I consume, but I can’t pretend they don’t exist.

In 2016, I’m tackling the sartorial issue head first—I am choosing to take responsibility for every dollar I spend, and committing to not purchase any new items of clothing unless they are fair trade. I’ll be relying on thrift shops, clothing swaps, and fair trade retail…and making do with the clothing I already own! You can look forward to upcoming blog posts throughout the year about my progress, what I learn through this process, and various DIY posts as I spruce up the clothing I own.

Bethany browsing tables of clothing

Bethany swappin’ it up at FairSwap15

I’m pretty new to all of this, and I’m still learning all the ins and outs on my quest to take responsibility for my own wallet. I still make mistakes, and I still occasionally buy something that I’m not entirely sure where it came from. Some of the challenges I’m anticipating are finding work-appropriate pants (that fit correctly and are not giant bell bottoms), blue jeans, undergarments, exercise clothing, and shoes. I’m only one month into this challenge, and it already sometimes feels overwhelming, but at the end of the day it helps me sleep at night to know that I’m doing what I can to treat those invisible and silent people with respect.

One Year without Shampoo: An Update

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Watching the NFL playoffs last week, I suddenly remembered that division championship weekend marks my one-year anniversary of not using shampoo. It’s crazy to think about, but as I’ve already adoringly professed, it’s a change that has dramatically improved my life for the better.

Not long after I published my last post on this topic, I began noticing a higher rate of breakage from the ends of my hair. I had accepted (and actually enjoyed) a degree of dryness as part of the no-poo result, but this was starting to look like straight-up damage, and I worried that I would have to abandon my shampoo-free ways. However, before doing anything drastic like buying shampoo, I decided to try some adjustments to my hair-washing routine. I was incredibly pleased to discover that these minor changes resulted in my hair looking and feeling even better than before!

Bottle of vinegar, spray bottle, and baking soda

I still use the same trusty supplies, but in a different ratio. Still working through my first bottle of ACV from a year ago!

Here’s my updated routine, with the key changes noted:

  1. Fill a small travel shampoo bottle with one part baking soda and six parts water. This is a much lower concentration of baking soda than I was using previously, and I now only mix one wash’s worth of the solution at a time. I use all or almost all of this mixture for one wash.
  2. Combine 1-2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup water in a small spray bottle. This is the same concentration I was using before, but now I spray my hair much more heavily each time. This quantity now lasts me about three washes instead of six. I theorize (with zero science knowledge to back me up) that the dryness and breakage I was experiencing was due to not using enough acid to balance out the effects of the baking soda.
  3. Wash wet hair and scalp with baking soda mixture. Do not wash ends of hair. Rinse well. Because I’m now using less baking soda, I spend a little more time scrubbing my scalp for extra manual cleaning action.
  4. Spray vinegar mixture onto hair until fully saturated, spraying the scalp thoroughly to balance out the baking soda and also spraying all the way to the ends of your hair. I let it sit for a minute or two to absorb. Rinse well.

With this new routine, my hair is now softer and shinier than before and breakage has decreased to a normal level. My hair is less voluminous because it’s less dry, but it still successfully holds a curl. For a while I had been back up to three washes per week, but with these changes I’m now back down to two.

There are several blog posts out there in which people describe their horror stories of going no-poo. I certainly can’t attest that this method works for all types of hair—I only know it works for mine. But if you give no-poo a try and start having a bad experience, I encourage you to experiment with your routine to find the method that works for you before giving up completely. Maybe your hair needs a lot of baking soda scrubbing action, or maybe your hair needs hardly any baking soda at all. If you feel like your hair is truly becoming damaged, definitely stop and assess the situation, but a few simple adjustments may be all you need to reset the balance.

Who is BlueIndy for?

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BlueIndy carFor a couple of months I’ve been wanting to try the BlueIndy electric car sharing service in Indianapolis. There’s a station about half a mile from my apartment, and I was curious about the cars and what the overall user experience is like. I also wanted to address a lingering question I’ve had since the system appeared: Who is BlueIndy for?

As a car owner whose daily commute is outside the BlueIndy range, I figured I was not the primary target market. However, the BlueIndy website touts free, guaranteed parking as one of its benefits, so I wondered if would BlueIndy be convenient for occasional trips downtown. Every Indianapolis urbanite knows the frustration of arriving downtown to unexpectedly find the cheapest parking garages plastered with “$20 Event Parking” signs. Could BlueIndy be a way to avoid this unpleasant surprise?

With the warmer weather this past weekend, I thought Sunday would be a good day to try it out for a trip downtown for lunch, so I logged on to the BlueIndy website to start planning my excursion. My plan was to pick up a BlueIndy car from the SoBro station, drive downtown and deposit the car at one of the many downtown stations, eat lunch, then pick up another BlueIndy car and return to the SoBro station. I quickly learned that this plan would be inconvenient to the point of impossibility due to two major flaws in the BlueIndy system.

Two major flaws

According to the membership description pages on the BlueIndy website, all BlueIndy memberships (including one-day memberships) must begin at an Enrollment Kiosk.* This in itself seems reasonable, since you need to verify that you’re a licensed driver before using the cars. However, as of the date of this post, there are only three operational Enrollment Kiosks in the city out of dozens of stations, with only two more under construction. Standard BlueIndy stations run along the north-south corridor as far south as the University of Indianapolis and as far north as 63rd Street, with some popping out to the east and west near downtown. Despite this broad coverage area, two of the Enrollment Kiosks are located downtown within two blocks of each other, and the third is located at College & Broad Ripple Ave.

*In the more deeply-buried FAQ, the website says that monthly and yearly memberships can be purchased through the website or mobile app, but there was no clarification on whether the user would still need to visit an Enrollment Kiosk to obtain their membership card.

Map of BlueIndy vehicle stations

BlueIndy vehicle stations

Map of BlueIndy Enrollment Kiosks

BlueIndy Enrollment Kiosks

It would take me about an hour to walk to the Broad Ripple kiosk—technically doable, but hardly convenient. It would only take about 15 minutes to ride my bike there, though, which seems like a reasonable alternative except for the fact that there is no bike parking provided as part of any BlueIndy stations. There may be nearby bike parking or there may not; it is in no way guaranteed. This seems like a huge missed opportunity, as including bike parking as a fundamental part of each station would make the system accessible to a much broader geographic area.

Who is BlueIndy for?

Because of the Enrollment Kiosk requirement, it seems apparent that BlueIndy is not really intended for one-day use. The inconvenience of getting to an Enrollment Kiosk would far outweigh the guaranteed parking benefit in most cases.

BlueIndy banner promoting guaranteed parking

Guaranteed parking doesn’t outweigh the other inconveniences of a one-day membership.

The Enrollment Kiosk requirement also begs the question, is the system intended for people who don’t own cars? If it is, how are these users supposed to get to an Enrollment Kiosk to sign up? Yearly membership cards are sent out via snail mail according to the BlueIndy website, so once you have your card you could use any station for your first trip, but a yearly membership is a big commitment if you haven’t even had a chance to try out the system.

Despite these flaws (which I hope the city addresses soon), here are some groups that I think can actually benefit from BlueIndy as it exists today:

  • Partners or families who own only one car, particularly if one working adult can use BlueIndy for their commute
  • Non-car owners who have access to an Enrollment Kiosk
  • Tourists staying downtown could use one-day memberships to visit other “notable” neighborhoods like Irvington, Broad Ripple or Fountain Square
  • College students
  • Electric car owners can use BlueIndy stations to charge their own vehicles

Do I still think BlueIndy is a valid mode of green transportation? Yes. My favorite thing about BlueIndy, now that I realize I can’t practically use it myself, is the charging service it offers to electric car owners, as this could increase the adoption rate of all-electric vehicles in the city. Is it a perfect system? Far from it. Hopefully as the program matures it will find its niche and clarify its marketing to reach the people who can truly benefit.

New Project: Sustainability in Events

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Remember when I announced I was working a new, secret, scary, exciting project? I’m pumped to finally eliminate “secret” from that list!

Screenshot of Julia Spangler's sustainable event consulting website

I’m thrilled to share with you guys that I am starting my own sustainable events consulting business. The impetus for this idea came from several sources—my own love of events, my event experience from my day job, and the overall cultural shift in my generation toward valuing experiences more than possessions. As sustainability continues to become a more urgent global issue, event attendees (especially millennials) will demand that experiences are planned responsibly. Some brands are already doing this fantastically, but other companies and organizations need help to turn those sustainable ideals into reality. That’s where I come in!

A lot of the advice I offer is inspired by topics I’ve written about here on Fair for All. One person’s lifestyle changes at home can make a difference, but the impact is awesomely magnified at an event attended by hundreds of people!

If you’re interested in learning more, check out my official bizness website at www.juliaspangler.com. And of course, I’ll be continuing to plan sustainable events for the blog, including our next style swap on Jan. 20. Posting may take a downtick in frequency as I shift focus to the business, but I also plan to share a lot of the new things I’m learning with you!

Thanks to everyone who knew about this endeavor for your support so far; you’ve been awesome. And if you’re in the process planning a festival, fundraiser, bingo night or bar mitzvah, drop me a line—I’d love to help make it more sustainable!

What If All Packaging Was Reusable?

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Empty glass bottles and jars

I had an idea at the grocery store recently as I was shopping for pasta sauce, salsa, and some other packaged foods. Lately I’ve been conflicted about glass jars. On the one hand, glass is infinitely recyclable with no loss of quality, while plastic can lose quality during the recycling process due to contamination from incompatible plastic polymers. On the other hand, it’s more energy efficient to recycle glass than plastic—both types of recycling save energy over producing new materials, but plastic saves significantly more. As I pondered which material was the more responsible choice for food packaging, it occurred to me that I was asking the wrong question.

Reusing an item generally has a lower environmental impact than recycling it. What if, somehow, all the containers used to sell packaged food were reusable? Not simply by the consumer, but by the food companies themselves?

The milkmen of yore reused the same glass bottles over and over again. Some modern companies like Oberweis Dairy continue to do the same—they use a deposit system to incentivize customers to return glass jugs to the store to be reused. What if all food packaging was standardized in such a way that companies could collect containers, clean them, and use them to package more food?

For this system, I’m envisioning various sizes of glass jars and bottles to be used for products that are already sold in these types of vessels. Rather than brands custom-molding their own glass or plastic containers with their logos or special shapes, they would use one of the standard containers agreed upon by the industry. There could be a wide range, maybe 15 to 20 sizes and shapes to accommodate various types of products, but all standardized in style and material.

Standardization would be necessary to facilitate the easy return and redistribution of the containers. With standard containers, collectors (primarily grocery stores) would be able to accept containers from various brands. Stores would encourage consumers to return containers by operating a deposit system. The cost to “rent” food packaging, maybe 25 to 50 cents an item, would be built into the price of packaged items, and upon returning the packaging, the consumer would receive their deposit back. (This system has the additional benefit of encouraging consumers to cook fresh food rather than pay more for packaged food, if they don’t plan to return the packaging.) A middleman company would separate the containers, remove their labels, clean and sanitize them, and redistribute them back to food manufacturers for reuse.

Close-up of jar of salsa and lid

Imagine buying a jar of salsa. (Mmm, salsa.) When you’ve enjoyed your nachos and the jar is empty and rinsed, instead of tossing it in the recycling, you would toss it in a bag to return to the grocery store on your next shopping trip. Upon returning your empties, you would receive a refund of your packaging deposit. Retailers could even offer the refund in the form of store credit to build customer loyalty. For consumers already accustomed to recycling, this system is only a minor adjustment to a familiar habit. For consumers who don’t recycle, this system offers convenience and a financial incentive.

Such a system wouldn’t be without its costs. Food companies would have to purchase the containers back from the middlemen, or take on the costs of running their own collection program. There would be environmental impacts from transporting and cleaning the collected containers. However, in this closed loop, there would be nearly zero end-of-life packaging waste, notwithstanding containers that break or don’t make it back to collection. Glass containers are costly to transport due to their weight, but since new containers would need to be transported anyway—in addition to consuming raw materials and requiring disposal efforts, my hypothesis is that the costs and impacts of the reuse program would be significantly lower than the costs and impacts of creating and disposing of new packaging.

The biggest perceived cost to food companies of such a system may be the limitations on branding and design. Packaging designers would lose the ability to convey a brand’s identity through the materials, shape and other characteristics of a product’s container, and due to the consistent containers, grocery store shelves would become much more homogeneous. However, a designer would still be able to differentiate a brand through the color, material, shape, size, and style of its products’ labels. In fact, the new limitations could lead to a boom in creative label design—as long as the label can be removed from the container by the consumer or during the cleaning process, any treatment is fair game! Shelf homogeneity could be addressed with dividers, different styles of shelving, or point-of-sale displays.

This system could be applied to other packaged goods as well, such as household cleaners or personal care products—basically anything that’s sold in liquid form or in small pieces. I’m not sure if there would be contamination risks if reusing, say, a shampoo container for hot sauce, so there may need to be different styles of containers for non-food products.

I personally get really excited envisioning such a radically different (but honestly, not that different) future for consumer packaging. I’m already thinking of the opportunities it would create. (Jobs running collection and processing programs! A market for reusable non-slip bottle coozies!) Obviously this hypothetical system would require a major coordinated effort between manufacturers and retailers, and likely changes to food packaging regulations as well. However, I was telling my dad about the idea and he said companies like Coca-Cola used to collect bottles back when he was a kid, so it’s certainly not unprecedented. If the environmental impacts, especially carbon emissions, are significantly lower compared to new packaging production and disposal, I could see this system as a potential way forward for American food distribution.