What are Eco-Values and How Can They Help?
Before we dive into what Eco-Values are, I want to ask you: Have you ever felt conflicted by a purchase between two products because you didn’t know which one was “greener?”
Did you answer ‘HECK YES’ because I sure have (too many times).
Now let me ask you, does it sound something like this…
You decide that it’s time to live eco-friendlier or maybe you thought that you should have greener practices inside of your business or event. You learn that the most eco-friendly thing to do is to use up what you already have. Great! Easy-peasy.
Now, you’re at the point where you’ve run out of item X.
You want an eco-friendlier alternative, so you do some research…
You’ve found 5 different “eco-options” and maybe narrowed it down to 2 or 3 based on shipping costs or availability.
You absolutely cannot decide which one is the “better” or “greener” option.
So you start searching for certifications, or maybe you ask friends and family for recommendations, or perhaps you see an Instagram Influencer who’s promoting a particular brand.
It’s still all very confusing so you blindly trust your friend and select one of the options. You feel “good-ish” about your choice but still something is unsettling and the feelings of uncertainty or shame arise.
So WHY is this?
You don’t feel 100% confident with your choices as it doesn’t align with your beliefs and values. In fact, it’s because you haven’t established what your personal and unique eco-values are.
Okay Romina, but what the heck are eco-values?
Alright, let’s start from the basics.
Values.
What are Values and Eco-Values?
Values: The things that you believe are important in the way you live and work. They are generally used to determine things like your priorities, purchasing decisions and the organizations you support.
Eco or Sustainability Values: Taking your values as it relates to environmental sustainability and using it as a guide, north-star or point of reference like when making choices between two “eco-options.”
The easiest way to think about this is figuring out what matters to you when it comes to environmental sustainability. Is it buying locally? Reducing food waste? Eliminating single-use items? Or maybe it’s buying second-hand? Perhaps you want to prioritize something that was made to last.
Book a 20-minute Clarity Call with me so that I can support you in establishing your eco-values. I want to help you make decisions more efficiently and effectively when it comes to sustainability.
How Do I Use My Eco-Values?
Once you have determined what matters most to you. Make a list of your eco-values and then rank them from 1 – 3 or more if you’d like (with 1 being the most important).
Keep the list handy in your agenda, post-it note, white board or even your phone background. And the next time you find yourself in a situation where you cannot decide between two items — pull out the list.
Does purchase X align with eco-values one through three? What about purchase Y, does it match eco-values one through three?
The purchase with the most ‘yeses’ will be the most eco-friendly and agreeable with your eco-values and should ultimately be your decision.
For example, I cannot decide between getting bamboo or organic cotton facial rounds. Based on the top 3 eco-values of: Made locally, reusable and made to last. The decision making process would look like this:
As noted in the chart, the organic cotton facial rounds are best in alignment with all three eco-values and as a result, it instantly makes the decision-making process both quicker and easier altogether.
Not only is using your eco-values effective in decision making, but you will ACTUALLY feel good about the choice because it aligns with what you believe in and what matters most to you as an individual and business owner.
We can even take a deeper dive into creating an entire event sustainability strategy for all aspects of your events with our Sustainability Consulting Services. We will unpack what is most important to you and develop a customized strategy for your to implement in the planning of your next event!
Book a 20-minute Clarity Call and let’s talk about how I can support you and help you resolve at least one of those sustainability problems right now.
[…] method I follow is always figuring out the top 3 – 5 eco-values that are most important to you as an individual, business owner or event planner. Just like how […]
I think this is a real great blog article. Thanks Again. Fantastic. Harris Testerman