Blog
The Power of Your Purse
Janelle Sorensen
Thursday, July 30, 2009
I swear there must be some mathematical algorithm that defines the relationship between the size of a woman’s purse and the amount and age of children she has.
Before kids, I had the tiniest purses – the size of what’s now just my wallet (between insurance cards, receipts for taxes, and pictures of my kids, it just keeps growing). And, my purses have grown right along with my kids, too. There’s a point where you eagerly ditch the diaper bag, but it doesn’t eliminate the need to have a carryall that can accommodate crayons, wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, snacks, a water bottle, band-aids, etc. etc. A mother’s purse is like a family survival kit, but it turns out it’s also a powerful planetary revival tool.
This is the idea behind Big Green Purse, a book turned website turned campaign spearheaded by the brilliant Diane MacEachern. Since what we buy impacts the environment, if you find a strong source of purchasing power and you focus that power on purchases that protect the environment, you can shift markets and change the world.
According to Diane:
Women buy or influence the purchase of 85% of all products and services. That's a lot of power packed in a purse...but only if it's used in a way that can't be ignored. That's why Big Green Purse is encouraging A MILLION WOMEN to shift at least $1,000 of money they already spend for an initial $1 billion Big Green Purse impact. One of the fastest, easiest, most effective ways to protect the environment is by shifting money you already spend to eco-friendly goods and services.
The more money you spend on green products, the more you encourage manufacturers to reduce pollution, save energy and water, use less packaging and protect natural areas.
Added bonus:
Big Green Purse saves you time. We've strolled the shopping aisles and browsed the search engines so you don't have to. We've found products that are really green (not just "green washed") at prices you can afford. Where possible, we've pinpointed goods that are not only green but "fair trade," meaning people are paid a fair wage for their work and no child labor is involved.
The real appeal behind Big Green Purse is that you don’t need to spend more money, you just spend it smarter. And, together we make a big difference. So, buy the book, bookmark the website, sign up for Purse Alerts, and become One in a Million.
Posted by Diane MacEachern on 07/30/2009 at 08:07 AM
Janelle, Thanks so much for carrying forward the Big Green Purse message. You’re absolutely right: the way we spend our money makes a huge difference, especially when it comes to protecting kids. If we don’t buy it, our kids won’t be exposed to it. Let’s all remember that when we shop!
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Posted by HealthBuy on 07/30/2009 at 04:01 PM
This is a great initiative, if only more people could hear about this. A green approach to buying is all that’s needed to let companies know that consumers will demand more green products in the future.