On trying to start a movement

I often get comments like, “I’m not bothering with this” or “why should it be on the consumer [to make change]?” But it’s not about one person making a difference; it’s one person trying to reach another person who then reaches another person. Ten years ago, when people started demanding more transparency around the ingredients in beauty products, everybody was like, oh, this is a flash in the pan; it’s just marketing nonsense. But ultimately, it revolutionized the beauty industry. Today, the green beauty industry is worth billions of dollars, and you have massive companies like Procter & Gamble buying small indie skincare companies because they want in on that action. It shows what can happen when people come together and demand better.

On her vision for Sustained

I wanted to put as much information in the book as I could, because living sustainably is so nuanced. Part of the problem is that we don’t have clear definitions for certain things. Consider sustainable fashion as an example. To me, that might mean ethically manufactured — no workers were harmed, they were getting fair wages. But to you, it might be that the clothing contains no toxic chemicals. You’ll see products with labels like cruelty-free, vegan, eco-friendly, green, sustainable, natural, non-toxic, oil-free, sustainably sourced, biodegradable, but what do any of these things mean? I also wanted to provide a framework for what to keep in the back of your mind [when a product claims to be sustainable]. The first thing is, what is that item made of? The second thing is sustainable sourcing and ethical manufacturing: who made my clothes? Who made my skincare? Who picked my coffee beans? And then the third thing is looking at corporate responsibility: what are companies actually doing to make a difference? Do they offer carbon offsets? How are they shipping? Do they have repair or resale programs? My thinking was, “How can you actually go into the world after you’ve read all this and navigate trying to shop sustainably or just be sustainable in your everyday life?”

On changing mindsets

Part of the problem is we’re so disconnected from each other and from nature. We don’t know where our food comes from. We don’t know where our garbage goes. We have so much stuff, we can’t find our stuff. We’re in this consumption mindset because we’re constantly bombarded with advertising. “Sustainable living” has become a catchphrase, but it’s not about buying the newest sustainable product. You do not need to buy beeswax wraps. The most sustainable product is what you already have in your home.