Another fulfilling refilling day in the books. Time to sit back, and reflect on what it means to be a full service refillery in an age of fraught existence, facing our species’ most formidable existential threats.
Surely our modest efforts take form with the work of salvaging a few empty vessels to guide from tare to top-up, the time it takes to source every product ingredient, do the deep digs and dives on every seller claim made, and drive hard bargains to deliver better-than-standard product values to the store’s supporters.
But it’s also about being dedicated to always making accessible desirable affordable products that also happen to be Green.
It’s about being reminded that this planet means the world to more than us, and that it is yet only we whom together can make a difference that makes a difference by repeatedly standing up for our mutual life-support systems, knowing this passion for the planet can never rest.
All of which is why on this eve of the end and beginning of another calendar year, we want nothing more than to say Thank You! for reminding us to shake the snow-globe once in a while to see what anew develops.
Here’s to seeing you more in 2024 :)
Happy New Year!
Dan, Fam & Staff
]]>In fact, not only does delivering sustainable products not address the entire lifecycle of the products and their broader environmental and social impacts, it often further obscures them.
The bottom line for us, then, is simply that true sustainability will only be achieved by reducing long-range delivery of goods as much as possible, facilitating local self-sufficiency by relying more on nearby goods and services, and insisting on adherance to global fair-trade practices.
Because this planet means the world to more than us.
It helps, of course, that we have so many outstanding local artisans from which to source such impactful low-impact goods like handmade soaps, loose and bagged teas, organic fair-trade coffee beans, gifts from near and far, and grab-and-go eco-essentials, and that we can bring so much of it together in a well-stocked refillery operated by knowledgable staff.
Because it is and always has been our mission to provide a destination spot for everyone interested in making their mark on the planet by leaving less trace and a better place for generations to follow.
Thank you all for the role YOU play in this.
]]>
No one is perfect. We are not always at our best. We are humans being, not just humans doing, as the saying goes. And sometimes amidst being we forget it’s not all about us. Times we forget about being considerate of other beings’ being, for example.
I refused service to a customer recently, for example, because our interactions always leave me feeling down, because for years I’ve thought her rude, and once even asked that she try to be more considerate.
Running a business is, after all, hard enough without also being treated like a tyrant’s servant. And I really could not fathom why someone who didn’t appear to like anything about me or the products she continued to buy kept returning for more of either. But she did, until I felt I finally had to summon up the courage to give voice to thought, and put an end to the unpleasantness the only way I knew I could. And did.
Then, later, as I reflected on this, it made me think of all the people in service positions that cannot, do not, or will not do as I had done.
Some likely fear retaliatory complaints that could cost them business, their jobs and/or future opportunities. Others don’t think it worth the trouble. And others still perhaps accept being treated poorly because they think their abusers have some right to treat them without even a smattering of common decency.
I understand all of this.
Once, when working as a young waiter, I put up with a lot of abuse, until finally I served several rounds of drinks to a large table of heavy drinking philosophy professors who failed to tip even once, and I made up my mind to refuse to serve them further, told them why, and fully expected this to cost me my job (but then was grateful when my boss backed me up).
All of which makes me think about the state of the mindset of people these days.
I’d say 99% of people who come to my store are nice, with most doing things like returning greetings and making polite conversation and requests. But that 1%? They can ruin things for everyone, or at least for the people with whom they choose to interact.
So I’m asking, please remember to be considerate of others, especially when they are trying to put everything they have into being there for you when you need them. Otherwise, you may find someday they are not. And let’s be real: if the experts are right, we’re in for a bumpy ride these next several hundred years, so the world can use all the humans being kind to other beings it can get.
]]>Us? We're doing our best with what the world is giving us to work with, which is more than we can ethically handle at the moment, frankly. But that's okay, because that's kind of the point for us, after all.
We don't intend to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself to us because so many of them simply don't square well with the kind of things we want to be doing. And, yes, this means we sometimes have to work a little harder to be sure we know as much as we can about what is really on offer, but we think getting it right is its own reward.
And a big part of our reward is knowing when you come to Sustainable Exchange looking for something with which you and the world can actually live, we've got plenty of things from which you can choose.
[Delivery, on the other hand... well, that's not really our thing, unless you live within ten miles of Novato, then we're happy to drive the Light Fantastic (the company Volt) to bring you our good goods. And, who knows, one fine day we may be able to open more stores within reach of more of you so this will be less of a problem. Stay tuned! :)]
That said, from me and mine to you and yours, please know we are so very grateful for your continued support throughout this past couple of truly troubled years, and we hope you have many Happy, Happy Holidays this season!
(I'm sure we could all use a few more of those :)
]]>But, please, if you are only just venturing out again yourself, go easy on us frontline customer service workers for a good long while. Because like you, we are still relearning how to merge with the world of others while the attendant energies are a fair bit chaotic. Yet, unlike you, while the world was busy being melted and poured into numerous new molds these last months and a year, we stayed busy tending to our comfortable little commercial coves so you can again duck out of the storms still raging all around us, and relax a moment in a familiar place of endearment and decompression.
Welcome back.
The serene simplicity of going out in search of things you need, want, and actually like awaits.
And if you want to know why we do it, here’s one reason: sometimes, in the midst of the confusion, we hear someone say four words in our stores that are so powerful, they allow us to believe everything just might turn out alright.
Despite the weirdness.
In fact, better than alright. Pretty great, likely, if we work at it.
The four words?
“Hey! Look at this!”
]]>This time this year things are different. We have more of what was lacking before and less of what we’ve decided we never really needed. The things we miss most are the things we took most for granted. And we’ve grown so tired of fighting with each other that we’ve stumbled into a kind of uneasy peace within ourselves, however fragile and imperfect.
Now spring is about to be sprung again, the energy coiled within released, and life as we know it and have never known it is about to emerge from a deep sleep of sorts, equal parts refreshed and rudely awakened.
So my hope is that we’re ready for what is to come, given how much we still have to learn and relearn. Because we need to make it more sustainable this time, and get more of it right than last. Because it’s not just daylight that needs saving.
]]>It appears every living thing is on occasion moved to speak in its own way. And we’ve heard much from many of the usually silent of late, and I expect we will soon hear a great deal more.
The climate, for one, went from being a usually and, generally speaking, kind of benign background noise in front of which we thought we could, would and should reliably bang and clatter about for all time, to something close and very loud indeed. As it, which is to say, our natural environment, has been transformed from being largely taken for granted as both the stage and scene of all of our all-to-human tragic-comedies, to that which more than naught serves to remind us that it actually cares nothing about us, and will likely be the death of us, if we continue to think otherwise.
Likewise, our political representatives, whom we all probably most times wish would just shut the hell up, have of late allowed their actions to speak louder than their words, and we could not help but hear them.
And then there’s the rest of us, meaning ourselves and those we know the most at least. It’s been all lions and tigers and bears, oh my! in a dark woods for awhile now, and that's not to mention what’s happening with sports.
So we’ve really gotten to know a few things about where we are at these days. And I have to say, I’m left practically speechless. So I’ve been kind of hunkered down at the store, literally just minding my business, hoping the key that unlocks this puzzle will soon be cut so we can move on. Because I think that’s what we need to do. The sooner the better.
Until then, take care of yourselves and others out there in the weird. Don’t forget this is the home of the brave. And if you find you’re in need of earth-friendly essentials or a refillery, well, you know where to find them.
]]>Then the possibility of seeing the other side of this raised its hand, and I heard it say, “Um, hello. I’m here.” And I knew suddenly what I had to do, what we have to do, together.
We have to carry on, go forward, continue, sustain. Because there is nowhere else to go, and little else we can do.
And I thought now, too, like in times past, we have to act with intent, more seriously consider the interconnectedness of things, and behave more conscientiously in regards to all.
Because we really are in this together. And we really have no choice but to do things together. So we might as well make the things we do together count for something bigger than any of us alone. Else much of all we have been through will have been for nothing, and it will again feel like we are staring into the white abyss of a blank page. And no one wants that. (Ask any writer.)
Here then, allow me to say simply with sincere intent that I wish everyone many happy holidays these next few weeks.
And I want to say, too, that if I don’t see you in the store or elsewhere before the end of this year, I hope to see you in the next.
Because I suspect we are going to do some seriously intentional, meaningful things together in 2021, and I look forward to doing some of them with you.
Take care of yourselves and others out there!
Dan
]]>It’s a power outage, of sorts, of course. Or what some might call more accurately, a radical redistribution of power. It is, in fact a short in the system, a grounding out, a short-cut for power, and it can be a jarring experience. It is an extreme divergence of energy from the intended and once-thought well established route, to a current running counter to the stream of electrons flowing through the highly conducive main conduits.
And there is frankly no telling what good and bad will ultimately come from it. There is only the knowing that some mix of the two will come.
This is why it is wise to have a backup plan in case of such emergencies; some coping strategy worked out in advance that is at least somewhat sustainable, ideally self-sufficient, preferably readily rechargeable, and blessedly quiet. Like solar. Because no matter what the heck these goings-on are called, you can bet the sun will come up the day of, and days after.
So come to Sustainable Exchange and get your portable solar device charger :) And get some rechargeable batteries, too. Because we just never know what to expect when it comes to power. We only know we want it when we want it.
Take care out there.
]]>Fifty cents or a dollar an ounce?
You can definitely buy hair, body & home care products for more and less than this that are none of the things described above.
But which is the ‘nicer’ deal?
Depends on your definition of ‘nice’, I guess.
At Sustainable Exchange, ‘nice’ means showing respect for everybody’s interests. And by ‘everybody’ we mean all beings, not just the human kind. That’s why we think things that are organic, cruelty-free, fairly-traded, up-cycled, recycled, and minimally-wasteful are an especially nice deal. And that’s why we believe everybody deserves ‘nice’ things.
]]>As a result, I am happy to be able to say that I am resuming (fairly) normal business operations, albeit with an abundance of caution so as to protect the health and wellbeing of all.
More specifically, our hours for now are 11am-3pm Monday-Friday, 12pm-4pm Saturday/Sunday.
Masks-on in the store is required, and hand sanitizer is available at points throughout the store for all to use.
The refill station will be open, too! You need only remove all caps/lids/pumps before handing your containers over to me, and hang onto them while your containers are being refilled.
That said, I am confident that as long as this protocol is practiced, we can at last safely return to some semblance of normal life.
I will also continue offering everything online, as well, and will also still be offering pick-up, delivery and shipping options.
And again, thank you for your support in this, and everything else.
With Respect & Gratitude,
Dan Maher
Owner/Operator
Sustainable Exchange
We make it our business to only work with people and businesses that are as passionate about the planet as we are. That's why we teamed up with CarbonClick to make it easier for you to reduce the environmental impact of the carbon emissions related to your purchase.
So now, in addition to shopping more sustainably, you can also help fight climate change by helping to fund forest restoration, tree planting, and renewable energy projects around the world.
To which we say a big heartfelt THANK YOU!
We got this.
I am always a little relieved when the ducks and turtles come back, since it means the otters have had their fill and moved away. But the otters are certainly the smartest ones in the system, and real charmers, too, as they dive and breach on the hunt and in play, all the while eyeballing the middle-aged featherless biped in the floppy leather hat, and his shaggy-haired four-legged companion.
Walking with a stick helps, since I can plant its tip firmly in the muck at the bottom of puddles in the narrows, and lean on it to skirt more confidently around them.
“Yucca,” I say, when the old woman asks. “I have them made for me in Santa Fe by a guy who harvests it sustainably.”
“How’s the store?” she asks from behind her mask.
“Quiet. You?” I ask from behind mine.
“Just got back from Mexico. I was doing an art residency there.”
“Cool.”
“I guess,” she demurs. “No, yeah, it was. I’m glad to be back though.”
“Well, good to see you.”
“You, too.”
And on into the quiet we go.
]]>But frankly, amid the chaos and confusion I can think of nothing better to express than profound gratitude for all who are stepping up to confront this invisibly crowning multi-headed monster faces-to-face, from first to last responder, like one does in a pandemic. Because based on the responses I have been party to lately, and/or witnessed from afar, including those mediated by quants of pixels pulled together in distributed missives pointedly delivered both on and off the mark, I have been moved to a place of fresh perspective, but I know not yet where things stand.
Certainly, I personally stand with the majority of humanity in the lift of an ominous tsunami rising in response to a world profoundly shaken, and now stirred, by profound parades of natural transgression.
But I do not want to dwell on wet markets at the moment, nor all that comes with them, nor their commercial counterparts here. So, to all that I will say only how much I hope such disgraceful dens of inequity are finally shuttered for good for the good of all, and leave it at that for now. And I have no clue about what to make of the rest.
Which is to say, I think this new normal is going to take some getting used to.
So, in light of not knowing exactly what I should be doing, I am focusing on my loved ones, my local heroes, and yes, my local business. Because this is what I believe will best serve me and us best, and better prepare us for whatever this way comes.
Take care out there.
]]>Trump was a self-declared germaphobe before it was cool.
And as perhaps the only thing about the current situation about which he has shown any prescience, the irony runs rich, and the related issues deep.
Not that this is news.
As Politico reporter, Daniel Lippman, gathered many months ago, the President's penchant for Purell is legendary. Indeed, Lippman describes Trump's strict enforcement of in and out-of-house hygiene as something akin to his Bright Red Line.
This from the same person who believes disease can be simply ordered away, as though he were pulling through a drive through, and commanding the appearance of fries with that.
Because, of course, there will be the short-term adjustments in regards to social interaction, emergency preparedness, the search for Truth, and such. And these will continue to have significant impact on what we think of ourselves and the world for some time to come. And we will likely see even longer-term changes in our work and leisure lives, as well, with ideas and attitudes about everything from telecommuting and virtual learning to handshakes and hangouts completely rebooted.
I wonder, though, how all of this will play out in terms of running a small brick-and-mortar business like mine, since we were already facing the need to reinvent IRL retail, and now may have even fewer degrees of freedom than before.
In my case, for example, I have not heeded calls to list my stock online, primarily because I think having product shipped to the store already does damage enough to the planet; I do not want to add repackaging and reshipping into the mix.
But I have read that, sustainably speaking, online shopping is no worse than in-person shopping, and that online shopping may even, under ideal conditions, have a smaller carbon footprint by half.
Whenever I hear or read something is true "under ideal conditions," however, it gives me pause.
So what are the facts?
Well, it appears so-called 'slow shipping' is an ecological win, so long as only one leg of the journey is taken into account; meaning the carbon footprint of retailers shipping product to consumers.
The problem with most of these analyses, though, is that they fail to also take into account for all of the other business-to-business resources used to get products to retailers, not to mention what it takes to move about consumer returns.
Add to this the fact that modern consumers have little patience for slow shipping, and that the preferred faster shipping options increase the resource spend significantly, and online shopping has - at best - about the same impact as shopping in-person.
When you account for the shoppers who first go to physical locations to 'experience' the product before ordering it online with express delivery, and all the product that is returned, well then, forget-about-it.
So, it appears the fact is that in the real world, online shopping is usually, most likely, far less sustainable than shopping in-person, IRL, wherein you rely on this 'app' called Actual Face Time.
The good news - if you want to call it that - is that because these types of analyses focus mostly only on fuel use and packaging, it also appears that it might be safe to say that so long as we can reduce the overall resources required to ship stuff to-and-fro, online shopping in-and-of-itself may not always be as ecologically toxic as it is now.
The bad news - and it is bad news - is that we have potentially more important things to worry about. Because it appears the fact is also that the carbon cost of shipping product from place-to-place, and in many cases, back again, pales in comparison to the carbon cost of making things with unsustainably, environmentally and ethically toxic materials and processes.
Nonetheless, it appears the way forward for retail has to be some combination of online and in-person selling (lets call it the reverse mullet business model for now).
Consequently, I am finally coming around to setting up a system to facilitate in-person and online retail for Sustainable Exchange.
But honestly, all I can say about the thought of introducing even more drastic change at the moment is, oh dear.
]]>In other words, it's a thing, and I think it especially prevalent in the many overheated exchanges that pass for debate on social media, IRL, and in our politics these days.
But I now find it especially disappointing to witness finger pointing in intergenerational discussions about the cause of climate change and/or attendant issues. Because the bottom line is we are all inclined to underestimate our personal contributions to the overexploitation of natural resources, and therein blame it on ‘others.’ Consequently, we often ask more of our neighbors than we ask of ourselves when it comes to doing more to live more sustainably on the planet. Because the truth is, most of us are not very consistent when it comes to integrating our avowed value systems with our everyday attitudes and actions. And this is usually because we don’t take the time to think things through.
If you have ever talked to an Electric Vehicle (EV) owner who complained about all the carbon casting internal combustion engine (ICE) drivers crowding the highways and byways, then watched as the EV driver (and likely a fair number of ICE drivers) continued to consume animals raised to slaughter by Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO), over-harvested species of fish, and refined sugars, you know what I mean.
In fact, I have found that environmental finger-pointing is rarely productive. And if it's productive, it often runs counter to the pointer's intent, like pissing in the wind.
Take the self-righteous EV owner, for example. EVs may decrease the cost and impact of private transportation initially, but ultimately lead to more people driving (or being driven) more, which could actually be more detrimental for the environment than ICEs are now. (Think about THAT for a minute!) Which is why keeping the emphasis on improving private passenger vehicles instead of the development of better public transportation systems may contribute more to our undoing, no matter what's under the hood in the cars in your hood.
Bamboo, too, is often said to be good for the planet because after it’s harvested, it regenerates quickly, doesn’t require pesticides or fertilizers to grow, and soaks up nitrates from the soil. As a result, bamboo now shows up everywhere (e.g., clothing, flooring, dishes, cutlery, sheets, towels, deodorant and TP) as ‘a greener choice.’ But corn grows fast, and we’ve all heard of the negative impacts of growing, harvesting, and using an abundance of it. And bamboo is grown, harvested, and used much like corn. But worse, unlike domestic supplies of corn, most bamboo is imported from Asia, which adds to its carbon footprint, and increased demand for it has lead to massive deforestation and other grossly unsustainable practices.
And don’t even get me started on bamboo viscose (i.e., rayon). Bamboo-based fabrics are some of the worst fabrics in use anywhere - look it up: the manufacturing processes are incredibly wasteful of the plant, involve plenty of additives and hazardous chemicals - some of which are carcinogenic - and the resulting pollution is dumped freely in the air and waterways by manufacturers, if they don’t reach you directly through your skin. The FTC has, in fact, already fined many national retailers for falsely marketing bamboo viscose as environmentally friendly.
Then there's recycling.
Putting aside all that is wrong with how and what is and is not recycled for the moment, few of us think it a good idea to clearcut old growth forests to make toilet paper, toothpicks and chopsticks. Nor do we want to cook off sequestered carbons in fossil fuels to make virgin plastics. But if the pulp used in paper comes from sustainable domestic tree farms, and the energy and water used to process this wood into paper is also supplied sustainably, and the cups produced are biodegradable, single use versus reusable might be a better way to go. This is especially true if the energy and resources used to make and maintain something like reusable travel mugs - that are, in fact, only used a few dozen times on average before being discarded, and are generally not made to be readily biodegradable - is actually more impactful than that used to make single-use sustainably-made disposable cups, and perhaps also waxed cardboard cartons. As a result, it is not always clear that recycling reusable containers is the better option.
Then, too, there is the problem of vested interests (i.e., 'green washers': the people who sell stuff labeled "good for the environment" that is really only or mostly just good for their business). In this regard, it is good to keep in mind that only the term ‘organic’ is regulated, so manufacturers and marketers can say practically anything they want about products in terms of ‘naturalness’ without ever having to prove a word of it.
So, before pointing a finger at 'others' for their bad behavior, and perhaps demanding that 'others' be more vigilant in their consumption choices, best pause for the cause to take a closer look at how well we are doing with aligning our green desires with our buying habits.
There's always room for improvement.
]]>Natural products are, in other words, the ‘real’ deal.
Yet, one can’t help notice that the majority of these wonderful all-natural products are wrapped in plastic, shipped around the world in boxes and containers stuffed with even more plastic, and almost all of this fossil-fueled material is non-recyclable or, at least, not recycled!
This, to my mind, is a major disconnect in the new consumer ecology.
So, because Sustainable Exchange is about doing all it can to facilitate change for the better in the bigger retail world, our store is completely opting out of the plastic parade. The few remaining single-serving products wrapped in plastic containers on our shelves will be the last we bring in, and anything bought in bulk will either have to be packaged in waxed cardboard, metal drums, or at minimum, #1 or #2 plastic buckets that come from organizations that operate container take-back and recycle programs, or they will be given to those that do.
Going forward, Sustainable Exchange will endeavor to only work with zero waste suppliers that think through their offerings from raw materials to shipping and invoicing. We will grow our refill station to offer more bulk household liquids and body products, and continually expand on our plastic and cruelty-free offerings. This includes everything from our herbal formulations, mushroom elixirs, textiles, gifts, down to the (really tasty!) plant-based breath mints we sell.
Join in.
Peace (and plastic) out.
]]>Honestly? It seemed like a daunting task at first glance, something that even on a small scale could only be a self-inflicted invitation to get wrapped around the axle of the big bureaucratic beast of state we call Governance. And it still might be. What do I know? I have not done anything like this since I was an undergrad in college in a place far away a long time ago. But so far, at least, we have been pleasantly surprised by the reception we have received at every turn along the way.
First we put out the call to see if there was any local maker/vendor interest and got back a resounding, “Yes!” Next we looked in to see what condition our music condition was in, and saw it was all together now. Food trucks? Hungry to roll in. Dare we say beer? Cheers! (Big Thanks to our non-profit sponsor and allies at Gathering Thyme!)
And again, like on so many other occasions these last few years, I have been profoundly impressed and humbled by the true community connections to be had simply for the asking, and the incredible depth of talent bubbling under the surface of strangers soon to be friends.
So maybe you don't have to fight for your right to party any more. Maybe all you have to do is prepare the field and let the good times grow.
It's worth a shot.
See you there?
]]>For another, I think sourcing sustainable products from around the world is its own kind of therapy, at least for what ails me. It inspires me to see so many doing so much with so much less so consciously everywhere I turn.
It reminds me that we are all in this together, which is something I sometimes think I need to be reminded of more often. Because when I remember we are one, I am compelled to welcome the rest of the world back into my humble bubble, and ask it what it has in store for me. Because then I do my best to bring the best, most delightful and affordable sustainable products the world has to offer into Sustainable Exchange for you. That's when I really get my shop on.
Then, for me, that’s when retail therapy means paying it forward. For real.
]]>The only thing I am fairly sure of is that I have what I believe to be a pretty serious case of eco-anxiety, and I feel like I could use some support.
It is not like I am alone in this, after all. We are all in it together. It is nonetheless weirdly awkward to finally come out about it.
I mean, I have been activity involved in climate change issues since the early nineties. I have put my body, career prospects, important relationships, and all that I thought I could take for granted on protest lines and in my work for decades. So it will come as little surprise to any who know and/or care about me to read I suffer from some form of ecological anxiety.
Yet, it feels weird and awkward to discuss my concerns in the terms of a condition, as though there is a cure for what ails me, when I am afflicted with the dread of leaving my son and others to live in a forcefully simplified environment, perhaps too degraded to sustain life in ways, as they say in divorce court, to which it has become accustomed.
What is said to be the cure, in fact - increased connection and direct action - is, too, I fear, merely more distraction from the reality of what the science and scientists are saying.
The “Truth” of it?
Help me out here... please?
]]>Another took pictures of my wares and left without a word.
Depends on what you mean by “that” I thought.
These four young women had obviously come into my store for something. Did they get it? I wondered. Was it worth it? Is it sustainable?
Who knows?
Depends on what you mean by “it” I guess.
]]>What do we want to be known for?
What are we really all about?
Who are we talking to?
Where to start?
Initially, the choices ranged from, "Shop like your life depends on it" to "Shop like your kids' lives depend on it" to "Shop like the planet depends on it." Then things got a little more mercantile with, "Fair Trade. Well Made. All Ways" and "The Earth Means The World To Us." The pendelum swung a little too far that way, though, when it hit on a well known cliche with, "Because Good Planets Are Hard To FInd" and verged on the grandiose with, "What The World Needs Now." However, all of these did say something meaningful about the goals and aspirations of the project at hand.
The winner? "Shop Like There IS A Tomorrow." This is, after all, what we want to be known for and are all about. It speaks, too, to everyone who has ever heard the phrase, "Shop Like There Is No Tomorrow". Which means everyone.
Except now, when people are encouraged to 'get-er-done' before it’s too late, I reckon it takes on a whole new level of meaning.
I mean, what were we thinking? That the most expansive version of ourselves is a no-holds shopping spree? Obviously, that is just sad, not to mention patently unsustainable.
So, please, join me in turning the beat around. Shop like there is a tomorrow. The future awaits.
]]>