Green vs. Convenient: Where Do YOU Draw the Line?

When do you choose convenience over being environmentally responsible? I think we all have certain areas where we could be a deeper shade of green, but it's not always easy, affordable, or even desirable for us to give up some die-hard conveniences. Here are five "trouble zones" in which convenience often battles it out with earth-friendliness--along with some suggestions to tip the balance in favor of the planet:

1. Parties. Can we all just agree right now that the worst part of parties is the clean-up? Is it any wonder that those plastic red cups (which I jokingly refer to as "The Evil Red Cups" due to their propensity to wind up on lawns and in gutters) have become a permanent staple at parties? But when you really think about how long the detritus of your parties hangs around on the planet, it's not that hard to switch to "the green party." Just run an extra load or two through the dishwasher on the day after. And use machine-washable cloth napkins--they're much more festive anyway! (If you can't give up The Evil Red Cups, at least give them a quick rinse and recycle them.)

2. Lunchbox meals. Sure, it's a hassle to pack lunchboxes on mornings when you're begging the kids to get dressed faster so you're not careening to the bus stop. But those squeezable, plastic, one-time-use lunch items and juice boxes will last longer than ten thousand lunchtimes. (That's just a guestimate.) To ease the morning frenzy: On the night before, pack lunches in dishwasher-friendly containers and fill thermoses for the fridge. (The super-cute lunch and snack packs pictured below are from my super-green friend, Jennifer Larsen, and are available in her Etsy shop.)

3. Traveling. Those mini-bottles of shampoo and conditioner have become the norm for air travel due to security restrictions. Is it bothersome to pour your hair products into reusable travel-size containers? Sure! Is it less bothersome than the air and water pollution created by the manufacture of all those little plastic bottles? Why yes, I believe it is! Get a small funnel at the store to simplify the job of pouring liquids from big containers into small ones.

4. Shopping. Many countries (and now, some U.S. cities) have started charging customers for plastic grocery bags or banning them altogether. I used to feel like a "green freak" for carrying my own canvas bags, but last week, the woman in front of me at the check-out actually apologized for using the store's plastic grocery bags. "I've gotta remember my canvas bags next time," she said sheepishly. (I call that "Progress.")

5. Diapers. I briefly thought about cloth diapers when my two children were babies, and by "briefly", I mean "for about an hour each." Babies go through a LOT of yucky diapers. (If I'm remembering correctly, I think it was--at minimum--five per day). I kidded myself that the disposables were just as "good", due to all of the hot water and detergent needed to clean the cloth ones. But let's face it: Disposable diapers are bad news for the planet because of the excruciatingly huge number of them going to landfills--and the fact that they aren't going anywhere. If I had to do it all over again, I wish I could tell you with certainty that I would choose cloth diapers. But if I'm being completely honest, I don't know if I would do it any differently.

We all draw our own lines in the sand for what we will and won't do in the name of green-ness. I'm not proud of it, but I drew the line at diapers.

Where do you draw your green lines? Be honest--let's hear it!

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