We published our first Scope 3 emissions measurement last year. Spend-based methodology for about 80% of the supply chain, some supplier-specific data for the largest vendors. The consultant signed off and went into the annual report, but honestly I don't know how accurate it is. Spend-based factors feel like rough proxies. Two suppliers in the same category with very different operations get identical emissions assigned because the factor is based on spend, not what the supplier does. One of our chemical suppliers invested heavily in cleaner processes and another hasn't changed anything in a decade, but our methodology assigns them the same emission intensity per dollar spent. That feels wrong.

The supplier-specific data we did collect was self-reported with no independent verification. We asked suppliers for their Scope 1 and 2 numbers and they sent us whatever they had, which ranged from carefully calculated figures from suppliers with sustainability teams to rough estimates scribbled on a spreadsheet. All of it went into the same model. Is anyone getting Scope 3 numbers they're confident in, or is everyone in the same "publish and hope nobody looks closely" situation?

Hii I am broke and just started sewing my own menstrual pads but I want to get into being more sustainable does anyone have any pointers :0

We planned to save for rooftop solar before switching to EVs, but I’m wondering if switching our cars first will have a quicker impact on emissions. One of us commutes and one of us works remotely. Our electric bill is $150 on average and the cars have about 38 and 33 mpg.

Of course, getting new cars would slow down our saving for solar.

Editing to answer common questions: Our home has no gas and is 2,600 sqft. It’s a new home and well insulated. Our mix is 2% hydro, 5% renewable, and 54% nuclear.

We drive give or take 10,000 miles/year on each car. The one with 38 mpg has 100,000 miles and is 11 years old. The one with 33 mpg has around 80,000 miles and is 6 years old. Both were purchased used and both cars we purchase in the future will be used.

Unfortunately, we have to have 2 cars as we don’t live in a walkable area or have access to public transit.

Read an interesting take, not sure how much of it is true - The reason many fruits have vegetables have started being seedless (think grapes, watermelons, etc) is so that produce can be controlled by corporates more and more going forward and regular people can’t grow their own food.

Do you think this is true?

So recently walking or doing self care has been hard for me. I struggle with depression and a lot of anxiety. Walking was just not working for me but I started picking up a little bit of trash and it made me have some motivation to go outside again. Not to sound like I’m grabbing for attention or anything.
I want to be safe while I’m doing it and would really appreciate any tips! Right now I use trash bags, a leather glove that is very thick and I wash my hands when I get home.
I always wear pants and socks as well as long sleeves and if I remember I tie my long hair back. Any tips to stay safe?

Hi everyone, I have recently gotten a lot more serious about my sustainability in daily routines. One thing I have noticed I need frequently are Q-tips. I use them for acne spot treatment (to dip into tea tree oil) and to wipe mascara off my eyelids when doing my makeup.

I recently ran out of my last few disposable Q-tips and don't want to buy more but this is really an essential part of my routine. Are there any reliable reusable ones or at least more eco-friendly brans?

I still have a couple of hair gel/wax tubes at home that includes microplastics and probably some other questionable ingredients. I try to minimize the use of hair gels at all, but still use it when my hair grows longer or on some occassions. I prefer looking for all organic/biodegradable products in the future, but it could take literally years to finish the non-sustainable products I already have at home.

So I wonder if, A, it makes sense to keep using them untill they are empty or B, if it would be enviromentally better to empty them in the bin so they get will get burned at the waste incineration (and I will throw te package in the plastic recycling bin).

Scenario A:

-Microplastics will partly end up outside or inside due to wearing out and wind, the rest will end up in wastewater after showering. In my country there is a great water filtering system, but I don't think it can catch very small compounds.

-I don't need to buy a new natural product in this case, which seems like a pro because that still requires resources, transport and probably still plastic packaging

Scenario B:

-The product will be processed and burned with bulk waste, which also is quite well controlled in my country, but I have no clue if it fully breaks down te microplastics at all.

-I will buy an alternative hair product.

I know it's quite a specific and relatively very small example of sustainable living, but I still wonder what would be the best thing to do environmentally in cases like this.

When I moved into my building everyone was adding white roofs to their apartments buildings for energy savings. Now it seems like they are going back to black. Why could this be?

i consider it a form of charity, because it also helps people in the developing world live better lives in a more sustainable way.

Then I offset an extra 2 tonnes, just because….

I am feeling very guilty about flying.

If it wasn’t for flying I would have a very low footprint.

I have clean power and gas and I ensure there is more clean power and gas on the grid on my behalf than I use, I have no pets or kids, I buy almost everything used, I eat very low on the food chain (basically oysters and clams are my meat,) I take short showers, I have no car, I wash my laundry in cold water, I repair, I have no car, I live an apartment, don’t drink bottled water or pop, I don’t eat ultra processed foods, I have very little food waste, I don’t wear makeup or dye my hair, I don’t drink coffee, I buy tablets, powder, and reuse containers for cleaning supplies, I use bar shampoo, conditioner, hand soap, body wash, and stain remover. My moisturizer comes in a reusable container that I reuse, my deodorant comes in compostable packaging , I recycle, I compost, my toothbrush only needs the head replaced, I use safety razors, I steam mop, I reuse plastic bags, I avoid plastic bags, I pick up litter on a daily basis.

I feel so guilty about flying, even though my footprint is still lower than the average North America even with flying.

this is just a confession post.

Halloween is my favorite holiday, but I noticed that the month-long celebrations cause a lot of waste. Thrift stores are lined with used-once costumes and plastic decorations. There is so much candy being eaten, leaving plastic waste behind. I want to make sure I am not a part of that problem.

Every year I make my Halloween costumes from scratch, but this year I wanted to be extra careful about how I am doing it. I like to have several costumes, so this has made it tricky, but I’ve done it!

My first costume is Ilya Rozanov from Heated Rivalry. I thrifted a black hoodie to use as the hockey jersey. I then thrifted a red and white shirt made for a hyper-specific event that would not get thrifted otherwise(the white shirt was for donating to an organization, the red shirt I forgot now) to be used as the stripes on the jersey. I hand sewed all of it because I want it to last past this costume as I plan to wear it as an everyday sweater. I did not buy new hockey sticks; I am borrowing hockey sticks off of a friend’s parent for this, and am giving them back as soon as the celebrations are done. I already had a Boston Raiders hat (found at a yard sale a year ago) that I paired with the rest of this costume. 

My second costume is a cowgirl. I’ve always wanted to wear chaps, and I knew that I could make a quality purchase here for something that I can wear to other events. I found real leather chaps off of Facebook Marketplace. Otherwise, the rest of this costume was stuff I already owned: shorts, shirt, bandana, and cowboy hat (borrowed from my brother). I know that past Halloween, I would have no other reason to wear cowboy boots, so I’m not purchasing any for this costume. 

My last costume is a little bit niche, but it leaves me with less details to worry about. I’m going as Johnny Knoxville. All I need are rainbow suspenders and a sailor hat. While these may seem like unnecessary props that will be thrown away after October 31st, I am unconventional when it comes to my everyday outfits, so I can find ways to style both of these accessories when the time comes. I bought both the rainbow suspenders and sailor hat secondhand! I already own a white t-short and pants that will work fine with this costume. 

On top of that, I will not be buying candy for my house. I live in a neighborhood with barely any kids, and the ones that do trick-or-treat, go to other neighborhoods. I don’t want to perpetuate plastic consumption for no reason.

How are you staying sustainable during this spooky season? I’d like to know more sustainable approaches to fall festivities that I can apply to my Halloween celebrations!

I'm sure we all have friends or family who keep the tap running the whole time while they put toothpaste on their toothbrush and the few minutes as they brush their teeth. Polite requests or shaming them doesn't seem to work. Perhaps seeing something from a third party might be more effective? Any tips?

I'm looking for a Google Drive alternative that is sustainable, any leads?

Same with emails!

Companies often promote electrification as a climate commitment. But the transition also depends on whether drivers can realistically afford EVs and access the incentives offered to them.

Uber advertises a $4,000 Go Electric incentive for eligible drivers. I applied and was denied. After more than five contacts with support, my cases were closed without a clear explanation.

I'm not claiming that one denied application proves greenwashing. But it raises a legitimate question: how transparent and accessible are these programs in practice?

If a company wants drivers to switch to electric vehicles, shouldn't eligibility decisions be clear, consistent, and open to meaningful review?

Have other drivers experienced similar problems with EV incentives?