Diane McEachern is an everyday woman living in Washington
DC. Diane is on a mission to encourage
women to harness their “power of the purse” and intentionally shift their
spending to products with the greatest benefit to the environment. She believes the best way to fight the
industries that pollute the planet, is to mobilize the most powerful consumer
force in the world-women.
Women spend 80-85 cents of every dollar in the marketplace. Women are buying everything from the groceries and other basic necessities to big-ticket items like cars and electronics. We are even spending more at places like Home Depot then men. In Diane’s bestselling book The Big Green Purse, which is often referred to as the “green shopping bible”, she offers concrete and immediate ways that we can all take action and make a difference. If you are asking “What Can I Do?” Diane has more than a few ideas.
Tell us about your
book, Big Green Purse:
Big Green Purse is focused on helping consumers, especially women, use their money to help protect the environment. While a big part of our message is to spend less money, to reduce what we consume and recycle, we all have to buy food and some level of clothes etc. and the way we spend our money sends a message to the manufactures to reduce the amount of pollution they generate and operate as environmentally responsible as they can.
What were your
motivating factors in writing your book and enhancing the planet?
I wanted to figure out why women were not taking advantage of this incredible clout they have. Women should be calling the shots but it’s not top of mind because women are pressed for time as business owners, managers, and running the home to figure out the best way to spend their money. So, part of my motivation was to make it easier for women, reduce that question mark and increase the convenience.
Since you released
the book, where has this journey taken you?
One of the things I’ve been turning my attention to is standards and labels. There is so little regulation of the claims that go on a product. I spend a lot of my time advocating that there be federal standards, green labels, and educating consumers on how to look for product labels that make a difference.
What has been the
biggest surprise so far?
I think the degree to which industry has embraced sustainability. There has been an incredible explosion of green living and manufacturers are jumping into the marketplace with more green products. There has also been a simplicity movement stirring where people are realizing that the first thing I should do, rather than buy new, is to look around and think can I trade, swap, or sell?
Tell us about the One
In a Million Challenge.
There are about 5,000 women who have signed up to commit a thousand dollars of their budget to shift to greener products and services. This idea of the campaign isn’t to spend a thousand dollars more but rather to look at the way you’re already spending and shift that to a product that will use less energy or water or is organically based and uses fewer or no toxic ingredients.
What are the top
three things we can do to simplify?
Spend more time with each other, turn off the electronics and save energy. I’ve really come to value that living a slower paced life is much more environmentally friendly. My resolution is to do less and to do it better. I have Simple Sundays where we don’t turn on electronics or the TV, we just reconnect. Second, think about energy. How we use energy effects air and water quality and habitat. Third, think about how you use water. Every time we’re saving whether it’s water or electricity, we’re saving money.
What is your message
to women around the world?
Take control! You have the power ladies and can use it to make the world a better place. One of the things I learned this year is the power of networking especially among women. We’re not in this alone and by working together we really can make a difference.
Get Involved – Five
Things You Can Do Today to utilize your purchase power to enhance the planet.
1. Go to www.biggreenpurse.com and sign up for
the One in a Million Challenge.
2. Know what you are
buying - read the labels on the products you are purchasing.
3. Take one day of
the week to turn off electronics and connect with those around you.
4. Write to the
manufacture of your favorite products and encourage them to use sustainable
green ingredients, packaging and business practices.
5. Participate in or
create your own abundance swap.
See Jane Do is a multi-media program capturing the stories of everyday women doing extraordinary things for the planet. Catch our 1-hr talk radio program on KVMR 89.5FM the first Wednesday of every month from 1-2pm. For more inspiring stories, podcasts of previous programs and to sign up for our newsletter, go to our website www.seejanedo.com
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