Spring is here! On every street, we are beginning to feel the warmth of the sun, the blossoms of tree buds, the songs of birds, and Prospect Park growing green again. We are reminded of the beauty nature brings to our lives!
Sadly, springtime also reminds me of our destructive disconnection with nature that’s ultimately led to the current global climate crisis. While, yes, this environmental emergency is not the total burden of us everyday citizens, its roots are still in our consumer practices, neighborhood framework, materialism, and daily habits.
This year’s Earth Day (April 22) theme is “Invest In Our Planet.” President of the Earth Day Network, Kathleen Roberts writes, “In 2022, we all must enter into one partnership for the planet. People, governments, and even most businesses fear change, but that status quo- the way we live today- is changing before our eyes. In building our future, individuals, businesses, governments each have a unique role – we need to act individually and together.”
Optimistically, we do have the power to redirect our personal choices; to individually and collectively reconnect and heal nature. We can bring more awareness to ourselves, to our neighborhood, to our country, and our global community— that is the lives of other humans, the lives of animals, and the Earth’s green life.
This may sound overwhelming. But worry not! We have created the ultimate guide to sustainability in Park Slope! Breaking down sustainable, environmentally conscious, and ethical alternatives to implement in your life, while supporting local businesses and building mutual aid with your neighbors in Brooklyn and around the world!
Zero-Waste Home Refills
Refill stores are radically transforming shopping for cleaning solutions, bath and body products, and other household needs. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) annually reports over 27 million tons of single-use plastic pollutes landfills, coastal areas, and oceans.
Stores like La Nature Store offer a zero-waste alternative to stocking your home. They also host recycling programs for plastic such as toiletry packaging and razors. They promote, “La Nature was founded with a goal in mind- to make eco-friendly everyday products more accessible and to encourage more people around the world to decrease their ecological footprint by switching to sustainable, zero-waste alternatives.”
Simply buy or bring in your own container, like a glass jar or spray bottle, refill it with the solution you need, then pay per ounce.
Begin going zero-waste by refilling your shampoos, dish soap, cleaning sprays, body lotions, and more at these refill options in the neighborhood:
- – Le Nature Store (233 5th Ave)
- – Annie’s Blue Ribbon General Store (232 5th Ave)
- – Park Slope Food Co-Op (782 Union St)
- – Tarzian West for Housewares (194 7th Ave)
- – Mazzone Ace Hardware (476 Bergen St)
- – Green In BKLYN (432 Myrtle Ave)Hand-Made Herbal WellnessSimilarly, herbal apothecary and botanica stores allow you to buy your spices, herbs, and other dry ingredients in bulk, often for a better deal and less waste than the supermarkets. These stores also support awareness of natural, holistic wellness, homemade and self-reliant cooking, skin-care, and healing. You’ll cultivate a deeper understanding of the ingredients you use.Take another step towards sustainability as many of these businesses even offer resources and classes on herbalism and making DIY herbal-based body and home care products.
Find sustainable organic, chemical-free, and locally sourced alternative products at these local herb stores:
- – Herboganic (262 Butler St)
- – Natural Spirit Corp. (157 7th Ave)
- – Remedies Herb Shop (453 Court St)
- – Radicle Herb Shop (394 Atlantic Ave)
- – Spiral Herbal Remedies (810 Washington Ave)Sustainable FashionAccording to the EPA, landfills receive a yearly average of 13 million tons of textiles; an insane amount of waste heavily caused by the fast-fashion industry’s over-production and over-consumption of clothing. The industry also contributes to water waste, plastic production, greenhouse gas emissions, and abusive labor practices, which disproportionately exploit women and girls.To minimize these abuses, we can radically transform our fashion culture. Opt for vintage, second-hand, thrifted, and re-worked fashion! The trend towards thrift and upcycled fashion has not only been praised for its environmental benefits, but for being more gender-inclusive, diversely creative, and broadening our ideas on appearance and outward self-expression.Some stores, like m.a.e Brooklyn, offer consignment options for vintage and high-end brands; a shopping alternative that invests in your neighbors, your favorite businesses, your wardrobe, and your planet.Diversify your wardrobe with vintage and upcycled fashion from the curated selections at these Park Slope stores:
- – m.a.e Brooklyn (362 7th Ave)
- – Slope Vintage (71 5th Ave)
- – pushcart vintage (270 Prospect Ave)
- – Life Boutique Thrift (66 5th Ave / 515 5th Ave)
- – Beacon’s Closet (92 5th Ave)
- – L Train (654 Sackett St)
- – All Almost New Clothing Inc. (68 St Marks Ave)
- – Out of the Closet – Brooklyn (475 Atlantic Ave)
- – Meshimar (433 7th Ave)
- – Nova’s Arc (443 7th Ave)
- – Allegra Vintji (58 2nd Ave)Antique Furniture and DecorSimilar criticism has begun on the “fast-furniture industry.” Referring to affordable, but cheaply-made, mass-produced furniture options— think Ikea or Wayfair; the target consumer being college students and new or short-term renters, who face a challenging combination of unstable incomes, unpredictable rent hikes, short-term subleases, often needing to move multiple times within a year. You’ve probably seen these broken dressers, dismantled bed frames, and sleeper sofas on the curb with a hand-written free sign. EPA estimates 9 million tons of discarded furniture end up in America’s landfills annually.Of course, do not blame people for buying affordable necessities; however, we must try creating environmentally conscious, sustainable alternatives! Immediately, by placing value in well-produced and maintained furniture and household products. In the long-term, easier moving options for renters and supporting affordable housing politics.Big Reuse is one local alternative! This donation-based super-reuse store stocks upcycled household necessities— from dining plate sets, to kitchen appliances, to hardware, to computer monitors, to clawfoot bathtubs, to handcrafted furniture.Big Reuse’s goal states, “NYC’s construction and demolition industry throws away nearly 7,000,000 tons of building materials annually! These materials clog our landfills, release carbon into the atmosphere, and create an artificial need for more materials to be manufactured. By salvaging usable items from demolition and remodel projects and reintroducing them to the market, we take a small step toward eliminating these significant environmental costs. Our goal is to demonstrate another option for materials diversion and hopefully inspire the city to require recycling and reuse for construction and demolition waste.”Invest in these great alternatives to sustainably furnish, remodel, and decorate your home:
- – Big Reuse (1 12th St)
- – Trailer Park (77 Sterling Pl)
- – Rewind Vintage (674 Union St)
- – Housing Works (266 5th Ave)
- – Yesterday’s News (428 Court St)
– Sterling Place (352 7th Ave)
Donating
Purging your home and closet has its own sustainability challenges; how do you ensure your well-meaning donations won’t end up in a landfill?
It’s difficult to know for sure, so we recommend instead of large-scale organizations, like Good Will or the Salvation Army, ensure to donate to local groups that focus on returning your pieces to your own immediate community.
Here are some neighborhood organizations doing amazing work:
- – Gowanus Free Store (Douglass & Bond St)
- – Housing Works (266 5th Ave)
- – CHiPS (200 4th Ave)
- – Out of the Closet – Brooklyn (475 Atlantic Ave)
- – 10 Little Essentials (63 Flushing Ave)
- – St. Mary’s Church (233 Classon Ave)Online Community NetworksConnecting with fellow Brooklyners through Facebook Groups and other online networks to directly exchange and upcycle your clothes, houseware, or other items is an assuring way to know your things will go into good hands. Because you can literally hand it off to others!The Gowanus BuyNothing Group writes, “Give, receive, lend, share, and show gratitude in hyper-local gift economies, where the true wealth is the connections between real neighbors.”Here are some local channels to join:
- – Park Slope Together
- – Buy Nothing BoCoCa/Gowanus/Redhook
- – Buy Nothing Park Slope
- – Park Slope Plant Share
- – Park Slope Swappies
- – Park Slope ParentsMutual Aid ServicesPerhaps the most grass-roots way of transforming our community and investing in our planet is through mutual aid. Working with, donating to, and participating in mutual aid programs can help reduce textile, furniture, and food waste while supporting the immediate, necessary, and interconnected needs of our neighborhood.“Mutual aid means long-term solidarity with the community, not a momentary act of charity.”
Programs for free and affordable food, clothing, housing, healthcare, and job placement not only support individual financial and personal security, but a strong community with a safer neighborhood that values sustainability, class-consciousness, anti-racism, and radical empathy.
Gowanus Mutual Aid endlessly serves the surrounding neighborhoods. Donate or pick up from their free store on Douglass/Bond Street; their free community fridges are located at 123 3rd St and 326 6th St. Visit their website for all their programs.
Here are some other Brooklyn mutual aid groups creating sustainability and equality:
- – Gowanus Mutual Aid
- – CHiPS, Community Help in Park Slope
- – Brooklyn Book Bodega
- – Free Community Fridge
- – Brooklyn Relief Kitchen
- – The Rolling Library
- – Saint Lydia’s – Dinner Church
- – Recovery House of Worship Brooklyn
This spring let’s invest in our planet, starting inside our homes and building our network outward. Step-by-step we can use this guide come together to connect and heal. We be back in Summer for even more sustainability positiblities.