Haute Talk with Alexa Pavan | Sustainability Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

What if living more sustainably could make your life feel bigger, more creative, and more connected instead of more restricted?

This week on The Lexy Show, Lexy sits down with Alexa Pavan, the sustainability copywriter, strategist, and content creator behind Go Green with Alexa. Raised in a family that valued composting, ocean conservation, and protecting the natural world, Alexa brings a practical perspective to environmentalism that replaces guilt and perfectionism with curiosity and action.

Alexa explains how her family’s scuba diving business shaped her relationship with the ocean and why protecting coral reefs remains personal to her. She breaks down what “reef safe” sunscreen really means, why the phrase can be misleading, and which active ingredients consumers can look for when choosing mineral sunscreen. Lexy and Alexa also talk about climate anxiety, finding small ways to spend more time outside, and how volunteering or attending local events can help people feel less alone.

The conversation explores intentional shopping, secondhand furniture and clothing, community gardens, composting, supporting small businesses, reducing single-use plastic, and getting involved with local government. Alexa’s message is simple: you do not have to adopt every sustainable habit at once. Start with one area that interests you, make it part of your life, and build from there.

Listen now, follow The Lexy Show, and subscribe for more honest conversations about fashion, sustainability, and creating meaningful change.

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Instagram: @gogreenwithalexa

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Transcript

LEX-Alexa Pavan

[00:00:00] Welcome to the.

 Welcome to the Lexi Show Fashion that gives a Dan. This week I'm joined by the sustainability copywriter, strategist and content creator. Please join me in extending a warm welcome to Alexa P.

 So could you share the story of how Go Green with Alexa began and what first inspired you to start sharing about sustainability?

Oh yeah. So I guess I started the account back in 2023. It was originally a different kind of an account. I was transitioning from my role of being a regular nine to five verb, to being a, a freelance copywriter. So I kind of started the account that way and then I was like, this is not what I really wanna share online something.

That is very close to me is sustainability and conservation, and that's always been a big part of my identity. So I was kind of like, I always wanted to share about that, but I always felt like I wasn't an authority on the topic because I don't have, I don't know, I was making excuses for myself and I basically realized that like, [00:01:00] this is who I've always been.

I grew up in a sustainable family, so my background's a little bit different from most people when it comes to sustainability. I didn't really have like a journey of like not being sustainable and then becoming sustainable. I grew up in a family that really. Value, sustainability and environment and the environment overall.

So my parents are immigrants from Brazil and growing up we had a scuba diving business for 23 years. So I was very much part of that business, like working in the business since I was really young until recently when they sold it. And part of that was ocean conservation because you have to protect what you are going, you know, people are paying us to take them out into the reefs and, and see our beautiful ocean and we, a huge part of that is protecting it.

So that was just a normal, natural. Part of my life. And then we also composted at home growing up, and my parents grew tropical fruit trees. So it was just like who I was. So when any, whenever anyone in my life who knew me in real life knew, saw that I was doing this new account, go Green at Alexa, they were like, not surprised at all [00:02:00] because it's a hundred percent who I am.

And it's something that naturally works itself into conversations because it's so much of me. So I decided to start sharing because I just didn't see people talking about sustainability in a fun way. Mm-hmm. I saw so much doom and gloom around sustainability or it feels like you're restricting yourself or, this is a lesser life, or you know, it's making your life smaller.

And I think the opposite of sustainability, I think that,, being more eco-friendly actually expands your life and it gives you more liberation and possibilities. Mm-hmm. So I just didn't see that aspect being shared as much. Like thankfully now I do like, that's not uncommon, but I just wanted to show people how it's like really fun to do it too.

And I think that there's a huge element of creativity when it comes to sustainability. That's how I see it, is like I'm constantly solving problems, but in a fun and exciting way where it's like also creating an impact. Mm-hmm. So for me it was like, I just wanna share that with other people and show people that it's easy to interweave these habits [00:03:00] into our normal life.

And it's like so fun to make nature more part of our life again. Yeah, no, completely. I mean, I think that's such a good, like, lesson too is like so many people that are out there that are like, you know, I wanna be posting more, I wanna be doing this more. But like, what? Like, do I kind of have to stand on it?

Is like, well, no, you should post more. Like, I, I think that that's such a great way of just getting started is like, I, I, someone had asked me, she was in the fashion industry, she wanted to start getting in the fashion industry and she was like, how did you do it? And I was like, I just started like doing stuff.

Like I started emailing people and I started, you know, a podcast that later led me emailing people and talking to people later led to a podcast which later led to, you know, social media and whatever be social media was kinda before that, but still it was like, just go out there and if you're passionate about something and educated about something, like I think that's enough of a, like, to stand on to like, yeah, get, to get people [00:04:00] motivated and, and start doing it.

And so I think that that's really inspiring and I think you're so right where it's like, I mean, we're definitely seeing a lot more of it, but like. S still, there are so many, I feel like haters out there that are like, sustainability is boring, or like, and you can't be doing this and being sustainable.

And it's like, well, a lot of the things you might already be doing in your life can be qualified as sustainable. You're just like, not realizing that you're doing it or that it is sustainable. Like, it, it doesn't always have to be these like conscious changes that we're making. It can, it can just be woven into our life, like you were saying.

Exactly. And, and I just wanna emphasize that it's really empowering and expansive to do so. Like, it's, it's not, like you mentioned, it's not boring. Like it's, it's really fun to dig into these things and, and also it's like, there's so many aspects of it. Like even if you find one habit or one aspect of sustainability, boring, I guarantee you there's hundreds other options out there.

And [00:05:00] something will interest you. Yeah, completely. That's what I mean. I always, it will probably talk about this. But like, that's always something that like I'll, I feel like encourage people when it's talking about like, how do I get more into sustainability or like whatever is, I was passionate about fashion and I learned a lot about the fashion industry being unsustainable.

And so I, you know, took time and years and whatever to dedicating to that aspect of my life. And now that I feel like I'm very much so an expert in that, which obviously I still learn new things every single day and can be more sustainable. But now that I feel like I've like, you know, kind of mastered that aspect of things I'm learning how to weave sustainability into other aspects of my life and getting plants and making my home more sustainable and, you know, carpooling and driving less and finding ways of like, in incorporating it into those other areas of my life that I also care [00:06:00] about.

And so I think that that's a great way of like kind of getting started and finding what you're passionate about. 'cause that's something that I've had conversations about too, where it's like, well this is like so much work or like whatever. And I'm like, well, it's like really not. And personally I find it like you like what we're saying is like I find it fun.

Like I find, yeah, doing this research or learning new ways that I can be sustainable, like entertaining. So it's like all about how we can make it more fun. Yeah. And I think other people find it to be as well. Like it, like I mentioned before, there's so many aspects of sustainability. So like if you don't think one thing like composting is that exciting?

Then you could look into community events or you can look into so many other areas that can be engaging, maybe picking up trash in your community or going to a beach cleanup. There's so many aspects that it's just like we can't just like throw it away. It's not like saying that you don't like, physical activity or you don't like working out, like there's so many kinds of workouts out there, like that's a really broad statement to make. So [00:07:00] like let's just try to apply that to sustainability and see like what works for you and what habits that you can incorporate. You don't have to do all of them.

You don't have to do like 10 of them. You can do just one and just kind of keep building from there. Exactly. Well, so as you mentioned, but when you're not working, you're scuba diving or you're rollerblading or reading or dreaming up new trips. So how do these kind of activities influence your creativity and perspective?

Ooh, that's a great question. As somebody who is creative for my job that is in, like, something that I'm constantly thinking about is like, how do I keep those creativity juices flowing? Because to be creative, at least for me, I need to be regulated. My nervous system needs to be like tuned in. I need to be calm, I need to be in a clear head space.

And that's what like nature and all these activities that you mentioned do for me because I need that, like that calm and that space. And that's really what it is. More than anything, it's just like that deep breath. And that's what those, those activities [00:08:00] just bring me. Happiness. I don't know. They bring me life.

They bring me happiness and joy and they fill my cup. And then because of that, I'm able to give and provide like free resources and constant like videos and things teaching people about these topics that I'm so passionate about. Because although I'm very passionate about, it takes a lot of work to make all these videos and, and to keep up with the trends and, and to make sure you're reaching people.

And, and then on the other side of all that, like I don't, that's not even my job. My, my Go Green Alexa account is not even my job. I'm a copywriter by trade. So I write for sustainable businesses and organization. So I'm constantly writing is what I'm trying to say. I'm constantly being creative. And if I'm not, my mental health is not right, then I cannot be creative.

So nature and being outside and or reading helped me. Help me accomplish that. And I wouldn't. And, and nature is truly so underrated when it comes to stress management. And I wish more people knew about that because like, even just spending 10 minutes, like walking outside, can do so much for our [00:09:00] bodies.

And I just think that's just like another beautiful aspect of sustainability is that you become more familiar with maybe your community or, or just like adjacent green spaces that you might have access to. And, and, or you can meet new people in your community that are interested in these kinds of things.

So I just think that there's, it's such an important part of life that we've kind of been disconnected from, like, you know, being in nature in general, we can spend our whole lives inside nowadays, go from the car to the, like to our houses and never really spend any time outside. So for me, like my happiness level really has to do with how much time I'm getting to spend outside.

Yeah, no, completely. I mean, I think that that's something that's also super important where it's like. Oftentimes I'll have conversations with people or I'll feel climate anxiety myself and, and I'm like finding community or doing things that like, get me outside. I mean, even for me, like it's LA unfortunately, [00:10:00] is not always the most walkable city.

And so driving to like work literally sometimes just rolling down the windows for me, I'm like, okay, this is like helpful. Like all of a sudden the, the air is cleaner and the sky is bluer and my day is brighter and it's like genuinely being outside for like those few seconds, or, you know, feeling the wind genuinely like helps me.

And so I totally, completely know what you mean, where it's like I might have to drive those 45 minutes to get five miles. In Los Angeles, but the, the window's down, like there go. I, I like that. It's like creating space where you can, because like not everybody has the time and I totally understand that too.

Like there's a lot of privilege and be able to spend time outside or to have free time in general. So I totally understand that. I just think that like, we can find those little pockets like you found with like rolling down your windows and I agree. I love a little like jam set with windows down. So like that's [00:11:00] totally, I totally agree with that.

And I think that's what we have to look for is like, it's not like finding an hour of your day to spend outside. Like most of us don't have that time, but like five, 10 minutes or just windows down to do so much. Yeah. I mean I think that that was like a big thing on social media where it was like, I'm gonna go touch grass.

But it's like, yeah, literally go. Go do that actually. Like, like actually go do that because it, it could change lives. Like there's sometimes where I'm so busy where I'm like, I don't even have time to spend outside today. And I'm like, I literally go stay. I live in an apartment complex, so it's like, I don't even have that much, I don't have like a lawn or anything, but there's like a little patch of grass I can go to.

And sometimes I just go and sit and take off my shoes and just sit for like five minutes and then I'll put on a timer for five minutes and then be like, okay. Or I just like go outside and look at my plants and spend some time like just nurturing them. And it's like that's, it does wonders for my mood.

Exactly. Yeah. Same. I live in an apartment complex and I'm very fortunate to have like a little balcony [00:12:00] and I need to do it more often. Especially 'cause it's like literally never winter here. So I'm like, oh god, it's like 60 degrees. Like I need to go outside. Or I can't go outside. It's too cold. But 60 degrees is not cold.

But like I I, I did it a lot more when I first moved here and then I like keep not doing it. But this is motivating me that I'm gonna go sit just in my balcony. 'cause that's a great way of being outside and there's literally like a little chair there and I can do my work and that's what I'm gonna go do.

So I appreciate, I appreciate this motivation 'cause it's, it's helping me. So again, as you mentioned, you've been around scuba diving for most of your life. And one blog you wrote really caught my attention how to spot reef safe sunscreen to protect your health and the future of coral reefs. So I think that that's such an important topic because most people probably don't know that their sunscreen could be hurting the environment.

So can you kind of elaborate and teach us a little bit about this? Yeah. I wanna first start off by saying that one thing we do is [00:13:00] not going to change the world, right? Mm-hmm. Like we, we are clear on that. I just wanna make it clear that like, by changing our sunscreen, we're not gonna ne like all of a sudden all the coral reefs are gonna become healthy, right?

And all those things, like a product can never do that, right? And I just wanna make that clear, but we can make better choices as consumers and we can be more informed about like the ways that our every day. Products and the things we use just impact the environment and, and make better choices.

I think that's my ultimate goal is just like, is this the, like, this is not a panacea, it's not gonna just fix everything and like you've just put on this sunscreen and you don't have to worry about anything else, like talking to your legislators or anything like that. Like yeah, it's really, I just like feel like people take that and they're like, oh, now I just have to do this, and that's it.

And it's like, no, like, I just wanna make it super clear. We have to still hold corporations accountable. We still have to speak to our elected officials and tell them we don't like, we want more regulations, we want peop, we want. There'd be regulations on corporations to hold them accountable. But anyway, [00:14:00] I'm getting it off the soapbox for that.

I'm gonna talk about Reef Save sunscreen. So if you do wanna use Reef, reef, save sunscreen. I think that's a great idea because even if you don't live near the coast, our waterways are all connected and everything ends up back in the ocean. So even if it, you lived in a landlocked state, your waterways are still connected to the O Ocean ultimately.

And even if it's not directly impacting the ocean, because you don't live near the coast, you could be impacting your general, the nature that you have in your area. So whether that's like you're baiting in a lake or you go into a river, so it's not just about coral reefs. But I love using reef safe sunscreen just because it's kind of like a cover all bases.

And so to dig into it, there's two kinds of sunscreens. There's chemical based sunscreen and there's mineral sunscreen. And chemical sunscreen is more like absorbed by the skin. So it's a topical, lotion that is absorbed by your skin because it's the largest organ in the body.

The mineral sunscreen works [00:15:00] differently. It's not absorbed by the skin completely. It's mostly not absorbed by the skin, and it kind of just acts like a physical layer on top of your skin. So I prefer mineral based on screens because not only is it good better for coral reefs because, there has been testing to show that mineral sunscreen does not harm reefs as much as chemical sunscreen does.

They can put reef safe on the bottle or on the tube, and it doesn't have any like regulatory meaning.

Mm-hmm. So it's not like something that you know, we can hold them accountable and say, oh, this is not reef safe because this, that and the other. It's not a regulated marketing term. So it's not like a certified organic, which has a seal and has like a whole agency behind it and board to make sure that people are actually doing it.

There's nothing like that for Reef Safe. So these companies, what they do is that they'll remove those two ingredients that, let's say Hawaii has banned, and then they'll use like two other ingredients for their sunscreen chemical wise. And what happens then is that they can slap Reef safe on it.

Mm-hmm. Because. [00:16:00] You know, now it's, and, and what that does to consumers is mislead them and it's really just taking advantage of them and making them feel like they're doing something good for the environment, but they're really not. Right? Because the chemical screen is still harming the environment. So the best thing to do is flip over your sunscreen to look for the active ingredients.

And I have a post, I think you might have referenced it about this, and it has like the different ingredients, but it's also Googleable. Like you could search this up and find out the toxic ingredients that are in, or the harmful ex, excuse me, ingredients that are in sunscreens. But basically you're just looking for two ingredients as far as reef save sunscreen, and that's non nano zinc oxide or non nano titanium dioxide.

The non nano is super important because non nano means that it's not tiny particles, which means that it will actually sit on top of the skin rather than being absorbed by the skin. There is confusion too because zinc oxide in the non nano form is a common, or sunscreen ingredient. So people will use [00:17:00] zinc oxide, but it's not, that's not the one that's mineral.

It has to be non nano zinc oxide. So that's the part that can get, get a little confusing. And I'm not like, again, I just wanna be clear that it's not, it doesn't mean everything to do that, to, to just switch your sunscreen and never think about coral reefs or, or the ocean Again. This is just one step in our.

In our toolbox. One, one tool in our toolbox that we can use. And, and honestly, it, it's better for us as well. I've talked to many estheticians and they say that they only recommend mineral sunscreen because it actually works better than chemical sunscreen. So I'm not an esthetician. You can take it up with them, but that's what I've heard.

And I'm like, okay. So I have lots of reason as to why I should use my mineral sunscreen. I use sun sunscreen every day. I live in Florida. I, even if I'm out inside all day, but next to a window, I'm still wearing sunscreen every day. So if I'm gonna use something so frequently, I better choose a better product.

And also, like, I rather support a company that cares and is taking the extra steps to do all that. Then supporting businesses that [00:18:00] really just want to greenwash and take advantage of us as consumers. Yeah, completely. Well, I think that that's a great point too, where it's like sometimes with sustainability, I feel like I have to kind of make it personal where I'm like, okay, but some of these things that I'm practicing in my life, yes, they might be helping garment workers who you're not seeing on a day-to-day basis, and they might be helping the planet and animals and this, this, and that, but unfortunately, not everyone cares all that much about that.

Not a bunch of people obviously do, not everyone does. And so I find that sometimes when I'm like, yeah, but did you know that this is actually better for you? People will be like, oh, wait, tell me about that. And then, because that's a conversation that my brother and I will have often because we're kind of like.

Very similar and then opposites when it comes to like our diet and things like that. Like I'm a vegetarian and he's like a huge meat eater and I'm like, [00:19:00] lactose intolerant. And he is like, drink whole milk. And I'm like, no, those are truly opposite. Opposite. And we'll like have conversations about it often.

And I found that we were talking about something and he has gotten really into plants lately and having a bunch of plants in his house. And that was something where I was like, oh well, like I compost and then like the compost makes this dirt and then I give the dirt to my plants so that it's then like nutrient rich soil.

Or like this is this thing that I just had a podcast with this company. It's very cool. Where you like put this like. Device that they, they've made in your shower while it's heating up and it like saves the, the water that oh, I love that. Yeah. While your shower is still heating up and then you can use that and directly like, put it in your plants and then it's saving you water and like whatever.

And so I was like, these are things that like I am doing and practicing or wanna do and wanna practice for my plans. [00:20:00] And he was really interested in that because he's been loving his plans lately and I was like, well, great. Like now I've kind of like met him where he's at. Not to say he's very open to like learning and stuff about, we just definitely are like complete opposites in terms of diet.

Everything else he is very open to learning about, but I was like, this is a great way of like, I'm kind of meeting him where he's at. Yeah. And like. You're interested in this or you care about how this relates to you, or you care about like whatever, the best product for your skin and the best makeup for your skin and whatever, where it's like, okay, well now that I know that that's of interest to you, here's how you can do this.

And also, did you know that, you know, this sunscreen won't do anything to, to hurt our coral reefs? Obviously we need to still go out there and protect them but at least we're hopefully not making the situation worse with our sunscreen. Yeah. And actually I find that to be true [00:21:00] across the board. Like most of the time, if it's good for nature, it's good for us too.

Yeah. So, you know, just like you mentioned composting. I love talking about composting. It's one of my favorite topics and I just always bring it up because it's like, okay, I know it might not look like it's benefiting you right now, but it, you are not contributing to excessive methane being released from landfills, which is in turn helping your, you know, air quality and your water quality.

So like your health is being impacted by composting. Mm-hmm. Yeah, completely. I think that that is, it's just important to talk about it. It's like that's kind of something that I feel like in my sustainable journey I've had to learn a lot of, like how to communicate sustainability. And, you know, making it fun and entertaining or making it personal has been kind of the process that I've landed on.

Because I think that when. When I can be like, oh, you know, like someone's like, oh, I like your outfit. And I'm like, oh, thanks. Like I [00:22:00] thrifted the whole thing and here's where I got it from. Or like, this is the brand tag. If you wanna look it up on eBay or like whatever that, that makes it more fun. Or like, there's a story to tell about my outfit rather than just being like, oh well, like thanks I got it from Zara.

Like, oh my gosh, and here's the link. And so you exact same line. Yeah. And so I think that it just, it makes it so much more interesting and that's like genuinely a lot of the times also how I'll. Make friends with people's, like when I'm out at an event or something and I don't know how to start a conversation, I'll just be like, I like your outfit.

And then, yeah, I like when someone is, says it to me and then I'll be like, oh, thanks. Like it's from here and here and here. And then they're like, oh, are you a big thrifter? And I'm like, yes. Like, let's talk about it in well, yeah. And so that's like, that's the, the way I think to, to get those to get across, but still, still make it, you know, fun and entertaining.

I [00:23:00] totally agree. It's all about finding that point of connection. Yeah. Well, how do you help, I think in, in this communicating of sustainability, how do you help sustainable brands to communicate impact without sounding too preachy? 'cause that's, I, I think a big one. Yeah. Well in my professional career as a copywriter, I guess my, my take on it is.

Well, and I guess this applies to my work at S Gori Alexa too, on my personal account, but it's all about empathy. I think at the end of the day, it is kind of what you said is like meeting them where they are and, and not, like not talking at them. I think that's like a, what a lot of sustainability or maybe environmental organizations or, you know, this area of business kind of can do that, where it's kind of like, you should do this because, you know, it's kinda, it's either like preachy or dry, I think.

Mm-hmm. So, and honestly I see more dry than anything because I feel like the preachy, they, they already know it's good, so they're not even really trying to preach. [00:24:00] We find a lot with like a lot of sustainable businesses that they're just kind of like. Unsure of how to move forward. And I, I guess I do work with more small sustainable businesses, so that's probably why they're kind of like wearing a ton of hats and so they have a lot going on.

So I just try to ap approach it with empathy and also like less jargon. I think that like, you seem really preachy when everything is like jargon heavy. Mm-hmm. And it's like no one really knows what you're saying. You don't really even know what you're saying, what you're saying, because if you did, you wouldn't say it that way.

You know, you would kind of say in layman's terms for everyone to understand. So that's what my goal is, is always to simplify language. And make and bring people to where they are. Like just as a statistic, like most of the 55% of adults in the US read at a sixth grade reading level. So that's really important to keep in mind when I'm writing anything, like I'm trying to read at, to, I'm trying to write to that level and not to say that it's like, oh, I'm talking down to them or anything.

Not, not at all. It's just like, I, like you had mentioned before, I'm meeting them where they are. Mm-hmm. And of course, over time we can [00:25:00] build on that and we can, and I'm never against like adding more, adding jargon, but then defining it like, I'm okay with adding the words that are of your industry, but then defining it and always defining it.

Repetition's important obviously with like any marketing, but like this is like, it's important to just. Not get so caught up in one, like what you wanna share, but think about what they are going to receive mm-hmm. From the content, you know? And I think that it's a hard line to walk, but that's why it's good to work with professionals that do this on a daily basis.

Because otherwise, like you, it's a lot of work to, to communicate effectively, especially about something that's not, not mainstream yet. Like, I feel like sustainability is like, it's kinda like on the precipice. Mm-hmm. Like maybe in a few years it's gonna be like booming. Like it's gonna be in our face all the time as just as like everything else is.

But it's like, right now it's still kind of like, not, not mainstream. So we have to like, walk that line of educating, but also entertaining [00:26:00] people. And that's, that's where I come across like, it's like empathy, fun and less jargon. Like simplify that, that, that language. Yeah. No, I think that that's really good advice.

I mean, I think like. For me, if when you start bringing up like these big words that I'm just like, ah, I'm not gonna listen as much, like, no, absolutely. That's normal. Yeah. And so I think it's like I was talking about how, oh, who sent this to me? I think it was literally my brother's girlfriend texted me being like, your brother is explaining football to me in.

Hamilton musical like wording. Oh God. And, and she was like, all of a sudden I love football. And I was like, I was like, I'm obsessed with that. Like that's so great. Like show me how he's doing [00:27:00] that. 'cause I'm like, then I could get my entire friend group who loves Hamilton musical into football by explaining it in these terms.

And so it's like, I genuinely think that, you know, again, it's like the meeting people where they're at, where it's like, okay, if you're a fan of this, how can I explain this to you? By talking. And again where it's like, okay, well my brother was interested in plants. And so I met him where he was at there and talked about the sustainable things that I was doing, but then how that helped my plants.

And so we met in the middle at plants, but then I was able to educate about certain things in terms of sustainability. And it was like. You know, we, we entered a flow state, so I'm just, I love that. I was like, I am obsessed with this example because I relate to it. 'cause I love the Hamilton musical. And so then I was like, maybe if I just start explaining sustainability to people and like, oh, you really like [00:28:00] the, the, I'm trying to think of like another specific thing.

Yeah, that one's pretty niche. Super niche. Really specific to my life because I love Hamilton, the musical. But yeah, you're not wrong. It's like having them relate to something they already love and then seeing how, that's why I kind of try to always relate it back to physical activity. I don't know why.

I just feel like that's, you know, everyone's kind of on a personal health journey, I feel like. And for the most part, like, I think physical activity, you know, people want to do it more and, or there's like a journey, right? Yeah. There's like a journey for your health or that physical activity process.

And that's how I see sustainability. It's like you can't do all the things all the time. Just like you can't do all the workouts, right? You just have to pick a lane and get used to it, and then maybe you switch and try something else. Or you know, it's like ebbs and flows and, and just like you fall off on a physical health journey, like you will fall off on a sustainability health journey or a sustainability journey, but you will come back, you know?

And that's what it's about. It's like. Yeah, not being so, not, not like putting so [00:29:00] much pressure on everything. Yeah. I think that's so important to shout out to because it's like, I feel like, again, oftentimes sustainability, I can get climate anxiety or I feel like I'm not doing enough. And I think a lot of people that are in this field feel that way too, where just people on our planet, people in our generation where it's like, oh, well what's the point of me composting if like, this company in wherever is creating the same amount of carbon emissions that I would create an entire year in a day?

And it's like, okay, well I get that. I completely understand that. But I think it's like, that's what makes me feel less anxious is when I'm like surrounding myself with community and I'm doing my, you know, five things that I know I can do in a day. I'm turning off the lights after I use them. I'm composting, I'm shutting off the water, I'm doing this, I'm doing that.

And it's like those things give me. Peace of mind, but also sometimes I'm gonna go out and I'm gonna be [00:30:00] dehydrated and I forgot my reusable water bottle at home and I'm gonna have to buy a plastic water bottle. But just because, you know, I skipped the gym that one day or ate that one chocolate bar doesn't mean I'm, you know, throwing it all away and not gonna do it anymore.

And, and I absolutely, it's, it's, it's all a journey, like you were saying. Yeah. Well, I think kind of mentioned a little, but like you're always encouraging people to get involved in their local communities and government. What are some ways that listeners can start engaging locally for environmental change?

Ooh, this is a good question. Yeah. And as you mentioned before that's. That's how I feel too, if I have a climb anxiety, like I honestly can say that I don't have it as much as I did a few years ago, and that's probably because I'm much more engaged in my community. And I also know plenty of people that are in this space that sometimes it helps to just to feel like you're not alone.

Like I'm not the only person composting, there are hundreds, thousands of people like composting. It's, you know, there's it. It's [00:31:00] comforting to know that other people are interested and taking those steps too. So yeah, like ways that people can get involved with their local community. I guess it's gonna differ from community, community, but like if you wanna get involved sus specifically with sustainable events or like what I call them eco events.

I personally do like an eco roundup. On my, on my Go Green Flex account, every month I post, like the first couple days of the month, I post all the free eco events happening in my area. Just to get people, you know, acquainted with what's going on, because there's a lot of disconnect. And people have told me that.

They're like, oh, I didn't know all these things were going on. And it's like, yeah, it's just because like all these organizations are doing things and in their own little silos and they're not really connecting with one another. So it's kind of hard, like everyone's spread out. But I think one of the best resources, and I think that this is available in a lot of communities that people are not even aware of, but community Gardens is a good place to start.

Like, so these are gonna be like all sustainability or eco related, but like going to your community garden try asking if you can volunteer there. Trying to volunteer [00:32:00] with a local, like, I think the number one thing is finding what you're interested in and then finding a, an organization in your area that's.

You know, in that ar in that area of passion that you have. Mm-hmm. So like whether if you, let's say you like to you love dogs, you can go to a, a rescue, a Humane Society and volunteer there and then they probably have events too that you can go to and that's an awesome way to get connected and out network.

Like I mentioned, the community gardens, there's food pan pantries and food banks you can volunteer at. I think a lot of it has to do with volunteering, which I understand also comes with its own privilege of having the time to do that. But I think that, if you can, let's say you don't have a crazy schedule.

I personally don't have kids. I make the time to do this, and I consider that my, like, social time, even though it's like volunteering, it's still time I get to meet other people, see other people and like get outta the house. So I kind of treat it like that and I think it's just like a mindset shift instead of seeing it as like, oh, I'm working, I'm volunteering.

It's like, no, I am, I am. It's service. And I'm meeting [00:33:00] other people in during that service. So besides the Humane Society and Community Garden and then also like finding organizations in your area I would say getting connected online is one awesome way to do it because the great thing about the great thing about this day and age is that a lot of, organizations also have Zoom meetings. So like you could get involved even if you're not in that area. And if you just like have a passion, but maybe they don't have that organization in your close vicinity, then I think that would be a good option. And I think that once you start going to these events, you just start connecting with other people and then ask them what they do.

And I think that's the best way to kind of just like, that's what I started doing like a couple years ago and now I feel like I have a really strong network of like, I could ask this person what's going on, or I am connected to this organization. And then I could see if they're, you know, collaborating with another organization, or maybe we can set up a beach cleanup or, you know, it's just like, it's, the possibilities are truly endless.

So I feel like I'm just rambling here, but it's like, it's really just putting yourself out there the first few times it's gonna feel hard. It's gonna feel like, kind of like, eh, I don't [00:34:00] know. But like, once you get the hang of it, you're gonna start feeling like. This is like, if you truly enjoy that topic or whatever you're, you're doing for your community activity, it could also be like going to like farmer's markets and stuff like that too.

Like that's a good place to meet people and like mm-hmm. Small businesses and like farmers and things like, you know, so I think that that, like, it doesn't necessarily have to be like a volunteering opportunity. I just feel like that's where I feel like very fulfilled afterwards. But like I said, like a farmer's market's a great idea.

Even just like local businesses, mm-hmm. Local businesses have, you know, events all the time and they probably want you to come because, you know, they, they want support. And I think that if you can't necessarily purchase from a small business, the next best thing you can do is support them by sharing on social media about them and or attending the events.

Yeah. So like, there's just so many opportunities that are both virtual and in person and, but I really encourage people just to try to get, get out in person and to do these things. And there's also like, separately from all this, like. Connecting with the community in a government fashion, [00:35:00] like, like being involved in your local government.

I think that's really important. And I don't think it's really talked about enough. And I, you know, federal voting is great, but like, I feel like that's the only election we care about. And besides elections, we need to still be engaging with the local government because that's what we, that's who we're telling what we want.

Like, that's what's gonna impact you first is like whatever's happening in your local government. Like for instance, right now. My coral reef, the coral reef that I grew up diving on it just became an aquatic preserve. So like that's a huge deal where it's basically like now being managed by the state and it's being protected, and it's something that hasn't happened before, which is so cool.

But now they're opening up meetings to the public, and actually there's a meeting tonight and there's a meeting tomorrow, but it's meetings to get the public's opinion basically on how we should proceed with management and get like, feedback from everybody. Because these are people who in the community are divers, business owners you know, kids that like to go to the beach, anything, people who all recreate in this area, we should have a voice.

And luckily we do the the Department of [00:36:00] Environmental Protection in Florida is making it, feasible by like creating these events and meetings for us to come out and talk to one another, and then also talk to them and tell them what we want to be seen. Because I think that a lot of the, the pains that we're feeling in this day and age have to do with us, like not engaging with our local government, and then like our local organizations, our local small businesses.

So I think that like, once you start going out, you're gonna start seeking all these like, random connections that like everything is, is connected and if impacts one another. So if you, if none of those other things interest you, becoming an engaged citizen through civic engagement is so important and it honestly makes a huge impact.

And as far as sustainability goes, I think that's one thing that I would recommend to everyone is to just like, start emailing your representatives, your senators, call them, you know, explain why things are important to you and why it's impacting you as a citizen. Mm-hmm. Getting off that. So, [00:37:00] no, that was great.

I mean, I think that a lot of people wonder where to get started, and that was so many great examples. I think that that's something that I feel like I have been doing more is just like having these like random conversations and because like I'll go to a lot of like, you know, thrift stores or vintage markets or flea markets or anything like that.

And it's like having conversation with the like owner of the booth has led to like so many great conversations, so many great connections where later I'll like be able to go and check out their actual like vintage collection that they have. And so it's, or like, I don't other opportunities, but that was just an example that actually happened.

Or like making friends with them and stuff. And so it's like, because I just kind of, you know, put myself out there and was like, Hey. So like, do you have a store? How'd you get into this? Whatever. It led to other things and I think that that's something that like, we don't do enough. We don't [00:38:00] do as much as we used to, obviously.

Like mm-hmm. We, COVID happened. We're a lot more on our phones. We, we don't go out as much. And that, that's what a conversation I've been having a lot recently where it's like, I think that things are super accessible to us and they're arguably too accessible to us where we can go on Amazon or something and we can get it delivered to our house the next day.

But have we ever thought about the fact that like, sometimes I can just drive down the street and, or like look up the thing I need near me and find a store that has it and I, like I for my. Boyfriend's birthday, he really likes key lime pie. And I was like, pioneer me, key lime pioneer me. And I literally found this like adorable bakery, that's all also a coffee shop.

And because I had done that and it was like five minute drive away from me which in LA is like nothing. I was like, oh my God, five minutes. And now I have like a coffee [00:39:00] shop that when my friends come and they love their coffee and I'm like, oh my God. Like let's go to this fun little coffee shop.

And had I not done that, I wouldn't have found the coffee shop. I wouldn't have supported a small business. I wouldn't have even known it existed five minutes away from me. And so it's like, doing those things, I think, or, or even, I think a really fun example that I've been seeing a lot of lately is like my, I've been really into like crafting and my friends are really crafty and instead of going to like, you know, a Michael's or whatever store, I'll just look up like craft stores near me.

And they are, they're. So many cute stores, and now that I just like looked this up, I've been able to go to so many cute stores, or again, like my friends are super crafty and when they come into town I'm like, oh my God, I have a place that you're gonna absolutely be obsessed with. And so it's like not only is it supporting a small business and finding something new and learning my area more, but it's also objectively [00:40:00] more convenient because I can literally, yes.

I don't even have to wait till the next day for Amazon. I can just go right to a store. I, I love that perspective so much and I totally agree with it. It's like, it's just a better experience all around. Yeah. Like, I don't know why we got into this like, sterile convenience culture of like, everything needs to be like Yeah.

It's got, it's really boring actually. And I think that's, it's come with a lot of dissatisfaction, like, like human dissatisfaction. Yeah. We're just not happy and we're, you know, depressed because we're more disconnected from each other. Yeah. And I love that you like, decided to look for small businesses instead of just like, yeah, going to a Michael's 'cause that's the easy route or whatever.

But I think that that's all it is. It's like taking a moment and like having some intention behind your purchasing, behind your choices, and. I'm glad we're on the same wavelength with like you know, like not going to Michael's and going to like a local craft store. I wanna also add to that there's also like there's a place called Resour Resource Depot near me, and it's basically like a, like a secondhand [00:41:00] craft store.

But that also like, has a so many events and it's basically like an upcycling station, but it's like, you know, a huge location. It's a nonprofit, but they basically, it's like a workshop for you so you don't have to like, do things at home. You can go to this community place and do art together and, and it's just so many amazing ways to get involved and, and experience your local community in a different way.

It's, yeah. Yeah. Can I, I'm sorry. I just wanted to add one other thing too to what you said before because you had said having to buy like key lime pie. I thought you were gonna say buying a fiscal item. I was gonna say a, a Facebook marketplace or your a buy nothing group is like one of the best ways to like, meet people and like, you know, like get, and then kind of like just directly provide those goods to your community rather than like, you know, dropping it off at a goodwill and mm-hmm.

You know, what's gonna happen to it, it might end up in the landfill, whatever. Like this is going to somebody who's going to actually use it and, or you might meet somebody cool in the process, you know? Yeah, yeah. Same with even just clothes. I mean, I have a [00:42:00] very, very long process before I ever just like take something to a goodwill where it's like I, 'cause obviously, obviously I will always encourage you instead of just throwing something out to like, yes, take it to a goodwill or something.

Never. Throw out your clothes, please. Unless obviously it's like underwear, but even then I have a better solution for you. But it's like, I'll, I'll go through a whole process where I list things on secondhand sites, whether it's eBay or Poshmark or Depop or whatever. And then if it doesn't sell, I'll take it to like a Buffalo Exchange or a Crossroads or any of those places that kind of, like, they'll, they'll pay you for your clothes.

Mm-hmm. And they're much more curated. And so they, you know, it's not, it's different than just dropping it off at a Goodwill and then if it's still good stuff, but it hasn't sold or. Crossroads since they are super curated, didn't want it. I'll like make thrift bundles for my friends of pieces that I think that really like [00:43:00] resonate with them and are their style.

And all of my pieces are still high quality. It's just not necessarily my style or I haven't worn it in the past year. And then once I do that, and if they don't want it, then I'll take it to like, I have a trashy subscription, which they'll like recycle it and turn it into like stuffing for your couch and stuff.

And then if I ever take something to like a Goodwill, it's because I think it could be resold, but obviously after my entire process of things, it's like, it hasn't resold, but I still think it's a, a good quality piece. It's just like maybe not in style anymore and that's why it's not selling. And so then I'll, then I'll take it to a Goodwill, but I always like, I, I organize the pile of like.

Is this gonna actually resell? If it's not gonna resell, then maybe it goes to my trashy bag. But I think that that's definitely, I mean, you can do it like you were saying with like furniture and just things that you have or my dog well, too is, yeah, my [00:44:00] dog is Pee Pad trained and that's something that just because I lived in downtown Los Angeles for like a long time and it wasn't safe to walk her at night.

And so she's Pee Pad trained. And so we always are buying fricking pee pads and someone had just left a bunch because I guess their, their dog is no longer poop padd trained. And they just left it in the a apart in our apartment complex. And I was like, oh my God. Like this is a lifesaver. And I know in New York there's like an Instagram account where it's like.

I can't remember the name of it, but it's literally for like, things that have been just dropped on, like the sidewalk. And if you wanna go pick up something cool for free, like here's a good item. And so I definitely encourage people to Yeah. Like be a part of that. That group, I just got a really cool, I've been looking for like a, what's it called?

A headboard for like, ever that's like actually my style instead of just a headboard. Anyone. Yeah. And I found a super cute one on Facebook marketplace and I drove like 15 minutes and I brought [00:45:00] my boyfriend and we had a little adventure and now we have a, a headboard and so it's so freaking cute. I love that.

I, yeah, my whole apartment, my, like, everything, honestly, everything I have for the most part is. Secondhand. So like, I'm, it's, I honestly love my furniture more now than I did when I bought everything new. Mm-hmm. And, you know, years ago I did buy everything new, like Ikea, whatever. And I just feel like now I actually love these pieces rather than feeling like they're just functional.

They're just like, you know, it's, I've curated it over time and I love your process for clothes and like, not, not just going straight to goodwill. I love how you have a process and, and it's, it's very selective and very intentional. And I think that if I wish I could have that process blaring into like all the Zaras and all Yeah.

You know, like all the fast fashion places. I just wanna be like, which we're really dogging on Zara, but I like all of them. I just feel like, like, please, like don't, first of all, don't throw it in the landfill because that's crazy. You know, there's so many other options to get there before [00:46:00] you get there.

Mm-hmm. So, and please don't get there. Yeah. I think even, I mean before that process of getting rid of something like two is. The intention when you're buying something in order to, you know, hopefully not have to get rid of it immediately after you buy it. Which often, I feel like is our process now with like, the rise of fast fashion and how we think about things and trends and micro trends is like, buy something 'cause of the trend and then where it wants and get rid of it, unfortunately.

And so I think, like for me, and, and this has been a journey and definitely did not happen overnight, but I feel very content in what I have in my closet. Like, I, I go to thrift stores all the time because I find peace in thrift stores. And it's like, for me it's like that touching grass is like touching like the clothing racks at Arif store.

But I think like. Really when I, when I look at a piece and I'm going to buy a [00:47:00] piece, I'm like, if I leave here am is this something that's gonna like haunt me for the rest of my life that I didn't buy? Is this something that's practical? Am I gonna wear it all the time? What am I gonna wear it with?

Where am I going to wear it to? Like, for me, I really want the pieces in my closet to be, for the most part, forever pieces and pieces that I'm really gonna take care of, that I want to keep forever through every trend. And so, because that's my goal, I feel like I'm very selective about the pieces that I buy now.

And I think before even having to go through the process of like selling things and doing a closet clean out and whatever, and the only reason I feel like I have so much right now to get rid of is because I. Feel like I have so much stuff that I'm just like, I actually don't, I want it to be even more selective than it is now.

But I think that we need to rethink when we're also just buying, not only how we're getting rid of something, but also like when we're buying [00:48:00] it, how long are we gonna keep that, where are we gonna wear it too? What are we gonna wear it with? And so on and so forth. I totally agree. And if we could all just do that, I think that would be, it would change everything.

Yeah, it would, it, it really would. We need to change our mindsets. We need to change some, we need to change, we need to get out there, speak about legislation. We need to talk to these brands about changing their mindsets. But I think all of these conversations, you know, lead to bigger and better things, and that's, that's all we can hope for.

Exactly. Well, I always, and I think we've talked about literally so many tips but I do like to always end the podcast on what are your top, like, rapid fire tips for someone who's starting their journey to a more sustainable lifestyle. Okay, so let's maybe start with easier ones and then we get progressively harder.

So easy, low hanging fruit habits. I would say start with like intentionality. Before you buy something, ask yourself, do I need it? What's [00:49:00] gonna happen to it when I'm done with it? You know, like things like that, like before and you know, this obviously doesn't have to do with things like food and stuff like that, but I think even thinking about what the packaging is before buying it is important.

I understand that like we all don't have the ability to choose a certain kind of packaging, but like if you're just like aware that's like, okay, what I'm done with this packaging, it's going to be thrown away. Just being clear about that. Another tip is like refusing single use plastics. So I'm, I know in California it's much better, but like in South Florida or in Florida in general, we have plastic bags everywhere.

I know most of the country does. So instead of going to the grocery store without, you know, bring your reasonable tote bag for sure. But you know, sometimes I don't bring the, I forget one and I'm going getting just a couple items and they always just put it in the bag and I say, no, thank you. And I literally ask them to take it out of the bag and give it back to me because sometimes I even say it to them before they even bag it and then they just you know, instinctually and have habitually and just bag it.

And I'm like, and then they hand me the bag and I'm like, Nope. So it's really kind of just like those pattern [00:50:00] disruptions, like refusing the single use plastic, really getting, becoming aware of how much single use plastic you're using. Because that's really impacting the environment. And also recycling is not like a, a true solution for plastic.

So like, let's not rely on that. Let's focus on our consumption and bring awareness to like what we're using, what we're buying, and what we're throwing away. I would say from then, it's like contacting your elected officials. I would say. You know, calling them is the best thing always, including your zip code or your city that you're from, because that's how these calls are logged, at least for our federal representatives as far as like rep state representatives and state senators.

Like that's what they're logging. Additionally it's, you know, going to these community events composting, finding a local composting service near you, I think is a great way to be sustainable and not break the bank. Also, it's pretty affordable. And also if they, if you don't have like a composting service [00:51:00] near you, maybe you have a community garden that offers composting.

Some cities, like in California, I, I'm sure that there's curbside composting available too, you know, but I'm in, I'm in a place where they don't have that. Mm-hmm. So if you are also that place as a listener, like that's a good place to start. Also just being mindful of resources. Back to that awareness, turning off the water when we're brushing our teeth, turning off the water when we're washing the dishes.

Using the dishwasher instead of washing dishes, being like, you know, not letting it run. I just see some people that I consider themselves to be sustainable and then I see them running the faucet and I'm like losing my mind as the faucet is running. And I'm like, 'cause I try, I try not to be so imposing in my personal life and be like, sustainability, everything.

'cause nobody wants to be around that person anyway. But, you know, just being mindful of what we're using and how much of it we're using. And our ways overall, like turning off the lights, like you mentioned. It's like really just being like being mindful of our resource management. Some other tips, carpooling all obviously it's a good thing.

Like if you can go down to one [00:52:00] car per family, I would advise it. My, that's what we did. We used to have two cars now. I just sold my car back in 2021 and it makes life simpler. I also work from home, so if you work from home, that could be something you could do. There are so many other topics. I am ocean conservation.

Switching your sunscreen. Focusing on. Collection cleanups, like any kind of community cleanup. It doesn't have to be a beach cleanup or coastal cleanup. Mm-hmm. Any kind of community cleanup is affected. And even if you're just going for a walk by yourself, it doesn't even have to be part of an organization.

You can do clogging. Yeah. Where people run and collect trash. I like to do the plot ploting or whatever they call it. It's basically like walking and plugging, like, you know, collecting trash while I walk 'cause I'm not a runner. And things like that. Like really just, it's, it's more about being mindful than anything and then you add these habits onto your daily life, making things from home from scratch instead of like, like.

Or, or go to a bulk refill store to buy your dry goods rather than [00:53:00] like just buying them in plastic bags. You know, it's, it's things that are available to us, but they're kind of like hidden in plain sight. So sometimes, like it's, it's really just becoming more aware that these things exist around us. And even just like you mentioned, shopping secondhand, that's so impactful for the environment.

And it's one of the easiest things we could do because honestly, a lot of the things nowadays are so low quality. Buying secondhand ends up being a better bang for your buck. Mm-hmm. In the long run, everything's higher quality. Most of the things that are higher quality that were, you know, older and already used by somebody else.

So there's so many advantages to buying things secondhand. Also shopping small rather than shopping with mega corporations. So like, again, bringing back that intentionality and also where like where your money is going is what you're supporting. So obviously do it within reason. Like, don't, you know, we all have to like put gas in the car, unfortunately, and things like that.

But. Just doing what you can with what you have available to you. And there's so [00:54:00] many more, but I honestly can't think of it. So you can find it on my page, I guess. Yeah, exactly. Well, I think that those are such great tips. I think it's so interesting to me 'cause like obviously I live in California and like we have the bag tax here and I've had situations where like people, they'll, they'll be checking me out at the register or whatever and they're like, do you have bags?

And I'm like, oh, I forgot them in the car. And they're like, oh, well you can go grab it. Like, we have time. And I'll go and I'll like go get my bags. And then I go to Florida where my parents are living. There's no bag tax, and it'll literally be like one piece in a plastic bag. Like they'll, we'll have a ton of groceries.

Oh yeah. And they'll put one thing in a plastic bag, and I'm like, what? What like, amount that's working. The amount of plastic bags that get used. Oh yeah. In just Florida is so crazy to me because I'm like, 'cause there's no bag tax. [00:55:00] So it's like, it's just like whatever. Like we can just put the bananas in the one bag and like call it a day.

And I'm like, no, no, no. Like first. I'll try to carry as much as possible, or my parents, please bring your bag, or whatever. Mm-hmm. But then if we like, you know, have to use bags, I'm like, just stuff as much as possible into one. Like, it's okay. Like, I'll, I'll make two. Yeah. I, I totally agree with you and I, yeah.

It's so funny to think about the different. Like perspectives of everyone in the country, you know? But definitely between us two. But like, I mean, everyone has a different experience and that's why like, I try to speak from that point of view, but also I'm in a fortunate and unfortunate position of being like in a place that's not, does not pri prioritize sustainability like California does.

So at least I get to tell people, like, there are so many ways to like, refuse it or like break that cycle because yeah, like people will just mildly Lily mindlessly bag it without even thinking and I've already asked them not to give me the bag. So it's just like, it's a whole thing. But you know, we [00:56:00] persist, we yeah, we do.

Exactly. Well, awesome. If people wanna get more tips or just learn about where you're, what you're doing, what you're up to, or learn more from you, where can they find you on social media? Anywhere. Yeah, on social media, I'm most active on Instagram, so you can find me at Go Green with Alexa. And same thing for YouTube.

I am working on some long form this year, so catch me on there and the same thing. Go green with Alexa and you can also find me on my website. Go green with alexa.com. Amazing. Well, thank you so much for coming on today and chatting about sustainability. It was so great speaking with you. Thanks so much, Lexi.

 While you're at it, you can follow me on my socials, my Instagram, TikTok, and YouTuber. All my name at Lexi Silverstein.

That's Elliott y. So like the color, S-T-E-I-N. And remember to live a good life and look fucking good doing it.