Showing love for Pachamama

By Halie Tenor, American Family Insurance sustainability analyst

I’m passionate about the health of our planet and all of its critters. I am a vegetarian, drive a Prius and strive to live a low-waste, low-carbon lifestyle.

I do these things because I believe all people, plants and animals have intrinsic value and deserve to be treated with respect. I have a personal responsibility to do what I can to have a neutral/positive impact on the planet, and I am passionate about teaching others how they can do the same.

I work as a sustainability analyst at American Family Insurance in Madison, Wisconsin. I get to come to work every day and contribute to my corporate responsibility team, whose job it is to help the company be more socially and environmentally responsible. The fact that I work for a purpose-driven company where I get to spend time on what I truly care about makes it easier to live a purpose-driven life in and out of the office.

We all do a lot of things that negatively impact the environment. We use water, land, and energy in wasteful ways. We drive fossil-fueled cars, buy lots of stuff, and create lots of trash. Where would a person even start to make changes? It can be overwhelming.

I think waste is unique, in that it is a good entry point for someone beginning their sustainability journey. It is something you probably interact with every day, and by making little changes here and there, you can lessen your environmental footprint in a big way. Single-use plastics wreak havoc on the environment and are largely used out of convenience and habit.

If the zero-waste/sustainability world seems too overwhelming, don’t worry! Teaching others to shrink their environmental footprint is one of the things I enjoy most. So, here are a few Halie-tested ways to show your love for Pachamama (mother earth) by reducing the amount of waste you produce:

· Replace your bathroom products with eco-friendly versions (example: bar soap instead of bottle soap)

· Experiment making your own cleaning and/or beauty products.

· Give the gift of an experience instead of a material item (examples: go to a concert or cook someone a meal).

· If you need something, see if you can thrift it before buying it new.

· Opt out of junk mail.

· Bring your own containers, jars and bags to the grocery store.

· Make an emergency kit for your car or backpack, prepped with a reusable to-go container, straw, bag, mug and utensils so you won’t be stuck using disposable versions when you’re out and about.

Yes, sometimes it might feel weird being the only one who brings their own coffee mug to the café, bag to the store, or to-go container to a restaurant. But when the next generation looks at our planet and asks, “What did you do?” I want us to be able to say, “Everything we could.”

American Family Insurance sees energy management and conservation as keys to protecting tomorrow’s dreams. Conserving energy and utilizing renewable energy reaffirms our commitment to the environment while also reducing our operating costs, saving resources to better meet the needs for our customers.

Learn more about this work at American Family in our Corporate Responsibility Report.