SISTAIN Team Members Talk Imperfect Progress
By Ella Hackworth
Image: Folchi Creative
Image: Folchi Creative
JACLYN TRACY, FOUNDER
What sparked your sustainability journey?
A sustainable, conscious mindset was a seed planted in my head years ago that continues to grow. It was college when I woke up to the problems our world faced—environmental damage, broken food systems, marginalized populations. My brother, Steven George, at the time was working on living a positive eco-footprint life. Still to this day, Steven lives off the grid with his wife and their four children in a very small, two-room cabin in Minnesota.
I realized then that adults didn’t have all the answers and far from all the solutions. In college, I worked at a nonprofit and a second-hand designer resale store way before this was a super trendy thing. And I set out to change the world.
What sustainability habits were the easiest to implement into your daily routine?
Gardening came the most naturally to me because I loved caring for houseplants before I started my first garden. There is something really magical about creating, nurturing and harvesting your own food.
But it was also more about simply shifting my mindset to be more conscious. Now everything I purchase I think about the impact and research the most sustainable options before I make a purchase. I don’t buy fashion brands that are not SISTAIN approved—kicked all my Target impulse fashion purchases to the curb.
What are your areas of imperfection?
I use an electric toothbrush. I am really prone to cavities and I eat a lot of (dark) chocolate so my dentist recommended an electric toothbrush. I also cheat on my diet when I travel or on special occasions. Regularly, I don't eat meat (other than chicken) for environmental reasons. But on vacation or on special occasions, I cheat. I'll have a little steak at Christmas dinner or once in a blue moon I'll eat a burger.
I struggle with packaged foods — such as frozen blueberries, granola, raisins, nuts. Pre-covid I was beginning to address these issues by bringing my own containers into stores that I could fill via their bulk system. I hope to get back to this soon.
What are your sustainability goals for the future?
My personal intention is to reduce the harmful effects of consumerism. Success to me is in the collective impact, getting a whole group of people to change their behavior by committing to choosing sustainable brands, less waste and imperfect progress.
Image: Dev Fogle
NATALIE PANTALOS, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
What sparked your sustainability journey?
My mom! I always thought she was just frugal but realized how so much of her lifestyle is sustainable. This lady used cloth diapers for three kids (yikes)! I also started thinking more about sustainability when I got a cat. I didn't want to use products in my home that could harm her. That got me thinking about how I can limit my own exposure to harmful substances and be more sustainable.
What was your most recent sustainable swap?
My biggest switch recently has been to sustainable towels (hello, Parachute) and bedding (loving Ettitude bamboo lyocell). They feel luxurious and I like knowing that I am literally wrapped in eco-friendly materials. I've also started trying to reuse store-bought food containers instead of just recycling them. Let's just say there are a lot of random foods in pickle jars in my fridge.
What is one of your biggest challenges?
I work out quite frequently and end up washing a lot of non-natural material clothing. As my leggings and sports bras wear out, I look forward to investing in more sustainable choices.
What are your sustainability goals for the future?
I'd like to learn more about what to do with old electronics and batteries. Also, growing an herb garden! I don't have much space or a yard but the SISTAIN conference room has some big windows...
Image: Rio Arias
What sparked your sustainability journey?
My sustainability journey came from the desire to consume less - I was obsessed with trends, trying new clothes and used to have lists of new things I wanted to buy or try. I also was disorganized and spent hours cleaning and it never felt like a good fit. When I was junior, I roomed with my best friend & sorority sister who was a minimalist. She could unpack all her dorm belongings in an hour with her parents and her life was so much cleaner and simple. After two years of living together I decided to take the plunge. I got rid of (not exaggerating) at least 10 trash bags of old clothes, tons of decor and things I didn't need anymore. I figured out how to hone in my own personal style and approach shopping with a "Do I need this? Can this replace something I already own?" mindset.
As I began to read more about minimalism, most minimalists learned to care for the earth in the process of downsizing. Then realized a minimal lifestyle was intertwined with a sustainable one, and by reusing things you have and supporting small brands with your purchasing power, you could have an even greater impact. And likewise, most environmentalists eventually conclude a lifestyle of less is the most effective. The two go hand in hand, and it was an opportunity to learn more.
What sustainable habits were the easiest to implement into your daily routine?
I love thrifting as a hobby and have gotten quite good at it. I also get a lot of my clothing by offering to look through bags of things my friends no longer use or are considering donating. I have a pretty effective closet and usually add about one piece a month, including things given to me. Cooking is another good one for me because my parents raised me to never waste food, plan your meals, and that packing meals is a great way to save money and be healthy. I also use a lot of reusables, make my own drinks instead of buying them, and bring my reusable water bottle everywhere I go.
What are your areas of imperfection?
My worst area is easily beauty - while I've condensed my products a little they are all packaged in plastic, and I definitely value the quality or price point of the item more than the waste it creates. I don't like bar shampoos for my curly hair, and I use plastic flossers and an electric toothbrush for better cavity prevention. I also eat tons of protein bars wrapped in plastic and my favorite tea is the Trader Joe's Winter Wake Up Tea - it's the best boxed chai I've found and I buy 3 boxes at a time. Every tea bag is individually wrapped in plastic, but the plastic that covers a tea bag is less than a Starbucks cup!
Fashion-wise I believe the most sustainable thing is what you have (!!), but I realized almost all my dresses are made of polyester.
What are your sustainability goals for the future?
I want to discover new ways to buy food with less plastic - especially produce and loose tea because I think starting there is easiest. I have a lot of shoes, but as they wear out I've been eyeing more sustainable options like Veja sneakers and Aloha boots. I also want to grow a summer garden, but I've been going through it with my house plants (all plants are high matinence if you have more than 5) so hopefully my hands won't be full. As I run out of beauty products and basics like underwear and t-shirts, I would like to find sustainable alternatives. I'm trying a shampoo packaged in aluminum now, and looking to try Hibar, a shampoo bar that isn't soap based.
Image: Natalie Folchi
ELLA HACKWORTH, BRAND MANAGER
What sparked your sustainability journey?
I grew up in a very sustainable household. Composting, gardening, as little plastic as possible. My parents have always been my role models in that sense. However, I didn’t take full control over my own sustainable journey until I began consuming less, but better. Once I took a look at my wardrobe, quit fast fashion and began taking a more mindful approach to my wardrobe, sustainability trickled into other areas of my life.
What sustainable habits were the easiest to implement into your daily routine?
Beauty and fashion were the most natural switches since that’s where I was the most avid consumer and began to reevaluate my purchasing choices. But since that took off, my sustainability practices have become more in depth. It began with our weekly trips to the farmer’s market and escalated to reusable bags and we have started gardening ourselves. Now we are even joining our local compost program which easily fits into our lives because each time we go to the farmer’s market we take our compost bucket.
What are your areas of imperfection?
Two words. Paper towels. The kitchen is still where I am struggling, paper towels specifically, because other paper towel replacements get dirty so quickly. In my opinion, they seem the most “sanitary” but are definitely an item we need to figure out a logical system to replace.
What are your sustainability goals for the future?
My biggest goal right now is maintaining our gardens and compost system. Eventually I’d love to be able to compost right in our backyard and be able to feed our garden with the compost. I also would like to become a more sustainable pet owner. We run through so many pet products in our home that aren’t sustainable (the kitty litter and dog toys especially) and I’d love to work on creating processes that work for our lifestyle.
Image: Lauren Anne Photo
EMMA PEUGH, VISUAL DESIGNER
What sparked your sustainability journey?
Definitely when I learned about the negative effects of animal agriculture and mass production of meat on the environment. This drove me and my husband to adopt a (mostly) vegan lifestyle. It trickled into other areas of our life because once we realized the damage of the carbon emissions released, we wanted to take control of our personal environmental impact.
What sustainable habits were the easiest to implement into your daily routine?
Gardening was the easiest! My husband and I grow seasonal veggies every year (spring, summer and fall crops). It also became easier to buy less in general because of our interest in minimalism. Now, with a baby on the way we are being even more mindful of our purchases to ensure we aren’t exposing him to harmful chemicals in every day items such as food, clothes, and cleaning supplies.
What are your areas of imperfection?
Definitely still fashion. I mostly choose to support slow fashion brands but I still make an occasional fast fashion purchase with the intention of keeping it for as long as it will last. It has proven to be a huge challenge with a growing baby bump. Although I may not always be purchasing slow fashion I always keep in mind the functionality and versatility of whatever I’m buying.
What are your sustainability goals for the future?
I have always said I want to grow all of our own food and ave our own compost system to utilize in the gardens! Since we do eat eggs, having our own chickens is a goal of ours, too. I would love to be able to have a fluffed up capsule wardrobe consisting of all slow fashion pieces.
