Small Green Business Pushes Environmentalism For “The Rest of Us”

It is impossible to open a newspaper or turn on a TV these days without being inundated with information about the disastrous plight of our environment. Global warming is causing ice to melt, threatening rising sea levels across the globe. The use of highly toxic chemicals is causing dangerous health problems to spread more quickly each day. Undeniably something must change; we must make a change. Implementing a total lifestyle makeover however, can be daunting and according to one green business owner, “paralyzing”. Kimi Chronis, owner of Fish Lips Paper Designs, says it is easy to fall into the trap of believing that environmentalism is all or nothing and thinking if you can’t commit to large scale changes, then there is no point in trying to be green at all. This type of thinking, while common, is “dangerous and unproductive,” according to Chronis.

There are people in the world who are giving up all of the comforts of modern life, using composting toilets and covering their houses in solar panels - all in the name of environmentalism. These activists are surely the dedicated leaders of this critical time. However, the value of the major changes made by these few cannot overshadow the importance of small changes made by the masses, or as Chronis likes to refer to it, “The Rest of Us”. “Most people are not financially, physically or emotionally prepared to make extreme changes; these people make up ‘The Rest of Us’,” says Chronis. Her belief is that every single environmentally responsible thing you do, no matter how small, is critical. Each piece of newspaper you recycle and each energy efficient light bulb you use will make you a part of the solution. Consider this… the average bathroom faucet flows at a rate of two gallons per minute. If each person in a four person household turned off the faucet for the two minutes, twice a day that they brush their teeth, 32 gallons of water would be saved per day.

It is facts like this that inspired Kimi Chronis to start Fish Lips Paper Designs. “I want to help bridge the gap between designer aesthetics and environmental responsibility and to help people easily implement sustainability in their daily lives.” Jacksonville, FL based Fish Lips Paper Designs creates gift wraps, note cards and blank books all designed, printed and packaged in the USA on 100% recycled paper (minimum 50% PCW) with non-toxic soy inks. In 2009, if each person in the state of Florida wrapped one shirt box size gift with Fish Lips’ green gift wraps, rather than standard wraps made from virgin pulp, more than 21,710 fully grown trees and 9,264,000 gallons of water would be saved. In addition, if every person in the state replaced one greeting card this year with Fish Lips’ 100% recycled cards, over 4,500 fully grown tress and 1,564,000 gallons of water would be saved. This is undeniable evidence of the power of “The Rest of Us”.

For more information on Fish Lips’ green products and additional tips for easy green living visit www.fishlipspaperdesigns.com