Green Mom Interview: Candace Lord

Name: Candace Lord 
Kiddos: Two children, ages 5 and 6. 
Occupation: General manager at The Green Cocoon, Salisbury MA

What do you do to live a green lifestyle?

I have two children, ages 5 and 6. I try to make the kids aware of their impact on the environment. We recycle, with zero-sort recycling. My kids know that a cardboard box goes underneath the kitchen sink where the recycling bin is. I use a timer for when my children brush their teeth in order to conserve water, and make sure that lights and electrical appliances are turned off at night. My children’s lunches are filled with reusable tupperware containers, and never have those individually packaged items. I try to incorporate habits into their lives that include using less waste, conserving water, and understanding what happens when these things aren’t done right.

More specifically, at home we have a dual flush toilet system, and the kids understand how the flushing works. This way, we use much less water in our house! I also have installed a water pressure gauge in the shower, which allows you to turn down the pressure of the water when scrubbing. The kids know that when they are scrubbing with soap, the water pressure should be turned down. Overall, I just try to make it part of our lives, and create habits out of these simple changes.

Do you have any favorite green family activities?

My family doesn’t have cable. We tend to spend time outdoors, bike riding, fishing, rock climbing, and doing yoga. We spend a lot of our time at the Maudslay State Park in Newburyport.

What made you decide to go into this business?

I saw this as an opportunity, and the business itself was an interesting concept in my eyes. I am the jack-of-all-trades, and being the general manager has really let me use this to my advantage. Being part of The Green Cocoon has allowed me to use all my skills.

What are some of the green things you do in your office?

Our office is simple in regards to the technology we use. The concept of reuse is applied throughout management, from reusing folders, to reusing equipment. When something breaks, Jim will dismantle it, and use different parts for other equipment. This alone allows us to waste much less than others, whom would throw away the broken equipment.

More specifically, the toilets in the office have the dual flush mechanism, all of the lights are energy efficient bulbs, and recycling is a must. We went so far as going around to the fifteen other businesses in the building, and allowing them to recycle their waste in our zero sort bins. This way, we know that recycling is occurring. The office has no hot water, which keeps the energy bill lower. And our company vehicle is hybrid. Everything electronic is attached to power-strips, which are unplugged at night in order to save on electricity. In terms of heating the building, we keep the heat dial at a low level, and do not shut it off at night. This saves on heating the building because turning the heat off completely, and then turning it back on in the morning requires much more energy than keeping it at a constant low level.

In terms of business practices, when on site, our trucks run off diesel fuel, and we plug into the person’s home instead of using the energy from the truck. This saves on money, and uses less fossil fuel.

Any green tips you might like to share?

1. Don’t purchase the individually packed food items; instead use tupperware and reusable containers for lunches. 
2. Incorporate dual flush toilets into your home. It saves a lot on water use. Also, installing water pressure gauges into your shower allows you to lower the pressure when not using the water, and thus, saves gallons of fresh water. 
3. If you live within 10 miles of your work, bike! Try doing this once a week when the weather permits. It reduces your impact on the environment. 
4. It’s the small changes in your life that make a difference. Incorporating them into your life, and making them habit it going to make a difference.