Celebrating Earth Day with the Jolly Green Goddess

by Jessica Spillane

Here at RUiN, we are committed to making the Earth a more eco-friendly place. Individuals and small businesses are doing the most that they can to make sure they are leaving a low carbon footprint to help take care of the Earth, but the tasks when looking at the bigger picture can be daunting for beginners. We reached out to Jessica Spillane, a Lasell University alum working in the fashion industry in Boston. Since her time at school, she has been working vigorously to ensure she is doing all that she can to promote a sustainable lifestyle. She captures this lifestyle on her Instagram page, @jolly.greengoddess an,d shared her sustainable lifestyle journey with us:

I’ve been recycling for as long as I can remember. It was always just something my parents taught me to do and I never really thought about why. The first time I went thrifting, I was a freshman in college. I didn’t go for sustainability reasons, I went because it was a fun way for me to get inexpensive and unique clothing.

I never fully understood or even thought about sustainability before college. I’m not sure why, it was just something that wasn’t talked about around me. In my junior year, that changed when I took an ethics class. My professor brought us to the “village,” which is an elderly home that was attached to our school. He asked a few of the residents to join us and have an ethical discussion. The topic was “the environment and sustainability.”

That conversation just really gave me perspective into what is wrong with the world. I left that class feeling so inspired but also so scared. I was scared because if I didn’t understand the meaning of sustainability, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

From then, I made it my goal to educate myself and others around me. I’m not an expert but I continue to read articles, listen to podcasts, take classes, etc. I’ve made big changes in my life like becoming a vegetarian, composting, and only shopping secondhand. I don’t expect everyone to make huge changes all at once but it’s easy to start small! Using reusable bags, cups, Tupperware, etc, is such an easy way to reduce plastic waste!

During quarantine, I was trying to think of a way to connect with other people, give them tips, and have them give me tips. I started my Instagram account @jolly.greengoddess to do just that. I post as often as I can to share tips and tricks to live a more eco-friendly, sustainable lifestyle. Being a vegetarian, I occasionally post vegan/vegetarian recipes and products. For earth month I have been posting eco-tips every day on my story that I will save as a highlight! I also share products that I enjoy using, that are eco-friendly or plastic-free! Anything I think my followers will enjoy and respond to.

I am always looking for advice and tips from my followers and I hope to hear from you soon!

Happy Earth Day!

You can keep up to date with Jessica on her Instagram, @jolly.greengoddess.