Newton Mom Makes Green Living Easy and Fun

When Newton resident Susan Hunt Stevens learned that her son had a variety of allergies -- many of which were food related -- she began going through everything in her cupboards, reading the ingredients and becoming more aware of what was on the ingredient labels.  

From there, Stevens started to become more eco-conscious and started working hard to learn how to make her life more sustainable. Eventually, she would go on to start Practically Green, a new website that teaches people and families how to live greener, more sustainable lives. 

Stevens and her family moved to Newton from the South End in 2007 and chose to turn their house, which was built in 1896, into a a green home.  It has dual flush toilets, a microcogeneration system, many CFL light bulbs and more.  Stevens also worked to meake her home toxic-free and sustainable.  

Stevens ultimately attended the Sustainable Design Program at Boston Architectural College, quit her job at Boston.com, and started Practically Green.  

Practically Green began as a blog, but in 2010 it evolved into a website that serves as a fun, inspirational, and educational tool for those interested in greening their lifestyles.  Users can check off which green things they do in their lifestyle and see what their friends are doing as well.  When you incorporate various green practices into your life, you can receive badges.   Stevens says that the site is a way to "use your friends to make the journey easier, faster, and more fun."

"Practically Green helps motivate and inspire people to make changes that are right for them and celebrate their accomplishments," Stevens says.  

In its short life, Practically Green has gained incredible popularity; it currently has over 1400 Facebook fans and even partnered with NBC's "Green is Universal" week.

Stevens loves living in Newton, a community she feels is very green and easy to live in while trying to maintain a sustainable life.  From single-stream recycling to the farmers markets and two Whole Foods locations, it's a great place to raise a green family.

"I appreciate what Newton does to make things green and accessible," she says.