Conversations with Liz Rutledge

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Liz Rutledge.

Thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in the beautiful state of Colorado. Fortunate to live on the west side of Denver, I often had the opportunity to visit the mountains and develop a deep appreciation of nature. I grew up making dandelion wishes and picking fresh raspberries off the vine.

In Denver, when I was growing up, the “Brown Cloud” hovered over the tall buildings downtown, but now, that cloud of air pollution extends from Boulder to Colorado Springs and beyond.

Fast forward to 2001 when I had my first child and, all of a sudden, the health of the planet became more important… my husband and I put another human on the earth who would need the air to be breathable, the water to be drinkable (and available), and food to be healthy. Then, we had two more children in 2003 and 2006.

When our third child was born, we lived in Australia, where people were much more conscientious about their impact on the planet. They line-dry their clothes, compost, recycle, and reduce their impact on the environment. Once back in America, almost five years later, I was stunned to see how little progress had been made in Colorado.

Confused as to why, I took it upon myself to start a blog about sustainable living in an attempt to inspire others who might be seeking motivation to take action where they can. I learned a lot in the process, but the blog never really took off, and I started focusing more on teaching mindfulness to children, teens, and adults. My slogan became “Mindfulness About Our Selves, Our Community, and Our Planet.”

Starting in 2017, I joined my neighborhood Greater Park Hill Community Home Tour and Street Fair committee as the Sustainability Committee Chairperson and, with the partnership of Women in Sustainability co-founder Becky Migas, established a committee and budget for a Sustainability Committee with the intention of reducing waste to the landfill and use the event as an opportunity to educate about sustainable event practices.

The Sustainability Zone at the GPHC Street Fair has become a great space to educate, inform, and connect with attendees.

The 2017 budget included $550 earmarked for sustainability, and as of 2024, the budget is $0 due to utilizing donated compost bins from neighbors for event waste management, water trucks with the utilization of recyclable (and last year, reusable) cups paid for by a grant, etc. I have chaired that role since, and it has been my deep honor to be part of making a difference locally.

Subsequently, I became involved in my children’s huge After Prom event and was the Sustainability Committee Chair for that committee from 2019-2024 (six consecutive years). Again, the Sustainability budget of $1,500 was reduced to basically zero.

The presence of a Sustainability Committee reduced the use of disposable decorations, encouraged the reuse of decorations, and recycled all sorts of supplies, plus recycling of serving ware, reducing single-use plastic, etc. The role interacts with the senior class parents, the junior class parents (the “cleanup crew”), the committee chairs, the Decorations Committee, and the Food Committee.

These are two of the many roles I’ve assumed in the past seven years because I saw where improvement could be made and took action (albeit not perfect because composting and recycling rules are continually confusing and changing).

I don’t have my blog or website for the sustainability work I do at the moment because I’ve been focusing more on making an impact directly in my local community and the mindfulness/resilience/SEL work my business partner, Dr. Cyrina Bullard, and I do.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of the biggest struggles has been that recycling everywhere is confusing, composting and recycling rules and regulations are changing, and it’s way too much work for people to be excited about it!

Just when we got the committee board to use compostable serving ware for the After Prom event that first year, COVID-19 happened, and people were using SO MUCH single-use plastic! Then, the composting rules changed, and the composting company for Denver would no longer accept the plates, cups, forks, knives, spoons, etc., that we had invested in… so we had to pivot!

This year, we wanted to use reusable cups for the event and were told we could get a grant to pay for it (like we had for the Street Fair event last year). The city agency that grants funds didn’t release the application in time, so we ended up using recyclable cups instead. Hurdles like that can be disappointing and discouraging. But it’s a sort of “one step forward, two steps back” process.

Also, I’m super passionate about “zero waste to the landfill,” but most people just aren’t. It’s not sexy, it’s not fun (for most people), and people don’t want to have to think about throwing things away.

But, here’s the thing… there is no “Away!” I’ve been to the landfill, recycling, and composting facilities… that was motivation enough for me! We all need to be doing our part as individuals, communities, and government agencies. But getting people to want to is an incredible challenge.

I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I teach mindfulness to people aged three to 103 to support them in feeling more centered, present, and grounded, as well as in finding ways to reduce stress and anxiety and be more kind and compassionate to themselves and others.

I would say I am known for this gift and talent, as well as for reducing waste in landfills and the negative impact on the planet in general. I am known for “how to meditate” (without it being woo-woo and weird) and “how to recycle stuff.” I can’t tell you how many times people call me or text me asking, “Do you know where I can recycle ___________?”. I am proud of my deep passion for showing up, sharing how I think things can be better…and then putting in the work to make it happen.

My willingness to push for what will make a positive difference in the world.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
I love to travel!

I have an international studies degree and a minor in Italian (and was fluent at one point).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://sustainablehappinesstogether.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/SustainableHappinessTogether/
• Facebook: http://facebook.com/SustainableHappinessTogether
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-rutledge/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOqW_OnUux7nuAzdlK1_0zg
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sustainable-happiness-together-2209111b1/