Reduce Waste at Home with JoAnne Murphy, Head of Marketing at Tom’s of Maine

We’re all fans of Tom’s of Maine, and we know it couldn’t be what it is today without the people behind the brand. One crucial brand maker is JoAnne Murphy, the head of marketing. JoAnne knows what it means to live green—she not only works for a company that cares about protecting the environment, but she also works to reduce waste at home and encourage sustainable family living. In a fun exchange with JoAnne, she told us a bit more about her life.

The Journey Begins with Family

In the early 1980s, JoAnne had never heard of Tom’s of Maine. She visited a health food store with her uncle and noted with interest that he bought a tube of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste. At that time, she was using a different brand because, as she says, “I liked the stripes.” Like many people, she hadn’t considered that, of all things, toothpaste could have an impact on the earth. But her uncle was ahead of the times, and now JoAnne’s favorite Tom’s product is the Botanically Fresh™ Toothpaste.

Years after her uncle introduced her to the brand, JoAnne was working in a marketing role for another company and searching for a new job where she could, as she puts it, “actually make a valuable connection with consumers.” There are many benefits to working for such an environmentally conscious company, and JoAnne’s favorite thing is what drives the choices. “The decisions we make are based not on making profits but instead on making the right decisions for our consumers, our communities, our children, their children, and our planet. [This] inspires me to replicate that in my personal life.”

And the Tom’s of Maine’s values have led to substantial changes for the Murphy clan. JoAnne tells us that she reads labels more carefully and buys more organic food for her family. As a team, they reduce waste at home and encourage giving among their community and friends. With her children, JoAnne helps out in community gardens, and they all enjoy the outdoors by hiking on local trails.

How to Reduce Waste at Home Like Tom’s of Maine

JoAnne, her husband Ray, and their eleven- and nine-year-old sons work together to practice a more sustainable lifestyle, and she was kind enough to share some of Murphy family expertise on reducing waste.

• Buy juice, snacks, and other packed lunch consumables in bulk, and pack them in reusable containers. You can also use BPA-free reusable water bottles at work, school, and sports practices.
• Reuse single-side printed paper, school notebook paper, and even junk mail response envelopes for printing, making notepads, or just writing a grocery list.
• Never use plastic shopping bags—cloth bags are great for both grocery and clothes shopping!
• Donate or repurpose toys and clothes. Old T-shirts make perfect cleaning cloths that can be washed and used repeatedly.
• Consider using rechargeable batteries in place of standard disposable ones.

A sustainable lifestyle can feel like a big challenge, but JoAne and her family are proof that some simple changes can go a long way. How are you a friend of the planet in your daily life? What great ideas do you have for reducing waste? Let us know on Twitter @TomsofMaine!

Image sources: Flickr | JoAnne Murphy 

This article was brought to you by Tom’s of Maine. The views and opinions expressed by the author do not reflect the position of Tom’s of Maine.