Be Groovy, Or Leave Man.

Picture your local coffee shop or tea lounge. Most likely, the variety of people that are there are between the ages of late teens to twenties. Their colorful boho style of dress can be deceiving but not enough to disguise the clearly recyclable coffee cup they just threw in the garbage. A problem often seen in the new hippie culture is a lack of responsibility for the environment.

In many cases, hippie and boho styles of dressing have become a fad, however the hippie lifestyle is not a fad at all. Those who adopt the choice to ignore the environmental aspect of a hippie lifestyle not only are being disrespectful to the culture, but are also damaging the reputation of the hippie culture in general.

Recycling, the most simple of all the environmentally friendly practices to adopt, is the major giveaway when it comes “fake hippies.” They will not at all hesitate to throw the plastic cup previously filled with their organically grown, vegan wheat grass smoothie into the garbage, completely ignoring the usually empty recycling bin right next to it. They claim to care about the environment but pick every beautiful flower they see to post a picture on their instagram, and have a large stash of plastic water bottles in their car.

It is important to remember that hippies are more than just birkenstocks, music festivals, and Internet fame. The hippie culture is focused on saving and loving the Earth, and treating everything with love and respect. Instead of throwing away that smoothie cup, bring your own mason jar. Besides looking creative and “shabby chic,” you will actually be benefiting the Earth. One organic vegan smoothie at a time.

(Be groovy, or leave man. -Bob Dylan)