Lifestyle
Say no to plastic straws AND single-use plastic cups! Reusable bottles and straws will make some of the most significant impacts.
Carpool or drive less in general. If you live in a city or suburban setting buying a bike is never a bad investment.
Encourage public transportation!
Opt for LED bulbs instead of the traditional.
Try out solar panels or solar operated devices.
Unplug your devices when they’re finished charging to stop “phantom” energy from being used.
Use refillable soap or zero-waste soap products when it comes to doing your laundry.
Instead of dryer sheets, try out reusable balls for scenting your clothes in the dryer!
Only buy a product once you’re finished with one. One in and one out.
Try to find “tree-free” toilet paper. Toilet paper is one of the biggest pushers of clear cutting forests. Help keep our planet full of greenery!
Switch from a plastic scrubbing brush for hard to clean kitchen dishes and opt for an eco-friendly version such as a coconut scour or a bamboo cleaning brush.
Switch out that soap too! Try a dishwashing block of soap instead.
Keep a set of rags in your kitchen for accidental spills and messes. This will reduce the amount of paper towel waste we create.
Shop with companies that have ethical practices.
If a company does not have ethical practices, request less packaging (i.e. tissue paper, confetti) when buying from them.
Buy from companies such as Camelbak who have lifetime warranty on their products. In this case, water bottles. This way you will buy it once and never have to buy one again!
Buy less in general. Going into Target and accidentally going on a shopping spree is everyone’s biggest fault nowadays, but try to control the habits of overspending. Will you actually use the things that you are buying?
Fix it, don’t throw it away. Whatever it is, try to put in the effort of keeping its use going instead of just buying a new one.
Plant some plants, plant some trees!
Use recycled or recyclable paper for gifts instead of one-use wrapping paper. This is especially important around the holidays!
Be mindful when printing paper.
Donate clothes to thrift shops and thrift some clothes yourself while you’re there. Some things never go out of style, even if it’s ripped it could be the next trend! Save some money and shop for used clothes.
This one could be hard, especially for lovers of physical books. However, read a book on an E-reader before purchasing in real life. This could help with the unfortunate amount of book waste in the world. (Can’t believe that’s a thing… :/)
Bring. Your. Own. Cup.
Say no to trends! If you see it on TikTok ask yourself, “Will I really use this? Or am I just intrigued?” If you’re intrigued, try watching a few YouTube videos or reading reviews on it before you decide that you need it.
Food and Shopping
Plan meals around what you already have and what you need. Know what you have in your fridge before you go grocery shopping. This minimizes food waste.
Opt for loose leaf tea instead of tea that contains plastic tea bags.
Invest in a water filter to stop yourself from buying single-use plastic bottles for convenience.
Bring your own reusable grocery and produce bags to the store to stop yourself from using the single-use ones that they provide.
Keep a pair of bamboo silverware set for when you’re ordering take out and you won’t be eating at home. Say not to single-use cutlery!
Only buy products that come in recyclable materials. I.E. If you need to buy beans, opt for canned beans instead of dehydrated beans in a plastic bag. Instead of buying a soda in a plastic bottle, opt for one in a glass bottle. Glass can ALWAYS be recycled.
Compost leftover raw food if you’re able to. Try to avoid putting it into the trash. Nature loves apple peelings, cucumber skins, and melon rinds! :)
Switch to Beeswax Wraps to help with: aluminum foil waste, plastic wrap waste, single-use baggies waste.
Store your food in glass containers or mason jars instead of the not-so-eco-friendly plastic tupperware.
Pack your lunches in a reusable manner, this can include: reusable lunch boxes with reusable water bottles, beeswax wraps for sandwiches, beeswax baggies for snacks. Keep the waste down!
Switch from the convenience of Keurig and Nespresso machines and go back to the old fashioned pour over methods! This can help in slowing down the pace of your day-to-day as well.
Try starting a small garden in your house. It can be hard, especially if you live in a city setting, but with just a small bit of space you can grow your own basil, rosemary, mint, aloe, and oregano with ease as they’re perfect house plants!
Try regrowing plants from your scrapped food (try green onions as a start). Save the seeds from food such as tomatoes and peppers as well. You can try growing these later on.
Try canning your own food. Anything from jelly and jams to soups and sauces. The ideas are endless and very plausible for anyone to do!
Fill up your plate only half way, if you’re still hungry afterwards go back for seconds and do the same thing. This will help with food waste.
Eat less meat. We’re not saying to go vegan or vegetarian, but the process of the mass meat industry is horrible for the environment. If you can’t go without that pack of bacon every weekend, at least try to get it from a local butcher who may use more sustainable practices.
Buy food and necessities in bulk. Try Sam's Club, BJ Wholesales, and Costso.
Beauty
Opt for bar shampoo and bar conditioner instead of the traditional bottled products. You’ll be saving at least eleven plastic bottles from going into the landfill every year.
Same goes for body wash! Try a Body Soap Bar instead.
Use a safety razor instead of the small disposable razors you can get at the dollar store for cheap.
Don’t buy any more makeup than you use or need! Do you need four different kinds of mascara and eyeshadow pallets? If you think you do, try making your own makeup palette with ColourPop, MAC, or Ulta Beauty.
Switch to reusable cotton rounds and face wipes. This will make a huge difference once it comes to reduce, reuse and recycle.
Switch out your standard plastic toothbrush with a fully biodegradable bamboo one.
Buy recycled jewelry or repurposed jewelry instead of something from Target, Claire’s, or Forever 21. Shop small while you’re at it :)
With love from Sunny San Diego,
VIRON
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How to shop eco-friendly on Amazon: When checking out on amazon.com there will be a recyclable "Amazon Frustration Free" packaging option. Click there! Consolidate your purchases. I.E. Do not purchase the items in your cart until you know you're done shopping for the good foreseeable future. Happy shopping!
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