5 Easy Ways to Reduce Your Waste
Happy Sunday wanderers! In this weeks blogpost I am going to be demonstrating easy changes you can make in your current lifestyle to drastically reduce your waste. The earth is our home and it's important that we respect it and do everything in our power to reduce our carbon footprints. I have seen the trend of "zero waste" exploding across the internet lately. Although I do admire the movement I think "zero waste" it may be too high of an expectation to set for ourselves right off the bat. Ultimately, we all produce a bit of waste one way or another. However I do think it's time we all take responsibility for our waste and make positive changes in our lives to reduce it.
These are my favorite tricks for drastically reducing your waste & use of single use plastic. Stay tuned until the end for a giveaway!
Of course we have all heard that bringing your own bag while grocery shopping and shopping in general is a great way to reduce plastic use. My problem was that often I would forget them or I would end up shopping unexpectedly and be without them on accident.
For me, the key to always remembering is having one of these bags that rolls up and compacts. It is super easy to store a few in your car or purse. Shop here!
Another great way to reduce your waste is to support companies that are taking sustainable initiatives. Both Lush and Pacifica accept back their own product packaging and will recycle it for you! Both are amazing companies with a plethora of vegan friendly products.
Lush even goes so far as to sell most of their products without packaging at all. Learn more about their sustainable initatives here. If you return 5 of Lush's black pots to your local store you get a free face mask!
Pacifica will pay for your shipping if you send them your used & rinsed product bottles. Claim your shipping label here.
"In the U.S., we use 500 million straws a day! That is enough straw waste to wrap the circumference of the earth 2.5 times or to fill Yankee Stadium over 9 times in a year! Now imagine that magnified by global consumption!" -The Last Plastic Straw
A plastic straw might seem so small and insignificant to you but plastic pollution is a serious matter. Take it from someone who works in the restaurant industry, hundreds of straws go out at every restaurant and bar every day and most of them do not end up in the recycling in these fast paced environments.
Buy yourself a sustainable metal straw and keep it with you at all times. Politely order drinks with no straw from now on!
If you are reading this blogpost from Block Island go buy a straw from Persephonies Kitchen, proceeds support island conservation!
If you still use plastic water bottles I am judging you...sorry. At this point I think plastic water bottles are just absolutely inexcusable. It makes me cringe when I see someone who has a case of water in their fridge, what a waste of reasources and your money.
For me, the major game changer was buying Hydroflasks. When I had a simple reusable bottle I was still tempted to purchase plastic if I had a long day just because I love ice cold water.
I recommend buying multiple bottles to suite all of your needs. I love having the canteen style for water as well as a tumbler style one for iced coffees and lattes. I also have a separate cup and straw dedicated to smoothies and a small swell bottle for my carry on while traveling. This is what works best for me. Buy reusable cups and bottles that suite your lifestyle and you will be more likely to use them. If you're at Starbucks everyday, invest in a tumbler or hot coffee cup that matches the fluid oz of your favorite drink size.
Shop here.
Lastly, I recommend making the switch to a bamboo toothbrush as plastic toothbrushes are also a major source of plastic pollution.
"The average person uses 300+ toothbrushes in their lifetime. That's a LOT of plastic waste. Our brushes are made of bamboo, which is one of the most renewable resources on the planet, and are biodegradable. The Bamboo Brush Club also use 100% reusable & recycled shipping materials." -The Bamboo Brush Club
I just switched to a bamboo toothbrushes and have been loving it.
Comment "Me" down below to enter to win one. You must be based out of the U.S. or willing to pay your own shipping. Good luck!
I hope you enjoyed this blogpost. What are your favorite ways to reduce your waste?
Wander often & Wander always,
