7 Ways to Be More Eco-Friendly
This year, I definitely have a resolution to be more eco-friendly. I am a sucker for all things in nature (with the exception of scorpions, they are demons that crawl among us), and I’ve always felt a sense of responsibility to do my part in taking care of it. And right now, the world has an ENORMOUS plastic issue! Plastic can be recycled, of course, but depending on where you live, some of your recyclables may or may not actually be recycled. And plastic does NOT degrade easily—it takes 450 years or more. Therefore, the first plastic materials that were made in the early 1900’s are still degrading today! Mind blown, right?
So, instead of moving towards recycling as an end-all solution to be more eco-friendly, a better solution is to focus on the other two R’s we learned in elementary school that come before recycling: REDUCE and REUSE. By reducing the amount of plastic we are using or even pledging to not use any single-use plastics is a HUGE step in the right direction. Also, investing in reusable items in place of single-use plastics, or using organic items that have a compostable life of a year or less will create such a difference, and can also save you some money.
When I first heard about all the switches I could make, I became so eager to fill up my Amazon cart with all the sustainable items I could find. I’ve made a small list, or rather a great place to start if you would like to start the year off with a green thumb.
1. Reusable bags/cotton produce bags
I think we’ve all seen the reusable canvas bags to bring to the grocery store to use at check out. But don’t forget about those plastic bags you put your produce in—those are plastic too. They’re lightweight, breathable, and made of cotton, so they can be thrown in the wash if they get any food residue on them.
2. Bee’s Wraps
This stuff is the bees-knees! See what I did there? In all seriousness, this eco-friendly and compostable product is a wonderful alternative to using plastic wrap to wrap up your food or storage containers. It’s made from organic cotton and beeswax. Wrap your partially chopped foods or open containers up, and use your hands to warm the wax, and it will seal itself. Pretty neat-o!
3. Reusable straws
There are MANY options to eliminating straws from your life for good, as they are very, very bad for landfills as well as sea creatures that eat them thinking they are food. (Honestly, that fact alone goes for all plastics. We love our sea animals). Today, there’s an eco-friendly straw made for pretty much any drink you can think of in so many shapes and sizes: tall straws for your extra-large drinks, thick straws for your smoothies, small straws for your cocktails, silicon straws for easy cleaning and hot drinks, collapsible straws to take on-the-go, and metal straws for…well, because they look freaking cool!
4. Reusable water bottles
If you’re going through this list and trying to figure out where the heck to start, buying a reusable water bottle is a GREAT place. If you thought there were a lot of options for reusable straws…oh man, you are going to have a HAY DAY with reusable water bottles. They sell so many options, I couldn’t even list them all. However, I will say, I would recommend a BPA-free bottle. And, if you like your beverages to stay the temperature that’s most enjoyable to you (your coffee hot, your water cold), an insulated bottle is the way to go. My personal favorite is the Hydro Flask. When I used to live in Phoenix, I would put my ice water in my Hydro Flask, leave it in my car in the middle of day during those long, hot summer days, and come back to quench my thirst with my ice water.
5. Reusable Cutlery
Have you ever gotten those cutlery sets that have a plastic knife, fork, spoon, straw, napkin, and covered in a plastic wrapper? I don’t know about you, but I usually only use the fork, and maybe the napkin. Oh, it just makes me so sad every time a restaurant or food place hands be one of those. But oh wait! The eco-friendly gods thought of just about everything! There’s cutlery travel sets you can bring with you anywhere you go. Every set varies on the utensils it includes, as well as the material they’re made from (stainless steel or bamboo). Have some fun exploring the different sets and find one that works best for you.
6. Bamboo Toothbrushes
Yes toothbrushes! I bet you almost forgot about that little piece of plastic you stick in your mouth twice a day for six months straight. Okay, so maybe this isn’t quite a “single-use” plastic. But this is still a little piece of plastic that adds up to a heck-of-a-lot of plastic when every person uses a new one twice a year. Bamboo toothbrushes are not only compostable but they are so much cheaper than a plastic one. Also, they don’t nearly look as tacky as some of those plastic ones.
7. Silicon Zip Seal Bags
Silicon is taking over the single-use plastic game because it'‘s not only flexible as well as durable, but it can withstand extreme temperatures more than any plastic can. This means that silicon can be put in your oven, freezer, and dishwasher. I’ve slowly been switching out single-use plastics with silicon such as these zip seal bags, but also reusable silicon cupcake wrappers, straws, and slow-cooker protectors. If you’re not sold yet, foods and liquids have a hard time sticking to it, which means it’s extremely easy to clean! Let’s just say there’s a serious love connection.
