You may have heard about the current effort to eliminate plastic straws, with companies like Starbucks, Royal Caribbean and Hilton pledging to find an alternative, and cities like Portland and New York City considering a ban on the plastic utensil.
This got us thinking... Are there things we can do to reduce our waste - to really make a difference about the junk we throw away - without drastically changing the way we live our lives?
Check out the ideas we learned about, and enter to win a package (valued at approx. $75) of cutting-edge, environmentally-safe items you'll actually love to use!
You can easily find recipes for homemade deodorant or soap online. While we are impressed with the women who do this, we know that realistically, we barely have time to make dinner, let alone body wash. But we are intrigued by the package-free shampoo and conditioners that are trending right now. They come in bar form so there's no single-use plastic packaging and by all accounts, they work great - some say they are even better than the old stuff. Read on to see how you can win one below!
Another easy eco-friendly switch: items like bamboo toothbrushes, cloth make-up removers and metal razors. They're just as effective as the disposables. Plus, the toothbrushes can be composted, the makeup removers can be machine-washed and the razor blades can be recycled. Try if for yourself: Win a 4-pack of bamboo toothbrushes at the bottom of this post!
Making coffee at home? Don't forget to use a refillable K-Cup coffee filter. According to The Atlantic, 9 billion K-cups were sold in 2014, and most of them ended up in landfills. Reusable coffee filters are much less expensive than K-cups. Plus, you can use whatever coffee you want in them and they are quick to clean.
Getting coffee on-the-go? Instead of a disposable paper cup, bring your own reusable tumbler. Most coffee shops, including Starbucks, will put your drink in your own tumbler and some may even give you a discount. These cups keep drinks colder and hotter much longer than a paper cup. Right now, we're loving the BEAST cup because when we get home at the end of the day, we can just toss it in the dishwasher. Easy peasy. Even better? You can enter to win one below!
We would never tell you not to order take-out (we'd never get through the week without it!) but last time we ordered, we realized how much single-use items we threw away. So we've decided to try ordering one less time per week. Making dinner just one extra time saves us money, helps us eat healthier, and reduces waste, especially if we are mindful about the items we are purchasing.
One way to reduce plastic at the grocery store is to stop buying individually-packaged items. For example, next time you go to buy snack-sized nuts, chips, yogurt or squeezable applesauce, look at how much more expensive those are than bigger containers. Plus, look at how much more plastic is used to wrap those portioned servings. Why not reserve travel-sized foods for only when you are out and about, and not when you are home? For snacks and lunch at work or school, it's quick to package snacks in smaller sizes, such as reusable silicone storage bags, or reusable storage containers like the Rubbermaid Brilliance. They are healthy to use, eliminate plastic baggies that can't be recycled and are dishwasher-safe. Plus, they are part of the package you can win below!
There are also lots of ways to save food waste. Throw veggie scraps into a bag in the freezer and turn them into stock for soup. Or turn food waste into rich dirt and fertilizer by composting. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S dumps about 133 billion pounds of food per year into landfills, which is about one third of the amount of food produced annually. Find out how easy it is to compost here.
The eco-friendly solutions available today are endless. From reusable wrapping paper and shopping bags to rechargeable batteries and solar-powered appliances, it really is easy to eliminate waste. And when shopping, think about what you order online and try to bundle it so less delivery boxes are used.
The key is not to overwhelm yourself. It's not all or nothing. Start off with a few small changes, and then incorporate better living strategies over time. You'll most likely save money, and you'll also feel better about the choices you are making.
*One lucky commenter, Tweeter or Instagrammer will be chosen at random to receive the four items listed above. Giveaway is open through August 26th, 2018 to U.S. residents at least 18 years of age. Entrants must be a member of SheSpeaks. If you are not a member, click here to join. Winner will be notified by email.
Update: Thanks to all who entered. Congrats to our winner, SheSpeaks member VickiCoffey!
Never heard of bamboo toothbrushes. We use eco-friendly cleaners, shampoos, etc.
I would love to try the bamboo toothbrushes!
I like to use stainless steel straws, and love filling up my own water bottle (or drink cup) instead of getting disposable cups. I definitely reserve single-serving snacks and drinks for out-and-about only. Shampoo bars have worked okay for me, but I seem to get buildup after a while.
I use eco friendly brushes, toothbrushes, deoderants, etc. I am a homesteader of sorts as i have a bigger garden than most farmers market people do around here, and I love growing my own veggies, fruit, and herbs. I also make my own healing tonics, and health products. I take all the cuttings and peels of the vegetables, eggshells and coffee grounds and turn them into compost...so we have a perfect circle of life here in the desert!! I am very eco friendly!!
I saw this on the news so it isn't an original idea, but it is good info to know. Don't flush contacts down the toilet because they don't disintegrate just like straws. They build up in sewage systems and have to be cleared. It is like flushing plastic straws.
All of these products look interesting, but I'm particularly interested in the BEAST (we go through plastic straws like crazy in my home and I'd like to introduce more sustainable habits for my family), the Bamboo brushes (again, my family needs more sustainable brushes, no doubt, but until now I hadn't found anything that looked good enough to buy), and the Rubbermaid containers (because we're always using [and losing] poor quality plasticware). :)
The toothbrushes seem like a neat idea,
I am definitely the main recycler in my family and I recycle everything I can. The bamboo toothbrushes are a must try for me! The shampoo bars sound interesting to try as well.
I would like to try the Rubbermaid Brilliance storage containers. We are constant meal planners here.
I like to make my own laundry detergent. It is much less expensive, works just as well as store-bought, and lasts a long time.
We use refillable k-cups and take our travel mugs when we get coffee.
I would like to try a reusable straw. I hate when i see them stuck in animals, especially turtles. I also would like to use a tumbler for my coffee that would keep it hot for hours.
I work very hard to make sure my parents and I recycle all that we can. I use my own cloth bags for the most part when I shop. I use a lot of environment friendly products, but probably could use more. I want to try any available products that will help. There is a lot more I could be doing and I need too.
I use ecobags and I reuse shopping bags!
I am pretty conscientious about ways to conserve. I happen to live in a pretty earth friendly community on Oregon and so eco friendly lifestyles is what we do here. For example, We don't use paper bags (it's banned in our city), most people go to you picks for fruits and veggies, and we tend to buy locally which reduces the carbon footprint. I think having these cool eco products would be a great addition to my lifestyle!