Be Cutting-Edge Eco-Friendly. Enter Our#SheSpeaksWasteNot Giveaway

    by   SheSpeaksTeam   

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Aug 08, 2018
604

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!

Beauty & Hygiene

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!

Drinks

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!

Food

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.

And more...

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.

What eco-friendly items do you love? Tell us for the chance to win a gift basket of awesome products, including: the shampoo bar & bamboo toothbrushes, BEAST tumbler and Rubbermaid Brilliance storage containers.

There are three ways to enter:

  1. Comment below by telling us the eco-friendly items you use, or would like to try.
  2. Click here to tweet: "I'm wasting less, becoming more eco-friendly, & entering to win the  #SheSpeaksWasteNot giveaway, thx to @SheSpeaksUp bit.ly/2OSSDJB"
  3. Post a picture on Instagram (worth 5 entries) of your favorite eco-friendly solutions. Use the hashtags #SheSpeaksWasteNot, #SheSpeaks and #entry.

 

*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!

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by gwanita | SAULT S MARIE, MI
Aug 24, 2018

Reusable packaging for lunches and totes for shopping

by gennaShapiro | CANTON, MA
Aug 24, 2018

been using a refiLLabLe k-cup for years now. aLso have a coffee tumbLer that i use everyday for coffee in the AM, then wash out & use for ice water for rest of the day (instead of using pLatic water bottLes)! my mom has been using those re-usabLe shopping totes at the grocery store for YEARS now. They come in handy & we aLways have some in each of our cars! in the mid 90's my dad started an organic furniture company. abSoLuteLy no chemicaLs or pesticides & 100% organic! if interetsed in ANY kind of GREEN or ORGANIC furniture (can custom make anything!) go onLine googLe the company " Furnature "

by elladams | NEW ALBANY, IN
Aug 24, 2018

I use a stainless steel straw and carry one with me when we go out to eat. I only drink water so I don't have to worry about it getting sticky and it came with a miniature brush to clean it. I also bought some fine mesh produce bags to use at the grocery store instead of the single use ones there that rarely be used a 2nd time anyway. The mesh bags can be put in the washing machine.

by DOBIE66 | SAINT PAUL, MN
Aug 24, 2018

I use refillable kcups and eco-friendly cleaners, i find they work much better and get better results

by TZsunshine | Wake Forest, NC
Aug 24, 2018

We keep a bag full of cloth grocery bags in each car trunk so that we do not have to use plastic grocery bagss.

by hdthreviews | FT WALTON BCH, FL
Aug 24, 2018

I would love to try that new bar shampoo! We use steel straws to help also I meal prep so we eat out less.

by basilandcatnip | GARLAND, TX
Aug 23, 2018

When I order something at a restaurant or shop I say in advance anything they can leave off... like don't print a receipt, leave the bag off I'll just carry it, I don't need a lid, I don't need more than 1 napkin.

by mendyd | Tuckerman, AR
Aug 23, 2018

I use my own shopping bags when doing my weekly shopping. They are much better than the plastic ones.

by mendyd | Tuckerman, AR
Aug 23, 2018

https://twitter.com/mendyd/status/1032736571328552961

by deidremelvin | LANGHORNE, PA
Aug 23, 2018

I tend to buy products that I am able to recycle or reuse around the house. I usually do not care for a straw too much, besides the fact that I use it for a toothpick. I also have reusable bags that I can use instead of the plastic bags at the store. Sometimes I do prefer to use brown paper bags because I can use them later for storage or arts and crafts with my son. I would love to try the bamboo toothbrush. Thanks for also reminding me of the idea of using food waste as composting.

by aspendog | CANON CITY, CO
Aug 23, 2018

Food is never wasted in our household. It either goes to the chickens or into our compost bin. I've also made it a personal goal to stop buying bottled water and just bring a refillable container with me everywhere.

by angeloncall | Broomfield, CO
Aug 23, 2018

I use the reusable k-cup already and love it. I use reusable tote bags while shopping. I cut up old cotton clothes and use as rags. I would really love to try out that shampoo bar!! :)

by rosiebaybie89 | DICKSON, TN
Aug 23, 2018

Refillable cups and I bring my own bags when grocery shopping

by eview1 | WAKE FOREST, NC
Aug 23, 2018

i recycle my newspaper, plastic grocery bags and many things. i save the seeds from many fruits. i use the seeds of avocados to make plants. i used a potato to grow a plant. i use energy saving light bulbs both inside and out. i take grocery totes in with me most of the time to grocery stores. i use eco friendly cleaning products and dont use chemical around my house or yard.

by tweetibird | TACOMA, WA
Aug 22, 2018

I love reusable grocery bags and reusable k-cup pods.

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