6 Sustainable Swaps + DIY All Purpose Cleaner Recipe
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It is apparent that we live in a plastic driven world. If you go to any store, you will find many items wrapped in plastic. What do we do with the plastic covering the items we buy? We throw it away. Single use plastic is detrimental to our beautiful planet and the future of generations to come.
A low waste lifestyle is an adjustment to the convenience we are used to. It takes time and dedication to live a more sustainable life. We do not claim to live a complete Zero Waste lifestyle; yet, in our home, we try to leave the smallest ecological footprint as we can.
Sustainability is not getting rid of all your plastic household items and replacing them. It is far more sustainable and cost efficient to use those items to their entirety first. You will be surprised at how much you can repurpose and reuse the items that you already have.
We have put together some of our favorite sustainability swaps that cut out single use plastic waste and offer the added bonus of an aesthetic look.
We welcome you to leave a comment down below if you have any other eco-friendly tips that you would like to share. Please feel free to grab our DIY All Purpose Cleaner Recipe at the end of this blog post as well!
1. Reusable Grocery + Produce Bags
Did you know that Americans alone throw away 100 billion plastic bags a year? It takes 300 years for plastic bags to decompose, even when they finally do, they break down into toxic particles that contaminate our soil, water, and animals. Currently 77 countries have passed a full or partial ban on plastic bags, and in America, only 8 states have adopted the practice.
Reusable bags are a great first step in reducing your plastic waste. You can purchase reusable bags at most stores, or online. There is also a great assortment of produce bags for your fruit and veggies instead of using the single waste plastic produce bags found at most grocery stores.
We recommend keeping your reusable bags in your car as it is easier to forget them if kept at home. When your bags are dirty, they are easy to toss in your laundry.
If you have trouble finding reusable produce bags, we will list some down below for ease of reference.
2. Reusable Straws
If you have seen infamous pictures of sea-animals that have plastic straws in their noses or mouths, then you understand how detrimental plastic straws are to sea-life. Luckily, plastic straws only make up 0.025% of the 8 million tons of plastic ocean litter. (that is still 200,000 tons too many)
You can find reusable straws made from many different materials. This can include: bamboo, metal, silicone, or glass. While there are pros and cons for each material, they are still far better than plastic. You can even find reusable straws for your favorite boba drinks!
Bamboo straws are biodegradable and are great options for people who have sensitivities to hot or cold liquids as the bamboo does not conduct heat or cold. However, they are the hardest of the materials to clean.
Metal straws can be recycled but tend to affect people with teeth sensitives as the metal is a conductor to hot or cold liquids. We recommend metal straws that have a silicone tip to protect your teeth.
Silicone straws are great for the straw-chewer. They are soft, great at not absorbing heat, dishwasher friendly, and do not break down into micro plastics making it a safer alternative for ocean life.
Lastly, glass straws are great because they are non-porous which does not affect the taste of your drink. They can be reused up to a 1,000 times if taken care of properly. The cons of glass straws - well..they are glass, and need to be stored safely when traveling with them. They are also not a good option for the straw-chewer.
3. Reusable Drinkware
Unfortunately 500 billion plastic cups get immediately disposed every year and most aren’t recyclable because they are not cleaned out properly. It takes around 500 years to break down, and as stated above, they break down into micro-plastics that are still harmful to our environment.
Many people have already switched over to reusable water bottles or coffee mugs. If you have not done so yet, there are many affordable options with a multitude of designs.
4. Reusable Utensils
Single use utensils tend to be overlooked when examining plastic waste, but they are the cause of 40 billion to-go cutlery wasted every year.
We know how easy it is to accept or even ask for to-go utensils when ordering take-out. If you are planning to eat your take-out at home, we recommend using your own utensils. If you order food to-go and plan to eat it outside of your home, this is where reusable utensils can be beneficial.
Reusable utensils also come in different materials such as natural wood, bamboo or stainless steel. They usually come in a container or a bag for easy storage and can be thrown in your bag to have on the go.
5. Sustainable and Reusable Food Storage Bags
The Average American uses about 540 plastic food storage bags a year and about 300 million of those bags end up in the Atlantic Ocean alone. There are now sustainable and reusable options on the market made out of silicone and beeswax.
Silicone food storage bags tend to be more popular because they are leak-proof, and easy to clean. they are on the pricey side, yet end up being a great investment.
Beeswax wraps are another great swap because they are both reusable and biodegradable. They are nontoxic and help keep your food (excluding raw meat) fresh for a longer time. These wraps can also be on the pricey side, but are quite easy to make if you have the time and creativity. We will leave a resource down below on how to make them yourself if you are interested.
6. DIY Household Cleaners
Making your own household cleaners has many benefits. Not only are you in control of what ingredients you are using, but the ingredients are also nontoxic, safe for children and pets, cost-effective, eco-friendly, and they are effective.
Creating your household cleaners is easy and very affordable. We welcome you to download our recipe below to learn how to make our favorite All Purpose Cleaner.
Have you already tried any of the ideas above? We hope that you give at least one of them a try. Your sustainability journey will not be perfect and that is okay. Each small step you take towards producing less waste matters and makes a difference. You got this! Thank you for taking the steps to be more mindful of the plastic waste you produce for the protection of our sacred planet.
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As always, we thank you for your support. We wish you love, strength and power on your journey.
Peace.
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