So, I tout living a sustainable and nontoxic life, but I realized that I never wrote a blog post about it! This post is going to hash out all the things I *try* to do in order to live a sustainable and environmentally-friendly life, as easily as possible.
It's the little things...
You don't have to make these drastic lifestyle changes in order to live more sustainably. And in all honesty, you probably already have some habits that are doing more good for the Earth than bad. If that's the case, I give you a giant two thumbs up!
Now, I don't want to be shoving this lifestyle down your throat, but I do feel that it's our duty as the most evolved species on Earth to look after this planet that is in such a state of shock because of our plastic consumption and the amount of trash we have accumulated since the creating of the disposable bag.
*Watch Blue Planet II and you'll get this fire under your a** (just like it did for me) to do your part in saving the planet*
We all have to start somewhere and I truly hope that these small things can help you transition into a more sustainable lifestyle.
This might be an obvious one, but bring reusable bags with you! And I'm not just talking about the grocery store. How many times have you stopped at Target or a drugstore to pick up some small items and didn't even think twice about bringing your reusable bag? For some reason we associate reusable bags only with grocery shopping, but we buy more than just groceries! Tip: keep some bags in your car at all times so you won't forget them at home when you go out!
Speaking of grocery shopping, there are produce bags you can also bring! So, all those loose apples, avocados, brussels sprouts, and carrots will have a bag to go into, and not in one of those flimsy green plastic ones you find in the produce section.
What's great about these produce bags is that they have the weight of the bag listed on a tag so that when you are checking out the cashier will just take off the weight! That means you won't be paying for the weight of the bags, which is a plus.
Once you're ready for a new toothbrush switch to a bamboo one! You know all those colorful and adorable kids toothbrushes you used growing up that were in the shape of whatever cartoon character was popular at the time? Yeah, well that same toothbrush is STILL lying in landfill, waiting for hundreds of more years to decompose... With a bamboo toothbrush you'll rest assured that it will decompose MUCH faster when you're done with it!
Turn off the tap when you're brushing your teeth. My mother used to yell at me to turn off the water while I brushed my teeth because it was "money going down the drain." Firstly, she was right. Secondly, only 1% of the water on this earth is drinkable, and fresh water is turning into salt water at an extremely fast rate. This means that getting fresh water will be a more complicated issue as the earth's population grows, especially with the more frequent droughts occurring globally.
If you're not in the room, turn off the lights! Again, this might seem obvious, but when we turn off lights in rooms we aren't in we save on our electric bill, plus we minimize the amount of fossil fuels needed to create that electricity.
Opt for glass rather than plastic when you can. Yes, glass is heavier than plastic, but there are so many more benefits to using glass! Firstly, there aren't any nasty chemicals leaching into your foods/products when you use glass, like it does with plastic. Secondly, it's easily recyclable when you're done with it, or when it breaks and is no longer usable!
Recycle! If you are using plastic (hello, we all do!) then recycle what's recyclable in your local district! And remember, you cannot recycle plastic bags. Instead, save those and bring them back to your local grocery store, where those bags will be picked up and then made into things like park benches and playgrounds! Cool, yeah?! If you're in Saint Louis and in the city here's a handy reference about what is and isn't recyclable!
Alright, think you can start making some small changes to help our planet? Tell me what you're planning on doing, or already do, in the comments below! I'd love to hear from you!
With love and sincerity,
Liya