3 Small and Easy Ways to Be Eco Concious
- Kaeli Leoni
- Sep 23, 2022
- 5 min read
You don't have to be perfect to take care of the environment!
The environmental movement has a bit of a negative connotation around social media these days. While the roots of the movement are intended to teach, it can often come across as generally judgemental to those looking from the outside. There is so much pressure centered around being the "perfect" environmental advocate.
In reality, no one can be a "perfect" anything! An important realization I made was that if you want to become more eco-friendly, that is between you and the environment! We don't care for the environment to get others' approval. You contribute however you can and that is something to be proud of, no matter how big or small.
All that being said, jumping into the movement can still be a bit intimidating. I thought I'd give you 3 easy ways that I tried to be more eco-friendly today that can easily be incorporated into your daily life.
1. Ditch the Paper Towels
You might be surprised how many paper towels you use during the day! My partner is the perfect example. Every time he is in the kitchen it is paper towel mayhem. According to the EPA, paper towel waste totaled 7.58 billion pounds of waste in 2018.
A really simple way of eliminating the extra waste used by paper towels is to start using reusable dishcloths. Several companies make high-quality dishcloths. One of my favorites is Blueland's Cloud Cloth which runs $14 for a 3-pack. They are also compostable!
Choosing to use dishcloths instead of paper towels seems like an easy switch. And it pretty much is, don't get me wrong! But you'd be surprised how many times during the day you want to reach for the paper towels instead to prevent the extra dishwasher or laundry load.
My imperfect suggestion is to have both reusable dishcloths and compostable paper towels on hand. Just make sure the paper towels are actually compostable! This way you can still care for the environment and have an emergency way out when dishcloths don't seem like a viable option.
2. Replace the Ziplocks!
This is one of my favorite switches! Growing up, we used Ziplocks for everything. I probably had at least one Ziplock on me every day in my lunch box going to school. All until Costco had a sale on ZipTop silicone bags, and my whole world changed.
There are so many pros to these bags. For one, they can stand (?!? amazing) so they can easily hold liquids. They are freezer-safe, microwave-safe, and dishwasher-safe. They're also extremely lightweight, which is perfect for when your glass containers are too heavy to carry around. I have never had a situation where I wished I had a Ziplock instead of using my ZipTop bags. Another very popular brand of silicon bags is Stasher. I've never used them before, but I know a lot of people who love them!
When we talk about being an imperfect advocate for the environment, the most important thing we can do is to make sure we are making eduated decisions.
It's important to mention, however, that silicone is not exactly a perfect solution for the environment. It can take between 50-500 years to decompose and its production can be harmful to the environment.
When we talk about being an imperfect advocate for the environment, the most important thing we can do is to make sure we are making educated decisions. Using silicone bags is an educated choice I use to help cut down on my daily waste, one that I feel is a great alternative to plastic!
As of right now, you can get a ZipTop 2-piece bag set for $25, or you can get a 10-piece set for $70 from Costco's website!
3. Water Bottles, Water Bottles, and more Water Bottles
You can literally n e v e r catch me without a reusable water bottle, I'm not joking. I am a water fiend (see pics below). You likely already use reusable water bottles too, so wohoo! Pat yourself on the back for a sec, you're helping the environment already! If you don't, no worries! Let's get you set up with one you'll love.
There are so many benefits to using reusable water bottles. For one, it is estimated that one person with a reusable bottle saves about 1,500 plastic water bottles a year! That's huge! It can also save you loads of money from buying plastic water bottles while you're out of the house (a great hack when going to amusement parks!). Another benefit of using reusable water bottles is that they're usually super well insulated. That means your water will stay cold, or hot, for HOURS! Amazing.
My favorite brands of reusable water bottles are S'well, ThermoFlask, and Hydro flask. They all have several colors, shapes, and sizes that can fit whatever situation you need them for. I have been using all three of these brands for almost a decade and have not had to replace any of them! Just make sure to clean them regularly, of course.
BONUS TIPS!
While most people I know use reusable water bottles regularly, every once in a while I see people opt for plastic bottles. I see this behavior most often in two situations: with the older generations and for trips and vacations. Here are some quick tips to solve these issues.
The first idea is to make a water bottle part of someone's gift! It's perfect for birthdays or holidays, and many of them have cool designs that make it feel like you're giving someone something more than a water bottle. They also can be pricey, which may be why they haven't bought one for themselves yet! I gifted my parents' water bottles that they now use all the time.
If you're on a trip and you're inclined to buy plastic water bottles, here are my solutions. The most obvious one, but arguably the most forgotten, is to drink tap water! I honestly do this all the time. To improve the taste, you can purchase a portable water purifier if you want. Please note that not everywhere has clean and safe to drink tap water (which I know is a big reason why some people need to buy plastic bottles), so make sure to do your research first to see if it is drinkable.
The second option is to buy the giant gallon water jugs instead of the pack of individual plastic water bottles. Just bring your reusable water bottle and fill it up from the jug! You can also do a quick Google and figure out which water brand has the smallest environmental impact and buy a jug from a more ecological focused company.
How Do You Care for the Environment?
These are the ways I caught myself caring for the environment today, but it's not all the different ways we can help! If you have any other small things you do every day to be more sustainable, leave them in the comments down below! And don't forget to share this post to others to learn more about being eco-friendly!
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*NONE of the links to the products I have talked about are affiliate links, I'm not sponsored by any of these companies, and I haven't/don't make any money from these companies in any capacity. I just genuinely love them!
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