WHY I'M GOING 'ECO-FRIENDLY'/LOW-WASTE | 5 easy beginner swaps!
- Torri Hickman
- Feb 12, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: Feb 12, 2020
By definition, 'eco-friendly' is "not harmful to the environment". I guess we could all have our own takes on that, but really it comes down to what is hurting our planet - trash, plastic waste, and using up resources like water and energy. There are many many benefits to living an eco-friendly lifestyle including saving money, better health/skin, supporting local businesses, and my favorite (after having Dylan) creating a better future for generations to come!
In all honesty, I had never really given a thought about the effect me and the waste I produce has on the planet. I didn't until I had Dylan in December of 2018, and then it was just all of sudden. I wanted to find ways to work towards a better future and planet for my sweet baby boy. Our oceans are filling up with plastic, the fish are eating it, and if they don't die from that but then get caught for you to consume, YOU are consuming that plastic! I've always been an animal lover, but it's such a stronger feeling now and it all happened after having Dylan. It just sparked something in me.
I think my first eco-friendly change was right after Dylan was born when I switched from getting plastic bags at the grocery store to bringing my own canvas bags. That was honestly the easiest swap for me because it also meant fewer trips up and down the stairs to our apartment after grocery shopping. I bought three large sturdy canvas bags from Hobby Lobby and I've never looked back! We've added some reusable mesh produce bags to the mix as well. I received those in one of my monthly subscription boxes from Mighty Nest's 'MightyFix' (the COOLEST little eco-friendly/low-waste subscription ever!) I love that I've got the reusable bags and I can pass on the plastic waste, but it's even better that they're super cute as well!
The next SUPER easy switch for us was switching from bottled water to a water filter that we can just fill up a glass/reusable water bottle with. I am extremely picky with my water, I don't know why, but I will not drink straight from the tap unless I absolutely have to, so I ALWAYS had a water bottle. But all that plastic is just not practical to me, so we switched to a refillable water pitcher with a filter on top. It has helped us cut down on plastic waste AND saves us money because we're not spending $6 a week on a case of water bottles! We use the Brita pitcher, but you could use any kind you like! Also, another easy thing to add with this one was a reusable water bottle! I actually have one for at the gym and one for at home, but I usually end up just using the same one all day after I get home from the gym.
After those small changes, it was just like a snowball of positive changes! We started using cloth diapers for Dylan, which is super cool. I love all the patterns and the fluffy butt is just so cute. I was a little overwhelmed at first because I honestly didn't even know where to start, but I found a 'Cloth Diapering Mama' group on Facebook and all my worries disappeared. I started out with a 6 pack of AlvaBaby diapers from Amazon and ordered the charcoal bamboo inserts as well (Dylan is a super heavy wetter) and we haven't turned back!
Other easy swaps we've made have been replacing our dryer sheets with reusable dryer balls (once again, from a MightyFix box!), using powder detergent instead of liquid (less chemicals and no more spots on our dishes!), using rags in the kitchen instead of paper towels, and using a bar of soap instead of a bottle - eventually switching to an ecofriendly brand of soap as well because I know Dove is not but that's what I've got for now.
I've loved how easy these switches have been and I'm very excited to continue on this journey! I can't wait to see where I'm at a year from now, and even just 6 months from now!
I know that I'm nowhere near perfect and I still sometimes forget my bags for the grocery store, or I get a straw at a restaurant but it's something I'm working on everyday and I really enjoy doing! It does take some work at the beginning but only because we are so used to doing something one way and it's become a routine. We have to break ourselves of one habit to start another!
5 EASY BEGINNER SWAPS
1. Reusable grocery bags and produce bags
- My bags are from Hobby Lobby ( https://www.hobbylobby.com/Wearable-Art/Bags-Surfaces/Natural-Canvas-Tote-Bag/p/80908752 ) and my produce bags are from Mighty Nest ( https://mightynest.com/my-fixes/flip-and-tumble-produce-bags )
2. Reusable water bottle
- You can get one of these almost anywhere!
3. Water filter / pitcher
- We got a small Brita pitcher from Walmart, but you could get them from many other places and even ones that attach to your sink faucet!
4. Reusable straw
- There are glass, bamboo, silicone, metal, etc!
5. Rags
- Use rags to clean/wipe up messes instead of paper towels! Paper towels could also be completely replaced with cloth napkins or a roll of reusable paper towels but sometimes that could be a little pricey. So start small with just using old rags instead! One rag lasts a lot longer for a clean up than a paper towel anyways!
I hope you can use those easy swaps and implement them into your daily routine! Leave me a comment with YOUR favorite/first/easy swap(s)!
Thanks for reading!! ♥
"KEEP THE OCEANS BLUE, THE PLANET GREEN, AND THE ANIMALS SAFE"
* I am not affiliated with any of these links, I'm just sharing where I got mine from! *
Comments