My Top 10 Eco-Friendly Habits

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This month, I’ve been incredibly inspired by fellow bloggers, influencers and friends who are taking leaps and strides towards a more sustainable lifestyle. Even more, I was SO stoked to witness the Youth Climate Strike in Philly- a global unity of students walking out of class to strike and demand change for the planet. My passion for sustainable-living is burning brighter than ever approaching this Earth Day, and I’m giddy with excitement to talk more about some Earth-friendly changes we could ALL make this year!

I’m not claiming to be the greenest, most zero-waste human on the planet, because I’m quite far from it, truthfully. I forget my own coffee cup all the time and I’m known to walk into the grocery store without my reusable bags, too. I admittedly get a little down on myself when this happens, which is too easy to do in our human nature. So, I think it’s important to give ourselves a pat on the back every once in a while for the good things we’re doing. It’s okay to make mistakes and to take things slow. We have to make it a point to remember the things we do that are positive and to keep moving in that direction.

I believe, even with setbacks, I do an above-average job when it comes to living sustainably. A huge part of this is being vegan, as animal agriculture is one of the main contributors to environmental damage. And typically, I go through my days pretty mindful about what on-the-spot decisions I could make to benefit the planet. But there have also been a couple small-scale changes I’ve implemented into my life that have become second nature and are easy to maintain. Here are a couple of the easiest eco-friendly habits you could start today!

1. We use mason jars for ev-ery-thing. Storage, bulk shopping (especially nuts and seeds), BYO cup at cafes, etc. We’ve basically kissed plastic tupperware goodbye in our household. Mason jars and our small collection of glass tupperware are more convenient and MUCH easier to clean- bonus! We also reuse jam jars, nut butter jars, etc.

2. We buy recycled toilet paper (seventh generation is a good brand!), and we try our best to use washable dish towels in place of paper towels, but we ain’t perfect. Seventh Generation makes recycled paper towels, too.

3. Bamboo toiletries! We’ve swapped our plastic toothbrushes and hair brushes for a bamboo replacement. Easy, peasy! You can find em on Amazon, at Target or CVS.

4. We invested in a couple reusable coffee and smoothie cups which is super easy, and as an added bonus- some places offer discounts when you bring your own cup!

5. Bamboo straws! The big straw controversy! Some people don’t like paper straws or metal, and I totally get the texture thing. Bamboo straws are a game changer and to those who are weary of metal and paper, they are definitely worth a try!

6. Of course, using reusable grocery bags (and produce bags) as much as possible is one of the easiest changes to make. And it makes a HUGE difference in the amount of plastic we use as a country.

Note- This past summer, I was excited to learn that California requires you to bring your own reusable grocery bag, or pay a small inconvenience fee of 10¢ to use a plastic one.

7. Just recently, I swapped out tampons for a menstrual cup. I won’t lie- the idea of this kinda freaked me out at first. But I’m happy to report it’s easy, comfortable and sustainable!

8. Composting our kitchen scraps- you can read more about this in my last Sustainable Living Update

9. Using an avocado hugger to save the other half of my avocado in place of tupperware or plastic wrap

10. Using reusable silicone bags, instead of plastic ziplock bags- these are freezer, dishwasher and microwave friendly, too!

I’ll bet you could pick at least two of these habits to pick up today! But remember, slow and steady wins the race. Transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle is far from easy and doesn’t happen overnight.

Share some of your eco-friendly habits below! I’m sure I’ll be inspired by a couple more ideas from you guys!

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