Sustainability on Earth Day
- kendrickumstattd
- Apr 22, 2020
- 2 min read
In celebration of Earth Day, I've compiled some of the substitutions I'm making to continue progressing towards living a more sustainable life.
Shopping
Instead of: Plastic grocery bags
Try: Reusable shopping bags
Additional recommendation: The default reusable bag is typically plastic, but I'm a big fan of using cloth bags, as you can throw them into the washer when needed to keep them clean.
Instead of: Plastic produce bags
Try: Mesh produce bags
Link: These mesh bags on Amazon
Kitchen
Instead of: Aluminum foil
Try: Reusable baking sheets
Link: These sheets on Amazon
Instead of: Plastic baggies
Try: Beeswax wrap or reusable food storage bags
Links: There are many places to find beeswax wrap online, but Bee's Wrap is a female-founded company that gives back to the community. For reusable food storage bags, I recently made an order from Stasher, a female-founded company that also makes donations to help protect the oceans.
Bathroom
Instead of: Single-use cotton balls
Try: Reusable cotton rounds
Link: I've been using these ones from Amazon.
Instead of: Disposable makeup remover wipes
Try: Compostable face wipes
Link: These ones on Amazon are made by a cruelty-free brand.
As I've, over the years, tried to create less trash, two guiding principles have improved my mindset.
The first is my go-to in any area: progress over perfection, focusing on making steps forward, not reaching the summit of your metaphorical mountain in a day's time.
The second is best summarized in an example: if you just bought a container of aluminum foil before reading this article, don't throw it out to immediately switch to reusable baking sheets. That's more wasteful. Use the aluminum foil, maybe to roast some squash tossed with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and then when you've finished the box of it, consider making the switch over to a more sustainable option.
If you're interested in more content on sustainability, Ingrid Nilsen put together a great YouTube video recently, included below. Happy Earth Day, everyone!
