Zero Waste
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Plastic Free July Tips for 2021
It’s that time again — Plastic Free July! While every day should involve doing your best to save our planet, Plastic Free July is a great time to explore even more ways to reduce plastic waste. At this point, reusable bags/straws/water bottles are becoming a bit more mainstream… so let’s talk about some other ways to challenge yourself to go plastic free. Hair/body care products: This month, make it a goal to replace at least one of your plastic shampoo/conditioner/body wash bottles with a package free, bar soap option. (I’d say the easiest one to replace is body wash as there are so many bar soap options from both small,…
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Eco-Friendly Finds: Target Edition
In the past, it’s definitely felt like being eco-friendly also meant paying a lot of money (or having to get things shipped from far off zero waste stores) to get things like bar shampoos, refillable deodorant, cleaning supplies, etc. At times, it has seemed like being eco-friendly just wasn’t for the normal person who buys most of their necessities at the local grocery store/Walmart/Target/etc. (Big Target fan here!) BUT — good news ahead. It seems like a lot of the big box stores are now carrying eco-friendly products (because, surprise, there’s a demand for it!). Sure, is some of it imperfect? Yeah. But is it still a big step up.…
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Zero Waste + Eco-Friendly New Year?s Resolutions (for 2021)
First off, I’m using the word ‘resolutions’ very loosely here… if 2020 taught us anything… it’s that plans/goals/resolutions can very, very easily go down the drain. So. Be kind to yourself. For me, these are aspirations… goals… a few things I hope to try out this year. There’s a new refill store in Dallas! Yay! It seems they have a booth at the Dallas Farmer’s Market every Saturday + Sunday for a few toiletry + home essentials. I’m so excited to try them out once I run out of some current stuff. I definitely want to try out their liquid dish soap, laundry detergent, and body cream! Keep an eye…
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Make Your Clothes Last
A huge part of both the zero waste and minimalist lifestyles involve taking care of what you already own so that you aren’t buying things unnecessarily. This is incredibly important especially when it comes to clothing. A few simple steps can help prolong the life of your clothes and prevent items from inevitably ending up in the landfill or getting downcycled. Wash your clothes gently/per label instructions. I almost always wash my clothes with cold water and on a gentle or “casual” cycle. I then dry my clothing on the low setting (or hang to dry in my closet). It takes a bit longer but my clothes take less of…
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Eco-Friendly Home + Personal Care Brands
With all the extra time at home, we’ve been going through cleaning/laundry/personal care supplies a bit faster than usual. And while I’ve had to let go of some of my usual low waste items — cleaning supplies hasn’t been one of them! These days, there are so many brands coming out with items that help reduce the amount of plastic out in the world. Here are some of my favorites: Blueland: Dissolvable tabs in compostable wrappers available for all purpose cleaner, bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner, hand soap. Dishwasher and laundry tablets are now available as well! What I use: All the tabs! dropps: Laundry and dish detergent pods. What I…
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Zero Waste in the Time of COVID-19
What does the low/zero waste lifestyle look like for you during this time? I’m assuming different, right? For me, there’s definitely been some additional waste such as:– Takeout containers (some trash, some can be recycled) and drink cups (since we are currently not allowed to bring our own) since I want to support local restaurants (that I would’ve eaten out at during normal times). – Grocery bags (use some of these as trash can liners, recycle the rest at Target or Lowes bag drop-offs) since our local stores won’t let us use our own bags right now. I know a lot of the science says it’s okay to still bring…
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Little Thoughts: [Very] Imperfect Zero Wasting
I’ve always been an “imperfect” zero/low waster. I do my best and am as mindful as possible but I don’t drive myself crazy over it. During this time, I’ve allowed myself to be very imperfect and to be okay with it. Yes, our household is producing more waste these days. More take out containers (some can be recycled, some can be composted, and some are trash) to support local businesses. More packaged goods and packaging from delivery boxes to support social distancing efforts and to avoid going to the store as much as possible. On the other hand, with all the cooking that we’re doing, we’re composting more than ever.…
