5 easy ways to start reducing your footprint

Too many people believe that you have to be all or nothing when it comes to saving the planet, and it can be pretty intimidating to go all, so most go for nothing. Every little change that you make can help out more than you know so I put together a list of a few things you can start doing to reduce the pollution you create.

1) Go paperless:

At this point, it is pretty easy to opt for electronic receipts, bills, and mail. Not only does this cut down on the actual paper use, but it also cuts the energy needed to make and ship it, plus the extra materials these are packaged in.

2) Reuse:

Stop buying/using disposable items. Cups, straws, utensils, razors, bags, and more, all have reusable option (and luckily for you I have started to compile a list of my favorite products which you can check out here)

3) Buy in bulk:

The simplest version is stop buying single serve/individually packaged/snack sized food items. Besides having less packaging, the regular sized options are generally cheaper, and can be easily divided up into smaller portions in these handy reusable silicone snack bags.

The other option is to find a place that sells food in bulk. Whole Foods has a great selection but most do not allow you to bring your own containers. I have found a co-op in my area that has good variety, I can get everything I need from coffee, almond flour, and chia seeds, to yummy snacks like banana chips, trail mix, and candy. Many places also offer various types of soaps and cleaning products. To find a spot near you, click here.

4) Learn how to recycle properly

This one seems easy but a surprising number of people do not actually know what can be recycled, or even how to do it. For example, although cardboard is recyclable, you should not recycle a pizza box, it's covered in grease and will not be accepted. Plastic is also given a number to help identify if and how it can be recycled. Anything with a 1 or 2 is generally pretty easy to recycle regularly (don't forget to rinse it out!). Items with a 4 or 5 are technically recyclable, but it is a little more difficult, might have to find a designated place to drop it off. Other numbers are a little trickier, 3 (PVC) is EVERYWHERE but also a major health issues (you can read about it here). 6 and 7 are very difficult to recycle and most places just will not accept it, so try to avoid those as much as possible.

5) Use what you already have:

If your shampoo bottle is still halfway full, then why do you need a new one? Cutting down on purchasing new items before finishing the ones you already have means you are not throwing away unused products and creating unnecessary waste. This mindset is not only better for the environment but also pretty good for your wallet.

Well, hopefully one, if not all, of these are little bit helpful - maybe I will go more in depth on some of these in the future? Feel free contact me with any suggestions for topics to cover, and questions or concerns you may have, I have some knowledge but also many resources that could help!

xoxo