sustainable vibes

Evie Shaffer

Happy belated Earth Day, fellow Earthlings! Zero-Waste Living is probably a term you have heard before. To many this term seems like a daunting, time-consuming and very expensive task to take on. This isn’t necessarily true. Sometimes making better consumer choices can in turn save you money, while simultaneously helping the environment. I am not writing this post to talk you into going full blown zero-waste. I want you to become aware of your purchases and better ways we can live being more sustainable

As a designer, I am always thinking about product and how they affect the space, the person in the space and the environment. Sustainable design is very important to me. I have decided that it was time to bring that sustainability into my own home. It has been my goal to be a more conscious consumer for quite some time, however I have not made the commitment to do so. I am making this Earth Day the marking of my commitment to be a better person to the Earth in which I live. My goal is to cut out unnecessary waste that is harmful to the Earth. I know it isn’t realistic to be zero-waste in the blink of an eye, but I do want to be more conscious about what I am buying. I am hoping while doing this, I will become accustomed to making more sustainable decisions in my day-to-day life.

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Here are my top Sustainable buys in honor of Earth Day
1.       Bamboo Toothbrush
A toothbrush product that is used daily and is recommended to be replaced every 3 months. Purchasing bamboo toothbrushes over plastic toothbrushes is a great alternative. Bamboo is biodegradable and breaks down much easier than plastics. This bamboo tooth brush has soft, charcoal bristles to help whiten your teeth as well!

2.       Reusable Produce Bags
I typically try to avoid the plastic produce bags when grocery shopping. I find that they are not needed for most fresh produce (i.e. avocados, apples, zucchinis, bananas etc). You can place these items directly into your cart and skip the plastic! Items like brussel sprouts, green beans, spinach produce bags are needed. This is why I wanted to buy reusable produce bags as the plastic bags typically just get thrown out right away.. What a waste!

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3.       Beeswax wrap – I am a sucker for plastic wrap and tinfoil. I use this stuff all of the time as it is all too easy and convenient. However, it is not convenient that it isn’t biodegradable. I am opting to try out beeswax wrap. Beeswax wrap is much more eco-friendly than the other options so it is a step in the right direction! This is a great buy because it is a natural substance so it is biodegradable and it is reusable so you can get more than just a single use out of it. Which I feel can save you money in the long run. 

4.       Shampoo Bar – I have been using shampoo bars from Lush Cosmetics. They are truly awesome! It is such a great alternative to your standard shampoos. Most shampoos have tons of chemicals in them that in many countries are banned. With these shampoo bars, there are fewer chemicals. Shampoo bars are great for traveling and reduce plastic waste as they are typically sold naked, without the plastic packaging. I store mine in a metal tin from Lush Cosmetics.

You have to start somewhere in order to become a more eco-friendly consumer. I don't expect myself to turn completely zero waste in a day. These four products are a great starting point. With these products you aren't eliminating anything from your lives or changing your lifestyle. I feel that with these products you aren't losing the convenience that we as humans tend to gravitate towards. These still are very convenient products. In fact, some of these products to be much better than the alternatives I used to use. 

I hope this inspires you all to start thinking more sustainably!

Happy Earth Day!!