Earth Day 2021

In honor of Earth Day on April 22nd (although every day is Earth Day, really), I wanted to round-up a few of my favorite, conscious ways to be more sustainable.

Compost at Home

Composting is an incredible way to reduce food waste, add nutrients to the soil, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. If you missed my last blog post, it was all about composting at home. Check it out here.

Household Cleaners

If you look at the labels on your cleaning products, there’s probably a lot of not-so-great ingredients in them. Many of these ingredients are known endocrine disruptors, and we use these products regularly. If you haven’t already, consider looking into more eco-friendly products and products that are better for your health as well. A personal favorite of mine is Branch Basics. You can also make your own cleaning products that are better for you and likely less expensive than what you typically get.

If You’re Renovating

If you’re renovating your home, consider looking into more eco-friendly building materials, finishes, etc. for your home. This article here is a great resource for that.

Skin Care + Beauty

Thankfully, more and more companies are offering “cleaner” skin care and beauty products, which I find so important since these products go directly onto your largest organ (your skin). A lot of companies are also really paying attention to packaging and sustainability. Some of my favorite companies include Follain, Cocokind, Indie Lee, Vanity Planet, Babo Botanicals, Ilia, and Pura D’or.

Clothing

Clothing is one of the areas where you think it’s super expensive to buy sustainably, but it really doesn’t have to be. Buying second hand is a great, lower-cost option and it’s better for the environment because there’s less waste. If you do find pricier pieces from more sustainable companies, buy minimally and with intent. There’s a good chance that piece is more expensive because the supply chain is fair and ethical, the materials are higher quality and that piece will last you a long time. Invest in those pieces, but don’t think that’s the only way to be more sustainable when it comes to clothing.

Transportation

Walk anywhere and everywhere you can, if you’re able. This is really a win-win-win situation because you get fresh air, vitamin D, and get your body moving… and you save on gas and your carbon footprint is that much less.

Shop Small and Local

I can’t stress this one enough! If there are small, local farmers near you-- purchase from them! Sure, it’s not always the most convenient, but it has major impact for so many reasons. Shop small boutiques, local artisans, etc. vs ordering online or shopping at Target. This helps decrease carbon emissions from items being shipped to you, and typically helps support local families. (I know it's been harder to shop in-person the last year, but hopefully things are getting easier).

Recycling

This is a big one. I think in general, most people do their best with recycling, and that’s awesome. However, a lot of things you may think are recy

clable actually aren’t recyclable where you live or through your curbside recycling program. Take a few minutes to look into what you actually can and cannot recycle where you are. This will help ensure everything that you are recycling actually gets recycled properly. There is a great resource here where you can type in your zip code and find your local regulations.

Okay, that’s all I have for now! The healthier the planet is, the healthier we will be-- so let's take care of her!