Use a non-paper towel system.
Use cloth napkins.
Carry a reusable water bottle everywhere.
Bring your own produce bags to the store.
Buy in the bulk aisle of your grocery store.
Buy unpackaged ‘naked’ produce.
Carry a reusable coffee mug to work.
Bring a reusable bag to the dry cleaners.
Bring your own containers to takeout restaurants.
Every year around this time, my brother-in-law emails the entire family with a request: send me your New Year’s resolutions! So, in anticipation of my brother-in-law’s email and to increase my accountability beyond my family, I share my resolutions for 2024.
Did you know that the average wedding in the U.S. produces 400 pounds of trash and 63 tons of carbon emissions? (Source)
When I got engaged, I knew my fiancé and I would figure out how to make our wedding day a beautiful, intimate gathering. We were also set on holding a low-waste event. I share insight into my (almost) zero waste wedding.
A recent Washington Post article on sustainable gift-giving noted that “bows, bags and other holiday material add 1 million tons of trash to landfills each week.” To avoid landfill waste, it pays to use reusable, compostable or recyclable materials as much as possible. I share what I’m doing this year to avoid contributing to the waste problem.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American household waste increases by more than 25% between the Thanksgiving and New Year’s holidays. Food waste and packaging waste are two of the biggest problems during the holiday period. But is this waste inevitable? Or can at least some of it be prevented? I share my five favorite tips for a more sustainable holiday season.
In one recent survey, 65% said they want to buy purpose-driven brands that advocate sustainability, yet only 26% actually do so.” So, what can a well-intentioned consumer do to stay true to her intentions? And beyond using the eco-product or service, are there other ways to show support? I asked four businesses in my region—all recent start-up companies—what kind of support they could most use from their customers.
ONE YEAR after the onset of the pandemic, it’s clear we have one thing in common: we are using food delivery more than ever. And this means we have cumulatively contributed mounds and mounds to the plastic pollution problem. But can we actually do something about the problem? The answer is a resounding yes. And it’s actually easier than you think.
So you’re trying hard to reduce single-use plastic, but some things are really hard to avoid. I admit, Saran Wrap is SO convenient. Let’s be perfectly clear though (no pun intended!), plastic wraps are not accepted in your recycling bin. The good news…there are great alternatives that don’t involve any single-use plastic!
This year could be a tipping point for normalizing a switch across the country from single-use coffee cups to refillable ones. Why? What has changed in 2024?