5 things you can do to be more environmentally friendly.
In the last two three months, I have been interested in two things, decreasing my spending and slowly making changes to my lifestyle to become more environmentally friendly.
Not only do these changes make a difference to the planet, but they positively impact your wallet in the long-run!
buy reusable cotton rounds
This was a big one. Cotton rounds aren't expensive, but they create so much waste. I bought two packs of these reusable cotton rounds, and they've been pretty great! Each pack comes with 16 of them, and a mesh bag. Since I have two packs, I have two bags. One filled with my clean cotton rounds, and one filled with my dirty cotton rounds. I just pop the dirty bag in with my laundry and they come out good as new to use again!
buy solid bars instead of liquid products
I feel like this has made a huge difference! So I've been slowly switching over my liquid shampoos and body washes to solid bar forms of them. I've been using the Dove Purely Pampering Coconut Milk Bar, which came in a back of 8 for about $7.50. Not only is it less expensive than a regular body wash, but it lasts me much longer!
When I ran out of my liquid shampoo, I switched over to a Lush Honey I washed my hair Shampoo Bar, which at first I wasn't sure if I was going to like, but I ended up loving it! I looked at the size of it, and thought that spending $10.95 was ridiculous. I thought it was just going to break apart in 2-3 uses and I would have wasted my money.
I couldn't have been further from the truth! I've used it over 12-13 times, and the bar is still as good as new! Lush claims for it to last about 80 washes, so I'll definitely be excited about that if that's true, but I can already tell that it's going to last me longer than a liquid shampoo, and since I use a reusable tin, I'm not wasting any plastic! I definitely recommend looking onto Lush's website and seeing which shampoo bar might work best for you! If not, you can always go into the store, talk to the employees about your hair's needs,and they'll be sure to help you out!
In terms of conditioner, I haven't switched over yet, but mainly because I still have liquid product left, but I'll probably look for a lush one as well!
use a reusable water bottle
This is an obvious one, but it makes a difference! Do you know how many single use water bottles are used on a daily? tons! I have three reusable cups/bottles that I use in different aspects of my life. I have one at work that I use with the water dispensers, I have one at home, that I use specifically for water, and then I have a cup in my car just in case I want to pick myself up some Starbucks or something else!
I'm definitely not perfect, and there are still instances where I still use water bottles, but I have definitely decreased the amount of water bottles I use. Before my job switched over to using a water dispenser, My office would go through at least a case of water bottles a week. Now, the whole office has switched over to reusable water bottles, and the 5 Gallon jugs are reused by the water delivery company!
if you use straw, buy metal ones
This is also a simple one, instead of buying packs of plastic straws, you can buy the metal ones with the silicon nibs at the top (just so they don't accidentally chip your teeth!). I bought myself an inexpensive pack that came with 8 metal straws of varying heights and some which are angled, while others are straight. It also came with a carrying case and some straw cleaners!
After I bought them, I realized I don't really use straws that often in my home. Not only that but lots of restaurants are not giving out straws unless you ask for on or they've switched over to paper straws! If you do use straws, I suggest getting a pack like these!
stop buying what you don't really need
This one can work in all aspects of your life. I feel like the last few years have been really materialistic. Companies would come out with products, and in a society of YouTube & Instagram, it made people more inclined to feel like they needed that item. Whether it's makeup, clothes, etc...the majority of us have enough of it.
I've come to realize that I have more than enough makeup. I've been trying to use up my collection, and make it smaller than it already is. The same can be said about food. Only purchase groceries that you think you're going to use up for the week, so you don't end up throwing any away.
So these are the tips I've been using to reduce waste in my life! What tips do you have? Let me know in the comments down below! I'm always looking for new ways to become more environmentally friendly! I hope you have a wonderful day/night. Sending you love, strength, and positivity.
I love this! Firstly, I had no idea reusable cotton rounds was a thing! Thank you girl because I was just looking at my pack this week like..."this can't be good for the Earth." We are BIG on the environment here in the Turks and Caicos islands 😀
Well, I love mine so much! I got two packs and just rotate them. They've lasted quite well through washes, so they're definitely much better for the environment. thanks so much for reading and commenting love 🙂 x
I need to get some reuseable cotton rounds. I've been thinking about it for a while but wasn't sure how durable they would be. Thank you for the recommendation!
I got a pack of stainless steel straws for Christmas and I'm really excited about them! The drivethru people look at me like I'm crazy when I hand their straws back. I hope people carrying their own will become common practice.
Great post!
They've lasted like 4-5 washes without any issues! They still have the same shape, but some of them have slight stains, which don't really bother me!
I definitely am trying to get better at bringing my metal straw with me everywhere after I wash it! I'll use it then leave it clean in my house, cause I forget to put it back in my bag. Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂 x
That's awesome! Stains are fine, as long as they're clean out of the wash.
That's where I'm at too, I forget to make the habit out of carrying it. Same with canvas grocery bags, I never remember to put them back in my car 😅
This list is fab! I have seen a lot of stores selling metal straws instead of plastic ones and they are so cool. I had never thought of buying soap bars rather than shower gel what a great tip and a brilliant way to be more environmentally friendly.
I was surprised when my friend told me about it when we walked inside of lush! And when I started using the shampoo bar, I thought why not switch all my products slowly to soap bar products! They last so much longer, they're less expensive, and are overall better for the environment! Thanks so much for reading and commenting love 🙂 x
OKAY!!! I love all these tips!! I also thought about switching to cloth napkins instead of using paper towels as often as I do. I'm always looking for more tips to be more environmentally friendly so keep these posts coming haha <3
ooo, that's a great idea, and something I might implement when I move out! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this post. Once I come up with some more tips, I'll definitely make another post! Thanks for reading and commenting 🙂 x
I love these tips so, so much. I've been trying to do my very best at my scale, too, I've been using a reusable water bottle for a couple years now, and I need to try solid bars of shampoo this year for certain. Thank you for this post! <3
I think everyone's been trying to do their part, but it can be a little overwhelming on figuring out where to start! I think these tips are a great place to start somewhere! Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂 x
These are really helpful tips, thank you for sharing. I have never tried solid bars before, but I want to this year as I know it's a lot more environmentally friendly than plastic bottles and tubes everywhere xo
Makeup Muddle
I'm so glad you enjoyed the post! Every little difference helps. Thanks for reading and commenting xxx
Thank you so much for sharing this! I get so overwhelmed whenever I want to approach a more eco friendly life but reading through little changes like this has already helped me feel like I have the power to help somehow. Thanks especially for sharing the cotton rounds - I want to stop using facial wipes but I was a bit stuck on how else to take my makeup off in a more friendly manner.
I also get overwhelmed by all the information on where to start! It's going to take a while for us to get is almost 100% right, but we have to start somewhere and take the first steps in the right direction! If you want another way to take off your makeup, look into the makeup eraser towels, they're really good too! I love them and when they're dirty you can hand wash them or pop them in the wash! Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂 x
Everyone needs to start using reusable cotton makeup remover rounds - I can’t believe how much waste I’ve avoided since I switched over a year ago. Thank you for sharing!
I bought them in november, and they've made such a huge difference! I used to use so many of them, and it felt like such a waste, now reusing them is amazing! Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂 xx
Love these tips! I use my reusable water bottle every day!
Erika Marie | https://imerikamarie.com
Thanks so much for reading and commenting! and that's great, you know every little effort makes a difference 🙂 xxx
I LOVE these! Such great yet simple ideas. The water bottle one ALWAYS gets me. It is such a simple way to reduce waste and yet so many people DON'T do it. I am lucky I have amazing water, but even when I don't I always buy a filter to attach, no need for that plastic! Thanks for sharing beauty! <3
Thanks so much! I completely agree! I know at some points it's unavoidable, but every time you use your reusable water bottle, you don't use a single use plastic one! Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂 x
Love this post! I try to minimize waste in every area of my life. It's great to see how the small changes we make can add up to great savings and a better, cleaner way to live. Thanks for sharing your journey.
Thanks so much! Trying to be more eco-friendly is something I've been really passionate about, and making these changes in my life have been super important to me. I'm so glad to know that you feel the same way! Thanks so much for reading and commenting xx
Great tips! I’ll definitely look into the reusable cotton rounds. Always have a reusable water bottle with me!
Thanks so much! I definitely recommend looking into the cotton rounds, they've made a huge difference for me. xx
I was given a metal straw last year for my birthday and I love it. I stopped buying plastic water bottles (except during hurricane season) years ago. Now I hate whenever I drink out of one. I save money by using a filter pitcher and I can keep track easier of how much water I have drink during the day. I'm going to switch to soap bars next.
Wow, you've made so many huge differences and that's so great! When I move out I'm going to use a filtered pitcher as well. Good luck on your eco-journey. Thank you so much for reading and telling me about your experiences 🙂 xxx
Great read and awesome tips! I am so excited about looking for a lush shampoo bar and trying out the reusable cotton rounds.
Thanks so much! I'm absolutely obsessed and have been telling everyone about these two things! I hope you love them too! x
Great list. I’m always interested in ways to become more eco friendly ❤️
Thank you! I hope some of the items on this list gave you some new ideas on how to be a lil' more eco friendly! Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂 x
I love this, and they are all great ideas. I've been using a reusable water bottle and it's such a nice change from plastic bottles, especially because it can carry more water so it lasts longer xx
Hannah | luxuryblush
I feel like the reusable water bottle is one of the simplest changes, and still makes a huge difference in lowing the amount of plastic we use! Thanks so much for reading and commenting han :)x
Great post! Thank you for helping spread environmental consciousness, it is so important! x
Thanks so much! I completely agree, I get total environmental anxiety, and so I've been trying to make changes in my life to be more eco friendly. Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂 x
These are such great ideas to become more environmentally conscious. Thanks so much for sharing!
Thanks so much for reading and commenting 🙂 x