With the environment being at the forefront of the 2019 headlines and more people than ever talking about conservation, it has never been easier to live a sustainable life. Thanks to the push for more environmental consciousness, more brands have popped up offering sustainable substitutes for everyday items you would use around your apartment. In order to make a big change in our push for environmental conservation, we need to start with small changes because those all add up!
1. Swap plastic bags for reusable bags
It might seem like the easier option to just use plastic bags for things like groceries and packing food, but reusable bags are just as easy! This less harmful alternative will help reduce the amount of plastic that is produced yearly and could possibly end up in oceans somewhere. For your groceries, try swapping your plastic bags for a jute tote which can be composted once you’re done using it. For plastic food bags, like Ziploc, try using reusable net totes or cotton mesh bags, just make sure it’s made with organic cotton because cotton production leaves a large water footprint on the earth!
2. Swap dryer sheets for dryer balls
This might seem like a silly swap, but think about how many dryer sheets you and your roommates go through each semester. Dryer sheets are full of chemicals that coat your clothes and eventually end up in the waste afterward. Plus, these dryer balls help save you money in the long run and actually air out your clothes faster.
3. Replace disposable cups with a reusable mug
Did you know that 500 billion disposable cups are produced every year? The scariest fact of all is that most of them can’t be recycled because they are lined with plastic. To avoid this build up of waste and help reduce your carbon footprint, switch out your disposable cups for a glass mug!
4. Replace K-pods with a reusable K-Cup
This one’s for all you coffee drinkers out there because plastic k-pods for your Keurig can have a serious negative impact on the environment. Instead of going through packs of 18 plastic k-pods each time you want your morning cup of joe, use reusable k-cups! Not to mention this will also save you lots of money because not going to lie, those k-pods can be quite expensive.
5. Switch out plastic utensils for bamboo utensils
We all have our stash of plastic utensils laying around somewhere in the apartment. Whether it’s forks, knives or spoons, plastic is everywhere. To eliminate the constant disposal of plastic products, swap them for reusable bamboo ones. Bamboo is far sturdier and non-toxic, so not only are you helping the environment, but you’re helping yourself too!
6. Use sustainable bottles instead of plastic
Plastic water bottles can take up to 700 years to dissolve and 80 percent of them never even get recycled. It only makes sense that we help reduce this waste and switch to sustainable water bottles. By switching to these reusable water bottles you can not only save money but also help reduce the amount of plastic waste that produced each year. To find some cute and sustainable water bottles, check out this article!