I love finding new ways to live more sustainably and combat the global climate crisis. Educating yourself and others about small things that you can do every day really does help and is important. Living a more eco-friendly lifestyle is a learning process. So in honor of April being Earth month, I thought I would share some of my favorite sustainability swaps.
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Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
This is by far one of my favorite swaps. I have been using shampoo and conditioner bars for quite some time now and I would definitely recommend them to everyone. Lush and Love Beauty and Planet are two of my favorite places to buy them from. Lush especially, offers a wide variety of scents and options to choose from, and also sells aluminum containers to store them in the shower. I am even able to take them, put them in my shower caddy, and easily use them in the college showers (so they are quite durable.)
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Reusable Makeup Wipes
As part of my skincare routine, being able to take off my makeup well, is super important. So I was super thrilled to find a washable and reusable makeup wipe. I got mine at Target and there are other shops, like Seek Bamboo, that sell them as well. I run the wipe under warm water and I’m able to remove all of my makeup really easily. Whenever it gets dirty, I wash it and it’s ready to use again.
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Reusable Silverware and Reusable Water Bottle
This swap is simple but effective! I love using bamboo silverware (especially on the go) and my reusable water bottle that is covered with stickers, has become something I take everywhere. Hydro Flask is a great place to get durable water bottles and Package Free (along with selling pretty much everything needed to live waste-free) also sells a nice bamboo utensil kit. While I love bamboo utensils and nice reusable water bottles, what I’ve learned about becoming more sustainable is reusing the things I already have. You don’t need super fancy swaps to live more sustainably. A big part of living with an environmentally conscious lifestyle is taking things you already have, and using them to create less waste.
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Composting Instead of Throwing Away
Food waste is a pretty big problem among environmental issues. A great way to not only help the environment but also create less waste is to compost. In my experience on campus at William and Mary, composting has been a great and available tool to use. For those on campus, any food waste and greenware items can go in any green compost bin. For those who want to step up their composting game, Pela just released a new way to compost. They’ve created a compost bin that does the composting for you and can sit right on your counter, holding up to 3 liters of waste.
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Phone Cases
A super cool way to live more sustainably and also have a pretty phone case is using phone cases from Pela! Pela is a company that makes compostable phone cases, as well as AirPod cases, Apple Watch bands, and sunglasses. They have many designs to choose from and they fit all different sizes and styles of phones. I currently have a teal phone case with a turtle on the back and it has lasted me through dropping my phone on the ground everywhere.
Combating the global climate crisis and other environmental issues needs small and big-scale solutions. Acknowledging the intersectionality of race, poverty, and the environment, educating ourselves, and advocating for large-scale change is needed. Along with that, implementing small sustainable swaps overall does make a big difference. Every little action counts and every small or big effort towards a better environment matters.