I am always on a quest to making my life a little bit more eco-conscious. I have an incredibly long way to go and I am far from perfect, but every little change counts and they all add up! I have shared other eco-friendly items in previous posts here and here; both curated lists are still applicable and helpful in our personal quests toward a greener life!
Ridwell If you are a Seattle resident, this service sounds amazing! I love the initiative of this father and son duo for creating a solution for people to recycle items that would likely end up in a landfill. The company is currently only serving the Seattle area, but they hope to grow and add more locations! For a list of items that they will pick up click here.
Terracycle This company is nationwide and an incredible resource. “TerraCycle offers free recycling programs funded by brands, manufacturers, and retailers around the world to help you collect and recycle your hard-to-recycle waste. Simply choose the programs you’d like to join; start collecting in your home, school, or office; download free shipping labels; and send us your waste to be recycled. You can even earn rewards for your school or favorite non-profit!” #recycleeverything
For Days An apparel brand that also offers a textile recycling service for clean clothes in any condition from any brand!! It only costs $10 for a 19×24″ bag and prepaid return label — put your unwanted clothing inside and ship it back to For Days to handle the recycling process. Such a brilliant idea, especially when donation companies are overflowing with textile items which often end up in a landfill anyway.
I love the clothing rental service concept. I’ve tried a couple of them, but have had to pause my memberships during the pandemic because we’re not really leaving the house except to go to the grocery store. haha! Companies like Nuuly, Rent the Runway and others are a great way to try out new styles before buying or just to wear for an event (whether that’s a formal party or just a casual Girls’ Night). It’s a great way cut down on waste while saving yourself some money! I love the maternity-specific options from these companies because with an ever-growing belly, you quickly expand beyond clothing pieces and it would be nice to not have to commit to a maternity dress that you will only wear once for a wedding or baby shower. I can’t recommend this option enough, especially for a pregnant mama!
Shop secondhand! I have to tell you: one of my biggest grievances is when I miss out on a product from a previous year or season whether I waited too long to pull the trigger on a purchase or I missed a collection completely. Thankfully, when others decide to sell those items on Poshmark, Mercari, ThredUP, theRealReal, Rebag, Fashionphile, etc. I can often still find the pieces I want! I absolutely love this option because before these virtual options existed there was no other way to source items from past collections aside from thrifting and the chances of you actually being able to find the exact piece that you wanted was pretty much 0%. I am a HUGE fan of Poshmark and use it quite often for shopping. It’s like virtual thrifting, but way more rewarding because you can actually find what you’re looking for and a lot of times the items are brand new with tags!
I mention Rothy’s in every eco-friendly post, but it’s because I adore them so much! They even launched bags, sandals, and sneakers this past year — during a pandemic! 😱 (Speaking of the pandemic, the brand also makes my favorite reusable face masks). I actually just recently placed an order for my third pair of shoes… I now own the Loafer in Spot, the Mary Jane in Cinnamon and now the Point in Ecru — my collection just continues to grow! You can get a discount on your first purchase by clicking here!
I LOVE my Truffle pouches and cases. I keep them in both my daily purse, but also in my travel bags. So beautiful, functional and convenient! You can’t beat the fact that they’re TSA compliant and eliminate the use of plastic quart bags. Get a discount on your first purchase by clicking here!
I also love Julia’s attainable sustainability challenges (featured on her blog Lemon Stripes) — they’re such a great way to create a habit in your life and take small steps toward making our planet a better place.
Imperfect Foods minimizing food waste by selling the groceries that aren’t “pretty” enough for the grocery store (you save money, but get all of the same nutrients and flavor!). Check here to see if you live in a delivery area!
I also love this option from Full Circle Foods who deliver CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) boxes of produce to areas of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska!
I saw this vacuum sealer tool advertised online (along with the compatible reusable bags / containers) in an effort to minimize waste (both food and storage!) by keeping food fresher up to five times longer. I know that vacuum sealing food is hardly new, but it seems like all of those other products use bags only. This system offers a glass container option as well that reminds me of other airtight storage containers, but with the addition of a vacuum seal. A worthwhile investment for fresh food and leftovers alike, in my opinion!
There are so many reusable water bottle options, but the shape of this Hydrte one really caught my eye. The slim, flat profile would make it ideal for most mobile situations (purse, backpack, lunchbox, diaper bag, etc.) with the exception of a cupholder. 😉 Such a sleek and innovative option for those looking to ditch plastic single-use water bottles!
I always love a good water bottle and I think the lid on this one is super cool (I have shared about S’well water bottles in the past and still think they’re great!) The cylindrical shape of the Avana Beckridge bottle is more traditional than the HYDRTE slim water bottle and should fit in a cupholder.
Responsible disposable straws by Agave Straw Co! I have tried just about every plastic straw alternative on the market so far (metal, glass, paper, etc.) and I have to say that the options made from cornstarch and agave are my favorite!! They’re compostable, but you can still enjoy your beverage without it disintegrating halfway through or chipping your teeth on glass / metal — I’m a BIG fan. These straws are made from using the leftover agave from making tequila! Talk about being even more eco-friendly by repurposing a byproduct; absolutely genius. I hope that restaurants and bars adopt this style of straw when the pandemic is over… I appreciate the effort of switching to paper, but there are few things worse than a soggy straw.
Last, but certainly not least, is one of my favorite discoveries: a German product called “Saatgutkonfetti” which is environmentally-friendly compostable confetti that contains flower seeds! What a beyond brilliant idea. You can add them to your next celebration by purchasing online here, but as they’re coming from Europe please factor in shipping costs and potential delays.
I am always looking for ways to be more green, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly, eco-conscious, compostable / biodegradable, recyclable, reusable, repurposed, but in ways that make sense for me and my lifestyle.
I recently heard someone (@hippiemoji on IG) say that there isn’t just one way to be sustainable — “we all have different interests, values, capacities, and knowledge of social + environmental issues so make sustainable shifts that make sense for you and commit to practicing them every day” and I absolutely loved that. As long as we’re all making the effort to be consistent with the small, eco-friendly changes that make the most sense in our own lives we’ll chip away at making a difference in the bigger picture!
Happy Earth Day, friends!
xx, Natalie
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