3 easy ways to be more Eco-Friendly

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly”

-Anne Marie Bonneau, Zero Waste Chef

I feel this quote so much!

I think a lot of people are turned off of making environmentally friendly changes to their lifestyle because they get overwhelmed and think they need to make all these drastic changes to make any sort of impact.

If you’re an all in and go type person, amazing! You’re doing great.

But for those of us who like to dip our toe in first before taking a swim I’ve put this small manageable list together. Hopefully it’ll help you make small changes that you can handle and possibly build your confidence in becoming even more green.

Grocery Bags
This one is the easiest to implement. Once you get into the habit of making sure you’ve got the reusable ones with you BEFORE you shop it’s super easy.
The way I got into the habit of bringing these was to never accept a plastic bag. If I forgot my reusable I still couldn’t accept a plastic bag. It only took very few times of stuffing vegetables in my pockets and balancing random groceries in my hands to remember my reusable bags every time.
I’ve got one in my diaper bag, bottom of the stroller and in the car just in case.
I do know there’s some grocery stores that do “recycle” plastic bags but Do we know what happens to them once we drop them off? I have a love hate with this sort of thing. It’s great there’s options to recycle but it also gives us the excuse not to make changes to eliminate single use plastic resulting in more bring made.
To go cups.
Most people don’t even think about bringing their own travel mug to the coffee shop when they go. Unfortunately the cups they have are actually lined in plastic or wax that cannot be recycled or makes it extremely difficult to.
The excuse most people tend to have is that’s they forget it OR they do use it but then forget it in the car resulting in a smelly mouldy mess. The only advice I have for that is just to make sure to bring it in to the shop or into the house and clean it.
What do they say, takes 21 days to make a habit?
When you’re having your drink to enjoy at the cafe please oh please ask for it “for here” or in a ceramic mug. Pet peeve is seeing everyone sitting down with disposable cups and throwing it out once they are done and are ready to leave.
Please oh please just use the cafe’s mug if you’re planning on sitting and having it there.
One speed bump to this is drive thru. I know quite a few parents who have been car stranded with a sleeping child and need a coffee. I have yet to come up with a solution for this. I’ll keep thinking and please let me know if you’ve got a suggestion for this situation.
Water bottles
Ok this one I think is insane. We have some of the most drinkable tap water in the world yet why do we have an obsession with buying water…..I don’t get it, we have free access.
There’s also many places to fill water bottles too. A lot of establishments will gladly refill your water as well if you’re stuck without a water fountain.
There are so many different kinds of reusable water bottles with so many different designs and materials you’re sure to find the perfect fit.
Like tip #2 it’s all about building the habit of bringing it with you.