8 Ways to Get Your ‘Eco’ on + Join the fight towards Planetary Sustainability! 🌍
This blog explores 8 eco-conscious lifestyle adjustments we can make to shrink our environmental impact + increase the longevity of our Planet!
Before we get started we just want to remind you that there is no ideal way to live a fully eco-conscious lifestyle. Activism is not about perfectionism. Zero-waste is not one size fits all. Starting where you are is all you need to do to make a difference. If you’re not so sure where to start, then perhaps one of our 8 tips below can offer you some guidance!
1.
Think before you toss!
Throwing out all of the plastic undesirables in your home and immediately making the switch to eco-friendly alternatives might not be the best idea you’ve had this week. Oftentimes it can be less wasteful to use what you already have to its fullest potential. Consider how you could reuse, re-gift or UPcycle these undesirables before sending them off to the landfill or replacing them with alternatives.
2.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is, Vote with your dollar and your voice!
It is important for us as citizens of this society to use the power of our vote for collective good. Ensuring we are electing representatives that prioritize our needs, is only one part of this equation.
Let’s face it, policy changes + enforcement can take a long time. But something that can cause any company to halt in its tracks is attacking their profit margins! So don’t be afraid to be selectively stingy with your coin!
Shop with businesses that align with your values and who you know will genuinely benefit from your purchases. #ShopLocal #ShopSmall #ShopBlackOwned
3.
Biohack Your Brain!
What in the world is that!? So, biohacking is a relatively new concept.
It essentially involves you consciously interrupting + correcting your subconscious thought patterns that produce unwanted habits. By replacing unwanted thought patterns with desired thoughts, you produce new habits. It’s like giving a computer an updated code so it can perform ideally.
A popular method of biohacking your thoughts is implementing positive affirmations into your daily routine. By training yourself to think and repeat certain phrases, you offer your brain new thought patterns to build your reality with.
Research says habit formation comes down to 3 main factors: reminder, routine, and reward. For example, the act of flushing the toilet (reminder), cues you to wash your hands (routine). This routine then offers you relief of distress (reward).
The question is, how do you apply this to conscious living?
Seems like a loaded question, haha. But perhaps we can start with developing the habit of asking ourselves “how was this thing made?”, and “how will this thing be disposed of?”
Doing this could trigger a Reminder, Routine, Reward loop that could help us create more eco-conscious habits.
4.
Make your next purchase your best purchase!
When shopping, we’ve learned that it is super helpful to treat it like a dangerous mission. Get in and get out!
Here’s why: the same reason people shouldn’t go to the grocery store hungry and listless, is the same reason none of us shouldn’t be shopping bored and destination-less (thanks Miss Rona)! It’s a perfect recipe for financial mismanagement and regret. Trust us… we’ve been there. 🙃
Shopping has absolutely offered us deep gratification, but what happens when the excitement fades? Eventually, we all take a peek at our accounts to tally up our “Treat yo self” moments... and we think back to that quick Target run that turned into a 2-hour shopping spree… and we probably (definitely) have some regrets… 😅
But we are not here to be ashamed of ourselves! This is a judgment-free zone! A safe space!
We’re here to support each other! We should start spending our hard-earned money on products + businesses, we can be proud of! That is the ultimate way to maximize the power of your dollar!
5.
Reduce. Reuse. ReGift!
Who says regifting is tacky? Not us!
This tip piggybacks off of the “think before you toss” tip with an emphasis on gifting/giving away our undesirables.
We believe that the stigma that makes it seem as if no one should find purpose or joy in the things others have already used is a bunch of tomfoolery, and can promptly kick rocks. People who believe otherwise must have never heard the quote “one woman’s trash is another woman’s treasure”, or been to the right yard sale.
To begin reducing high levels of unnecessary waste, we should consider repurposing the things we (or others we know) already have. This can happen in many ways, but instead of trashing something you are done with, maybe you can donate it. Perhaps you could fix it up and re-gift or reuse it yourself.
6.
Do that s#!t yourself!
DIY projects are so much FUN! They are the perfect intro to decreasing dependence on others while increasing your homesteading skill points, lol.
There is something so powerful in knowing that things others have made can potentially be made by you.
Cutting out the ‘middle-person’, as well as their packaging is definitely a tempting venture on the journey to zero-waste. This is assuming you want to put in the time to gather the supplies + master the many crafts. We think some things should be left to the passionate professionals, lol.
However, the kitchen is a wonderful place to start some DIY projects!
Our Founder, Jaz’s favorite thing to DIY lately is making her own teas and lemonade at home. This has helped her to cut back on purchasing pre-packaged juices (whether in glass or plastic containers).
It has also allowed her to get brave in the kitchen and try different recipes. You can also DIY deodorant, candles, and so much more. We like to frequent YouTube community college to find cool projects to try!
7.
Woah, you can compost that!?
*gender-neutral* Girl, YAS!
You would not believe how much stuff is (and how much is not) compostable! You would also be shocked to find out how much of our global waste is biodegradable food.
Food waste gets buried in landfills, trapped in permanent plastic sacs turning into toxic waste that could eventually leach out into the local environment.
The EPA estimates that “63.1 million tons of food waste was generated in the commercial, institutional, and residential sectors in 2018, which is 21.6 percent of total MSW [municipal solid waste] generation”. That’s wild.
Luckily, there are many options available to us these days! Some services now come and pick up your compostable waste and compost it for you!
There are also products like worm farms for composting in compact spaces.
Jaz has a DIY compost system that she loves. Also, if you’re crazy about plants, you should be crazy about composting! It’s free, nutrient-dense, and perfect for making your own potting soil at home. 🌱
8.
‘What Would Captain Planet Do?’
This is our favorite little mantra these days!
Our fire sign placements are quick to think that Captain Planet would want us to burn down the Corporations responsible for the majority of the world’s CO2 emissions + plastic production! But we know that’s just the rage talking 😅.
We actually like to think that he would like to see us come together and find solutions to these looming problems.
We think he would want us to educate others on the dangers of unchecked corporate waste management.
We think he would ask us to become a source of inspiration to those around us, and he would want us to depend on each other as a community.
Whenever we’re in doubt, stressing out, wondering if we should compost, recycle or upcycle… we just readjust our thought patters and think “What would Captain Planet do?”.
In conclusion, The most difficult part about applying these tips is taking accountability for our actions. But please don’t let this blog post have you looking in the mirror judging yourself.
Be gentle, be kind.
We are essentially unlearning generational + systemic habits. We are going to have to counteract a society that encourages the very habits we’re trying to change.
It’s gonna take time. It’s gonna take patience.
But you got this. And we got you. 💖
