5 Ways to Produce Less Waste
One of everyone’s New Years resolutions should be to produce less waste. The kids and I are trying to live a healthier life style, and do our part to protect the environment. Since this can be over whelming to anyone, we decided to take it one step at a time. Here are a five ways you can start to produce less waste.
1.) Environmentally Friendly Lunch Containers:
One of the 5 ways you can produce less waste is with environmentally friendly lunch containers, which are free of BPA, PVC, latex and phthalates, from Russbe and Planet Wise. These colorful, convenient, lunch containers add an element of fun to meal time and make meal prepping easy and mess-free! Choose from colorful, cute baggies or keep portions separate and fresh in our bento-style boxes. Planet wise also has a whole line of reusable products for baby and kids even some items from a galaxy far, far away.
2.) Environmentally Friendly 100% Biodegradable Toothbrushes:
Brush Naked and use less waste!
“Our toothbrushes are made with a 100% bamboo handle and environmentally-friendly packaging! Choose from 100% biodegradable bristles made from PLANTS or recyclable DuPont nylon. When you’re ready for a new toothbrush, simply compost your entire plant-based bristle toothbrush or break the head off your polymer or nylon bristle toothbrush and throw the handle in the compost. Or you can simply pull the bristles out with pliers.”
You may be thinking: Are these going to fall apart? Are the bristles going to come out? The answer is no. These toothbrushes are just as durable as their plastic counter parts. I originally thought how will they clean my teeth without the fancy extra plastic bristles? Truth is you don’t need all that extra plastic in your mouth. These toothbrushes will leave your teeth feeling smooth and clean. When its time for a new brush you can add it to your compost or bury it in your garden. Out of all 5 ways to produce less waste this really has to be the easiest, just change your tooth brush.
3.) Reusable Cotton and Canvas Bags:
According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually
Stock up on a variety of bags made from natural materials like cotton and canvas and keep them stocked in a basket by your door, in your car, any place they will be on hand when you need them. You can even avoid using those clear plastic bags at the market to hold your fruits and veggies, grab a mesh cotton bag instead. These bags are washable too.
4.) Make Your Own Cleaning Products:
The belief that you need caustic or harsh chemicals to clean your home and eliminate germs, is false. Some home made cleaners use borax or eco friendly laundry detergent. It’s really up to you what you feel safe using.
Homemade All-Purpose Cleaner
- 1/2 c white vinegar
- 2 Tbsp baking soda
- 10 drops tea tree, lavender, or lemon essential oil (for their disinfectant properties)
Mix the vinegar, essential oils and a little water before adding baking soda in a clean spray bottle (glass is best). Then fill to top with water. I use about a 12 oz bottle. Gently shake to mix ingredients, and then spray, wipe with a cloth, and allow it to dry.
Homemade “Soft-Scrub” Cleaner
- 1 ½ cups baking soda
- ½ cup environmentally safe liquid laundry soap (ECOS, for example)
- 10 drops tea tree, lavender, or lemon essential oil
Mix baking soda and laundry soap in a mixing bowl, stirring vigorously to combine into a paste. Add essential oil and mix well. Store in an airtight food container.
If the mixture begins to dry out, add a small amount of water and mix well.
Cleaner Car Interior Cleaner
- 1 cup distilled vinegar
- 1 cup club soda
- 1/2 cup Dawn blue dish soap
Mix all the ingredients in a glass spray bottle. For deep down stains use a scrub brush
Check out a variety of home made cleaners here:)
5.) Use Cloth Diapers:
The EPA estimates that 7.6 billion pounds of disposable diapers are discarded in the US each year. Use cloth diapers to reduce your baby’s carbon footprint and save money. You can choose from a variety of cloth diaper systems. They have a wide range of colors, design, and sizes to choose from.
For the low down on cloth diapering click here!
