Tips on Everyday Sustainability
A lot of people would like to live more sustainably day by day, here's our curated list of simple, top tips for you.
Day-to-Day
- Bring your own metal or glass straw or don’t use one
- Bring a reusable coffee cup
- Bring a reusable bottle (glass and stainless steel preferred)
- Bring portable cutlery
- Bring a reusable bag (cloth preferred)
- Choose low-emission modes of transportation (bike, public transport, rideshare, etc.)
- Collect your cigarette butts to recycle or properly dispose of
Body Care
- Use reef-safe sunscreen (avoid Oxybenzone & Octinoxate)
- Use body care products not containing plastic microbeads (refer to THIS guide)
- Use nontoxic body care products
- Use body care products sold in refillable or reusable packaging (glass preferred)
- Use bamboo toothbrushes
Household Care
- Use nontoxic and non-microbead detergents, dish soap, and household cleaners (Young Living and Seventh Generation have great options)
- Do laundry in a plastic-catching bag for micro-fibers
- Use a drying rack rather than energy-intensive machine
- Use water efficiently
- Use energy efficiently
At the Grocery Store
- Buy produce not wrapped in plastic
- Buy grains, nuts, beans, etc. in bulk in your own containers
Diet
- Give up gum (it’s plastic!)
- Eat plant-based when possible (saves water, energy and carbon emissions)
- Choose low impact seafood: local, seasonal, smaller fish (reference the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Consumer Guides)
Conscious Consumerism
- Buy used clothes and furniture from thrift shops, vintage stores, or online community postings (email list-serves or Facebook pages, etc.)
- Sell or donate your own used clothes and furniture
- Find and support companies like Solgaard Co., who intentionally source materials and are transparent of their whole supply chain and production process
