Recycle: I mean, I know this one is so obvious, but seriously! I literally take things out of my trash can and place them onto the recycling bin if I notice they’ve been put in the wrong bin. I have a great method at my house. I have two cans – one is for trash and the other is for recycling. Recycling is on the Right side. When my kids forget what’s what, I remind them of the R&R method – Recycling on the Right! I love when it’s weekly time for the trash and recycling collection, because my recycling bin far outfills the trash. Awe, satisfaction.
Go bottleless: Not to be mistaken for bottomless, although I know there’s still a lot of people working remotely! We have grown to love our plastic water bottles. They’re easy, convenient, and quick. I am all about drinking more water, trust me. But, oh the plastic in the landfills, and don’t even get me started on the ocean. If you have to use water bottles, recycle them, pretty please! I have filtered water in my house that comes right out of the fridge, and I don’t even have the option of plastic water bottles. Take them away as an option, and it’s easy to go straight to the glass.
Reuse: This one is fun because creativity comes in. Hmm, what can be reused!? Plastic bags, sandwich bags, chip bowls, water glasses, etc. There are so many things. Do you really need a fresh towel every day? Every bit counts, and it adds up. How can I save on running the dishwashers and laundry? Think, less is more! Have one snack bowl that gets reused throughout the day, and same goes for filling up your water. In my house, this adds up fast with kids in and out! And, creates less work for me at the end of the day – woot woot!
Turn it off: We have so much powering up these days. From all the things we have plugged in to the wall, to electronics in general. Being mindful of unplugging things when not in use, to straight up turning them off. I remember turning lights off was a big deal in my house growing up. It’s so much more than that though. We are a power sucking society, and switching off lights, turning off electronics, and unplugging – literally, goes a long way.
Simplify: We have more stuff than ever before. We have positioned ourselves to make convenience a priority, and it has huge benefits, but consequences too! Decluttering is a great way to start to simplify. Then really think about the impact that everything coming in has. I love how much more second hand purchasing is being used. You can checkout sites like Thredup.com, where convenience meets environmentally friendly – win win!
If you want more on Decluttering, check out this blog post:
