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With spring comes the season of “making” for me.

 

As I sit at home today and watch the droplets of melting snow fall from the roof, I find myself dreaming of warmer, greener days. Spring is on the way. I can feel it! Sap flows from trees and I’m able to make my own maple syrup. The ground thaws and I’m able to make my flower beds colorful and my vegetable gardens productive (fingers crossed). I know that a commitment to our earth is something that I should hold close year-round, but spring is also the season that I re-make my commitment to trying to live a sustainable life.

 

It all started with a little program called “Plastic-free July”. One year I was working for a facility that entered a competition against other facilities that truly changed my life. The game was called “plastic free July” and all organization participants were to reduce their plastic use as much as possible for the entire month of July. Participants earned points by watching documentaries, picking up trash, making different consumer choices based on plastic packaging, and a variety of other things. All of these points were tracked online and you could see organizations from across the country being ranked throughout the month. I’m not super competitive, but I got very into this particular competition.

 

For the first week I was totally frustrated and overwhelmed. Grocery shopping was HARD, but in the end it was an amazing learning experience! After 2 weeks I had settled into my groove. Not only did I learn to make smarter purchasing choices but I learned to think outside the box. It’s ok to ask your grocery store deli to put your lunch meat in your own Tupperware instead of their single-use plastic bags (not every store will, but I was surprised how many were TOTALLY on board). It is fine to bring your own Tupperware to restaurants to take home leftovers- I even found collapsible containers! I learned how to make pizza crust from scratch instead of throwing in a frozen pizza and was surprised it didn’t take that much longer. I switched to bar shampoo and conditioner which was a learning process to find the brand that’s right for me- but now I’ll never go back.

 

My life changed so much that July. A lot of the ecofriendly switches became permanent even after the challenge, but not all of them did. And that’s ok! My eyes were open. I was LOOKING for ways to be kinder to our environment. I felt empowered.

 

An entire month of attempting to quit plastic cold turkey is not for everyone but I firmly believe that there are some changes that can be done by anyone at all. The list of things you can do to live a more sustainable life is endless but let's start small. Below you will find some of my favorite, easy ways to reduce your environmental impact! 

 

1. Compost!

According to the FDA, wasted food is the single largest category of material placed in municipal landfills. This is sad because not only are those nutrients that could have gone to someone in need, but landfills do not contain the proper conditions for food items to break down and biodegrade. Whether you purchase a compost bin from Trees For Tomorrow (while supplies last), set up an indoor vermicomposting bin, or just make a pile at the back of your garden, composting is definitely something we can all easily practice at home to reduce our landfill waste.

 

2. Use Wash Cloths

Make the switch to washclothes. I made the switch from my plastic scrubber to washcloths, and I have no regrets. I can still easily suds up my soap but instead of periodically tossing a chunk of plastic in the garbage, I just toss a cloth in with my laundry. I actually continued this in to the kitchen and now use an abrasive rag for dishes too.

Bonus points: Soap saver! Have you ever heard of one? It’s a small mesh bag that holds all of your soap bits that are too small to use. It might turn funny colors (see below by shampoo bars) due to many types of soap odds and ends, but it is a wonderful washcloth that lathers itself!

 

3. Unplug Your Vampires

We all waste power every single day without thinking about it. Vampire appliances are those in your house that you leave plugged in that use a little bit of power all the time. Think about things that have a light/clock (like your microwave or your coffee maker). I confess I do not unplug every vampire residing in my home, but I make an effort to unplug several. I made my life easier by putting my internet box, tv, and streaming device all on the same power strip. Now when I leave the house or go to bed I can unplug the power strip and vanquish those vampires with ease. I bet if you look around you can find a few easy items to start with!

 

4. Buy in Larger Quantities

I realized that if I buy huge bags of rice, I can break that into smaller amounts with my own containers and save the plastic of all those tiny bags of rice. I keep the large bag of rice in the pantry and put a mason jar of rice in the cabinet in the kitchen for easy use! We also still use liquid dish soap but now we buy large jugs and refill the same small pump next to the sink over and over. More environmentally friendly and also more wallet friendly.

 

5. Mesh Produce Bags

Many of us think to bring reusable shopping bags (if you don’t, you should try it!) but not many of us think about those tiny bags we put our produce in on the way to the register. I found amazing mesh bags on amazon that are very light weight and easy to shove in a purse or inside my other reusable bags. I have also found my produce stays fresh longer in the fridge because these bags breath better than the plastic counterparts. Here’s a link to an example on amazon: https://www.amazon.com/purifyou-Drawstring-Freshness-Vegetables-Groceries/dp/B00XSHEJ90/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5kUqm3zip_qMb2Y4Qohp2ic9uLOLYHbY5SvUXW5GSbYqtPTIRI-a2zZo4LsE4foZN-XjEA3y9PDohzKG8LfCTonQHWBUYO-6ae50xRE6Ee3UYpwpZCnfhFRL1rENxREqc3alb3rpEsx_fbJLXslop24vRY06hhSA-MpLCj61_hwUyRBL6EycWaYgS16mHUXbe3ml6Q2phhYYpq1yuWoYts9JgDNbAImTwJ2yi0zFCOGzj2Zg7zeVNEt-A2XZJXkiUmFBJuXcQ0kk0eoOi4Tb_WGLAT9QAtdnOi0g8C9pCVk.duoSwCKAtnqHnbnjOHW45e7xSyfMEGDbNSPwrfvF-cQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=mesh+produce+bags&qid=1741905763&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

 

 

6. Reusable Ziploc bags

I love to snack but when I was participating in plastic free July I realized just how wasteful those individual sized snacks can be. I don’t need someone to plastic wrap 1 serving of chips for me, I can buy a large bag of chips and package my own snack amount. I even found cheese sticks sold without the individual little plastic wraps too! I found these amazing washable, reusable and resealable snack bags that mad portioning my own snacks a breeze. Stasher makes a very high-quality product, but I wanted something more affordable, so I searched online. I have had the same ones for probably 8 years and they show no signs of damage. Here is a similar product: https://www.amazon.com/Dishwasher-Reusable-Silicone-Leakproof-Marinate/dp/B0B2C1K45V/ref=sr_1_6?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Rg3R6Bl8zoWxTsHv3YOgUsbpl4aJm6ATKxD_w6JCEB3OoK8zAnJUywBLg5nv1pKliKD3LOCNgG-kZ8ckkQ_bozn8O8Og0TG-1bXYDBwbiVlsZDaExCQBF1k-LaLO0-xNwc3QZXTx20AzhBteB7-aOLzdWp4FTIYHC-i1pJ5_YdDJffq7Vy6VdzMrvrwOWvIerl2xqCmrTKLF9eV_U4d_HOM5ZxVXCHK5jqI1BMTOL4NDmWhp6VlcOFVaQCdHAbNhSeAuEGrF0CV_E1ubGkIIMEywoNyUhilr5VobKq-8cl3kTgN3Z3HtWoLmtoN8YirorxOLKMB1KdiAUVsQRHrB3p5LmRZKJb6fpAPQh8ZdZh6OFOF9kjdT5Kxv008eCs9wFgb1IEppoj8_K2d53rvpZt1HE95JuPmTEATJk0Uo81g1nbJGkh1jy7ZtKJ2BOCt9.JfHYul52Tux2Y9c01SXbiPuueAF6QgDivZxl2ghZOlo&dib_tag=se&keywords=reusable+ziplocks&qid=1741906089&sr=8-6

 

7. Shampoo and conditioner bars

Ditching the bottle and making the switch to shampoo and conditioner bars is a great way to reduce your plastic. After trying several bars and talking to friends about their experience, I landed on the brand Ethique. I LOVE this brand and I think my hair is healthier than ever. My favorite part is that you can purchase small sample packs of multiple different hair products to test what is right for you. The most important thing for me when having shampoo/conditioner bars is to store them properly. Buying the metal rack pictured below was a game changer in getting my bars to thoroughly dry between uses, thus making them last longer. Both my husband and I use the same shampoo bar so that tends to go quicker, but I only need a new conditioner bar once every 9-12 months!

 

If you feel like this list isn't the right starting point for you, that’s ok! There are dozens of resources on the internet and social media to help you find the right ecofriendly switches to fit your lifestyle. You can even attend TFT’s Sustainable Living Institute classes to learn more (visit www.treesfortomorrow.com for details on upcoming classes). My recommendation is that you pick one change at a time and stick with it until it becomes second nature- and then add another change. 

 

No one person has to do everything perfectly. What we need is a lot of people doing a lot of things imperfectly to make a difference. I encourage you to start today!

 

By Bethany Heft, Trees For Tomorrow Environmental Educator