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Our eco-friendly tips on making small changes with big impact
As the dog days of summer are upon us and we take our last dips into the ocean this summer, we are reminded of just how beautiful and precious our environment is. And as we take advantage of the beautiful nature around us, we want to keep it that way for future generations. Did you know that at least 8 MILLION TONS of plastic enter the oceans each year? This equates to emptying an entire garbage truck of plastic into the ocean every MINUTE. There are so many wasteful uses of plastic happening each day before our eyes and in our homes without us truly realizing it. At Imagine it Done, we are constantly striving to be more mindful and educated on how we can do our part to ditch the plastic, be efficient with our use of energy and ultimately help our environment. We are all about finding ways to make small changes that we hope can make a significant difference and imparting knowledge to our clients and engaged community of friends and followers. Read on to learn about our latest sensible, easy to follow and -- most importantly -- effective tips on how you can make a difference incorporating small eco-friendly changes into your daily home routine.
Have any smart tips you have been practicing? We would love to hear from you! DM us on Instagram and we may feature yours in upcoming posts and stories!
XOXO Lisa
1. Do away with plastic for perishables with plastic wrap alternatives
Fresh foods like fruit, vegetables, and bread need to breathe to preserve freshness and prevent mold. Little known fact? Cotton is a breathable fabric, plastic is not. We recently discovered a fantastic company called Aplat that makes a range of cotton products that maximize the longevity of fresh food and reduce the amount of plastic in the grocery store, farmers market, and in the home. Bring your Aplat products to the store with you, fill them up, and then store them in your home for long lasting, delicious food. We also love how they make transportable cotton covers to place over your own leftover dishes, reducing the need for bulky Tupperware. We are obsessed with the multi-functionality of this thoughtful company!
Additionally brands like Etee offer super smart plastic wrap alternatives that are both reusable and biodegradable, allowing you to say goodbye to wasteful plastic cling wrap for good!
2. Invest in reusable dishwasher-safe storage bags
Swap traditional Ziploc bags and Tupperware for reusable options, as using reusable bags are both perfect for the environment and actually better for your wallet in the long run! We are currently loving brands like Stasher bags, which are made from natural silicone resources that give Stasher bags the purity of glass and functionality of plastic. Better yet, Stasher products are made of 100% pure platinum grade silicone — a standard even higher than food grade silicone, passing all U.S. safety requirements. Reusable storage bags are simply endlessly functional being thicker than the typical Ziploc bag and dishwasher safe. Some brands like Stasher are safe for boiling in water (perfect for cooking veggies) or sticking in the freezer like these from (Re)zip. And you can even utilizing them beyond the kitchen for makeup storage, accessories and small items for on the go!
3. Switch to repeat-use household cleaning products
Cleaning products traditionally come in single use, disposable plastic bottles always leaving you having to reorder and bring more and more plastic into the home. But there is a new trend in cleaning products that aims to reduce single use plastic, and we are such fans of this system! Here is how they work: Fill reusable bottles with water, drop in a cleaning tablet, and voilá! Your cleaning solution is ready. When you run out, keep the bottle and just purchase new tablets to save much over-usage of plastic bottles! Our favorite (tried and tested) brands that have started the mission in this area include Brandless, Blueland and Good Green Cleaner.
4. Stock your fridge with good-for-the-environment water bottles
Always be prepared for your next trip to the gym, your daily routine or guest visits by swapping out your stocked plastic water bottles for brands that bottle with glass or paper or, better yet, purchase your own reusable glass bottles to be filled with filtered water. This lifestyle change is a no-brainer to us with the amount of bottled water we consume in our daily lives. Once you make the switch, the rest is seamless, and you’ll be saving on tons and tons of plastic every year by doing so.
5. Repurpose old candles as storage jars for your medicine cabinet
Once your beautiful tabletop scented room candles burnout, it is a shame to have to throw them away given how gorgeous and costly their glass vessels are. Next time, clean out the glass and give it new life by repurposing, to contain bathroom items like q-tips and cosmetic brushes. Not only are they multi-purpose, they add elegance to your bathroom aesthetic.
6. Work with your local dry cleaner to ditch the plastic wrap
If you follow us on Instagram, you should know by now that we swear by services like Rosa’s Laundry to package and deliver our dry cleaned goods in paper instead of endless wasteful plastic covering. And more establishments than you think are willing to make this change. Not only does this tremendously help cut down on plastic but it helps you save time in putting your items away by avoiding the classic “taking off the plastic wrap” system.
Taking action will make you feel good and accomplished. Imagine the future a little brighter through mindful living that has an impact on our environment!