Environmentalism

Becoming more Sustainable, Ethical & Eco - Friendly

Remember, progress over perfection and to use what you already own first.

Random starts: 
  • Go paperless with bills, paystubs, Credit card statements, ect (when possible) 
  • Use matches instead of lighters
  • Turn off lights when you leave a room 
  • Walk/bike/carpool/use public transportation to get to your destination (whenever possible)
  • Brightly website (a great resource to learn more about sustainability) 
Clothing: 
  • Do clothing swaps with friends & neighbors (Check out this link)
  • Mend & upcycle clothing that you already have
  • Wear what you already own 
  • Thrift first, then buy sustainably
Education & School/College: 
  • Rent textbooks, buy second-hand, or use online textbooks
  • Buy spirit gear second-hand
  • Consider decomposition notebooks if you need to buy a new one 
Bathroom: 
  • Buy package free! (shampoo bars, lotion bars, ect) 
  • Use reusable bags when shopping 
  • Periods: menstrual cup, organic cotton tampons, period underwear
  • Use a safety razor (instead of disposable)
  • Use reusable face wash rounds & wash clothes 
    • Make your own or buy locally
On the Go: 
  • Use beeswax food wraps (instead of plastic wrap) - you can even make your own!
  • Use reusable cups & mugs, when you do have to use a plastic water bottle - use it more than once!  
  • Reusable straws (or forgo the straw completely)
  • Keep a utensil kit (so you don’t have to use single-use plastic) 
  • When it's time: Replace your phone case with PELA, a 100% compostable phone case.
Food Related: 
  • Buy bulk groceries (use reusable jars, mesh bags) 
  • Plastic free produce (use mesh bags or none) 
  • Use mason jars or reuse glass jars to store food 
  • Eat less meat (try meatless Mondays)
  • Regrow your veggies 
  • Make stock out of veggie scraps 
In The Garden: 
  • DIY backyard Compost or store your compost in your freezer and find out where you can compost locally.
  • Sustainable source of water (collect rainwater, consider making a rainbarrel) 
  • Starbucks will give you free coffee grounds for your compost 
  • Shred paper to add to compost 
  • Reduce lawn & pavement on your property (it's a waste of water & can harm the environment) 
  • Consider making a rain garden (some cities even offer $ for new rain garden projects)
  • Plant native plants for your local pollinators (including honeybees, mason bees, birds, & bats)
Holidays: 
  • Wrap gifts in paper bags, fabric, or other reusable & recyclable materials


Where to buy or get (when needed)

Here are my go-to places!
  • Thrift First!!
    • lifelong thrift (Seattle), goodwill, value village, Westgate thrift (Edmonds), search locally!
  • Thrift online
  • Other: buy nothing groups (fb), freecycle, craigslist 
  • Buy local (farmers markets) 
Clothing:
Home:
Personal Hygiene:
Books: 
Food: 
  • Local Farmers markets
    • Year Round Markets in Seattle include Ballard & Capitol Hill
  • Imperfect produce 
Garden: 


Resources


Websites: 
Recycling clothes: 
  • Donate to nonprofits & thrift stores when clothes are still in good condition 
  • Jeans: Madewell
  • Tees: Respun by marine layer
  • Swim: Fair Harbor
  • Any: Eileen Fisher
Books: 
  • The conscious closet by Elizabeth Cline 
  • Plastic Free by Beth Terry 
  • Secondhand: Travels in the New Global Garage Sale by Adam Minter 
Netflix, Hulu, Movies, & Shows
  • A Plastic Ocean 
  • Broken: Recycling Sham
  • Rotten: Troubled Water 
  • The True Cost
  • Patriot Act: The Ugly Truth of Fast Fashion 
  • Chasing Coral
Podcasts:
  • Good Together: Ethical, Eco-friendly, Sustainable living
  • Practical(ly) Zero Waste
  • Eco Chic

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