straws – Simple Ways to Change the World

I always wondered how I can continue to help the planet by using reusable products. The basic items that come to my mind right away are plastic water bottles and reusable grocery bags. Although, those two things are great, there are many more opportunities to be more Eco-friendly. I composed a list of 10 things that you change exchange for your everyday products.

1. Reusable tampon and pads!

I thought I would start this list out a little interesting. When I first heard of a reusable tampon and pad, I was a little grossed out! At first it is a little hard to use (I’ll be honest), but so was a tampon when you first started using one. You just have to give it a chance. Not only does it help the environment by eliminating waste but it is also better for your body. Check out the video below to see all the benefits!

http://www.facebook.com/MenstrualCupTribe/videos/177368666139055/

2. Eco wrap!

Eco wrap is a great alternative to plastic wrap! Did I mention it is healthier and saves money for you in the long run! Check out this video to see the full details!

This Eco Food Wrap Is Perfect For People Who Love The Environment

This Eco Food Wrap Is Perfect For People Who Love The Environment

Posted by BuzzFeed Video on Tuesday, April 4, 2017

(And if it is too expensive or you like DIY projects, this video shows you how to make your own!)

Homemade Reusable Cling Wrap

Make your own homemade REUSABLE cling wrap to be more eco-friendly! ✨

Posted by Goodful on Sunday, April 22, 2018

3. Reusable Hand Warmers!

Reusable Hand Warmers are great because you can use them again and again and never have to buy one again. What is do is after you use it you boil it and it restarts the hand warmer. You then click the sliver button inside and watch it transform (this part is pretty neat)! Then it stay warm like a hand warmer would! When you want to use it again, start the whole process over again! Check out this short video that shows you how it works!

4. DIY Hot and Cold heat pack

All you need to do is add rice and sew it together in a pack. You can either microwave it or freeze it and use it again and again! (They make great gifts!)

5. Reusable Straws!

I already made a blog post about this but I think this is an important item that we must switch to! There are many alternatives to this which is great! There are glass, metal, stainless steal, wood, bamboo, rubber and paper straws! All are better than the plastic alternative!

Image result for reusable straws glass, bamboo and mental

6. Reusable Juice Box!

This one if for the kids! Think about how much waste a little juice box with a straw makes! This is a easy switch and it saves you money but filling up your own juice!

Image result for reusable juice box

7. Reusable Sandwich Bags!

Again think of the money you will be saving and the waste you will be preventing! This is a one time buy! The link below shows a website that sells them!

http://www.reuseit.com/reuseit-platinum-silicone-reusable-sandwich-and-snack-bags-set-of-4.htm

8. Chip and Snack Bag Re-sealer

This will keep your food fresh and help you not waste them!

Image result for chip and snack bag resealer

9. Reusable Napkins!

All you have to do it wash them and they look super cute too!

Image result for reusable napkins

10. Food Scrapes

Don’t waste your food scrapes! You can either compost them like I explained in past posts or you can grow new fruits and veggies from your fruit and veggie scrapes.

$Image result for growing food from scraps\$

There are many more alternatives but these are just 10! Start with these and you will surely make an impact!!

Straw’s Suck…LITERALLY!!!

This week I heard about about not using plastic straws. They started campaigns called The Last Straw or No Straw Please, which I thought was very clever! I have always been one to not use a straw if I didn’t have to. I’m glad the rest of the world is finally taking notice as well!

Disposable straws are not recyclable. I actually told some of my friends this and they were surprised and didn’t know this. They often end up in landfills, oceans or our environment! According to the National Park Service, Americans throw away a half a billion straws everyday! That’s insane! It is insane to think that a tiny little piece of plastic could have such a big impact on our Earth. It is also crazy to not realize how many times you use a straw! Eight million tons of plastic enter our marine environments every year! They say by 2050 there will be more plastic then there is fish! These fish are also eating these plastic materials! This matter because we eat fish! I eat fish! This means were eating plastic! We are killing ourselves!

Image result for plastic straws in the ocean

CNN tells us that the average American uses two plastic straws a day, “Every day, Americans throw away 500 million plastic straws, enough to circle the Earth twice, or fill 125 school buses. That means the average American uses over 35,000 of them in a lifetime.” Image result for turtle and plastic straw

Image result for turtle and plastic straw

The movement started in 2011 by nine-year-old boy named Milo Cress. His campaign was called Be Straw Free. It started when he went to restaurants and they gave him a straw without him even asking. He really didn’t need one and they gave him one without asking! He started going to local restaurants and asking them to not give anyone straws unless they ask. Those restaurants reported that they used 50% less straws!

Image result for restaurants saying no to straws

This campaign, however, started in our very own Seattle. The campaign saved over 2.3 million plastic straws in as little of three months! Restaurants are switching to paper straws. The city is even looking into having an official ban on straws and plastic utensils!

I’m not asking you to stop using straws. I simply asking you to not use plastic straws! There are other alternatives like reusable glass, stainless steel, copper, bamboo, and several other kinds of reusable straws. I challenge you to go straw free for a full week! I am asking you to make the switch and say no to plastic straws!!

Image result for alternatives to plastic straws

Check out this video!

Tag: straws

10 Everyday Household Items that could be Reusable!