Tag: sustainable

Individual Change

10 Everyday Household Items that could be Reusable!

Taylor Houghton

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!)

 Image result for diy hot and cold heat pack

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 mentalImage result for reusable straws glass, bamboo and mentalImage result for reusable straws glass, bamboo and mentalImage 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 boxImage 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!! 

America's Effort, Global Impact, Individual Change

Plastic Free Aisles

Taylor Houghton

Let’s be Plastic-Free!

If you haven’t heard the rage about plastic free products, you might be living under a rock! I am just kidding! Let me tell you!

Image result for plastic in our oceans

A lot of the products we produce are sold in plastic packages. This is a problem because plastic is ending up in our oceans and our environment! We need to do away with plastic things! 300 million tons of plastic are produced globally but only 12% are being recycled. Where does that leave the 88%? Something has to be done.

Supermarkets are now being urged to have plastic free aisles! This helps prevents tons of waste that is already effecting our Earth! Image result for plastic free aisle

Supermarkets including Tesco, Waitrose and Sainsbury’s said they would respond to the proposals once discussions with campaigners had taken place. I have also seen activists going into local super markets with their team. What ever they purchase, they take the plastic off with it and the purchase it.

Sarah Knapton from the telegraph news for science stats, “We have more choice than ever for everything. There are countless gluten-free, organic or kosha aisles, and yet we have absolutely no choice about buying food that is packaged in plastic.” Image result for plastic free aisle

It is true. How can you expect us to take part of this movement if there is way we could? Our only option right now is to buy plastic things. We must provide plastic free aisles to the public and then see the change happen!

She always tells us, “It is a double whammy problem because not only does it make us feel guilty about all this packaging we are using, but science is starting to show us that wrapping food in plastic can bring health problems.”Image result for no more plastic

If that doesn’t motivate you, I don’t know what will. Plastics are destroying our health and our home!

#ChangingOurPlanetOneAisleAtATime

 

*Check out the link below to see a video of the first plastic free store! 

Individual Change

Environmentally Friendly Razors!

Taylor Houghton

Safety Razors!

Two billion razors are thrown away each year! This is something we don’t often think about! There is actually a razor out there that is good for the environment that already exist…SAFETY RAZORS!

Before I get into that…the two common razors that people use:

The first kind is the razor that has one set of blades on them. After a week or two of using this razor, you throw it away. And let’s be honest. Do we really get the close shave that we want. I always end up with cuts on my leg from razors like theses.

Image result for razors

The other kind is a razor that comes with about two to three replaceable razors. After you use up all the razors you throw them out. These razors never seem to get a close enough shave either. Plus their expensive!

Image result for razorsImage result for razors

 

The important thing to take away is RAZORS ARE NOT RECYCLABLE! That’s right, every time you throw away a razor it is ending up in landfills. Think about how many of these razors you use in a year!! Don’t worry the solution already exists! Safety Razors will be the last purchase you’ll ever make on a razor!

Image result for razors

People are raving that:

  1. They are getting a closer shave
  2. No more dots on their legs
  3. Safe to leave in shower
  4. Their saving money
  5. Their helping the environment

What you need to do:

Make a one time purchase of about $20 (sometimes less) and buy a Safety Razor!

For only $12, you can get 100 blades too! (This will last you for years!) You do the math of those savings!

All you do with the uses razors is out them in a can to recycle them. The company ASTRA takes care of it and reuses the materials.

The cost upfront is a bit more than a traditional razor but in the long run you will be saving money and the Earth! Think about how many disposable razors you throw away, every time your spending $10-$20…that adds up really quick! Again think about how many disposable razors you have thrown away in your lifetime, they are all sitting in a landfill as we speak.

Be the change and make the switch! Remember… small changes make a big difference!

 

*Check out this video below-they give you some good tips towards the end of the video of how to use a safety razor!

Safety Razors

The safety razor is the eco-friendly shaving tool we didn't know we needed.

Posted by We Need This on Tuesday, April 10, 2018

 

 

America's Effort, Global Impact, Individual Change

Editable and Package Free Water Bottles!

Taylor Houghton

Editable and Package Free Water Bottles… Say what??

Are you thirsty but trying to reduce your use of plastic? Look no further. Scientists have come up with a package free and editable way to drink water. “‘Ooho’ by Skipping Rocks Lab is an edible water bottle created out of 100% biodegradable brown algae that is an environmental-friendly alternative to plastic bottles.” They are also developing colored ones or ones that have taste to them!

Image result for edible water bottle

How you drink it: 

It is a very simple process. All you have to do is peel the film/skin around the edible water and pop it in your mouth.

The editable water bottles are being tested at certain sporting events. It’s something very simple that you can just pick up and go and then just pop it in your mouth. This will help us eliminate plastic water bottles for good! They will be coming to the market soon! Keep your eyes pealed for them! I am very interested in trying one of these. My only concern is having them pop in my backpack or something. Because it has a skin that you have to peal before you drink it, it makes me think it won’t. I will let you know if I get the chance to try one!

 

Check out this video below! 

America's Effort, Individual Change

Package Free Store

Taylor Houghton

Package Free Stores do exist!!

A lot of us are trying to reduce our waste but it is actually harder than you think… If you look at the products you use everyday, their not package free. Even if you go to your local super market, you will find that the stores don’t even carry a package free product.

I came across a video Lauren Singer shared. She owns a package free store. The difference is the store hold everyday products that you wouldn’t be able to find package free at your typical store. You know her products are good because she uses also every product in the store for herself.

Singer is from New York and she has opened a package free store. She currently lives a waste free lifestyle. All of her trash from over the years, all fits in one tiny mason jar.

She explains in her video that when she tried to live a waste free lifestyle that it was hard for her to find simple things like shampoo. Now she provides all things like this. She even has a system for things like laundry detergent. You bring back your reusable jar to fill it up. She sells a lot of everyday reusable things that you wouldn’t normally think about.

“Every product we have here, I don’t have it just to be functional; it has to be beautiful too.”

Check out this video below!

Package Free shop

This Package Free store is an environmentalist's wonderland.

Posted by Mashable on Wednesday, January 3, 2018

 

America's Effort, Global Impact

Two Alternatives when Building Roads!

Taylor Houghton

Roads made from waste plastics and Solar Roadways:

I can across a video on Facebook that has left my jaw wide open. Engineering Toby McCarthey has invented paved roads that made from Image result for toby mccartney plastic roadsrecycled plastic and plastic that is in the ocean! He replaced bitumen with recycled plastic pieces and created something better than what we had before. The plastic roads are 60% stronger than the traditional asphalt roads and last 10 times longer. The popularly of these plastic roads is rising! It is time for the United States to take part!

Image result for toby mccartney plastic roadsImage result for toby mccartney plastic roads

Currently, there is over billions of liters of oil make up our roads and over trillions of plastic materials that have no use or that are just simply floating in our oceans. This is yet another great use for plastic! This will help solve some of the plastic waste problems, help reduce global carbon emissions, and in return make our roads more durable! Plastic paved roads are the future!

Another alternative this made me think of was solar roadways. It was popular a couple of years ago and I’m sad it didn’t take off because I was really excited about it. I am going to share this with you anyways! 

Solar Roadways is basically solar panels that replaced our roads, sidewalks, driveways, etc. They were invented by an engineering couple named Scott and Julie Brusaw.Image result for solar roadways

Because their solar panels, they basically pay for themselves, so it lowers the cost of energy. Not to mention these are heated! You never have to worry about ice or snow on roads! YES! That includes no more Image result for solar roadwaysshoveling in your driveway! You can ride your bike, moped and motorcycle year round! Think about the salt we put down on our roads. Not only does it destroy the roads themselves but it also rusts your car!

Solar Roadways are so easy to replace, and you won’t have to worry about filling in pot holes. They each are an individual panel. They are also pressure censored so they can warn people telling them to slow down for people crossing, deer crossing, or even branches falling. The solar Image result for solar roadwaysroadways also light up with LED lights! They light up the lane changes, warning signs, parking spots, etc. And you never have to worry about repainting them because all you have to do is re program them! It also helps with water run off. It re directs the water and doesn’t contaminant it like traditional roads do!

The best part of it all… the solar panels are made from recycle materials!

 

 

Both of these are great Eco-friendly alternatives! I am excited to see our future paved roads! 

 

Check out this video below. It goes into more details about Solar Roadways! 

Individual Change

Food Waste into Cooking Gas?!

Taylor Houghton

Homebiogas:

Can you even believe that there is a device that will allow you to turn your food waste into cooking gas! Honestly, your throwing away your food waste anyways, might as well put it to good use. Literally, all I hear is savings!!!

The blow up machine just sits in your backyard! “Homebiogas is an off-grid system that generates clean energy without any electricity AND allows you to properly treat your household waste! The system produces up to 2 hours of cooking gas every day solely from your food scraps or animal waste, ” Homebiogas tells us themselves.

How it works:

The process is easy to assemble and doesn’t require a professional technician, HomeBiogas is a DIY kit!
The system is sent to your home with all the tools and a detailed guide, so it is super easy! All you have to do is activate your system and have a healthy colony of bacteria growing in the digester right in your backyard. Literally, your able to toss your food scraps and/or animal waste into the system and then after that it generates up to 2 hours of cooking gas and fertilizer DAILY. Talk about savings!! $$$

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Below is a video that shows the HOMEBIOGAS in action!

Turn your food waste into cooking gas! Music by Joakim Karud

Turn your food waste into cooking gas!Music by Joakim Karud

Posted by Genius Club on Monday, November 20, 2017

Individual Change

Year Round Veggies Grown in your OWN home!

Taylor Houghton

The O Garden:

I found is this amazing video on Facebook! This is a device that allows you to grow your own veggies in home year round! It’s called the O Garden. It is designed for people who live in the city or a place where the yard space is limited. Really anyone can have this garden in their home. I know what your thinking. When you first think of  a garden in your home, you think it is going to take up a lot of space. The O Garden actually only takes up the space that a small desk would take up. Not to mention that it only uses one lamp and produces about 100 plants.
the OGarden project1
Greentumble said, “The O Garden uses space and gravity differently. The plants rotate around a central light source that gives optimal lighting to each one. As they slowly turn in the wheel, they are exposed on the side, with the leaves hanging down, and then they make their way back to the bottom. These changes in position make them stronger and they develop leaves that are more dense and vigorous.” Image result for o garden

ogarden-day-background-blue

The downward motion allows the plants to receive a small quantity of a certified organic liquid that allows them to grow strong. Not only that but there is no use for pesticides, preservatives, or exposed to air pollution.  AND the process only takes about 30 days! 30 days of waiting for delicious food right from your own home- I think it is worth it!

What can you grow: Lettuces, all kind of cabbages, Swiss chard, kale, endive, parsley, leeks, fennel, celery, basil, and other fine herbs, etc. 

“The O Garden is the all-in-one solution to growing healthy and organic foods affordably. For a fraction of the cost of buying leafy vegetables, it will now be possible to harvest your own salads and herbs, grown with organic substances, on a certified organic device, directly at home, year round, and for only 20 cents per vegetable,” Green tumble said.

Image result for o garden

Below is a video of the O Garden working it’s magic! 

This device lets you grow vegetables from home

This device lets you grow vegetables from home

Posted by YOO on Monday, July 17, 2017

Individual Change

Sustainably Living

Taylor Houghton

What does it mean to live a more ‘sustainable‘ life?

Sustainable living is a lifestyle that attempts to reduce an individual’s or society’s use of the earth’s natural resources and personal resources.

For my first official post, I am just going to give five general ideas to help you live more sustainable. These may be things you have heard of before or they might be completely new to you. This is just a starting place! What ever the fact, here a simple ways to live more sustainable in your everyday life!

  1. RIDE YOUR BIKE! Riding your bike is actually sometimes quicker than driving! Often times when I ride my bike, I pass a whole line of cars of people stuck in traffic. It of course depends on where your going and what you have to carry, but when you can I would advise you to try to ride your bike!

Image result for riding your bike

2. CAR POOLING! This is another great alternative to helping reduce car emissions. Think about it… if for example, you and a co-worker are going to the same place anyways why not ride together? Not only are you helping the planet, but your also saving money in your own wallet. Image result for car pooling

3. REDUCE HOUSEHOLD ENERGY USE! This idea may seem kind of impossible but it’s not. A lot of the times people leave lights on in rooms their not in. Why? It takes two seconds to flip the switch back up. Try turning off the lights when you leave the room or when you leave your house! This will also save you money in your pocket!

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4. RESELL AND DONATE! When your going through your old stuff, why not make some money off it too? I like the saying, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” (or something like that). Goodwill is a awesome place to drop your unwanted things off if you just want to get rid of them. Back in the day, the only reason people would get rid of their clothes is because they didn’t work anymore or were too worn out. Now a days, people get rid of clothes because their out of style. Clothes is a luxury. We don’t need the newest stuff. If you aren’t willing to stop buying new clothes, at least donate them to someone who could use them! This doesn’t just apply to clothes, but also furniture, dishware, old toys, etc.

Image result for goodwill

5. PLANT SEEDS! People have ‘grown’ away from planting their own plants. Try setting aside a small area in your yard or window cell. You don’t need acres of land. It’s really a simple process. Also planting trees always helps the environment! If everyone in the world planted one tree, there would be roughly seven billion more trees tomorrow than there was yesterday! Think about the changes that could happen! Those trees would remove over 27 Million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere annually! Start planting! Image result for plant a tree

With that said, here is a video of little boy who has the mindset that we all should have! Enjoy!