
Earth Day is April 22, yet every day could be earth day if we choose it to be. Living more environmentally takes self reflection as well as research. I am beyond estatic with the zero waste efforts so far that I’ve incorporated in our home and daily lifestyle. At the same time, I am also compassionate with myself when I make a wasteful mistake. I use mistakes I make as a learning curve. I’ve put together six basic items that I keep in my bag to help me maintain my zero waste goals when I’m out and about. These six items help tremendously when traveling too.
1. Stainless Steel Straw
Plastic straws are wasteful. Over 60 million straws are thrown away each day. A stainless steel straw can be reused and recycled. They also look so much better than plastic.
2. Stainless Steel Utensils
By carrying a set of utensils in my bag, I avoid the possibility of needing to use disposable utensils all together. Compostable utensils sound good, but most of the time they too become trash. I found this set of airline utensils at an army surplus store which was random and perfect all at the same time. I keep them wrapped in a piece of fabric. Bamboo utensils are another great option!
3. Stainless Steel Water Bottle
Plastic water bottles leach “bad estrogens” into your water which is never good for your health. Plastic may be inexpensive and convenient intially, but it only causes unnecessary pollution that does not ever fully biodegrade. Only 5% of plastics produced in the United States is recycled out of the 100 billion tons of plastics produced each year, so recycling alone is not the answer. I used a basic glass jar to carry water until my hubby bought me a stainless steel water bottle. Both are ecofriendly alternatives, yet stainless steel does not break.
4. Organic Cotton Produce Bags
I use organic cotton produce bags for shopping in the bulk section of grocery stores, and obviously for produce as well. I also use these bags to carry snacks and keep lunch items in when I am out or traveling. They are a much better alternative to a plastic sandwich bag, and they can be reused over and over again. I keep small cotton bags with me at all times, and also have medium and large size cotton bags that I use for grocery shopping
5. Fabric Napkin/Cloth
Using paper napkins are not nearly as bad as one time use plastics, yet for zero waste avoiding both is the goal. Fabric napkins look fancier than paper napkins ever will. You could also carry a bandana instead of a fabric napkin. A bandana is about the same size as a fabric napkin and can be used in various ways. Paper napkins can be composted though too.
6. Expandable Shopping Bag
When I go grocery shopping I use large canvas shopping bags to carry all of my items out. I like to keep an expandable shopping bag with me in my handbag for other shopping trips. This bag is beyond convenient to carry other miscellaneous items when needed too.
There are so many aspects of everyday life that can be modified painlessly to reduce your environmental impact. It just takes a bit of conscious effort. Living intentionally is very empowering. These six items are also fairly inexpensive and easy to travel with. What items do you keep with you throughout the day to lessen your environmental impact on the planet? Please share below!
One Love!
(Image by Dawn Michelle)
Christina J says
Love the ideas! I will def pick up a stainless steal water bottle and fabric napkins. Very classy as well. I do want to pick up eco friendly bags for shopping. I saw the trolley bags…what do you think about those? Keep your ideas coming!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Christina J,
Thanks! I love using canvas and hemp bags for grocery shopping. A lot of reusuable bags are comprised of plastic so just do your research. The expandable bags aren’t a natural material but I only have one of them. The rest of my bags are natural fabrics. Have a beautiful day!
Danee says
Thanks for sharing. I picked up the water bottle and several other items too! Stainless Steel really is the way to go, keeps cold drinks refreshingly cold. I wish I had the stainless steel cups my mother used when I was a kid. They were so surdy and they came in a rainbow of nifty colors 🙂 I have a looong way to go before my household is zero watse, but I feel I have a good start thank to you. Happy Earth Day!
Dawn Michelle says
Hi Danee,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this and it’s so awesome that you are taking the steps to be more environmentally friendly. Zero waste takes time. I just finished up the plastic packing tape that we had this weekend. Now I’ll be replacing it with paper packing tape. There are so many details involved with zero waste so it really doesn’t happen overnight. Enjoy the process and Happy Earth Day!