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5 Eco Friendly Products You Can Buy Today

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It is no secret that plastic is one of the leading causes for marine pollution. According to an article posted on OurWorldinData.org, the world now produces more than 380 million tons of plastic every year. Most of that plastic ends up as pollutants entering our natural environment and oceans.

This is why it is important to use eco-friendly and reusable products to help slow down the flow of plastic waste. Here is a list of 5 eco-friendly products you can buy today:

Bamboo Cleaning Cloth

LUCKISS bamboo cleaning cloth is a sustainable alternative to using paper towels or cotton cleaning cloths. The cloth is 100% made of bamboo and is naturally absorbent because of the bamboo. You can purchase this cost effective reusable bamboo cleaning cloth here:

Glass Food Storage Containers 

Glass food storage containers are a great way to slow down your plastic usage. These glass containers are microwave friendly, so you won’t have to worry about chemicals with a plastic container. You can purchase a set here:

Reusable Shopping Bag

It is important to own a reusable shopping bag. Reusable shopping bags are more sturdy than the plastic bags you get at the grocery store. You can purchase this special HEB reusable grocery bag of Austin made by a local artist here:

https://www.heb.com/product-detail/h-e-b-austin-artist-reusable-shopping-bag/1965368

Stainless Steel Water Bottle

If you own a reusable metal water bottle you won’t have the need to use as many plastic water bottles. The Hydro Flask will keep your drinks cold or hot for hours. This is a great alternative to drinking plastic water bottles everyday. You can purchase your own Hydro Flask here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QNTYQL9?tag=bfabby-20&ascsubtag=5300880%2C18%2C29%2Cd%2C0%2C0%2Cgoogle%2C962%3A1%3B901%3A2%3B900%3A2%3B974%3A2%3B975%3A2%3B982%3A4%2C40508%2C0

Bamboo Toothbrush

Another product made of bamboo, these toothbrushes are made of 100% natural sustainable bamboo.It is important to make the switch from a plastic toothbrush to a bamboo one. Over 3.5 million plastic toothbrushes are sold around the world every year. Which is just one part of the dilemma.These toothbrushes are degradable, recyclable and can be reused. Most toothbrushes are made out of plastic, these bamboo toothbrushes are a green way to keep your teeth clean. You can purchase a bamboo toothbrush here: 

These products are all great sustainable and cost effective alternatives to everyday products that otherwise are made of plastic or aren’t reusable. Owning these products truly makes a difference. Small changes to habits lead to big results!

Links

https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution

Reasons to Switch From Plastic to Bamboo Toothbrush

5 Items to Reuse and Repurpose at Home

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It is common in hispanic culture that most households reuse items to give them a new purpose. Growing up as a hispanic myself, my family and I were practicing sustainable habits without even knowing it!  

More people should adopt this sustainable lifestyle since it is cost effective and at the same time helps the environment. Today, I am here to introduce you to a list of items that my family and I have reused and repurposed so that you can too!

Plastic Bag from the Grocery Store 

(Because you forgot your reusable bag at home, of course)

The average American family takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags a year. Plastic bags are also used for an average of 12 minutes. To extend their time span of use,  they can be used as a trash bag for small trash bins around the house like for your room or restroom. This way, you can refrain from purchasing actual smaller sized trash bags saving you money and cutting back on plastic usage. That is, of course, if you forget a reusable grocery bag. 

Plastic Food Containers

Brace yourself for someone in your family to eventually be deceived by this. Reusing food containers for other food is a great way to avoid paying for more plastic tupperware. The world produces more than 380 million tonnes of plastic every year and this sustainable habit can help cut that number down. Plastic containers can be reused over and over again.

Old Clothes

Old, torn clothes can be repurposed as a cleaning rag to get rid of dusty areas. It is green and also cost effective. According to the World Wildlife Fund, it can take 2,700 liters of water to produce the cotton for a single t-shirt. So might as well make the most of it instead of throwing it away.

Plastic Bottles

Instead of going out to find a pricey pot for your plant, you can reuse a plastic water bottle. Instead of buying a pencil container, use a water bottle. Instead of purchasing a watering can for your plants, use a water bottle. The ways you can reuse a water bottle are bountiful; from making a bird feeder to using the water bottle to suck egg yolk to even making a jewelry stand.

Disposable Razors

Once your razor becomes too dull to use for shaving, you can repurpose it to remove lint from your clothes. Like any sustainable habit, it is cost effective and this one will make your clothes look nice and presentable. 

Extending the usage of items such as the ones mentioned creates a household with sustainable habit and slows down purchases of disposable items. Growing up in a hispanic household there was no such thing as disposable, only reusable. That itself is living sustainably. You do not need to be Greta Thunberg or Leonardo DiCaprio to make a difference. 

Tag us @envirojunkiess on your Instagram/Twitter posts sharing if your family did the same growing up or if you have more items in mind that can be reused or repurposed feel free to share that with us! 

Links:

https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/programs/population_and_sustainability/sustainability/plastic_bag_facts.html

https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution

https://treefy.org/2020/06/24/template-2/#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20World%20Wildlife,just%20for%20one%20t%2Dshirt.

Places to Thrift in Austin

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Americans are buying more clothes now than ever. Clothing items have never been cheaper and this is thanks to fast fashion. While fast fashion is a highly profitable business model, it is detrimental to the environment. Producing a pair of jeans requires 2,000 gallons of water and emits the same amount of carbon as driving a car for 80 miles. The fast fashion industry leaves a giant footprint in the environment and is responsible for a tenth of all humanity’s carbon emissions. The fashion industry is also considered as the fourth most polluting industry under food retail. 

A way to avoid spending money on fast fashion is thrift shopping. Thrift stores sell used clothing at an affordable price. That way, you can save 2,000 gallons of water every time you buy a pair of jeans at a thrift store. Thrift shopping allows you to be environmentally conscious while also saving a few bucks. So here is a list of  stores you can thrift at in Austin, Texas:

Buffalo Exchange 

Located on the corner of 29th and Guadalupe St. Buffalo Exchange works to protect the environment by reusing and recycling clothing and gives clothing a second life. Make sure to stop by the store on April 22nd because they are having a $1 Earth Day Sale in support of charities and environmental causes. More information can be found on their site: https://www.buffaloexchange.com/

Pavement

Located on 611 S Lamar Blvd and 2932 Guadalupe St. 

Pavement is a larger than life buy/sell/trade shop. The thrift store has buy counters where you can drop off clothing you want to recycle in return for some extra cash. Visit their site for more information: https://pavement.store/

Uptown Cheapskate

Located on 3005 S Lamar Blvd

Uptown Cheapskate promotes sustainable fashion. Their website is full of insightful information on the environmental impact of fast fashion and the benefits of purchasing used clothing. Uptown Cheapskate has raised close to $600,000 in donations and have helped build 13 schools through their Charity Fill-A-Bag Sale. More information can be found at: https://www.uptowncheapskate.com/upcycling-impact

Austin Pets Alive! Thrift

Austin Pets Alive has 3 locations in Austin: 1409 West Oltorf St., 5801 Burnet Rd., and on 5102 Clarkson Ave. 

Austin Pets Alive is a boutique style thrift store, all their net proceeds go to directly support their lifesaving programs and animals. Fosters actually receive a 20% off on in store purchases. More information can be found at: https://www.austinpetsalive.org/shop/thrift

These are just some of our favorite thrift stores out of the many you will find in Austin. Thrift shopping is a simple way you can make a big impact towards the betterment of the Earth. You can save 700 gallons of water if you buy a cotton t-shirt at a thrift store instead of purchasing a new one. That is an insane amount of water you can be saving just by thrifting! So go out and find yourself a nice outfit. (Wearing a mask, of course!)

Tags: Thrift Shopping, Thrifting, Sustainable Fashion, Sustainability 

Citations:

https://www.planetaid.org/thrift-center/thrift-center-blog/the-thrifting-movement

https://healthyhumanlife.com/blogs/news/what-is-fast-fashion

https://www.levistrauss.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Full-LCA-Results-Deck-FINAL.pdf

https://www.businessinsider.com/fast-fashion-environmental-impact-pollution-emissions-waste-water-2019-10#:~:text=Fast%20fashion%20makes%20shopping%20for,pollutes%20the%20oceans%20with%20microplastics.

The top 7 most polluting industries in 2024

How COVID-19 Taught us to be Sustainable

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How COVID19 Taught Us To Be Sustainable  

Nature’s comeback and how 2020 somehow forced us to live sustainably.

There is no doubt that 2020 was hard for many people. Out of the many burdens COVID-19 has brought upon us, it has also shown us how to live sustainably. There is a silver lining in how we changed our lifestyles because of the pandemic. Sustainability is a way society can continue to grow and prosper while the Earth does as well. Covid has shown us that nature can return to form, and humans are capable of change.

To comply with pandemic guidelines, we were forced to change the norm. Here are a couple of ways we made change. 

Less Carbon Emissions

Photo featured on CNN’s website shows a before and after the coronavirus of Los Angeles’s skyline.

One thing employees universally have a distaste for is staff meetings. The rise of remote learning and work has significantly improved the air quality around the world. According to a study led by Pachama, a climate satellite monitoring company, 20% less generation from power stations, 72% lower particulate emissions, and 50% lower carbon monoxide. This shows that we can improve our quality of life on Earth if we come together. Instead of driving your car across town for a meeting that was shorter than the ride there, we use Zoom now which saves us gas while also helping the Earth.

Focus on Reusable Products

Photo by Erin Clark of the Boston Globe

At the start of the pandemic, we faced a shortage of masks and medical gloves. The shortage showed that medical equipment was not sustainable. To solve the issue, we made reusable masks and gowns by cloth. This same effort for other reusable products will make a long-lasting impact on the planet.

Essentially, if the same urgency and policy is used from the pandemic to fight climate change, we have a shot to leave a better world for the future. That is the duty we as individuals. 

Tags: Sustainability, Environmental Awareness, COVID-19, Carbon emissions. 

References: 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-51944780

https://www.hawaiianelectric.com/hawaiian-electric-sees-drop-in-demand-during-pandemic

https://pachama.com/

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/07/us/los-angeles-pollution-clean-air-coronavirus-trnd/index.html