Tag: eco-friendly

An Eco-Friendly Holiday Gift List

It’s been a crazy and hectic few months for me, but I promised an updated Environmentally friendly holiday IDEA list so here it is. Wishing everyone peace, joy, and great health for 2023!

ECO-FRIENDLY HOLIDAY GIFT LIST AND IDEAS FOR 2022:

Many of us are scrambling and looking for possible gift ideas on the internet, in stores, and even creating some by hand. Whatever your holiday gift season plans are, make sure to include some eco-friendly ones this year. With plastic pollution and just overall waste throughout the world, we can all do better to improve the lives of our health and the health of our planet. Below I’ve listed some unique brands/products/ideas that are eco-friendly and give back to charities as well. 

1 – Plaine Products: A sustainable brand started by two sisters who were devasted from seeing the destruction made by plastic. They created products that benefit people, nature, and help reduce the rising damages of plastic use and production. Their products include natural and organic hand sanitizers and beauty products. Simply return your used bottles and dispenser pumps back to the company and they’ll handle the rest. Reclamation of empty containers is a big step in helping reduce plastic in our world. 

Right now you can save 25% off through December 9, which is more than the usual 20% off you’d get with my Ambassador code. Please use code: GIFT25 when purchasing through this link: https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/Suzan%20C./

These make wonderful gifts for families, teachers, and friends. You’re helping them, yourself, and the environment.

2 – The Non-GMO Project: A grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and building the non-GMO food supply, educating consumers, and providing verified non-GMO choices. Your purchases support their ongoing efforts to bring awareness and help other Non-GMO verified brands: https://store.nongmoproject.org/

3 – EARTHDAY.ORG: A non-profit organization that supports and sponsors campaigns and companies that help protect the environment and people. Their products are organic, renewable, and circular: https://earthday-store.com/

4 – Mercari: While this isn’t truly an eco-friendly company, they do however sell gently-used products ranging from clothing to school supplies, to vintage items. Buying gently-used products helps the circular economy and environment to reduce your carbon footprint: https://mercari.com

5 – National Parks. Parks desperately need your support year round. The beauty of nature is within us and all around us. It’s our sole duty as humans to preserve nature as much as possible. Most parks rely on donations throughout the year for upkeep and to keep land, animals, and people safe. Consider making donations to your local or national parks: https://www.nationalparks.org/

6 – Swap-Outs: We all have some gently used clothing, toys, or cookware at home. Instead of buying new ones this year, host a toy swap out party where friends and family can bring their gently used toys to exchange for other ones. This way, these toys will be loved and appreciated again.

7 – Beesponsible.com: A company dedicated in educating and helping bees and bee farms around the world. Bees are incredibly crucial in helping the pollination and production of certain food on our planet. Visit their online shop for more info: https://www.beesponsible.com/

8 – Happy Earth: A sustainable, organic, and charitable company that plants trees, fight climate change, and help clean up trash with every purchase. Their products range from clothing to reusables to lovely organic blankets. Right now you can save an extra 20% off online with code: EVERGREEN. Visit their website for more info: https://www.happyearthapparel.com/

9 – Grades of Green: a student-led non-profit program dedicated to educate, bring awareness, and reward students and schools for their environmental efforts. This award winning program is worldwide and provides necessary education for schools and communities on saving the planet. Consider making a charitable donation to help their program: https://gradesofgreen.givingfuel.com/general-giving

10 – Gardener gifts: Gardening is one of my true loves in life. Being out in nature and with the plants around us helps us recharge and replenish what is lost in our soul. Whether you’re a beginner or an avid gardener, you can always find something for the gardener enthusiasts in your life. Visit your local gardening center to help local farms and chat with expert horticulturists to get ideas for your yard and garden!

Wherever you are in life right now and whatever plans you make for the holiday season, remember to give back to the planet as much as possible. We can all do our part in helping our planet be cleaner and safer for everyone.

Have a safe, healthy, and peaceful holiday season!

 

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

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What We Learn From Our Planet Loving Kids

*** Stay tuned as I’ll be announcing the winner of the Plaine Products Hand Sanitizer Set!

When it comes to caring about certain things in our universe, look to the children first. You can ask them what their favorite animal is, or their favorite color, or even their favorite food and they’ll immediately go into a lengthy diatribe of why they love that particular thing. But ask them if they love their planet, you’ll most likely get a quick head nod. Add in the fact that the planet is full of nature such as flowers, butterflies, and dolphins, and you’ll immediately get an enthusiastic smile.

Earth Day was on April 22 and many schools across the world celebrated and honored Mother Earth. Students from kindergarten to middle school were able to learn something about the planet and what we need to do to preserve it. I was talking to a couple of kindergarteners and one in particular came up to me and said with a toothy grin, “Happy Earth Day! You must reduce, reuse, recycle!.” How precious is that? All I could think of was wow, a child as young as 5 or 6 years old was so enthusiastic about saving the planet. Did she understand what those words meant? You bet I asked her and we got into a brief one-sided conversation – with her mostly telling me what she thought the words meant. I knew her classroom was learning about Earth Day, but for someone as young as her to really understand the meaning and to practically preach about protecting the environment was quite a delight!

Kids are pretty amazing and unique. Through all my years of working with children, there is rarely a day where I don’t meet an amazing student. And through all the difficulties of raising children or even teaching them, if you open your eyes and ears to what they say and do, you’d find that kids are truly the heart of our future.

But why are children more interested in helping the environment than adults? As an adult, I recall my childhood where I learned about the environment and the planet from mostly my parents and a few teachers. Children are like sponges and they’ll soak up whatever is around them, be it good or bad. When I talk to my Green Team students about the environment, most of them have a general knowledge of what they should do. And most of the time, they are interested to learn more and to do more. That is what amazes me the most – the fact that they actually want to do something progressive in helping the planet.

We can certainly learn a lot from kids. As an adult, we usually tend to just brush off their comments. But if we truly want to learn from what children can offer then we must listen to their words. Below I’ve listed some suggestions on how to talk kids about the environment and get the conversation going.

  • Teach by example. Children can learn by emulating what we do so it’s important to show them that we also care about the environment.

  • Ask open-ended questions. Start the conversation going on how they feel about their planet.

  • Make suggestions. Suggest to kids how to care about the planet. Examples would be to plant more trees or start their own garden at home, or pick up trash around their neighborhood, or make signs around their schools to raise awareness of climate changes.

  • Allow kids to use their own creativity on how they want to help the planet.  Kids can offer great ideas of their own that we can apply to.

  • Give them the right tools. Have age appropriate books about helping the planet as well as any authentic online resources. Companies such as The Environmental Working Group: www.ewg.org and Keep America Beautiful: https://kab.org/  are great sites to start with.

  • Volunteer with local or statewide environmental groups. Depending on the ages of your children, there are many great non-profit organizations they can volunteer for.

In the end, our children are our future and the future of what our world will be. Kindness to others and the planet is the overall achievement we should all try to reach for.

*photos courtesy of kidsgardening.org

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

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Earth Month GIVEAWAY with Plaine Products!

All through Earth Month (April) I will be highlighting some wonderful brands that are doing good for the planet and people. With the rising awareness of climate change around the world now is a great time to support companies who are giving back to the planet. My own personal journey to switching out single-use plastic to more sustainable materials has truly opened my eyes to just how much single-use plastics we have gone through in my household. My family has also gone through the journey with me and I am constantly growing and learning new concepts, ideas, and companies that are helping the planet.

***Please read through to the end for details on how to enter and the official rules.

Today, I’d like to highlight one of the best eco-friendly company in the US: Plaine Products. Plaine Products is an all-natural, environmentally friendly, sustainably packaged beauty and health products brand. Founded by two sisters who personally experienced the devastation of plastics and waste, they decided to form a new eco-friendly brand focused entirely on reducing waste. At Plaine Products, you have the ability and control in how you use and dispose your products. With the opportunity for consumers to buy a refill bottle and send old bottles and caps back, this circular recycling opportunity ensures your products are always reusable by you.

PLAINE PRODUCTS ARE:

  • Free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, silicone, and palm oil

  • Blended with whole essential oils (instead of synthetic fragrance)

  • Vegan and non GMO ingredients

  • Designed to biodegrade

  • Baby safe and hypoallergenic

  • Cruelty Free, Leaping Bunny certified

  • Free of single-use plastic

  • Carbon Neutral

In collaboration with Plaine Products, I am hosting a GIVEAWAY during Earth Month. The prize will be a Hand Sanitizer gift set (1- 16oz and 1- 2.5oz) sent to the winner. Please read through to the end for details on how to enter and the official rules.

OFFICIAL ENTRY:

1- Subscribe to my blog: www.happymomblogger.com (this is a must-do)

2- Follow me on Instagram: www.instagram.com/scgmama and Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/happymomblogger. (You can follow me on both or at least one platform.) In the Comments section (of this blog post), enter your social media handle (example: @happymomblogger, etc.)

3- Follow Plaine Products on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/PlaineProducts/  and Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlaineProducts (follow on both or at least one platform).

4- Like my Giveaway post on Instagram and/or Twitter.

5- Tell me what you can do to help the environment (on Instagram or Twitter). Be sure to tag me and Plaine Products.

EASY AND DONE! GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Contest Disclosure:

Giveaway starts on Monday, April 12 and ends on Friday, April 23 (12 am PST). Contest is hosted by Happymomblogger and sponsored by Plaine Products. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Only 1 contestant per household please. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of prize. Any violation of the rules will deem your entry as disqualified. Contest and prize is not associated with WordPress, Instagram, and Twitter and they are not held responsible. One winner will be chosen at random at random.org. Winner will be contacted via Instagram or Twitter, depending on your entry and winner has 48 hours to claim prize or another winner will be selected. Happymomblogger and Plaine Products are not held responsible for lost, stolen, or damaged products but will do everything possible to make it right. No purchase necessary to win. Void where prohibited by law.

***Be sure to check out my Ambassador Codes tab for an extra 20% off!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

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Eco-Friendly February Tasks

Can you believe it’s already February? Last year seemed like the longest year and yet it also flew by so quickly! With February already in full swing, there are lots of things we can do this month to kick start our goals for an environmentally friendly New Year!

VALENTINE’S DAY– Yes, yes, I know most people think this holiday is a marketing ploy, and I gotta admit, brands probably make tons of money for this holiday. Whether you celebrate Valentine’s Day or not, I think it’s a fun tradition to begin or continue with your children. The colors of Valentine’s Day is quite festive – reds, pinks, lavenders, and even blues. But how do we make this holiday more eco-friendly? Candy wrappers are bound to be thrown into the trash along with other plastic and not so easily recyclable items. Here are some tips to keep it eco-friendly:

  • Send e-gift cards. This might seem less sentimental, but you don’t have to send gift cards to only your significant other. You can send them to your friends, siblings, nieces, nephews, cousins, teachers, and the list goes on! Electronic gift cards are fast and don’t require any shipping via mail or using those pesky unrecyclable plastic cards.

  • Purchase locally grown flowers or from family-owned farms. Locally grown flowers require less carbon footprint to ship and flower farms owned by small families usually have more unique and fresher varieties.

  • Try making a vegetarian feast for Valentine’s Day with these dishes: – Exotic mushroom pasta by using oyster mushrooms, Shitake mushrooms, or Enoki mushrooms. You can find the more exotic versions at Asian grocery stores and natural grocery stores. – Heavenly Layer Dip, which uses red tomatoes, red bell peppers, sour cream, light shredded cheese, olives, and strawberry jam (or any berry flavored jam). – Chocolate covered fruits such as chocolate-covered strawberries, peaches, mangoes, or any other unique fruits.

  • Most children love to be spoiled on Valentine’s Day! Gift them with homemade heart shaped cookies, chocolate-covered strawberries and mangoes, and a special trip to a local zoo or museum (if they are open in your area).

CHINESE LUNAR NEW YEAR – This year is the Year of the Ox so it’s important for those born under the Ox sign to be especially aware. Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is a huge celebration every year. But with the pandemic and safety concerns in mind, families might have to celebrate with only their immediate household. Traditionally, there are parades, firecrackers, and huge family and friends gatherings, so you would have to see what your state, country, and city have restrictions on. To make it eco-friendly this year, here are some tips:

  • Red envelopes are traditionally given to children or unmarried young folks. It’s still okay to give cash as cash is a recyclable and reusable commodity.

  • Celebrate the traditions of Chinese Lunar New Year by reading books. There are some great books that children can read to learn all about this holiday. Include books with pictures to make them more festive.

  • Decorate with paper decorations. Red is the traditional good luck color for the new year. You can find paper decorations at specialty Asian stores to decorate your house with.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH – During Black History Month, it’s a great way to teach children about historical and iconic leaders who helped change the world. Purchase books with pictures that can be read every year.

VEGANUARY – The month of January was to celebrate Vegetarians and Vegans. But we could still continue with this tradition through February. Try to include at least one vegan or vegetarian meal during the week. Vegetarian dishes are fairly easy to make and don’t have to be just salads. You can make vegetarian pasta, vegetarian soup, and vegetarian tacos. Reduce the amount of animal protein to up to 3 times a week. Meat production is one of the largest polluters in the world and one of the biggest hidden pitfalls in carbon dioxide consuming our planet.

CAMPUS CLEAN UP – Depending on where you live and the safety protocols at your school, you can host a campus cleanup day. With the permission of the school principal, teacher, or an environmental club, pick a day where students can go around the school campus to pick up trash and or/pick weeds. A campus cleanup day promotes environmental awareness of trash and how students can help keep our schools and communities clean. Be sure to wear gloves while doing the cleanup.

SPRING PLANTING – With the spring season sneaking upon us, now is the best time to start your indoor seed planting. When you plant your own vegetables and fruits you get the full quality of your bounty and children can learn the growing process from seed to harvest to eating them! Easy plants for children to grow include: Peas, beans, beets, carrots, radishes, and sunflowers. Planting your own garden also helps with cleaning the atmosphere, reduces carbon footprint, and promotes healthier eating. Start by planting the seeds indoors and then transplant them outdoors when it’s warmer.

Start off the year with a goal to be more environmentally conscious in everything you do and buy. Take small steps if you’re just starting out and soon you’ll become an advocate for the planet!

*photo courtesy of Arbor Day Foundation, Food&Wine magazine, KidsGardenNews

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

 

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10 Ways to an Eco-Friendly Holiday Season

Every year, most of us are wondering how to plan for the holiday season. Some of us might have already started shopping for family and friends months before, while some of us wait until the very last minute. But as 2020 brought us so much conflict and turmoil, we could all try to end the year with something more positive.

I can’t go by the holiday season without writing something about an eco-friendly holiday. By now, you can probably guess that I love helping people and companies that are trying to do more positive things for our planet. Our lives can literally go by in a flash without much thought to it, but when it comes down to what we truly believe and hope for, doing good for our planet will in turn do good for future generations. Add in some sprinkles of hope and joy and we can all try to do better for the planet and for ourselves.

10 WAYS TO GO ECO-FRIENDLY FOR THE HOLIDAYS:

1 – Handmade or homemade gifts.

– I haven’t yet met a single person who hasn’t enjoyed a handmade gift. Whether it’s from a child, a professional artist, or a dear friend, there’s just something unique and personal about a gift that’s made from scratch. To best choose what handmade gift to give, find out what the receiver enjoys. Does she like gardening? Cooking? Or an avid reader? Start off with what the recipient enjoys most and go from there. When making gifts from scratch, choose products and ingredients that are biodegradable and compostable. Ideas for handmade gifts include: soy candles, lotions made from essential oils, bookmarks and cards made from scratch paper or cardboard boxes, organic cookies, and homemade candies placed inside reusable glass jars. 

2 – Give the Love of Nature: 

Who wouldn’t enjoy a nice long-lasting plant or a well curated gardening kit? Nature gifts are perfect for anyone of any age and gender. To nurture the love of nature for children, get them something that’s easy to start with and require more hands on activities. You can also grow some plants from seeds (but start early, depending on the plant). When the seeds are sprouted and become seedlings, transfer them into clay pots or glass jars, depending on what you’re growing.

–  Heirloom seed packets. Gardeners who have some experience will enjoy seeds saved from heirloom plants. To find heirloom seeds, check out local nurseries or purchase online from specialty stores such as seedsavers.org

– Support national parks and arboretums. Our national parks are centuries old and behold such wonder that it’s important to help preserve them. Check out your state parks or national park organizations by purchasing memberships for your recipient. They’ll be able to enjoy these memberships by strolling through majestic trees and enjoying the fresh, clean air around them.

3 – Reuse newspapers, magazines, and catalogues. If you have lots of these hanging around your house, you can reuse them as wrapping paper or crafts. Magazines and newspapers make great wrapping paper, giving them an unusual and unique look to gifts. And because they are made from paper (most ink are safe when decomposed), they can be composted and broken down.

 

 

4 – Online classes/lesson. Depending on where you live and the restrictions put in place due to the pandemic, you can offer online classes as gifts. Check out local stores or nationwide companies that offer cooking classes, gardening classes, and even classes on nature. For children, have them try online classes from Outschool (https://outschool.com) and Coding with Kids (https://www.codingwithkids.com). Most of these online classes are supplemental study that inspire and nurture creativity and thinking. Depending on what your recipient enjoys, online classes can go at their own pace and provides the safety of learning in your own home.

5 – Buy eco-friendly products. As we’re trying to move away from unnecessary waste in our world, buying gifts that are made from renewable resources, biodegradable or compostable, and made from post consumer recycled materials are just easy paths to a cleaner planet. You lose nothing in buying eco-friendly and eco-conscious products but your recipient will gain the appreciation that you care about the environment and their health. Great companies to purchase eco-friendly gifts that also give back include: Plaine Products (https://www.plaineproducts.com/ref/Suzan%20C./) and use code: HappyMom to get 20% off total purchase. Honeybunch Naturals (https://www.honeybunchnaturals.com/) and NetZero Company (https://www.netzerocompany.com/?rfsn=4401981.96cae8). Sign up for their newsletter to receive 10% off. 

6 – Host a local park or beach cleanup. By giving back to your community, you are also helping your city and your neighbors live in a cleaner environment. Due to the pandemic, be sure to wear masks, gloves, and separate your clean up crew accordingly. Best time to start a clean up is early in the morning when there are less people around. You can also do a neighborhood cleanup with just a few friends or siblings.

7 – Reuse holiday decorations. We all love to buy something new now and then, whether it’s for actual use or as therapy. But we don’t really need to buy new decorations and supplies for the holidays. Save your holiday decorations from previous years and reuse them again. If you must purchase some new ones, make sure to buy sustainably made decorations and reduce your plastic consumption.

8 – Use nature as inspiration. The best ways of helping our environment is to use what we already have in nature. Try decorating with natural flowers, fruit, and plants. Bring nature indoors by using leaves as table decorations, dried fruit as name tags, and flowers as wrapping ribbons. Check out this fun and therapeutic garland made from orange peels.

9 – Donate to charities. In a perfect world, we would all live peacefully and comfortably. But unfortunately not all of us will be able to enjoy a warm meal this holiday season. When we talk about the environment, we’re not only referring to nature. The environment is everything that’s around us, which includes all living beings. If you can set aside money and time to donate this holiday season, check out your local donation centers, food pantries, and animal shelters.

10 – Buy products with less packaging/Reduce waste. 

Many products that we buy in stores and online come wrapped in horrible packaging that are usually unrecyclable. If you must purchase online, I encourage you to shop consciously with companies that try to ship with reduced or carbon neutral shipping. Also look for less packaging or packaging in reusable materials such as paper, cloth, or cardboard. Another idea is to buy in bulk at a retail store and then package the gifts yourself. The Japanese culture has been wrapping their gifts in fabric called Furoshiki. The recipient can reuse the fabric, which is usually a fancy cotton material.

– We should all know by now that reducing waste is the first step to cleaning up our planet. This holiday season, think about whether we really need to buy those big ticket items, or expensive gifts that the recipient won’t need or use. Holidays conjure up bright and frivolous spending because we might be trying to show off or overcompensate for something. Think about why we are gifting to others. Is it something they really need? And if they don’t receive it, does it really matter in the long scope of things? If we can all think consciously about what we buy and why we buy them, then perhaps we can all take more steps to cleaning up our planet and helping our world become a much better place.

*Stay tuned on my blog for more eco-friendly gift ideas.

 

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products.

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

 

 

 

 

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An Eco-Friendly Back-to-School

 

The first week of September was when my son started 100% online learning and I returned to work at my elementary school. I have to admit that, back in March when school campuses were closed and we went to distance learning, those months were a lot easier. There were hardly any homework and grading changed to credit or no credit. Now, with 2020-2021 school year starting off with online learning and grading is back to normal, it is becoming a huge learning curve for the both of us. But, just like life, we all have to learn to adjust. And I honestly believe that kids having to adjust to something this new and unusual will be a great learning lesson for them.

However, as the pandemic is still going around the US and other countries, convenience has also become the new norm. That is, the convenience of plastic bags, store bought chips and cookies in bulk, and dumping masks and gloves all over the streets, beaches, and parks. We still have to be responsible for the environment because we still need to be responsible adults (and children).

So how do we continue to care for the planet? I could give you tons of data and research on how oceans and landfills are overflowed with trash. But I think we all know that there are already tons of trash in our oceans and landfills. But if you do want to know the shocking and sad data, here are some very interesting info:

More than 8 MILLION TONS of plastic is dumped into our oceans every year! This number continues to grow because of how many single use plastic items are used in the US every year. Here are some of the top contributors:

500 Million
40 Billion
100 Billion
 100 Billion

Those are catastrophic numbers! And it’s no wonder that diseases and illnesses run rampant in certain areas of the world where trash is more prominent. But we can do something about it! And this year’s back to school is the perfect time to start if you haven’t already started to reduce your single-use plastic dependency. With most schools going online, you can still perform the following steps to live a life less plastic. There is really not much to lose when you reduce the intake of single-use plastics. Single-use plastics are plastic products that you use only once and throw away. Most of the times, these plastic entities end up in the landfill instead of properly recycled or sorted. We might even have high hopes that our careful recycling efforts are being met appropriately. But when our landfills are already filled up, we can see that our recycling efforts aren’t really being met. 

If you consider that in the US alone, every American sends 1,646.15 pounds of solid waste to landfills annually, that’s astronimically higher than the data from 20 years ago. Or even 5 years ago. It seems the trend to creating more waste only gets higher with big oil companies and the plastic industry making false claims to consumers. According to Scrap Metal, a materials collecting platform, the US generates nearly 7.3 billion pounds of PET containers and packaging every year, out of which only around 1.9 billion pounds are recovered for reclamation. And considering we live in a wasteful society, we must really do better for now and for the future.

I always say let’s start in our own homes and let’s teach our children, who are the future generations, to care more about what we buy, what we use, and what we support as a community. It’s easy to turn a blind eye to what we don’t see or hear about. It’s easy to just say,”well, that’s someone else’s problem.” And it’s easy to ignore the scientific data that is carefully researched and compiled every year. Consider that what we buy affects everything in our lives. Consider that what we eat affects our own health. And consider that what we do now will greatly affect our future generations. 

This year, let’s take some extra steps for back to school learning. The tips below can be beneficial for remote learning (online learning), on campus learning, and a hybrid learning sytem.

Tips for back-to-school eco-friendly style:

  • Make a list of school supplies that you need. Check off what you already have saved over from the previous year. There are many supplies you can reuse.

  • Buy quality supplies. Even if you’re trying to save money on supplies, buying generic, cheaper quality products will result in them breaking sooner and end up in the trash. Check out these wonderful companies that makes high quality products and gives back to the planet: www.plaineproducts.com, www.mermaidstraw.com, www.lunchskins.com

  • Buy a few high quality back to school clothes. Better materials and construction results in longer lasting wear.

  • Choose companies that give back to the planet. Look for labels such as: 1% for the Planet , Beauty without bunnies, Leaping Bunny, Plastic Pollution Coalition, and Certified B Corporation

  • Choose organically grown and made products. Certified organic ensures that the raw ingredients and materials are not treated with toxic chemicals or pesticides.

  • Buy locally whenever possible. This reduces your carbon footprint and helps with the circular economy.

  • Look to support environmentally and socially responsible companies. 

  • Don’t buy bulk when you don’t need to. We all want to save money and reduce waste, but unless you plan on using these bulk products right away or are donating them, they will likely end up forgotten or wasted.

  • Buy a few daily use resuable products. These include a glass or stainless steel resuable bottle, glass or stainless steel lunch container, reusable straws in glass, stainless steel, or bamboo, and reusable lunch bags.

  • Reduce your intake of conveniently made food. While at home, we can actually be more conscious of what we eat. Make fresh food and snacks to munch on throughout the day rather than depend on convenient snacks packaged in single-use plastics. Try fresh fruit, fresh sanwiches, and fresh veggies with healthier dips.

For more in-depth resources on the environment, data collecting, and everyday eco-living tips, be sure to check out Earth911.com’s website: https://earth911.com/

Hope you all have a very successful school year!

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