Hi there!

If you read my goals for 2019 or know me personally, then you would know reducing waste and my impact on our beautiful planet is something that I have been focusing on for a while now. In 2019, my goal is to take this mission even further and continue to reduce my waste, especially when it comes to plastic! Conner and I caught a glimpse of a news documentary about the realities of recycling and it made me realize that there is so much more that we can be doing to reduce waste in the first place. I put together some of my favorite products and habits for you that are eco-friendly and incredibly easy to adapt in 2019!

Reusable bottles –

I have been using reusable bottles for a few years now. Even if I recycle plastic bottles, it still doesn’t feel as good as avoiding them altogether when you can! I really got into reusable bottles once I bought a Hydroflask because it kept my water cold all day and didn’t sweat like other water bottles I’ve tried; plus with all the color options they are super cute as well. Here are all the Hydroflask bottles I have and how I use them:

32 oz wide mouth water bottle with a straw lid – I use this every day to carry water around with me. The size is just right to hold a ton of water, while still fitting into my purse and backpack easily. I also love the colors yellow and pink (if you couldn’t tell from my blog), I feel like this lemon bottle with a pink straw just really brightens up my day!
22 oz tumbler with a straw lid – You all know by now that I am in love with coffee, so naturally I have to bring a perfect hot cup of coffee on rotation with me in the morning. The Hydroflask keeps it hot for hours and the straw lid is so fun to drink from, plus I think straws help keep your teeth from getting coffee stains.
12 oz coffee mug with flip lid – This is my most recent Hydroflask addition and it has a very specific purpose, tea. I started drinking a lot of afternoon tea on rotations and I love bringing tea with me to the grocery store, but I kept using paper cups at work or home and not only did it make my tea cool down super fast, but it also just felt so wasteful. The 12 oz size is perfect for tea and I leave the tea bag right inside, and simply screw the lid over the top of it!

Stasher bags –

Stasher bags are these amazing reusable silicone bags that I am obsessed with. I try to not use plastic baggies anymore and I have been able to avoid them almost entirely since buying a set of Stasher bags. I have a small one that is perfect for snacks, 3 medium sandwich sizes that I use to store things in the fridge or for my lunch box, and then I have a gallon size too! They sell tons of cool patterns and beautiful colors. The best part about Stasher bags is that it’s not just replacing a plastic bag and cutting down waste, they are also extremely convenient because you can bake them, boil them, freeze them, put them in the dishwasher, use them for practically anything and everything!

Reusable tote/grocery bags –

I always try to keep reusable grocery bags with me in my car for unplanned shopping trips. They are also great for a busy student who travels between states for rotations or weekend trips. Each grocery trip that I bring my own bags probably saves about 6-10 plastic bags. This is such a small change that can really add up fast in terms of preventing waste. Plus all my grocery bags are insulated so it helps keep my refrigerated or frozen items cold until I get home! I don’t just use my grocery bags, even though I would pack for a weekend in my Whole Foods bag without shame, but I also love reusing my lululemon or vineyard vine bags, pretty much anything that is reusable, I simply keep upcycling, a lot.

Reusable produce bags –

These are my newest found love. When I first become hyper focused on reducing waste I felt so funny about grabbing all those plastic bags off the rollers for my healthy produce, to the point where I actually was just tossing them in my cart. This didn’t seem very clean and it made check out a nightmare, so I did some research into produce bags and found an amazing company, Naturally Sensible. I bought their 100% organic cotton 10-piece set because it offered the most variety and I cannot stop using them. Some of them are mesh and others are muslin. They have the perfect size bags for everything from little limes, to avocados, even melons. I also keep my produce in these bags once I get home, one because it helps me stay organized and two, well I mark my territory with them (living at home has it’s challenges, one of those being people stealing my food, which just isn’t cool, you know?).

The ultimate tip: just say NO

Simply say no when you can handle it without a bag! I have really gotten in the hang of this and every time I say no thanks to a bag, it feels like a win. If it doesn’t to you, just think about the impact it would have if more and more people took up this practice. I can’t tell you how many times I leave the store with loose items in my arms or more preferably tossed in my purse. Unless it is physically too much for me to juggle I will not accept a bag. It might be a small step but it is one of my vows to reduce waste. I challenge you to pick up this same habit, I promise you it will feel great.

I don’t think this applies only to bags either. We can say no to plastic straws in our drinks, plastic silverware with our to go orders, and much much more!

GIVE AWAY ALERT!

I am so excited to be collaborating with Naturally Sensible to give away one 100% organic cotton 10-piece set to one of my followers! To enter for a chance to win this giveaway head on over to my instagram! The winner will be selected at random. This giveaway ends on Monday, February 4th, at 11:59 PM EST. For everyone who doesn’t win and still wants to own this amazing set or others they offer, I have a discount code down below for you to use!