Going green is easier than ever and I can’t wait to show you 7 ways YOU can make the change to greener living. If you’re thinking of how you can contribute this Earth Day by adopting a more eco-friendly lifestyle, keep reading. I’m so excited to share with you these easy ways and affordable products that have helped me be a little kinder to mother Earth.
From the chemicals we use to our over dependency in plastic, there’s no doubt that the amount of pollution piling up in our landfills and oceans is getting out of control. That’s why we must start making changes — yes small ones count — to ensure a brighter future.
Whether it’s fear of the unknown or convenience, many people avoid making any changes thinking that their lifestyle will be greatly altered. And that’s just not the case!
I found some amazing and affordable eco-friendly products that are not only safe for the environment but convenient and practical.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
**This post is sponsored by Art Of Green®, however all opinions are my own.
Non-Toxic Cleaning Products
Let’s begin with my eco-friendly and non-toxic cleaning products. I’ve talked about Art of Green before and they are a product I stand by. Their formula is 98% naturally derived* meaning less toxic chemicals being wash down the drain.
Use old T-shirts or cloth towels to clean countertops with the multi-surface spray cleaner instead of paper towels for added sustainability. I also use it to clean the girls’ toys. It’s gentle enough to use around kids and pets, yet effective so it gets their toys nice and clean.
And for quick clean ups, the concentrated wipes are convenient and the formula is not harsh so it won’t ruin your furniture or counters.
I also like using the Art of Green concentrate — mixed with some water, I pour it on our floors and use our re-usable mop pads to clean the whole house.
Art of Green is available at HEB. You can learn more at https://artofgreen.com/
Re-Usable Mop Heads
My reusable mop pads can be thrown in the washing machine to be cleaned. There are so many washable mop heads on the market, that using single swiffer-style sheets is so last decade.
Using cleaning products that are safe for our ecosystem means that the formula is biodegradable and non-toxic. When you wash off the formula from your cloth towels or mop heads, the formula ends up being washed down the drain.
It ultimately ends up in our oceans and lakes. That’s why it’s important to use cleaners that will not harm or pollute our waterways. My go-to scent is Lavender Eucalyptus — it smells amazing.
Eco-Friendly Alternatives For Single Use Products
Another great way to greener in the new year is by reducing our depency in single-use plastics. Imagine how many plastic straws and plastic shopping bags are discarded every day.
Now imagine that of all those that end up in landfills and oceans, are still sitting there unable to decompose, threatening fragile ecosystems and only getting worse.
Fortunately, there are so many alternatives that are just as convenient and will also save you money.
Stainless Steel Straws
Re-usable straws can help keep millions of plastic straws from ending up in our landfills. I found rose gold, stainless steel straws and love how functional they are — and pretty too.
There are 3 different styles including one with a larger opening, great for smoothies. And if you’re always on the go, these reusable straws are compact and you can attach them to your key chain.
Canvas Shopping Bags
Next up, taking reusable, canvas bags on your grocery trips. Plastic will take up to 1000 years to decompose. That means that all the un-recycled plastic material ever made is still alive and well polluting our oceans and landfills.
It’s shocking just thinking about it — it’s insane. That’s why we HAVE TO
decrease, better yet, eliminate plastic waste. Now I know that may be unfeasible with how dependent we’ve become, but we can definitely make changes to drastically reduce our use of plastic.
Reusable Plastic Baggies
If you have kids, I know little plastic baggies are a convenient way to pack snacks for the littles, but there’s a better way. I use re-usable baggies from Grove Collective which not only save me money, but are also saving the planet — just wash and reuse.
Organic Wool Dryer Balls
Another single-use substitute are organic wool dryer balls. Swap dryer sheets for these to reduce dry time and also helps with static and wrinkles. Some dryer sheets leave behind harmful chemicals that may affect the absorbency of cloth diapers and re-usable bed pads.
These wool balls are fragrance and chemical free. They work by separating laundry while in the dryer allowing more air flow. This keeps the drying time to a minimum and also eliminates static. Save time and money — win, win!
I found these on Amazon and they are cruelty-free and also fair trade, made individuals in Nepal. They receive fair wages and work in safe and ethical working conditions.
Cloth Facial Wipes
For my skincare lovers, I know making sure all our makeup is off before bed is the cardinal beauty rule number one. That’s why I love these makeup remover pads.
Makeup remover wet wipes are convenient, but let’s be honest, they are not environmentally friendly. The wipes ultimately end up in a landfill which could take years to decompose. Even with improvements in the fibers used to make disposable or compostable wipes, they may still not be the most eco-friendly.
I recently purchased fabric pads like these because I can use them over and over again plus it comes with a laundry bag you can use to deep clean. You can soak micellar water on them and wipe off your makeup and then also use your cleanser right after. They are great at removing makeup and will also save you money.
Every Little Bit Helps
Making changes, no matter how small, will always make a difference. I hope you found some inspiration and hope you give it a try. And for more eco-friendly ideas, check out this post for more.
*formula free of parabens, phthalates, glycol solvents, artificial color or phosphates.
Good ideas. We try out best to be as green as possible so we are already doing several of these but always room for more. Thanks.
Awesome Mike!!
Great list! I love those shopping bags, they’re my favorite!
And so easy!! Who doesn’t have a canvas bag, right?
Great ideas. We’re definitely looking for better options with health issues and 3 cats and such. Thanks for sharing!
Of course!! Thanks for stopping by!
I love how versitile my canvas bags are! Going green has been fun for our family! We have made sort of a competition out of it and push each other to make better choices.
That’s awesome!! Love it when the whole family pitches in! Great job
This is a great post. Ive been trying to be greener than last year, slowly making changes.
That’s great! Any changes help