Welcome back to Siempre Eco.’s Sustainable Saturday!
We’re such a lot of you have witnessed the turmoil surrounding climate change and the state of the planet of the past few weeks. It has always been crucial that we take care of our planet the way it has served us for billions of years, and now it needs us more than ever.
You don’t need to be part of a huge corporation or be Elon Musk rich to have a major influence on the Earth! We affect the world around us everyday in every little thing we do, and today we’re here to show you some starter ways you can have a positive influence.
Welcome to our Top 5 Tips Segment of the Week! Read on ahead to know how you, dear reader, can reduce waste in your everyday life.
Practice FIFO:
Traditionally a restaurant term, this method can apply to your (very) cluttered fridge or pantry. Tell us this, have you ever reached back into your pantry to get some peanut butter, and find out it’s been expired for two years? (True story, unfortunately).
Before you do any of this, clean out your fridge! This is officially your sign to do it. Clean fridge, clean mind.
Now, here’s where FIFO comes in. Each time you unpack your groceries, shift the older foods to the front or freezer, and put your new groceries at the back! (Unless you need a certain item immediately.)
This way, you’re more likely to use products before they expire, and who knows? Those forgotten ingredients might inspire you to make something new.
Replace Dryer Sheets with Dryer Balls:
Siempre Eco ($25)
We know that you know that you currently have a box with around 200 drying sheets sitting idly by ready to be used and disposed. Or should we say, wasted! Did you know that the sustainable alternative, dryer balls, are just as effective, if not more?
Look no further than the ones we have at Siempre Eco itself! Not only do they leave your clothes(including heavy duty items) evenly dried and fluffy, our dryer balls can be reused up to 1000 times! Yes, you heard right!
Long-lasting, sustainable and cost-effective, this is definitely one of our favourite laundry hacks of all time.
Find Alternatives to Single Use and Disposable items:
Siempre Eco ($26)
Similar to swapping out dryer sheets for dryer balls, there are all sorts of everyday alternatives to common single use and disposable items are a great and simple way to help the environment!
Plastic wrap? Replace it with beeswax! (See above) Using too many paper towels? Try a tea towel, or a cloth rag! Have you heard tote bags are back in style? Use them instead of disposable bags!
These are just some of the many ways you can find reusable and better alternatives that exist out there!
(By the way, for any Edmonton locals out there, you might want to check out Edmonton’s Plan to Reduce Single-use Items!)
And We Can’t Say This Enough… DONATE!
Fast fashion is a HUGE waste producer. I can’t even begin to look more into the impact it’s had on the planet or how much waste is produced everyday without getting the shudders.
We know it’s fun to go check out new styles in stores, and that’s okay. We all deserve something new once in a while! But throwing your old clothes out completely? Now that’s just wasteful.
Not only that, but not giving a chance to the clothes donated by others already! Think about it, if someone owned it at one point, they saw the value in it, right? You can too!
Now when it comes to you yourself donating, as hard as it can be to part with thy treasure, just ask yourself: When was the last time your wore that old shirt? If the answer is more than two years ago, consider giving it away to someone who might appreciate it a bit more than you!
Value Village and Salvation Army are classics, but you can also look at local thrift stores! You never know who might look at what you have and just light up.
Go Paperless!
Ever since Covid-19, most companies have stepped up their game in the digital world (about time!) by offering to email you bills, e-receipts, subscriptions and more! Not only are these cheaper (and basically free) alternatives, think about the decline in paper waste!
Many of your favourite stores most likely also offer incentives for you to switch to paperless, which is totally a bonus, you know, in addition to helping the Earth!
.oOo.
Thanks for being here! Let us know if we missed anything, or simply comment down your favourite way to reduce waste below. Have a wonderful, wonderful weekend!
- Team Siempre Eco.
