Month: July 2019

bookmark_borderPlastic Free July Wrap Up – My Waste Audit

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Today is the last day of July, which means the Plastic Free July challenge officially ends tomorrow. 🎉 While the month long endeavor might be coming to a close, I will (obviously) continue to avoid plastic as part of my journey towards living a sustainable low-waste lifestyle. As a wrap up for this month, I wanted to share with you all today the plastic waste that I created. 😊 Let’s dive right into it!

All of the plastic used in July:

 

Along with these plastic items, there were a few other things that I was unable to collect:

-Hot dog container from work event
-Approx. 12 pads and their wrappers from my period
-Two trash bags

Overall, I think that I did a nice job… But there are definitely areas I need to improve on! First, I really want to strive towards making my period zero waste. As I knew it was going to start the second week of July, I wanted to try out a menstrual cup. I bought the Lena cup off of Amazon and instead of a cardboard box they shipped it in a bubble mailer. 😑 That was a fail and then I also just could not get the menstrual cup to work for me (hence why there are 12ish pads in my total plastic haul). As I mentioned in my Should I Get a Menstrual Cup? post, cups are “easy to use” in theory… But it was just a huge struggle for me. While I haven’t given up on the Lena cup yet, it just didn’t pan out for Plastic Free July.

I think the second area of improvement would be making my work office more sustainable. Not only did I attend a baseball game event where it was expected of us to eat the food that was provided by the firm (resulting in the hot dog container and Gatorade bottle), but they also only have individually packaged snacks and candy in the office building (which resulted in me indulging in some Hershey Nuggets without thinking about the challenge). 🤷‍♀️ As an intern, I felt uncomfortable going against the norm especially at the baseball event… But when I start full-time with the company next year, I will definitely be having a sustainability chat with my supervisors!

What can be recycled or reused:

Not all of the plastic that I collected will be going to the landfill however. 🥳 My local recycling pick up will be able to recycle all of these things, and I will be re-using the Amazon bubble mailer when I move out of this apartment and into my school apartment in August.

What is going to landfill: 

Even though I grocery shop locally and use my own bags, it seems like a majority of the waste I created was related to food. For the whole month of July I collected 17 stickers from various fruits and vegetables as well as a rubber band holding broccoli stems together at the farmer’s market. I was able to find a local health food store that sells milk in glass bottles, but the lid was still plastic. However, I am proud to say that I avoided a lot of plastic packaging by not purchasing any meat, getting bread from a local bakery (and having them put the bread in my own bag), and shopping from the bulk bins. 😃

Overall, I definitely learned a lot of the same lessons as last summer from participating in Plastic Free July. However, I avoided a lot more plastic this year because I held myself accountable to the goals I created at the end of June. 💚 I look forward to this challenge again next summer!!!

How did your Plastic Free July go??

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderHow to Zero Waste Your Kitchen 🍽️

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Hey earth muffins! It has been a long time since I wrote a “How to Zero Waste Your [insert room here]” post… 🤔 Previously in this series, I have written about how you can zero waste your laundry room, your bathroom, and even your cleaning supplies. Today I would like to focus on one of my favorite rooms – the kitchen! As I love to cook and bake (plus eat haha), I spend a lot of time in this space. When I started my journey towards living zero waste, I made some of my first habit changes in the kitchen. Hopefully this post inspires you all to make these changes as well! 😊

Dishes, Silverware, Pots, Pans, and Other Kitchen Utensils
–Use what you already have! You don’t need to go out and buy “sustainable” kitchen gadgets if you already have perfectly fine kitchenware.
–Shop secondhand. If you are looking to buy a new potato masher, ladle, etc., why not check your local thrift store, yard sales, or Facebook Marketplace? I was looking to buy a silverware holder the other day and found one for only $1 at a garage sale 🎉 Not only did I save a bunch of money, but I also prevented this product from going into the landfill.

–Acquire unused kitchen accessories from family and friends. A lot of people own too many dishes, mugs, utensils, etc. There is a high chance that if you ask around someone in your network will be more than willing to give you something that is just taking up space in their cupboard!
–Buy new products that are made of sustainable materials. If all of these other suggestions fail, then feel free to buy something new. Try to make sure it is stainless steel or glass (not plastic!) so that it will last a long time and can be recycled at the end of its use.

Storage Containers
–Mason jars! I own about 40 different mason jars in various brands and sizes, and I absolutely love using them to store food in my pantry, fridge, freezer, and for packed lunches. If you all are interested in me writing a post about my mason jar collection, just let me know! 👍

Goals for my mason jar collection 😍

–Use the plastic tupperware you already have. Just because your tupperware is plastic doesn’t mean you have to give them away after becoming zero waste. The whole point of this lifestyle is to reuse as much as possible, so definitely continue to use those plastic tupperware containers!
–Buy stainless steel and glass containers. I find that the stainless steel ones are lighter to carry around with me, so I use them if I want to take out food somewhere or am taking lunch with me. Again, check around your secondhand options before buying new! 😊

Dish Towels
–Ask around for old towels. There is really no reason to buy dish towels new as no one really sees them… I have a gigantic collection of old dish towels and washcloths that I use for both cleaning and in the kitchen that were given to me by my parents and other close relatives.

Washing the Dishes
–Get a dishwasher if you can. It is actually better for the planet to use a dishwasher instead of washing your dishes by hand, as you save water using the machine. 💧 However, make sure you only run the dishwasher when you have a full load or that is wasteful!
–Do NOT use a sponge; try rags or a bamboo/wood dish brush instead. 

Kitchen Electronics (coffee makers, KitchenAids, etc.)
–Look on Facebook Marketplace. While you can find a lot of kitchen electronics at the thrift store, Facebook Marketplace is more reliable when it comes to the machines actually working. But, many thrift stores do have return policies in place, so I would still check secondhand stores before buying new.

How do you cut back on waste in your kitchen?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderThe Weekender’s Guide to Bar Harbor, ME 🦞

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Hey earth muffins! As I mentioned in my rebranding post last month, I grew up on the East Coast. My family spent a lot of time vacationing along the ocean, and one of our favorite destinations was Maine. This state is absolutely gorgeous, and I always tell people that they need to visit at least once in their life. 😊 You all seemed to enjoy my Weekender Guides to Madison, WI and Fort Wayne, IN, so I decided to branch out and share my personal travel guide to Bar Harbor, Maine! 🦞 This town is the epitome of what Maine has to offer, so it is definitely worth its tourist reputation.

What To Do
1. Park Loop Road @ Acadia National Park: Acadia is typically what people think of when they are planning a trip to Maine, and this 27 mile loop hits all of the highlights. There are a bunch of different pullovers with amazing views, and you will definitely see some wildlife!

2. Shopping downtown: I have so many great memories shopping in the cute stores of the downtown. Some of my favorites include the Christmas Spirit Shop, Sherman’s Maine Coast Book Shop, and Cool as a Moose.

3. Picnic at Agamont Park: This park is right next to the downtown and overlooks the ocean, so after some fun shopping take a break and enjoy the sights! 😊

Throwback to me at this park as a child

4. Bike or take a horse around the Carriage Roads: The bike paths are all paved, so it is doable for anyone! I personally loved taking a horse drawn carriage around the trails, but if you want to get in the exercise a bike will do the trick.

5. Visit Thunder Hole: This is a classic Maine tourist stop if you want to see the ocean at its finest. Be careful to not get too close to the railing, as the water has been known to pull people in!

6. Hike around Jordan Pond: There are so many trails in Acadia, but this is one of the easier ones. You basically just hike around a pond, so it is perfect for people of all ages.

What To Eat
1. Popovers at Jordan Pond House!: After hiking around the pond, take a break to eat some of Maine’s finest popovers. These pancake/muffin/Dutch baby crossovers are absolutely delicious… Such a nostalgic treat for me now!

2. LOBSTER: Duh. You can get fresh lobster all over the place in Bar Harbor, but the most authentic restaurants with the freshest lobster will have huge steam pots out front.

3. CJ’s Big Dipper Ice Cream: While it might be a small store, their ice cream is amazing. I remember as a kid getting a chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream that was about 80% cookie dough… And I still crave it to this day! 😃

Where to Stay
There are so many great places that you can stay at! First, the coast is lined with a bunch of different hotels and resorts at varying price points. If you are willing to drive in from further away, I am sure you will be able to find even better deals. Acadia and the surrounding area is packed full of campgrounds too if you want to embrace nature to its fullest. Lastly, it looks like Airbnb has a ton of cute cottages that can be rented out, which would be super nice if you are traveling with your family.

Have you ever been to Bar Harbor, Maine?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderTough Teeth Tooth Powder ft. Primal Pit Paste!

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Hey earth muffins! After struggling to find a low waste deodorant a few months ago, I stumbled upon Primal Pit Paste (now Pretty Frank) and their amazing selection of sustainable products. I have talked about both their Wild Woods Natural Deodorant and Charcoal Whitening Tooth Powder in the past, so I am excited to share my thoughts on P3’s Tough Teeth Tooth Powder with you all today! 😊

The first thing I obviously love about this product is that it comes in a glass jar. As I am on a journey towards being as sustainable as possible, this is a huge pro for me! The only negative I found about their packaging is that there is a band of plastic around the lid when it comes in the mail. 😕 While this makes it not fully “zero waste”, the jar can be reused or recycled after the product is used up, making it way more Earth-friendly than other fully plastic toothpaste tubes.

I also love that there are only 7 ingredients in this tooth powder: Kaolin Clay, Bentonite Clay, Non-Aluminum Baking Soda, Organic Peppermint Essential Oil, Sea Salt, Myrrh Powder, Organic Spearmint Essential Oil. When I started making more sustainable choices last summer, I realized just how many chemicals and un-natural substances I was putting in/on my body. This powder definitely makes me feel good about avoiding those nasty things 😍

The powder is super easy to use, and the small jar will last me quite a long time! Compared to using toothpaste from a tube, there is a small learning curve to figuring out how to use a powdered toothpaste. Here is what works best for me:

1. Wet your toothbrush
2. Dip the brush into the jar until there is a generous layer of powder covering it
3. Brush your teeth as normal (making sure to leave the faucet OFF as you brush 💧)

I was quite surprised how clean my teeth feel after using this product! I am curious to see if my dentist says anything to me after my visit next month… (*Will update this post if she does or not!*) The only downside I have found is that it does have a salty mint flavor that was a bit off-putting at first. However, I got used to this flavor after only a few brushes and it doesn’t bother me at all! 🙂

Overall, I have absolutely loved all the products I have used from Primal Pit Paste. This tooth powder is great, and I will definitely continue to use it. 🎉 What toothpaste are you currently using?

*The Primal Pit Paste products were sent to me for free, but all opinions are my own. The link to P3’s website is an affiliate link. 😊*

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderThe Ultimate Guide to Recycling Plastic ♻️

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Hey earth muffins! As it almost halfway through Plastic Free July, I thought I would write a post about something many people still don’t understand – recycling plastics. Even if something has that three arrowed recycle symbol on the bottom of it (♻️), that doesn’t mean that it can be recycled (or should be recycled). If you truly want to live a low waste lifestyle, try to avoid recycling completely – it actually isn’t as green as you’d think. BUT, I totally understand that there are lots of people who can only recycle instead of reduce their waste, so I wanted to share a quick guide on the plastics you should and should not be putting into the recycle bin. 😊 Let’s jump right into it!

Pin now to read later or share with your friends!

The first step in assessing if your plastic can be recycled is to find that recycle symbol on the bottom. In the middle of it, you should see a number between 1 and 7. This number tells the real story, as it tells you exactly what type of plastic it is, which can help you decide to throw it into the recycle bin or not. 😊

Can it be recycled curbside? YES! Most of the plastic containers you think of (water bottles, dressing bottles, etc.) are made from this type. It is widely accepted by most recycling programs, but make sure to look at your local town/city’s recycling guidelines!

Plastics #2 – Can it be recycled curbside? YES! Milk jugs, shampoo bottles, and plastic bags are all this type. I suggest recycling any plastic bags to special drop off places (I know Walmart has them!), as they can clog up the machines in recycling facilities.

Can it be recycled curbside? NO! While many recycling programs do not accept this plastic at the curb, check to see if there are any recycling centers that you can drop it off at… You’d be surprised how many “specialty” recycling places there are! 👍

 

Can it be recycled curbside? YES! Hooray – drop them in the recycling bin!

 

Can it be recycled curbside? YES! Straws are made of this type of plastic… But we don’t need straws anymore after reading 6 Easy Ways to Participate in Plastic Free July now do we? 😉

 

Can it be recycled curbside? NO! Again, check to see if there are any drop off places!

Can it be recycled curbside? Sometimes – as this is the “other” category it really depends on the product… If you are interested in more details on plastic recycling, check out this handy PDF guide from PBS! 😃


How often do you recycle? What plastics have you been avoiding this Plastic Free July?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_border5 Zero Waste Sunscreens for the Summer 🌞

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Hey earth muffins! With the summer months comes lots of sun which leads to many sunburns (for me) if I’m not careful. 😬 I am about to use up the last of the aerosol sunscreens I had tucked away in my bathroom… That made me think – are there zero/low waste alternatives? And I found that there are a TON of products on the market that have a much smaller impact on the environment. As I assume you won’t want to research about this yourself, I compiled a list of 5 sunscreens you should give a try! 😃

1. Taylor’s Elevated – SUN! Natural Sunscreen ($11.99, 2 oz., SPF 30)

This product is not just all-natural, it comes in a glass container that is completely plastic-free (which is perfect since it is Plastic Free July!!). The sunscreen is also made in the US, which is perfect for any of my domestic followers. 😊

2. Butterbean Sunscreen ($12.50, 3 oz., SPF 30)

 

While this brand is targeted towards babies and kids, there is no reason why an adult can’t use a nice zero waste sunscreen too! For less than double the price, you can get a larger 7 oz. container as well!

3. All Good Water Resistant Zinc Sunscreen ($9.99, 1 oz., SPF 50)

This sunscreen only uses 6 ingredients, which is definitely WAY less than those found in aerosols. The container is fully made out of tin, so it could be reused or recycled once the product is used up. 😊

4. Rare Earth Skincare Sun Cream ($10, 1 oz., SPF 20)

Advertised as a “sun cream”, this sunscreen will not only protect your skin from the UV rays of the sun but will also give your skin the moisture it needs after a nice long day at the beach. This brand has a lot of other great zero waste products, so definitely check out their website!

5. Not the Norm Shade All-Natural Sunscreen ($4.72 USD, 0.5 oz, SPF 25)

Not the Norm’s sunscreen has four different size options and is only made with four ingredients. The product itself is in a tin and is unscented (if that is an important attribute for you!). 🎉

What is your favorite sunscreen in the summer?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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