Month: August 2021

bookmark_border8 Amazing Eco-Friendly Products You Can Buy at Target!

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! Before I started my eco journey back in 2018, Target was one of my favorite stores. If I find myself needing to go to a “superstore”, it is often my first choice. I have noticed that they are starting to carry more sustainable items in their stores – so exciting! This is awesome because it makes eco-friendly products more accessible to the masses and gives shopper that extra push towards buying a green item instead. Today, I will be sharing a list of some great eco-friendly Target products – let’s jump right into it!

Bath & Beauty Products

Native plastic-free deodorant - a great eco-friendly product to buy at Target!

First up – we have plastic free deodorant! Target actually has quite a few options for this. They have Native deodorant (which I reviewed here), Hey Humans, even Secret and Old Spice plastic-free versions! I really like my Native deodorant, but will be trying out Hey Humans next. In terms of price, Hey Humans is more affordable, so I am interested to see how it works. It is awesome that there are now multiple options to choose from!

Next up, toothpaste in aluminum tubes! I absolutely love David’s Natural toothpaste; check out my full review here. Hey Humans has also jumped on the aluminum tube train… I am currently giving their toothpaste a try and will share my thoughts with you all once I use it up. 😁 Don’t forget to properly recycle your metal toothpaste tubes – check out the step-by-step guide here!

While they don’t carry these in my local store, Target has quite the selection of shampoo bars! I’ve been trying out a bunch of bars throughout my eco journey. Most recently, I use the Montalbano bar from Lush. Target carries shampoo bars from HiBar, Spring & Vine, Faith in Nature, and Love Beauty and Planet. I hope they carry these at my store soon; I have been wanting to give these brands a try!

If you want to buy some “tree-free” toilet paper, see if your local Target carries Reel TP. Their toilet paper is made with 100% bamboo. Bamboo is a great natural resource – a much better option than typical TP. Unfortunately, the Target in my city does not carry this brand either… But I am hoping they will soon!

Hey Human body lotion in an aluminum bottle - a great eco-friendly product to buy at Target!

The next item on this eco-friendly Target products list is body wash and body lotion in aluminum bottles from Hey Humans. This is awesome, as metal is easily recycled without reducing its quality. There are so many nice sounding scents to choose from as well! While I personally prefer bar soap to bottles, this is a great option if you are looking to reduce your plastic usage in the shower! 🎉

Things for the Kitchen

Interested in trying out composting? I love that Target carries a kitchen compost bin! This container isn’t very big; so, you will need to figure out what to do with the compost once it is full. There are many options: get a compost pickup service, have a backyard bin, or these other options. Such a great way to combat your food waste from heading to the landfill!

A stainless steel kitchen compost bin - a great eco-friendly product to buy at Target!
A pack of reusable snack bags - a great eco-friendly product to buy at Target!

I have been seeing Stasher bags all over my TikTok recently… And I love that they are getting more people to try reusable snack/lunch bags. I saw these bags in the school supplies area – such great placement by Target! If I would have seen these as a child, it would have been a no-brainer to opt for the reusable. Definitely check these out on your next Target run!

Last but not least, Grove has concentrated cleaners… And reusable glass cleaning bottles! A bunch of cleaning products were produced during the pandemic, so I love that brands are coming up with ways to make cleaning a little more eco-friendly. If you don’t want to make your own DIY cleaners, this is a great alternative. Just be careful with the glass bottle – wouldn’t want to break it!

A Grove Co multi-cleaner box of concentrated cleaner - a great eco-friendly product to buy at Target!

Final Thoughts on Eco-Friendly Target Finds!

Overall, I absolutely LOVE that huge companies like Target are putting sustainable products on the shelf. There is a long way to go, but it is a nice step in the right direction. While it is still important to look into items marked as “sustainable” (to avoid greenwashing!!), I hope this eco-friendly Target products list inspires you to try out something new the next time you find yourself at Target. If these items aren’t carried at your local store, ask the manager when they will be. Make it known that you want eco-friendly alternatives! 😊 What have I missed from this list? Comment below your favorite eco finds at Target!

Pin now to read later!

Love,
Jenna ♥

➡️ Subscribe to never miss a post! ⬅️

bookmark_borderGenusee Sunglasses Review: The Amazing Eyewear with a Circular Economy!

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! When the summer sun starts shining extra bright, it is important to bust out your sunglasses to protect your eyes. 😎 I personally wear them any time I am outside during these warmer months or driving somewhere in my car. This summer, don’t just head to a local store to purchase a pair of cheaply made sunglasses… Instead, invest in a pair that is eco-friendly that will last you many years! In this post, I want to share a company that creates awesome eyewear that is both sustainable and fashionable for the summer months. Genusee sent me a pair of sunglasses to try out, and I am so excited to share this Genusee sunglasses review with you all!

What I Love About the Sustainability of Genusee Sunglasses!

First off, I obviously love this brand because it is sustainable (or I wouldn’t be sharing it with you all!). The company is based in Flint, Michigan, which is infamously known for the Flint Water Crisis. During the height of this crisis, the city of Flint used more than 20 million water bottles a day! This is a great example on how all plastics aren’t “bad” – just imagine how many plastic water bottles were used out of necessity. Instead of producing eyewear using new materials, Genusee prioritizes the use of pre-exisiting materials in their supply chain. This means each pair of sunglasses are upcycled from 15 plastic water bottles from the crisis; that is just incredible! Not only are the glasses made of recycled materials, their suppliers are all located in (or near) Flint as well. This supports local businesses in Michigan as well as reduces carbon emissions during transportation.

Genusee also has a circular economy for their eyewear. Once you are finished using your sunglasses, they actually buy them back from you – and give you a credit towards purchasing your next pair! 😊 After receiving your glasses, they evaluate the quality of them and decide between three things: recycling the material back into the supply chain, refurbishing them and reselling at a value, or donating to people in need. This Buy-Back Program is everything you would want for a closed loop system. I am so excited to know that my glasses will be responsibly put back into rotation instead of sitting in a landfill for thousands of years! 🌎 ❤️

What is Great About My Sunglasses

When picking out my glasses, it was hard for me to pick what color I wanted… Because there are so many great options to choose from! I like that the frames of the sunglasses are all the same shape (called the Roeper frames), but there is still a lot of variation. A color of the frame (such as Black) has many different colored lens to choose from. From vibrant mirror lens to Water Warrier Green frames, there is something for everyone in terms of color! After pondering what color to get, I settled on Classic Black frames with brown lens… Boring, I know, but I love a nice pair of neutral sunglasses!

I also love how these sunglasses fit. They aren’t super large and oversized like some can be, and I think the frames would look good on many different face shapes. Similar to other eyewear brands, Genusee has the option to virtually try on glasses before you purchase them. Definitely take advantage of this feature! It is helpful to see how the frames will look (hint hint: they are going to look super cute!). Plus, it can help you decide between colors as well.

Other Things I Admire About this Brand

Their sunglasses are amazing, but the company also does some pretty awesome things for Flint, Michigan as well. Like I mentioned above, the Flint Water Crisis was devastating. Genusee works with the MADE Institute in Flint to employ returning citizens/displaced workers. While there are 5 colleges in Flint, over 88% of the city’s population does not have a college degree. Genusee knows that sunglasses can be manufactured with a basic understanding of the machines used; so, they strive to creating living wage jobs to help support more Flint workers. On top of this, 1% of their profits are donated to the Community Fund of Greater Flint. These donations help the Flint Promise & Child Health and Development Fund to combat the effects of exposure to lead in drinking water. Definitely another reason to support this brand!

What Could Be Better

This Genusee sunglasses review would not be complete if I didn’t talk about price. When I review sustainable products, I always remind my fellow earth muffins that eco-friendly products are often on the pricier side. These sunglasses are no different. Each pair will cost you around $100. This is much higher than those cheap-o glasses you can find at Walmart (that break after two uses though)… But it is actually in line or cheaper than other high-end sunglasses! So, I would suggest supporting this circular economy instead of buying your next pair of Ray-Ban shades!

Pin now to read later!

Final Thoughts on this Genusee Sunglasses Review!

Overall, Genusee is a brand I would highly recommend checking out. Their circular economy is honestly what every company should strive for. I have never been more proud to share this company with you all! The sunglasses are amazing quality and come in colors for any taste. Plus, this brand actually cares about Flint and is doing its part to help those impacted by the Flint Water Crisis. While the price can be considered high, just compare it to a Ray-Ban and realize that these sunglasses are SO much better in terms of sustainability and social impact. The Genusee goal is simple: to do good for people and the planet using design and collaboration to be the change we want to see. Are you going to support this awesome company this summer? What sunglasses are you currently rocking?

Love,
Jenna ♥

➡️ Subscribe to never miss a post! ⬅️

bookmark_borderI Tried the Plastic Free July Challenge – My Thoughts

Posted on

Hey earth muffins! Plastic Free July is over – how did you do?? 😊 This month long challenge is a great way to push yourself to reduce your plastic consumption. I have participated in this event for a few Julys now; I feel like each time I do it I learn new things! Now that the challenge is over, it is important to reflect on what went well (and what didn’t). If you were collecting all of your plastic waste during July, now would also be a great time to do a deep waste audit. These are awesome ways to identify where plastic sneaks into your daily life. Here are my thoughts on the Plastic Free July Challenge this summer!

The Plastic Free July challenge 2021 logo

Did I Achieve My Goals During Plastic Free July?

If you are subscribed to my newsletter, you will know I was focusing on two goals this year. First, I wanted to reduce plastic during my move. Moving across a state can create a ton of plastic waste if you aren’t careful. While I didn’t want to go into the Plastic Free July Challenge with unrealistic expectations of avoiding all of this waste, I still wanted to challenge myself! Overall, I think I did a fine job making my move as eco-friendly as possible. I reused boxes from the mail and opted for wrapping my fragiles in clothing instead of bubble wrap. But, I did use plastic tape too… Check out this guide for more tips on being sustainable during a move!

Along with the goal of reducing plastic during the move, I also wanted to stop eating out so much in July. During the move preparations, my boyfriend and I got in the habit of ordering food. This was partly because we didn’t have many groceries in the house but also because we were too tired (and lazy) from packing to want to cook meals ourselves. The week of the move, we ate out three times… Not too bad for 6 days, as we made sure to eat up all the leftovers to reduce our food waste. Now that I am living at my parents’ house, I haven’t eaten out since the move! 🎉

Why I Love this Challenge!

There are so many great things about this challenge that I listed in my “Why You Should Participate in Plastic Free July” post. For me, I love to push myself to see what I am capable of! Whether I am tracking a new habit in my planner or refusing to go on social media during Lent, I find it fun to see the positive impacts on my life during challenges like this. Plastic is an obvious problem to our environment, so I love that one month of the year the Plastic Free July Challenge inspires people to make a difference.

What Could Be Better About Plastic Free July

While a month long challenge is a great place to start reducing your plastic, it is important to remember that you should be reducing your plastic all year. I’ve seen many people join this challenge for the month and then just go right back to their typical usage of plastic when it is over. While they technically are doing the “Plastic Free July Challenge”, its main goal is to teach people about how much plastic they use – and make those lessons stick! I remember I was very new to eco-friendly living when I participated in my first challenge… And it definitely added fuel to the fire to continue my eco journey! Make sure you also strive to reduce your plastic after the challenge is over.

I think it is worth mentioning that with every popular movement, there is the opportunity for brands to take advantage of the good intentions behind it. This is true for the Plastic Free July Challenge. With so many people participating in this challenge worldwide, many companies use it as a marketing ploy to greenwash their not-so-sustainable products. It is important to look out for greenwashing during challenges like this, as you want to support the actually eco-friendly brands over ones that just flood their Instagram with green messages during the month of July. It is annoying to me that companies take advantage of newbie earth muffins during this challenge, but the best thing you can do is learn how to identify greenwashing so you can avoid it!

Pin now to read later!

Final Thoughts!

I absolutely love the Plastic Free July Challenge; it is my favorite month of the summer! This year, I wasn’t able to participate as much as I would have liked. But, that just means next year I will be ready to go all in! There are many great reasons to push yourself in July, from the alarming plastic statistics to the joys of challenging yourself to accomplish something pretty cool. Fingers crossed the lessons of the month stick with you, as you don’t want to just jump right back into living with a bunch of pesky plastic. We are looking for long-term changes here, earth muffins! Did you participate in the Plastic Free July Challenge? What are your thoughts?

Love,
Jenna ♥

➡️ Subscribe to never miss a post! ⬅️