Category: Zero Waste

bookmark_borderUnderstanding The Recycling Symbol (and Why It SUCKS!)

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Hey earth muffins! Happy Plastic Free July! 🌎 πŸŽ‰ This month is a great time to focus on plastic-free living to reduce your consumption of plastics in your daily life. I personally have a goal to reduce plastics as much as possible; but, I know that I will still encounter some plastics this month and beyond. So will you! To prevent these from ending up in the landfill, it is important to recycle anything that you can. Today, I will be sharing everything you need to know about the recycling symbol.

What is the Recycling Symbol?

I am 99.99% sure that you have seen this symbol before. ♻️ It seems to be everywhere in the eco community and is automatically associated with anything to do with recycling. The three arrows of the symbol represent the three steps of the recycle process:

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bookmark_borderHow to Host a Plastic Free Morning Tea

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Hey earth muffins! Plastic Free July starts tomorrow – will you be participating this year?? One of the popular activities to do during July is to host a plastic free morning tea. β˜• According to the PFJ website, these teas are “a tangible and delicious way to get others involved and start having conversations around plastic free ideas, sharing solutions and making a real difference together”. I mean, who wouldn’t love to have a tea party?! In today’s post, I will be sharing my top tips for how you can host a plastic free morning tea during PFJ!

1. Make sure you have zero waste tea and/or coffee!

Tea (and talking about plastic use) is obviously the central part of this event… So make sure you have zero waste coffee and tea! I’ve written a whole post on how to reduce plastic when brewing your hot beverages. My top tip is to buy yourself a stainless steel tea infuser. There is no need for tea bags when you can opt for loose leaf tea instead!

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bookmark_borderHow to Have a Zero Waste Picnic This Summer!

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Hey earth muffins! I don’t know about where you live, but the summer weather is officially here in Michigan. Last week we had a day that was over 90 degrees, and the lowest temp this week is 84. πŸ₯΅ The sun always makes me happy – and a picnic is a great way to relax in the summer! For those of you looking to stay eco-friendly, here are my top tips for having a zero waste picnic during the hotter months.

Bring your own picnic blanket!

Can you really have a picnic without a blanket? I don’t think so! But, does that mean you have to have a checkered blanket specifically for picnics? Of course not! As a true sustainable earth muffin, use what you have already. Throw blankets, comforters, anything that can be washed if it gets dirty. A few years ago I found a vintage picnic blanket at an antique store – it even has little ants and picnic food on it! πŸ˜‚ I leave that blanket in my car year round for all my picnic/outdoor needs.

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bookmark_borderThe Truth About Deadstock Fabric: Is It Sustainable?

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Hey earth muffins! With a big boom in sustainable fashion companies, there has been an increase in clothing created from deadstock fabric. You might be asking yourself, “Well, what exactly is deadstock?”. I was doing some reading on it recently, so I thought it would be a great post to write. Here is the truth about deadstock!

What is Deadstock Fabric?

“Deadstock fabric” encompasses numerous things:

  • Unsold fabric from mills
  • Overstock (fabrics that did not sell)
  • Scraps from production runs by brands
  • Damaged or imperfect fabrics

With the rise in popularity of eco-friendly living, there has been an influx in brands that use deadstock fabric in their pieces. But, is deadstock actually sustainable?

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bookmark_borderHow to Stay Eco-Friendly While Traveling Post-Pandemic

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Hey earth muffins! While the pandemic isn’t totally over yet, there has definitely been an increase in traveling again. πŸŽ‰ I don’t have too many trips planned yet, but (especially now that I’ve already had COVID) I want to book a few more vacations before the summer months are over. It is so important to be sustainable even on trips; just because you aren’t in the same place doing your daily routines doesn’t mean you can’t stick to your low waste values. Here are my top tips for staying eco-friendly while traveling!

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bookmark_border5 Unique Ways to Use Up Fruit & Veggie Scraps

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Hey earth muffins! I always seem to find myself doing more baking during the summer months. While I cook meals for myself almost every day, the summertime always makes me crave fun, home-baked goodies. With all this extra cooking, I find myself with more fruit and veggie scraps. And it is important to utilize these instead of just throwing them into the trash! Food waste is a huge environmental issue, so here are five unique ways to use up those fruit and veggie scraps! πŸ₯• πŸ₯¦ πŸ…

1. Make a “zero waste” recipe

The best way to reduce food waste is to cook/bake with a zero waste mentality – nothing (or almost nothing) will end up in the trash. If your recipe calls for peeled potatos, maybe leave the skins on. There are plenty of fruits and vegetables where the peel is actually delicious and nutritious! I was surprised to learn recently that you can even eat the fuzzy skin of a kiwi. If you search for zero waste recipes on Pinterest, there are plenty of options to choose from (like carrot top pesto)!

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bookmark_borderEasy Ways to Get Connected to Nature This Summer

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Hey earth muffins! If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen that I recently read the book The Nature Fix by Florence Williams. This book was great, as it lays out facts on why nature is good for you in all ways… And I definitely have to agree! Spending even 5 minutes with Mother Nature always improves my mood. Now that the months are getting warmer, here are my suggestions on how you too can get connected to nature this summer. 🌲

Hike

Growing up on the East Coast, I went hiking a lot when I was younger. I live in Michigan now which does have some hiking, just not super gorgeous trails like I was used to. The Upper Peninsula has more mountains than the area I live; but, there are still flat trails all over the place here. I encourage you all to see what hikes are in your area! You might be surprised at how many forests, nature preserves, and parks are accessible to hike in.

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bookmark_borderHow to Pack a Suitcase: Low Waste Edition

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Hey earth muffins! Summer is just around the corner – time for some fun vacations!! As of yet, I only have one major trip planned in July… But I will definitely be planning some weekend getaways too. 😍 The travel excitement always gets me once I start packing for my destination. And who said you can’t pack your suitcase to align with your eco-friendly values? Here’s your ultimate guide on how to pack your bags the zero waste way this summer!

Make a list of everything you need for the trip.

This is obviously helpful if you are doing specific activities that require certain gear… But, making a detailed list is the way to go for any trip. Think ahead to what you will be doing and also research the weather forecast too. Once you have a list, stick to it and pack only what you need. Set a rule with yourself that you will make do with what you have on the trip – no need to buy that extra sweatshirt or flip flops when you already thought ahead and packed them.

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