Category: Zero Waste

bookmark_borderCan a Trip to Disney World be Zero Waste?!

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Hey earth muffins! Wow – it feels great writing an actual post for you all! If you read my latest updates, you will know that my boyfriend and I recently took a trip to Disney World over spring break, before all the craziness of Mister Corona started. We definitely lucked out with timing, as most (if not all) of the Disney parks are now closed due to the pandemic (please stay safe out there everyone!). After my boyfriend and I had picked our destination, I was excited to see if visiting Disney parks is possible when you are zero waste or, like me, trying to be as low waste as possible. We were in Orlando, FL for only a total of 4 days and hit up two different parks: Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.

So the big question is, can a trip to Disney be sustainable? For the short answer: yes, it is totally possible to zero waste Disney parks. BUT, it does require some effort. From our experience, I wanted to share some of my suggestions for making a trip to Disney World as low waste as possible.

Take advantage of the fact that you can bring bags into the park. My parents gifted me an adorable mini backpack purse for Christmas, so I was able to bring food and my 8 oz stainless steel water bottle into the park with me. I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to bring in metal, but Disney is apparently only strict about no glass in the parks. That being said, you can bring in as many reusable containers as you want, which is awesome if you are wanting to reduce single use items when it comes to food and water as well as save a lot of money with how expensive Disney food is. There are plenty of water fountains around the parks too, so don’t worry about running out of water!

Reuse your Magic Band if you have been to Disney before (or are an Annual Passholder). Even if your band was linked to a different account you are able to re-link it to a new account, which saves you from having a plastic card/ticket to enter the parks and use for FastPass. If this is your first time to the park, no worries! Save your Magic Band for either your next trip or give to family/friends who will be going (who can then re-link the band to their own account). A perfect zero waste Disney tip!

Use the My Disney Experience app instead of paper maps, menus, etc. The Disney app has everything you could possibly need during your visit including wait times, maps, dinner reservations, booking FastPasses, etc. Make sure that someone in your group has a phone that has a battery that will last all day or bring a travel charger if you have one.

Take advantage of the dinner reservation feature of the app and take a break by eating in instead of eating out! Many of the Instagram worthy mouse shaped treats come with a lot of waste in tow… Even though Disney did make the switch to paper straws, single use items are still mainly used. If you have the financial resources, try a sit-down restaurant instead! My boyfriend and I had been gifted a bunch of Disney gift cards before our trip, so we definitely took advantage of eating in and found some really tasty food along the way!

Eat vegetarian/vegan options! On the topic of food, I suggest reducing your impact on the planet by utilizing the many vegetarian and vegan options at Disney. I have been a pescatarian since August and was excited to learn about all of the great options they have in their parks. Many of the take-out options are pretty customizable when it comes to removing meat from say a Greek salad (the price will also be less).

Reduce your food waste by ordering off the kid’s menu. I’ll be the first to admit that my stomach is the size of a large snail. Okay, it’s probably bigger than that, but I get full SO easily. To prevent throwing away half of a meal, I would definitely recommend either splitting or ordering from the kid’s menu. No one at Disney cares if you aren’t 12 and under (I promise!), and the meals are actually quite large, healthy, and cheaper than the adult versions of the same thing.

Use alternative transportation to get to the parks! Reduce the emissions from yet another car going to Disney and use the many other forms of transportation available in Orlando. Many of the resorts and outside hotels have shuttle services or take an UberPool instead.

Buy your Mickey merch at the thrift store (or borrow from family/friends) BEFORE you get to the park. While thrifting for Disney apparel is definitely a trial and error process because of the brand’s popularity, it can be done for a zero waste Disney trip. After keeping my eye out for a couple of months, I found an adorable Mickey shirt for only $0.25 at one of the local thrift stores in Ann Arbor! I actually saw a woman wearing the same exact shirt at Magic Kingdom, but my impact on the planet was much much smaller. If you aren’t having any luck, try borrowing clothes (and even Mickey ears) from family or friends. This will also save you hella coin at the parks!

Be smart with your souvenir choices and avoid all plastic ones! I won’t sit here and tell you to not buy a souvenir at all because then I would be a hypocrite. But, you can still buy things at the parks that aren’t terrible for the environment. We bought a couple of paper postcards to use as wall décor (which can then be recycled if we ever get bored of them) and then a glass ornament for our Christmas tree. While avoiding plastic souvenirs gets much harder when you have kids, try to steer your eager shopper towards something that will last a long time like a metal pin, glass figurine, etc.

Overall, I think you can definitely make your trip at Disney a sustainable one! Like any situation, you just need to be cognizant of the impact your decisions will have. But, don’t feel like your whole trip has to be fully sustainable! I personally feel like doing my best to live zero/low waste 90% of the time is totally fine because I am still doing a ton to help out the planet. If you want to splurge on a plastic Elsa doll or a Mickey ice cream sandwich in plastic wrap 10% of the time, I say go for it! We all deserve a little extra at the happiest place in the world.

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderHow to Have a “Zero Waste” Thanksgiving 🦃

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Hey earth muffins! I am officially home to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family – and I am so excited! 🎉 Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays as I get to do two of my fave things: hang with my family and eat all day. 😂 Ever since starting my journey towards living zero waste, I have been writing posts about how to reduce waste on holidays (check out my Halloween, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day posts!)… In honor of this Thursday, I thought I would share some tips on how you can reduce waste this Thanksgiving!

~Avoid unnecessary packaging at the grocery store when you do your holiday shopping. I suggest checking out the bulk bins for some great savings or buying loose produce for your meal! You could even challenge yourself to make everything from scratch like the pumpkin puree for your pumpkin pie! If you have to buy something in packaging, choose glass or metal containers that can be easily recycled. 👍

~Have a vegetarian dinner. Turkey is such a classic for Thanksgiving, but you could always try having a meatless holiday feast! The meat industry is pretty terrible in terms of both sustainability and ethical practices, so avoiding turkey is a great way to share these beliefs. This is obviously not for everyone as I know my own family would never not have a bird, but maybe your family would be okay with it!

~Know how many people you are cooking for! While having some leftovers is a good thing, you don’t want to have so many leftovers that you end up throwing a lot away after a few days. 👎 Keeping serving sizes in mind is a great way to reduce food waste this Thanksgiving.

~Set up a designated compost bin and keep it nearby when cooking. When you are cooking this holiday, make sure to put all of the food scraps into a compost bin! This is especially great if you are preparing food for a good amount of people, as you will be shocked to see how much compost you have been throwing away all these years. After dinner you can put the compost into your own compost bin or have someone take it to theirs (or to drop off at a local composting company).

~Use “fancy” table settings. I’m talking the whole nine yards: fancy dishes, cloth tablecloths and napkins, nice silverware, etc. If you are hosting and don’t have enough supplies, ask you family and friends to bring some along! While you will then have to wash everything at the end of the night, you will be saving a ton of waste from heading to the landfill. Worth it!

~Plan what to do with the leftovers! After a couple of days after Thanksgiving my family definitely gets tired of the same leftovers… So make a plan on what you are going to do with the leftovers! You could freeze some turkey to put in soups, turn vegetable dishes into a casserole, etc. etc. By having a plan you will be less likely to just throw away the food after a few days. 🙂

How do you reduce waste on Thanksgiving?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderReview: Clean Faced Cosmetics Zero Waste Cake Mascara

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When I wrote my review of Mad Hippie’s Mineral Mascara last month, I referenced the other mascara that I use on a day-to-day basis and realized that I have not written a full review of it yet… I have been using a mascara from Clean Faced Cosmetics for a couple of years now, so I thought today would be a perfect day to share my Clean Faced Cosmetics cake mascara review! 

What I Love:
*It is sustainable! This was one of the first switches I made when I started my green journey back in May 2018. The mascara comes in a metal tin, can be sent back to the Etsy seller to be refilled, and comes in zero waste packaging. I also use a powder from this shop (see the full review here!), and I love that the seller will ship a compostable bag of the product instead of using another tin.

*Made of only 4 ingredients – As you all know I try to keep the ingredient count down on all the products I use, as I’m not a fan of chemicals or putting things on my body that shouldn’t really be there…. So I LOVE that this product is made with less than 5 ingredients!

*Good pigmentation and color – It is not super duper black (even though it is buildable if you want a dark black), which I love because I usually do a natural makeup look.

*Lasts all day and is easy to get off in the shower! I mentioned in my Mad Hippie mascara review that I didn’t like how I had to actually try to get this mascara off in the shower. I love this Clean Faced Cosmetic mascara because it is easy to get off with just water but lasts all day long.

*It is multi-purpose – Because this mascara is in cake form, it allows it to be used as both a mascara, eyeliner, brow filler, and even eyeshadow! I typically just use it as mascara and eyeliner, which saves me from creating more waste than I need to! 👏

*Easy to apply! Cake mascara might seem harder to apply compared to those in tubes, but it is actually super simple.

*Comes with a TON of product – Especially if you use a small amount each day like me, this product will last you a long time.

*Supports a local business – Laura, the lovely lady who owns the Etsy store, is from Grand Rapids, MI. I love that I am able to support a local Midwestern!

*Easy to sanitize! Mascara wands can get pretty nasty and collect bacteria, so I love to sanitize my cake mascara by spraying it with some rubbing alcohol every once in awhile. You definitely can do this with typical plastic containers!

What I Don’t Love:
*A bit pricey – Compared to cheaper drugstore products (like elf, NYX, Wet n Wild, etc.) this mascara is more expensive… But for $16 (and usually the shop has some awesome sales!), it is definitely worth it!

*Learning curve – While applying cake mascara is easy, it will require you to learn how to do so if you have been using wand mascaras for your whole life. Not a big con, but I thought I would still add it to the list. 😬

Thanks for reading my Clean Faced Cosmetics cake mascara review! What is your favorite mascara currently? 

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderWhat is “Planned Obsolescence”? & How To Avoid It

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Hey earth muffins! Today I wanted to talk about a topic that I have noticed much more during my journey towards living zero waste: planned obsolescence. 🤔 Let’s jump right into it!

A picture of a pile of phones getting thrown into the trash with the words Planned Obsolescence 101 across the center of it
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What is Planned Obsolescence?
“Planned obsolescence” is the term used when goods are produced in a way that will become obsolete in the near future (usually about 2 – 4 years). This requires the consumer to replace the good when it becomes obsolete. Some examples of planned obsolescence make sense; in fashion, nylons are going to run after a certain point and will need replacing. However, planned obsolescence has become more prevalent and is often used by companies to maintain revenues across the years. Think about Apple: their iPhones only last a few years when more sturdy phones could actually last decades.

Why is Planned Obsolescence bad?
Let me make this clear – not all forms of planned obsolescence are bad. Often times, this practice can help with technological improvements. But, there are many negatives as well:

*Costs the consumer (YOU!) more money because you have to keep buying replacements
*Results in lower quality goods – if it is made to break in 2 – 3 years how good can it really be?
*Creates unnecessary and excess waste going to landfill 😥
*Reinforces our “throwaway-able” culture – just like fast fashion has ruined how we see and value our clothes, products that become obsolete strengthen the way we view material goods as something that will be in our lives for a short time and then get replaced. See previous reason on why this is bad.
A cartoon about planned obsolescence

What can you do to avoid Planned Obsolescence? 
1. Only buy the best of the best: Do research before buying products to make sure they will last you a long time. Many brands advertise that their products last a lifetime because they actually might! Definitely prioritize supporting brands that make these higher quality items.

2. Repair it instead of buying new: I’ve personally had my iPhone 6 since junior year in high school instead of forking out money to purchase the latest and greatest iPhones. It does what I need it to do (text and call people, check email, etc.) so that is good enough for me!

3. Don’t buy into everything advertisements are trying to sell you: Trying to live sustainably has really helped me on this one, as it is easy for me to refuse products that I don’t need and won’t last.

4. Buy used or antique: How many times have you seen your grandma use an old cooking dish from the 60’s? Those goods were always made to last so try to buy those instead!

What are your thoughts on planned obsolescence?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderMinimizing Waste When Eating Fast Food 🍔

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Hey earth muffins! When I first started my journey towards living zero waste, I realized that low waste living and fast food do not mix. I wouldn’t say I ate fast food a lot, but I definitely would eat it whenever I traveled or was busy and didn’t have any other options on campus. When making steps towards living sustainably, it is important to remember that you can’t be perfect – and that you are allowed to eat fast food if you want! Here are some of my personal tips to reduce waste when eating at your fave fast food places 😀

A photo with a cheeseburger on a black background with the words Low Waste Fast Food
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1. Order it for “here” instead of “to go”. Instead of getting your food in a bunch of unnecessary packaging, you can then either take the food and leave or eat it in the restaurant.

2. Use your own utensils and napkins! This is an easy swap when making your kitchen zero waste, so I definitely suggest doing the same when you eat out.

A picture of a set of bamboo eating utensils for zero waste dining

3. Put sauces on your food inside the restaurant to avoid single use packages… OR bring your own containers to fill up inside to use on the go!

4. Bring your own water bottle to avoid all the plastic cups and straws. This will also ensure you are staying healthy and not drinking all of those nasty sugary beverages.

5. Know the menu and order what comes in the least packaging. If the burgers come in plastic, maybe opt for the fish sandwich that comes in a recyclable cardboard box.

A picture of a fish sandwich in a cardboard box

6. Order the vegetarian options!! Fast food and unsustainable meat practices go hand-in-hand, so avoid what you can by ordering the veggie options. Some of my personal choices are the vegetarian bean burritos from Taco Bell and the veggie burger at Burger King. 🤗

How do you reduce your waste when eating fast food?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderReview: Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara

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Hey earth muffins, happy Monday!! Today I will be sharing my thoughts on another sustainable beauty product: the mineral mascara from Mad Hippie cosmetics! 🤩 Mascara is one of my favorite makeup staples, so I was beyond excited to test out this product – let’s jump right into the review!

A picture of the Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara with the words Mad Hippie Mascara Review
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What I LOVE:
1. It makes my lashes look extremely long! I have always preferred mascaras that make my lashes longer than those that make them “thicker”/clumpy. This mascara does an excellent job of coating each lash, enhancing their natural length.

2. The wand is perfection. It is both long AND thick, which allows me to apply it so easily. Definitely my favorite mascara wand of all time!

A picture of the wand of the Mad Hippie Mascara, a perfect length and width

3. It smells like roses. When looking at the ingredient list, it is clear that their is no rose in the actual mascara, so it might be smelling like the sweet almond oil… 🤔 Regardless, it smells SO good!

4. The container is sustainable!! One of my biggest challenges with trying out new makeup products since I started my journey towards low/zero waste is to find products that are in sustainable containers. This mascara is made of a sugarcane bioresin plastic tube that can be recycled after it is used up. While recycling is by no means the best solution to the struggles of our planet, it beats the plastic tubes that can never be recycled!

5. It is made of simple ingredients. As it is a mineral mascara, there are no synthetic waxes, dyes, or coal tar inside the formula. Compared to the Clean Faced Cosmetics cake mascara I typically use (which only has 4 ingredients!), it includes more ingredients in the formula… But much fewer than those in drugstore/high end products.

6. This mascara will last all day through rain, sweat, and tears. 😅 Trust me.

7. The brand is vegan and cruelty free! I will always support these types of companies and brands!

What I DISLIKE:
1. You need to use some sort of soap to take it off. While this might seem like a weird con to most people, I usually just wash off my makeup in the shower… So I don’t like the fact that I need to take an extra step to get this off. However, as I said above, this mascara doesn’t budge during the day so I guess the extra time to take it off is okay.

2. It is a tad pricey… But most sustainable beauty products are pricier. This mascara can be bought on the Mad Hippie website for $19, while the Clean Faced Cosmetics mascara is $12-16. However, there are many sustainable makeup brands that are WAY more expensive… But, I thought I would mention it none-the-less. 😊

A picture of the Mad Hippie Mineral Mascara over the paper it came with that says, Welcome to the Revolution
Definitely go check out this mascara!

What is your favorite mascara currently?

*I was sent this product for free; all opinions are my own!*

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderThe Ultimate Shopping Guide to Sustainable Fabrics

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Hey earth muffins! If you are on a journey to live with less waste (like I am!), one of the major areas that needs to be addressed is buying clothes. In my opinion, there are two options:

1) Go thrift shopping! – This is my personal preference 😀
2) Buy sustainable fabrics when buying new

The struggle with the second option is that you will need to avoid fast fashion when choosing fabrics that aren’t so hurtful to the environment. Fast fashion is a terrible thing in general, so this is extremely important. Many “cotton” and “polyester” fabrics have microplastics in them that are released in the washing machine… We definitely do not want that! Buying from the thrift store can lessen this issue, as the microplastics have already been released and you are saving any new microplastics from leaching into the water stream. There are many other problems with unsustainable fabrics as well: huge amounts of water usage, chemicals/pesticides affecting the land and leaching into water, unethical treatment of workers, the list goes on.

A picture of sustainable fabrics including wool, hemp, bamboo, cashmere, and organic cotton, with the words The Ultimate Guide to: Sustainable Fabrics! in the center
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SO, if you decide that you still would like to buy clothes that are brand new, I suggest searching for these fabrics:

~Organic cotton – Normal cotton uses huge amounts of water and pesticides, making the “fabric of our lives” an unsustainable choice. If you really love cotton clothing, I suggest checking out 100% organic cotton fabrics. While there is still a lot of water involved, this at least helps avoid the chemical/pesticide aspect of producing the cotton. If the cotton is 100% organic, it will also be biodegradable!

~Silk – This fabric is extremely sustainable and efficient when it comes to water usage and land use; plus, it is biodegradable at the end of its life! However, the silkworms are only able to produce a small amount of fabric making it a more time intensive process. Some vegans also disapprove of the treatment of the worms.

~Wool – This fabric is renewable as it comes from sheep! 🐑 It is biodegradable as well. Take caution to research where the company sources its wool, to make sure the sheep are treated ethically and are taken care of properly.

~Cashmere – Just like wool, this fabric is renewable because it comes from goats! Fast fashion increased demand for this product, so many farmers started shearing their goats too early… This obviously puts the animal at risk of dying from the cold, so I would personally suggest only buying cashmere secondhand.

~Hemp – Growing hemp takes very little water (and the plants are naturally extremely pest-free, which makes pesticides not necessary). This fabric is also biodegradable, making it an excellent choice!

~Bamboo – Just like hemp, bamboo can be grown basically anywhere with very little water. 🎍 It can be used to make anything from kitchen utensils to fabric, making it an amazing sustainable choice! It is also biodegradable.

~Linen – Another great option, linen is biodegradable if it has been untreated. Flax grows with very little water, and almost all parts of the plant are used in the production process making it extremely low waste.

While there are many “sustainable” fabrics on the market, you must still do your research before making purchases. The rise of the “going green” movement has resulted in many companies stating that certain products are “sustainable”… But that doesn’t mean they actually are! Make sure to look at all the tags and do your research to see the OTHER implications that resulted from a fast fashion brand using a sustainable fabric: water usage, shipping from across the world, the conditions of the workers, where the dyes have been sourced, etc. In my opinion, thrifting is always the best option, as I don’t trust fashion corporations to completely change their practices. That may sound cynical, but I hope that one day fast fashion will stop existing altogether.


What fabrics do you look for when shopping? 

Love,
Jenna ♥

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bookmark_borderHow to Zero Waste Your School Supplies!

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Hey earth muffins! I know that the school year started last month, but my masters program has some quarter classes, which means I will be starting a few new classes in a week or so. 🤓 Because of this, I need more school supplies, and I was inspired to share my best tips for keeping your school supplies low/zero waste. In this series I have tackled everything from the laundry room to periods, so I hope this is helpful to all of you still in school!

green background with various colorful school supplies such as pencils, rulers, and paperclips, words say How to Zero Waste Your School Supplies across the middle
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~Use actual pencils: Mechanical pencils might be “easier” because you don’t need to sharpen them, but they are made of plastic (and as you all know from my Plastic Free July posts plastic should be avoided!)… ✏️ Wooden pencils are so much better!

~Buy a refillable ink pen: If you go through a lot of pens, I suggest finding one that is refillable. This allows you to not throw away the pen each time it runs out of ink! This gorgeous bamboo pen is only $29 on Amazon, and it comes with an ink covertor to easily add ink (which is under $10 on Amazon as well!).

~Reuse old notebooks and folders: I have yet to take a class where I used a whole notebook in one semester, so I definitely suggest recycling the pages you have notes on and then reuse the rest of the notebook for a new class. The same goes for folders!

~Buy school supplies from the thrift store: As I mentioned in my Collective Thrift Haul, I recently purchased a binder for only $1. You can always find school supplies secondhand; make sure to also donate any unwanted school supplies at the end of the year!

~Utilize any paper that you can find!: My office recycles a bunch of perfectly good paper, so I like to take a stack home to use for school. 😊 Look for paper that you can take home as well!

~Avoid printing out assignments at all cost: Read articles online instead and take notes either on the computer or in your notebook (as writing down your notes helps you learn the material faster!).

~Rent your textbooks or buy the online version: When you buy a hard copy of a textbook, you most likely aren’t going to ever read it again when the class is finished… And that is just wasteful! Renting is cheaper and allows other students to use the book after you. The same goes for an online version.

~Use your “big” school supplies (ex. backpack, lunchbox) until they are totally un-usable: I used to buy a new backpack and lunchbox every year for school, and that is extremely wasteful. My current backpack and lunchbox have lasted me my whole undergrad and will definitely make it through my masters program as well! I have absolutely LOVED my High Sierra Swerve backpack, so I would definitely recommend it 🥰

A picture of a navy High Sierra Swerve backpack, which can last many years before it must be thrown away

~If you have to buy new, look out for products made with recycled materials!: I bought my planner from Walmart for only $8, and it is made of all recycled paper. Buying secondhand should always be the first option but this is a nice alternative.

How do you keep your school supplies sustainable?

Love,
Jenna ♥

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