10 tips on living a greener life!
We all want to live greener lives, but let’s face it, it’s so hard to start! Personally, I find it easier to take one step at a time by implementing something small and growing it over time. Everyone has their own pace, and that’s ok! But it’s important to start today so we can see the impact tomorrow.
Since working on the 4Earth collection, I have been taking small steps to make my life greener. I have also taken the #4Earth4Life challenge, where we challenged our community to avoid plastic for one week (check it out here!).
Today I’m sharing 10 tips that you can implement in your day-to-day to help live a greener life. Read on!
This one is a biggie for me as I love using paper towels to clean, especially in the kitchen. Recently, I have set aside hand drying rags – and cleaning rags – so that I do not have to grab a paper napkin every time.
Living in Los Angeles, it is very hard to survive without a car. I purchased a bike recently and this has helped me get around in my neighborhood! Taking the bus is also a great alternative. (But make sure you wear your mask and bring hand sanitizer.)
Whenever possible, choose a reusable option! Personally, my all-time fave is reusable sandwich bags. These have been a game-changer! Do some research and find more reusable options going forward. When possible, also choose to recycle instead of throwing away.
The average American family typically uses over 300 gallons of water every day, according to the EPA. This one is hard, but I have been more conscious of the time it takes to clean my dishes or take a shower in order to help out the planet. It is important for us to conserve water as much as we can.
Sharing with friends is a fun and easy way to save the planet. Buying less, in general, can help reduce waste so try sharing outfits, books, even household items whenever possible!
This is a biggie for most people, but avoid plastic water bottles and bags! It can be so easy to grab a plastic water bottle before the gym or choose plastic bags at the grocery stores, but these items cause more harm than good. Be mindful before choosing plastic.
You might sit on hold with customer service for a while in order to make all of your bills paperless, but hey – it’s worth it! Many companies even offer a paperless option online. Take the time to go through your mail and see where you can go paperless.
Go big or go home! Avoid products that are packed for single use. Try buying in bulk to reduce harmful waste.
You wouldn’t believe the number of useless items I have collected over time! When possible, avoid creating trash by refusing things you do not need. Say no to utensils for take-out. Eat your ice cream out of a cone instead of a cup. Buy items with little or no packaging. Every little bit of trash avoided does make a difference.
This is a fun one! I have been playing a game where I repurpose one thing a day that I would usually throw away. The other day, I planted some seeds in an egg carton. Today, I repurposed my favorite candle by adding more wax and new wicks. Be resourceful!
How do you live a greener life? Take the #4Earth4Life challenge and tag us for a chance to be featured @BlowfishMalibu!
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Introducing the Blowfish Malibu Green Team!
We are excited to announce that at Blowfish Malibu headquarters, we just started a new initiative called the Green Team. In short, we created a group of individuals that are advocating for a more eco-conscious office space. The Green Team will be implementing new eco-friendly procedures, and be the voice for positive change at work.
First off, I am very excited to be a part of the new Blowfish Malibu Green Team! The team consists of four members from various departments; Brisa in European Operations, Melissa in Accounting, Chip in Design, and Liv from Customer Service. Our team is made up of different departments for a reason. Not only is it great for getting to know one another, but each member delivers a unique perspective on how their individual department can become greener.
Our initial focus has been on “greening up” our daily operations at the office. We started by donating all our single-use plastic and paperware in the kitchen and replacing them with real silverware and ceramic dishes. We also switched out our coffee machine. Those plastic single-cup coffee filters created a lot of waste! Our new coffee machine is a bean-to-cup device that makes delicious coffee with no single-use filters. Plus, it fills the office with a great coffee smell each time the beans are grounded!
We have also replaced all cleaning supplies with eco-friendly refillable alternatives. We also learned how to properly dispose of hard-to-recycle office supplies, like staplers. Thanks to partnering with Terracycle, no more broken staplers, empty pens, or ripped folders have headed to the trash. Terracycle will recycle it all! These are just a few first steps we have taken to make the office more green, though there is still so much more to do. We have big plans for 2020 that will see many more aspects of office life go green!
The Green Team was created to promote a more environment-friendly office space, and surprisingly I found that this has spilled over to my home life as well. I didn’t think I could go much greener at home, but after working with the Green Team, I have found even more ways to impact my home. It is my hope that the momentum that the Green Team has created transfers over to the homes of all Blowfish Malibu employees, and our customers as well.
I believe that every small change that we perform in our daily lives to reduce the usage of plastics or harmful chemicals will generate a significant shift. And I am so happy to be a part of a company that is committed to helping create these necessary changes. We only have one earth, and it’s a really spectacular place! Let’s all do our part to take care of it.
What else can we add to our list? What are you doing at home to help the planet?
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