5 Ways to Be More Sustainable

This post is sponsored by Grove Collaborative. All opinions are my own. 

I have to admit that I love seeing today’s culture leaning towards more sustainable practices, making it easier and more accessible to think, purchase and live sustainably. While I’ve always been a lover of vintage fashion and home decor, I’ve taken more steps to consuming less in all aspects of my life. There are so many things you can do in your everyday life to be more sustainable. 

Here are 5 ways to be more sustainable:

Plan Ahead. One of the easiest ways to be more sustainable is to plan ahead in all aspects of your life. Single use plastic is generally a byproduct of accessibility and easiness (basically catering to our laziness) so if you plan ahead, you can easily cut out waste. This means, pack your reusable tote and water bottle before you leave the house. This also includes planning out meals so you only buy the groceries you need. This prevents you from overbuying produce you don’t need which ends up in the trash. I recently discovered Grove Collaborative an eco-friendly subscription service that allows you to quickly pick your favorite cleaning and household supplies and set up a customized schedule for shipment. I only buy what I need, when I need it. 

Buy Less. This is definitely a tough one given our culture of buy, buy, buy, but it makes a big impact for the environment and your savings account. I make a list every season or every month of pieces I want in my wardrobe. I only stick to the items on that last and I don’t splurge just because a retailer is having a sale. I mostly buy vintage or second hand, but I still limit what I buy because we don’t need to be drowning in stuff! Grove has an entire section for sustainable swaps, so I only need to buy these products once and I get to reuse them over and over again. 

Go All Clean. This was a big step for me and my family a few years ago. I swapped all of our personal and household products to clean only. That includes everything from my mascara to glass cleaner to sunblock and toilet paper. I recently switched to Aunt Fannie’s cleaning products from Grove. What drew me was the products are wellness focused: they work and are good to be around. Plus, they are dermatologist tested and hypoallergenic products that are effective without wreaking havoc on my skin or health. I also like that Grove is transparent about the product and values: Gluten Free, Hypoallergenic, Leaping Bunny Certified, Made in the USA, Microbiome Friendly, Natural Fragrance, Paraben free, Triclosan Free and Vegan. This makes shopping for cleaner products that much easier. 

Educate Yourself. There is a lot of green washing happening these days since sustainability is such a trending concept. Dig deeper into a business’s sustainable practices and the ingredients in their products. Grove is up front and transparent about their products and values: the products that clean our countertops, clothes, and selves shouldn’t spoil the earth or our health. We’re creating a reality where household essentials of every kind are actually good for you and the world. I support brands that value sustainable practices and put my health and that of our planet a priority. 

Repurpose Alllll The Things. As a kid I was so embarrassed that my mom would reuse old jars for storing food or packing my lunch. I literally took humus in an old turmeric jar and wishes I had a cool container like my friends. As an adult, I am so thankful that my mom instilled this practice of repurposing. We now use glass containers and jars for food storage or catch alls in the closet, garage or desk drawer. We’ve also switched to reusable snack bags so we avoid any single use plastics.  

Grove Collaborative is giving away this amazing Aunt Fannie’s kitchen set for free with your first order over $20! If you spend over $39, you’ll get the ceramic tray which I have next to my kitchen sink to contain all of my cleaning essentials.