Hey guys! Leigh Ann here real quick! Remember my Shop Small post? I told you to be on the lookout for more from my friend Lauren, founder of humble earth co. She was generous enough to share with us some hard truths about how we’re treating our planet, and small changes that can make a huge impact. Read on for more from Lauren!
Have you ever thought about what happens to a plastic toothbrush after you throw it away?
For so long, I didn’t think about anything relating to waste. Why would I? I would throw things into the bin and they would just disappear. It wasn’t until I saw a viral video of a sea turtle with a straw blocking its airway when I thought, “Holy shit…overconsumption is killing us.”
Let me hit you with some cold hard facts. Did you know it takes 1,000 years for a single piece of plastic to decompose? That means every piece of plastic ever made still exists today. Yep, all of those toothbrushes, food containers, and shopping bags you used are still out there. It doesn’t stop there. Did you also know that the average American throws away over 80lbs of clothing every year? Or that Americans throw away 25% more trash between Thanksgiving and New Years? Yikes! What the hell is wrong with us?
Back before we were born, the world used to be a lot more green. Bottled water didn’t exist. Milk came in glass bottles that were sterilized and reused. Clothing was made from natural fibers, not synthetic ones. There was also no such thing as “fast fashion” (ie. disposable fashion).
So what can we do? The problem is so big it feels overwhelming. That’s because you alone cannot fix it. It’s going to take all of us. We all need to start taking small steps now to create a more sustainable world. Start with one simple habit you can do to live more sustainably. Take your time to grow into this habit. Celebrate doing this one intentional act for the planet. I started out by switching to a reusable straw. The holiday season is all about giving. Why not give the Earth back some of the love? It’s the time of year when consumption is at an all time high. We can counterbalance ourselves by practicing some new sustainable habits.
Here are some ideas:
– Recycle
– Eat less meat
– Buy produce from local farms
– Start composting/find a compost drop-off in your neighborhood
– Plan a “car free” day
– Take shorter showers
– Swap regular milk for plant-based milk. Oat milk is bae.
– Walk, bike, or take public transportation
– Shop with reusable bags
– Stop buying bottled water. Stick to the tap.
– Use energy efficient light bulbs/appliances
– Participate in a community park or beach clean-up
– Plant something and take care of it
– Buy less “stuff” you don’t really need
Once you master one sustainable habit, you will naturally add more in. Being sustainable feels good! It connects you to our planet and gives you meaningful purpose to small everyday choices. That little spark of joy is all something we could use this holiday season.
Leigh Ann again, be sure to shop humble earth co for everyday products to reduce your footprint, like shampoo bars, dishwashing soap blocks, beeswax wraps, reusable cotton rounds (have my eye on these), and much more! You can also follow @humbleearthco on instagram. Bonus, 1% of every purchase is donated to the Wildlife Conservation Network!
Sending a huge thanks to Lauren for sharing these ways to give back to earth! What steps are you taking to care for our planet?
laughingatleighann.com 
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