New year, new you am I right? With all the talk about climate change over the past year, I’m motivated to get a bit more serious about making our world a better place. If you’ve been keeping up with our blog this year, you know that I have been replacing the products in my home little by little. I’ve been making the switch from products with harmful chemicals to products that are eco-friendly. Last week I realized I’ve replaced everything I possibly can with green products. Now it’s time to move on to another big issue-WASTE. In this blog post, I’m going to share a few ways you can help save the planet without making your life more complicated. Let’s take an eco-friendly journey, shall we?
Reduce
One thing that I’m currently working through is clutter. I have a tendency to hold onto things because “I might need it one day” or there’s the occasional irrational fear where I think that as soon as I let it go, I’ll need it. By the way, that pretty much never happens. I am minimizing everything! From clothes to dishes to home décor, I am doing a home detox. This is a great thing to do at the beginning of the year. Don’t wait until spring to refresh your home! Do it in January so you can start the year off right. If none of my friends or family have a use for these items, I opt to donate but you can do whatever you please. Not only does a home cleanse improve your mental health, it also helps the planet by forming better habits for the future.
Reuse
Reusing items has been weighing heavy on my heart. Now that I’ve switched out all of my toxic products for safer products, I’m starting to feel guilty about all the paper I’m using. I don’t think I’ll be cutting out toilet paper anytime soon, for obvious reasons (unless you know of an alternative that’s not gross ) but I am starting to feel guilty about my paper towel usage. After some quick Pinterest research I found some amazing alternatives that actually aren’t annoying. Most people recommended getting a paper towel holder with a removable base and buying reusable washcloths. From what I gathered, you lay out your washcloths in a pile and roll them one by one on top of each other. It’s probably best to do this when they first come out of the dryer so they stick together.
Pro tip: pre-wash your new “paper towel” washcloths before using them so they lay together easier.
Recycle
Recycling can be so much more than just sorting your garbage. I try to upcycle as much as I possibly can. There are so many things that we throw away instead of re-purposing them. Below I’m going to list some of my favorite items I like to reuse.
- Candle jars for storage – place in freezer to shrink leftover wax for removal.
- Cardboard boxes – remove the flaps and hot glue twine from top to bottom for a trendy look.
- Coffee cans – wash and paint to create a new planter.
- Tin cans – patio lanterns! Just wash, paint and hole punch for extra fun.
- Tissue box – desk organizer. Trim to size (if needed) and decorate the outside.
- Knife block – craft caddy! Make it kid friendly with a new coat of paint and some crayons.
- Old tires – perfect outdoor planters. My neighbors painted theirs to match their shutters.
- Cake pans – tiered tray. They’re all the rage right now!
- Entertainment Center – re-purpose into a playroom kitchen!
- Dated glass lamp globe – paint and hang as planter.
- CD’s – crush up and turn into a ceramic piece of art.
Listed above are just a few of my favorite upcycling ideas. Got some of your own? Leave us a comment so I can try them out!
Until next time,
Savanna