Below is a collection of commonly asked questions I've received about living an eco-friendly lifestyle.
How to be Eco-friendly on a budget
This question deserved it's own post!, click here.
How to "silently" start a movement in an unfamiliar place without pissing everyone off and being "that guy"
The best way to share this message in a positive way is to share your thoughts in little doses with the opportunity arises....
For example, when you're getting a drink (not necessarily alcoholic) with a friend, be sure to ask for no straw, and take your reusable ones out and let your friend borrow one. This will usually start a conversation about them: either they will ask or you now get the chance to explain how it take 500 years for plastic straws to degrade and they can't be recycled, etc...
Or, when you are planning to go out with friends, remind them to bring their reusable water bottles!
The more you remind your friends to be aware the more they will be and then spread the message themselves! Eco-awareness has a domino effect-so keep pushing :)
You won't be "that guy" or "piss people off" as long as you're nice about it!
What should I keep out of the recycling bin?
This question deserved it's own post!, click here.
What do we do about Styrofoam?
Because of the type of plastic Styrofoam is made of, it is more difficult to recycle. You check this website to see if there is a Styrofoam drop-off site near you!
I recommend trying to avoid Styrofoam all together! Bring your own to-go boxes (Tupperware) to restaurants - just leave it in your car and if you need it, run out and get it. If that is inconvenient, Amazon sells collapsible Tupperware that are easy to carry with you!
Have you heard of Ecosia?
I have and I have it as my primary browser on all of my devices!
Ecosia is a search engine, like Google, that plants a tree for every 80 searches you make! 80 sounds like a lot, but you'll get there quick! They use the money they make from ads to pay for the trees being planted!
The search engine runs off of google servers or something like that, and has high quality searches! The only thing I actually go to google for now is GoogleFlights, GoogleMaps, and conversions.
How I feel living an eco-friendly lifestyle
I'm going to tell you now, I do not live a perfect zero waste lifestyle. I'm working on getting there one day, but it takes time and a lot of dedication. The Earth doesn't need some people doing zero waste perfectly, it needs a lot people doing it imperfectly...
I do live my life very aware of the carbon footprint I'm leaving though.
I try my best to not buy single-use products, but you know, sometimes I really want that beer, or Gatorade, or snack that I hadn't packed. And, grocery shopping is very difficult to be zero waste, but I don't use the little plastic bags for fresh fruits and veggies, and I'll buy a whole pineapple instead of a pre-cut one to avoid the extra plastic...
I look at ingredients before I buy something, and do what I can to carpool, carry reusable products, and pick up trash that I see.
I don't live a perfect zero waste lifestyle, but I feel great knowing that I am taking one step closer everyday! I think the best thing that I am doing is sharing this message with you, and hoping you continue to share it. Celebrate the little things, and always remember that when you refuse a product that is one less that ended up on the Earth - it's a domino effect...one can turn into millions!
Some basic tips on how to begin an eco-friendly lifestyle
These posts will give you a good starting point on how to begin your eco-friendly journey: