10 Easy Eco-Friendly Tips: How to Save the Earth and be more Green

Earth Day might be over, but there is still so much work to do. We can save the Earth and even small actions can make a big difference. If you want to live a more Green and Sustainable life,  here are some easy eco-friendly tips.

How you choose to shop makes a BIG difference!  And talking about why you choose to be more mindful of your choices can help others to make a change as well.  

Here are some incredibly Simple tips to become more Eco-Friendly everyday.

Easy Eco-Tips:

1. Take a reusable bag with you to every store you go to. 

This might seem like a silly suggestion.  However, if we all did this,  we could literally save Millions of tons of Plastic bags every year.  That means that sea life won't be eating Plastic bags in the ocean.

2.  Say NO to Plastic Straws when you eat out.

Plastic Straws, along with Cigarette butts which contain plastic in the filters,  are some of the biggest polluters in the Oceans.  Millions of Plastic straws are used every day.  You can help by saying NO when offered a Plastic Straw or taking your own Steel Straw or asking your local shops to start carrying Compostable Corn Plastic Straws instead.  

3.  Use Glass or Stainless Steel Bottles for water instead of Plastic bottles.  

Plastic Water bottles are another big Ocean polluter.  Sadly, Plastic Bottles take on average 450 YEARS to decompose and when they do,  it is not made up of Natural ingredients that blend back into the biosphere.  We are still left with Toxic Chemicals. 

Glass is one of the easiest materials to Recycle and is 100% Non-Toxic to the environment because it is made with Sand.  It will decompose gradually, is reusable and does not pollute the ocean and is safe for Ocean sea life.  Steel is harder to recycle, but is non-toxic and very durable as well. My glass water bottles are one way to help save the Earth from Plastic bottles.  

4.  Look around your house for items that contain Plastic that you can recycle and  replace with Glass.

I recently decided to Recycle all of the Plastic Cups in my home.  I thought I only had a few, but it turned out that I had many Plastic cups in my cabinets.  I made sure to take a picture and show others what I was doing in honor of Earth Day!  Telling others what you are doing to make a positive change can inspire them to do the same!  

I then went and bought Glass cups and bottles to move one step closer to a Non-Toxic home.  

When I am on the Go, I fill my Glass water bottle with fruits and herbs and take it with me.  Or if I am working out or going to the Beach, I grab a Stainless steel water bottle.  

5.  Use up or Donate your old items, then replace with Non-Toxic items instead of throwing everything away.

It is tempting to get rid of items we no longer want without using up all of it, however,  the less we waste, the better.  If you can donate your items to a Local Thrift Store to be resold,  that is best.  However, if your Local Thrift store cannot resell that item,  list it for FREE on Craigslist.  

For example,  If you just moved into a new home and need to get rid of your Moving boxes,  instead of recycling them or throwing things away, Post them for Free on Craigslist.  People are always looking for FREE items there and will happily come and pick them up for you.  

6.  Reuse items sent to you before Recycling.

At my Company, Bella Vida SB,  we always reuse Packaging Materials that other companies send to us for our items in shipping.  Sometimes that means you might find Plastic in your Shipping box from us... Why?  If we can Reuse Plastic items sent to us before they end up in the Recycle bin,  we are extending the life-cycle of that item.  I always encourage my customers to do the same by putting a note about Sustainability in each box I ship. 

7.  UPCYCLE:  What is it and why is it important?

People have started to use the term "Upcycling" instead of Recycling.  Upcycling means that you give new purpose to an old item.  For example,  If you have an old Table cloth that has a stain on it you cannot get out.  Instead of throwing the tablecloth away,  why not cut it up into Rectangles and sew the hems to make Cloth napkins or Dish towels out of the old tablecloth?

I always cut up old t-shirts that are stained or ripped and make them into soft Dusting cloths.  

8.  Buy Biodegradable, Non-toxic and Cruelty-free Cleaning and Beauty Products.  Support Companies that are certified as non-toxic and cruelty free.

The choices we make as consumers are SO important!  Even if you opt for a Plastic Container, but the product is Biodegradable, with non-toxic chemicals, and not tested on Animals,  you are helping save the Planet!  There are so many wonderful companies that have Non-toxic cleaners for your home, laundry and Cosmetics.  

Some of my favorite DIY projects are making non-toxic cleaners for my home.  

9.  Make your own Home Cleaners instead of buying Toxic ones. 

If you don't have a Glass Bottle,  you can simply wash out an old Plastic Spray bottle you have around the house and reuse it so it doesn't end up in a landfill or have to be recycled.  

You can get White Vinegar in a Glass bottle at most Grocery Stores and save your Lemon, Lime, Orange Scraps and rinds and soak them in a cup or two of White Vinegar for about 3 weeks in a closed container.  Add Half water to a bottle and then add your Lemon Vinegar.  This is a Natural and Non-Toxic Disinfectant.  

Other things you can add to your Home DIY Disinfectant:

- Rosemary

- Lavender

- Citrus of any kind

- Essential Oils

- Eucalyptus

- Sage

- Mint

Anything you think would smell prettier than straight Vinegar basically... :) 

10. Don't buy food wrapped in Plastic.

When we look more closely at how we are shopping,  it is astonishing just how many Foods, especially Fruits and Veggies, are wrapped in Plastic.  Putting something that is 100% Biodegradable into Plastic doesn't make sense.  If you bring a Cotton bag to the store,  you can go to the Fruits and Vegetables and place them in there without buying more Plastics.  

Better yet,  you can ask to speak to the Store Manager and request that they provide Biodegradable, Corn Plastic Bags for the Fruits and Veggies.  You might be surprised to see how Stores will happily get more in line with what their customers request.  Be persistent and let the shops you go to know you want them to be more mindful of what they are doing.  If more stores did this,  we could drastically cut down on the amount of Plastic waste being generated each year.  

These are just a few tips to make your Home and our World more Eco-Friendly! I will be sharing more in my Blog to come.  Email me more of your own tips and i will share them in my Blog!  Email: info@bellavidasb.com with Eco-Tips.

Many Blessings, Erin XO