Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose!
Imagine a world filled with clean air, energy, and water, with little to no pollution, plastic, chemicals/toxins, etc. How much easier would it be to live and breathe on the earth and for the sea life not to choke? There are things we all can do to get closer to living in a more sustainable way. One of the things we can do is limit the plastic we bring into our space. The environments we spend most of our time in, like our homes, offices, cars, or even on vacation, do not have to be encompassed with plastic or any other toxic chemicals. We all have a voice and right to speak up for what is right and what we desire to see in our lifetime and generations to come. As consumers, we can all do our part by deciding to purchase responsibly the items we need and use down to the penny. Our dollars count, therefore, we must do better by choosing to be better stewards of the planet with that which was bestowed onto us. We all must do our part to live consciously and Invest in Our Planet!
Refuse
· Stand Firm
o Make conscious decisions to say “No” to plastic, but especially single use plastic. Say “No” to what you feel or know will do more harm to the planet than good. Plastic causes hormone disruption, kills marine animals and birds, made from fossil fuel, has huge carbon footprint and more.
· Refuse Chemically Laden Goods
o Educate yourself before purchasing products that can be potentially harmful to your body. If it is not all natural and or organic leave it alone. Just because it was given to you for free does not mean you shall use it. It is O.K. to politely refuse free items.
o Purchase goods that you can pronounce the names in the ingredients.
Reduce
· Reduce Clutter
o If something like clothes is sitting in or around your home for 7+ years and has not been touched, give goodwill or a donation company a call or visit. This is hoarding and it is quite o.k. to let stuff go.
· Reduce Single Use Plastic
o A simple thing everyone can do today to lessen its impact on the planet.
o Instead of buying water bottles, we can invest in water filtration systems.
· Reduce Drive Time
o It may be time to go electric, but if it is not an option for you yet, consider reducing smog by taking public transportation, carpooling, working from home, get a bike, electric scooter or walking more.
· Pollution
o Being more mindful and purposeful by having a route when leaving the house can be beneficial to reducing air pollution; especially if you don’t have an electric vehicle.
o Educate yourself about pollution and how it impacts the world.
Reuse
· Reuse Bags
o Whether a grocery, backpack, snack, every day or produce bag; purchasing bags you can reuse easily is helpful to the environment.
· Reuse Bottles
o Invest in stainless steel, aluminum, glass, or bamboo bottles. We take either an Eco-Vessel or Klean Kanteen bottle with us everywhere we go because bottles come in every size for every occasion. There is no excuse to use plastic bottles.
· Reuse Straws
o Invest in using stainless steel, glass, bamboo or even paper straws.
o Make a choice to use no straws before you use a plastic straw.
· Reuse Cutlery/Utensils
o Invest in bamboo or stainless-steel utensils. We promote bamboo utensil sets consisting of a fork, knife, spoon and chopsticks and some with a straw on our site.
o Say no to single use cutlery. There is no need for it anymore.
· Reuse T-shirts
o Use as rags, mops, head bands/wraps or turn it into a bag, dress, apron, etc.
Repurpose
· Upcycle
o Upcycling has become popular over the years; it allows one to repair or turn things like plastic into something beautiful and sustainable, like clothes or shoes. Use the creative mind to come up with endless ideas to create eco-friendly goods. Products such as yoga mats, activewear, planter beds, recycling bins, jewelry, etc., can all be made into something distinct and eco-friendly.
o Turn glass into lamps, wall art, candle, or cake holder, etc.
o Bottle caps into tea light holders, lamp, wall, shirt, bottle, picture art.
o o Bike tires made into jewelry.
Conclusion
Rethink the choices you have made in the past so that you can consciously Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Repurpose more today to lessen the burden that has been placed on our ecosystem for an improved tomorrow. This is your time on earth. In your lifetime make differences that won’t be erased by taking a stance for our earth. Saving the planet does not have to be an arduous task if we all work together by making conscious decisions to do our part in saving the planet. However big or small that part may be, please remember to take care of Mother Earth, she tries her best to care for all of us every day.
Questions to Ponder:
1. What can you do to help Mother Earth & lessen your burden on the planet?
2. What can you Refuse, Reduce, Reuse and Repurpose?