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10 Easy Peasy Ways to Reduce Your Impact

published on April 22, 2019 by Angela Hamilton

In honor of Earth Day, we’ve compiled some of our favorite easy ways to reduce your impact. Hopefully with all of the Earth Day posts, National Parks Week, and Fashion Revolution going on, you’ll feel just as inspired as us to make a difference. We all have to start somewhere and there is no shame in saying, I haven’t done any of these, but I’m going to start. My fave is #1—I go on walks everyday so I’m going to make it a point to pick up at least one piece of trash each day. Let us know what you’ll do to reduce your impact!

10 easy peasy ways to reduce your impact

Pick up one piece of trash a day. There are a lot of Instagram communities dedicated to picking up trash in the city, on hiking trails, and at beaches. You can join in or get inspired and do your own thing. It doesn’t matter how, just that you make the decision to pick up something when you see it. We all see trash every day, but it’s that decision that we’re going to do something, that makes it easy to go from just passing by to taking a moment to clean it up.

Make a meal using what you have at home. If you’re like me and not the most natural cook (anyone?) it can be tough to make a meal without a shopping list and recipe handy. But doing so means there’s always miscellaneous items that can be used for experimenting with a new meal. Lately I’ve been using my extras to make bowls with roasted veggies and quinoa. Doing this once a week when you’d reeeeally rather go pick up breakfast or lunch will save money and create less waste.

Put together a zero waste kit. Zero waste is an intimidating term, but there’s also a strong, supportive community behind it, where everyone has the same goal—to reduce your impact. As a creative person who wants to be inspired by what I do, the act of putting together my own zero waste starter kit got me excited to put it to use. Be sure to start off with what you have at home before moving on to products you need to buy!

Think of recycling as a last resort. Big brands would have us think that recycling is the first step (thanks, greenwashing), when it should be last. Designer Sivan Ilan talks about this in regard to her textile business—all it requires is a shift in mindset. Think of packaging for example. The first question is, do I need this? And if you do, you might then think how can I reuse this? Once you reuse it, you might think, can I upcycle this to become something else? Way down the road, once it no longer serves you, you can recycle it (or hopefully compost, if it can be)!

Politely decline a straw or disposable napkins at a restaurant. I know, way too much hype about straws going around these days, but it’s important to keep up the momentum until casual dining spots are ALL being more mindful about single-use. If a straw or a plastic bag has to be the emblem for the “refuse single use” movement, so be it—what’s really important is decreasing our reliance on things that stick around for way longer than they serve us.

Sign a petition. Signing petitions is a great first step for those who aren’t used to activism and don’t know where to start. It forces you to keep up on the issues—which is the only way you’ll learn where you stand/how you want to help—and it really can effect change. Don’t believe me? See why Trader Joe’s announced their decision to phase out plastic.

One less meal containing red meat. Reducing our dependence on red meat is essential to combating climate change. If you are a meat eater, this is an impactful first step in being more conscious of the effect your food has on the environment. When you write your weekly grocery list, replace one meal a week that would typically contain beef—and you’re already making a difference.

Do some green research before you travel. How many people can say they research how to go green while traveling, before they book a trip? It’s a simple thing you can google to find tons of resources on the do’s and don’ts of tourism at your destination. If you’re traveling to Thailand, for example, it would be good to have a briefing on the complicated state of elephants there, before you are faced with a decision about your potential activity, in the moment. It’s so simple and doesn’t require a major change in plans, just a little forward thinking.

Ask yourself this question before you Prime. Next time you’re about to order on Amazon prime, ask yourself, is this something I could pick up locally next time I’m out? If so, you eliminate the need for packaging, expedited shipping (transportation, more packaging), pollution, and other environmental hazards that come along with getting it to you. Sometimes convenience isn’t even about convenience, we get so used to doing something that we don’t realize it would be just as easy to do it a different way. This helps you check those impulses and ultimately reduce your impact!

Check your clothing labels. You’ll find countless ways to quit fast fashion and budget for sustainable clothing on our blog and beyond, but I think it’s more of a journey than a destination. It takes time to learn about the things you wear and the items that make you feel comfortable and confident, and how that plays into your actions as a consumer. If you’re not ready to make a drastic change, start by looking at the clothing labels on the things you already wear. Once you learn about materials, you can start to research sustainable alternatives. It doesn’t cost money to learn, and education is key to reducing your footprint.

Imagine the effect just committing to one of these for the next 30 days might have. If you’re like me, it’ll help you build up the knowledge and confidence to tackle larger goals from there. But at the very least, you’ll have made an effort to reduce your impact where you didn’t before.

Which of these 10 ways speaks to you? Use #ecoclubofficial on Instagram to share your progress with the community. Happy Earth Week!

What Chasing a Napkin Down a California Beach Taught Me About The Landfill, Storytelling, and Lifelong Learning

published on April 19, 2019 by Angela Hamilton
updated on November 1, 2021

One warm weekday a couple years ago, before my reusable-napkin-packing-days, I set out for a morning at the beach. I brought along the usual accessories: coffee, notebook, blanket—everything a writer in search of solitude (AKA, a good place to nap under the guise of sparking inspiration) might bring. I’d also gotten a pastry at a local café, which came along with a brown paper napkin. I set up camp, finished my snack, and low-and-behold—a nice big breeze washed over me, and sent that thin paper napkin bouncing like a tumbleweed.

Shit. In the few seconds I considered whether I should bring my belongings with me on the chase, the napkin was off—eluding its landfill destiny, bound for the mansions lining the bike path, surely there must be better days ahead.

Moments later, I was panting. Kicking up and tripping over imported sand on LA’s most cared-for beach. All thanks to a breeze brought in over the same coastal waters I’d seen my first dolphins glide through. The glossiest, most beautifully joyful dolphins—real life versions of those I’d done reports on in second grade, written stories on in fourth, spent my first Christmas in Los Angeles fawning over at 23—nearly in tears at the sight of them chasing our boat. I wasn’t about to let something happen to those waters, let alone be a source of it.

Now, I don’t know who might’ve seen me tripping across Manhattan Beach’s otherwise pristine shores that morning, and it could have been no one. Not only was I far from my own neighborhood on a slow morning, but a lot less people are paying attention than we tend to think. But my anxious, self-conscious brain knew that I’d never be shielded from judgment. I could give up, as if I were some jerk tossing a soda bottle out the window on the freeway, or I’d finally tackle this wispy thing floating in the summer breeze, and look like an idiot—though at least, an idiot who succeeded. No matter how I looked to people, I’d feel the same: foolish.

Off I went. Trudging through the sand, until I finally captured the damned thing, crumpled it, and tossed it in the nearest trash can—looking behind me as I made the trek back to my belongings, just in case.

***

I later told this story to a rare true ally—the one friend I’d made in LA that completely understood my inability to litter, if even by accident—to which she smiled and said, “I totally understand you not wanting trash to end up in the ocean.” She paused, then with a wince continued, “Not to crush you, buuut… Had you not chased down that napkin, it might’ve ended up in the ocean and dissolved in the water, rather than the landfill where it will have a much harder time breaking down.”

And that’s when I learned that landfills are actually so much worse than I thought—as they are not designed for biodegradation.

***

Thinking back, I didn’t know then, but that was exactly the kind of teaching moment I needed, the kind that we all need to experience constantly in order to grow in our commitment to the things we care about. An embarrassing 30 seconds on the beach led to a conversation which led to a lesson which led to research which led to a strengthened (yet ever evolving) understanding of waste and my connection to it, which led to a commitment to decreasing my waste, and therefore my consumption, which led to more conversations, which led to other people I’ve talked to questioning their own consumption, which led to more conversations and yeah, some more embarrassing moments, and more mistakes and more lessons learned and ultimately some pretty big change on my own part, and maybe even the parts of some of the people involved in those conversations along the way. It also led to a larger sense of urgency in sharing the things I do learn along the way—which I think is ultimately why I’m writing today.

It’s fascinating, I think, to reflect back on things we’ve learned and held on to, and how we came to learn those things, even if our understanding remains murky at times. And how, just by sharing the tiniest experiences, which seem so inconsequential, we arrive at new lessons, and so on. What I know now about the environment and human impact and climate change and, well, trash—is so minute—perhaps even more so than most people with such a strong attachment to the issues (I never did well in science class, ask anyone). It is so small. I am so small.

Yet the effect continues to ripple.

And everything else I experience and learn and share will too. And everything you do and learn and share. And on and on.

It’s easy to stay put inside our own heads and start to think we’ve done or tried or thought of everything, or that one way is right or there’s nowhere left to go. All we can really do is hope to be humbled again and again, by the enormity of what we don’t know.

It builds character, at the very least. In keeping with my newfound gratitude for every object, thank you, napkin.

(Technical note: The experience described in this piece would’ve gone differently at any other beach—here in Seattle, I would’ve chased it down and kept it until I found a compost bin. At others still, I may not have ever even found at trash can. How does anyone write a story involving the environment? The complexities are endless.)

Photo by Tamara Henzen

Top 3 Myths About Sustainable Interior Design, Busted

published on April 15, 2019 by Angela Hamilton
updated on November 1, 2021

For us, green living isn’t just about how to reduce your home’s footprint. It’s about finding ways to live in alignment with our environment in the warmest, most comforting and inspiring ways. Today we’ve got eco-friendly designer Holly of Holly Durocher Design chatting about all things sustainable interior design. Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, renovator, DIYer, or simply interested in the ways we can all add a little more “green” to our living spaces, I think you’ll find these three myths + the rest of Holly’s tips incredibly helpful… And a whole lot easier to consider than you might think!

three myths about sustainable interior design

Myth 1: Eco-friendly design sacrifices style

A common concern my clients have is that eco-friendly interior design won’t match their style. In the past, there were limited options, but these days basically any style you can dream up has a sustainable option. If you find a piece you love, the key is to ask questions before you buy. I recommend my clients get in the habit of asking things like: what materials is it made out of? Where is it made? How is it manufactured? For example, if the dining table you want to buy is constructed of responsibly-sourced solid wood, finished with non-toxic stains, and made in America you are on your way to a great sustainable purchase, my friend!

Myth 2: Sustainable design is too expensive

It’s super sustainable to buy vintage! It’s a great way to stay on budget, add one-of-a-kind character to your home, plus the more stuff we keep out of landfills, the better it is for the environment. If you are ready to invest in high quality furniture, it can be pricey upfront (whether it’s sustainably made or not), but in the long run you will save money by having something that will last for years that you won’t need to replace after only a couple years of use.

Myth 3: Green design is only about the environment

Sustainable interior design is about the environment, but it is also about creating a healthier home and improving your well-being. I ask my clients what their priorities are when it comes to sustainable design. Are you concerned about choosing items that are earth friendly? Do you want to create safer indoor air quality for your family? Both? This helps guide the design process in a way that is most meaningful for them. There are furnishings available that meet both of these concerns, but sometimes for budgetary or other considerations clients choose items that are primarily going to positively impact their wellness at home.

What are some real-life ways your clients have incorporated sustainable practices into their interiors?
Simple ways my clients have become more sustainably-minded include: improving their indoor air quality with the addition of house plants, natural cleaning products, organic bedding, pillows, towels and air purifiers, as well as, buying non-toxic furniture.

What’s the biggest thing a homeowner can do when designing or re-designing their space to be more environmentally friendly?
In general, I recommend choosing things that are made in America with non-toxic materials and finishes to improve your indoor air quality while reducing your carbon footprint. Purchasing a non-toxic mattress is a great place to start. Most people feel good about making an investment in a healthy mattress since it will last for years and can be moved to any new home. We spend one third (!) of our lives smooshed into our mattresses so it makes sense we’d want to sleep on something non-toxic.

Plus, the manufacturing processes for conventional mattresses tends to be far more environmentally harmful than natural mattresses. I’m happy to see that there are several great brands on the market today, but my personal favorite are Savvy Rest natural latex mattresses. I’ve had mine for about 8 years and sleep like a baby. Plus, they are an awesome Certified B-Corporation based in Virginia with great customer service.

Any favorite projects that shed a light on how attainable an eco-friendly home can be?
I truly believe eco-friendly design is easily attainable for anyone. There are more sustainable products being developed everyday giving us practically endless options. One of my clients lived in this beautiful old home and we renovated her guest bathroom. We kept her lovely vintage tub, selected gorgeous recycled Fireclay Tile, non-toxic paints, and a Paperstone countertop which is made out of recycled paper. We were able to choose all sustainable materials without sacrificing her style.

Where do you look for inspiration for your work?
I find inspiration everywhere! I feel like I’m a little design sponge constantly soaking in the world around me and filing away information for later use. Getting out in nature and seeing art are my top two. My clients inspire me as well. I love getting to know people on a personal level and then work with them to create a space that is true to them. One of my goals is to build my client’s design confidence so that they feel empowered to add to their space over time. We don’t live in museums and I think everyone should have the confidence to create a home that speaks to them.

Any tips for renters that want to maintain an eco-friendly home but can’t make major changes?
I have a list of “Intentions” that I use in my approach to every project that are great for renters and homeowners alike. Here are a few ideas:

Choose natural cleaning products and soy-based candles that are scented with essential oils to improve your indoor air quality. Avoid chemicals and synthetics.
Install removable wallpaper. Look for brands that use non-toxic adhesives.
Refresh your space with no-VOC paint.
Buy used furniture (hello Craigslist!). Get upholstered furniture professionally cleaned to remove allergens. Find a local workroom to refinish wood items or reupholster sofas and chairs to give them a new look that suits your style.
Cozy up with certified organic bedding and towels.

Thanks to Holly of Holly Durocher Design for busting these sustainable interior design myths! See her design work and blog at hollydurocher.com.

Back to Basics: 11 Natural, Women Owned, Palm-Oil Free Bar Soap Brands

published on April 11, 2019 by Angela Hamilton
updated on May 4, 2023

When I originally set out to write a post on biodegradable soap, I didn’t intend on palm oil being the subject. Honestly, I just love a good, effective natural skincare product all wrapped in some pretty, sustainable packaging. That’s it. It’s a light and fun Friday-afternoon kind of blog read, and palm oil is, well, not. Unfortunately, just like when I first started boycotting pantry ingredients and other foods containing palm oil, the more soap brands I came across, the more palm oil I found. This time under the name sodium palmate, which acts as an emulsifier. So, while there are lots and lots of other small soap companies you could support, I wanted to make sure this list featured exclusively palm oil free bar soap brands.

(If you’re not familiar with the devastating effects the palm oil industry is having on our environment and the people and organisms within it, Selva Beat has an amazing one-pager on the topic. This very dated article is also a good start if you’re new to the issue and its effects on threatened and endangered animals.)

I know that a lot of other common body care ingredients can have detrimental effects on our planet, but I think avoiding palm oil is really the best place you could start, especially if you’re new to natural beauty. And it just so happened that the biodegradable soap brands I’ve listed below are all women-owned, making soaps in small batches that are free of lots of other questionable ingredients you’ll find in more conventional products. And the packaging on these beauties? Yup, 10000% eco club approved:

TERRA-TORY is an NY based all-natural soap company touting 100% Natural 0% Bullsh*t Skincare. This is a very rare company that is both palm and coconut oil free… Learn more on their website.

Etta + Bille creates “farm to bottle skincare for lovers of food and drink”.

Vice & Velvet is a Melbourne-based soap brand featuring handmade vegan soaps + body + soap favors. They’re not currently stocking their Etsy shop, but it looks like you can still order through their main website.

Poetry and BloomSoap Co, out of Vancouver, BC, creates the most beautiful eco conscious soap without palm oil. This yummy bar shown above is made with 100% plant-based oils and butters and scented with sweet orange essential oil.

Vegan + eco friendly soap from Smithmade Essentials are fun & fragrant artisan soaps handmade in small batches in New Haven, CT.

No Tox Life has their own line of a body cleansing bars wrapped in recycled paper for shipping.

BHAVANANYC makes all-natural, vegan sea salt soap bars using luxe natural ingredients like activated charcoal and Rose Kaolin Clay.

Bell Mountain Naturals are makers of natural small batch soaps that are super cute, and always palm free.

UK vegan soap-on-a-rope brand KLEEN cures their all-natural soaps for a minimum of 6 weeks and uses only skin-friendly, eco-friendly ingredients that are free of palm oil, parabens, and toxins. Not to mention, their packaging and branding is totally gift-worthy.

Another handmade soap brand, Unearth Malee specializes in palm oil free Thai-inspired soaps, lotions, lip balms, and even solid dish soap! To further raise awareness of the devastating effects of palm oil, the brand donates a portion of sales to help save the endangered orangutan. Learn more in founder Marie’s Etsy shop!

Coghlan Cottage Soaps are junk-free (palm oil, paraben, fragrance oil + petrochemical free) soaps made on a farm in Canada’s Fraser Valley.

The brands above also feature sustainable packaging, making truly biodegradable soap for us all to enjoy… sans palm oil.

We are always looking for beautiful, natural, quality skincare and body brands to add to our lists. If you know of another palm oil free bar soap brand, let us know below!

Eco Friendly Dental Floss Should Be Your Next Zero Waste Purchase

published on April 3, 2019 by Angela Hamilton
updated on November 1, 2021

If you haven’t asked your friends on social media about their own favorite sustainable brands, put it on your to-do for after you read and pin this post. That’s how I found out about natural and organic oral care brand Terra & Co, which is run by two sisters on a mission to create natural, non-toxic and cruelty-free products. Their story is impressive—from their beginnings amidst war in Bosnia to managing beauty startups in LA to building a company while living on opposite coasts (NYC and LA) and now having products sold in coveted stores across the US. If eco friendly dental floss and oral care products (besides the bamboo brush) aren’t already on your zero waste shopping list, we’re pretty confident they will be after hearing Azra’s story.

Tell us a bit about you and Amra…
Amra and I always wanted to start a business that pays it forward. Growing up during the war in Bosnia, we had so many people and organizations help us during those terrible years. Postwar we moved to the US, got an education and both worked in the beauty business for over a decade. We never thought that oral care would be something we’d get into. A few years ago, while Amra was pregnant, she used only natural products and limited products filled with chemicals. That’s how she found activated charcoal powder and saw her teeth whiten, but it was a super messy process. She thought about how there should be toothpaste that contains activated charcoal but has no fluoride and fillers. Just simple organic ingredients like coconut oils and peppermint essential oils. She called me and we started looking for manufacturing here in the USA.

We were not sure how people would react to black toothpaste, but almost three years later, we have a brand that is sitting on shelves at Anthropologie, Saks, Free People, and eco-friendly hotels.

Now that we have created a successful brand and have the power to help others, each month we donate oral products to the Downtown Women’s Shelter in Los Angeles to help low income and homeless women. Amra and I have been personally visiting the center and working with them. One of the wishlist items in almost every shelter is toothpaste. We hope as our business grow to help out more shelters in our communities. Terra & Co plans to start a fund where the percentage of each sale will go towards helping low income and homeless women.

How did your combined experience in the cosmetics industry help set you up for a business in natural oral care?
I’ve lived and worked in NYC as a makeup artist and beauty creative for over a decade. Amra managed few beauty startups in LA so her business side and my creative side were proven to be a good fit to get a business idea to a working business.

What was your biggest challenge in creating all-natural, zero waste oral care products?
We both believe that the future of consumer products have to be created with the least impact on mother earth. The biggest challenge is finding biodegradable packaging and lowering our carbon footprint. After attending a few packaging trade shows I find a limited number of suppliers who focus on eco-friendly and biodegradable packaging, to my surprise. Especially because we want all of our products to be made in USA.

Can you talk about the differences between conventional dental floss and Brilliant Black?
Conventional dental floss is usually made out of strands of nylon or Teflon with added wax and flavors. Neither of these polymers is biodegradable, and not to even talk about plastic packaging that flosses come in. Brilliant Black floss is made with bamboo fiber, activated charcoal (why not whiten between teeth?) coconut oil, candelilla wax (vegan wax) and peppermint and spearmint essential oils. All of these ingredients are biodegradable including our carton box that floss comes in.

Tell us more about the packaging you use for your products.
From day one we have focused to not only make chemical-free products that work but to minimize packaging as much as we can as a small business. Our bamboo toothbrush used to come in a plastic travel case and now we have switched to box made out of the biodegradable carton and printed with eco-friendly ink in California. We have been working and testing new tubes made out of sugar canes that will be a great replacement for recycled plastic.

What are a few of you and Amra’s fave sustainable beauty/skincare brands?
There are so many brands that we both love. Few of the favorites are: Dr. Hauschka, ILIA Beauty, Immunocologie, Noniko Natural Skincare, Jane Iredale…

Thanks to Azra of Terra & Co for sharing their story. Purchase eco friendly dental floss and other oral care products on their website.

Photos by Taylor Lewis

How to Create a Sustainable Fashion Budget

published on March 25, 2019 by Angela Hamilton
updated on November 1, 2021

One of the biggest challenges the sustainable fashion industry faces is price point. For one, if you were able to buy sustainably made clothing for cheap or cheaper than the alternative, the debate would fizzle out. It’s of course necessary for ethical fashion to cost more even to exist, but personal budget comes before all else. We can’t buy sustainable fashion if we can’t afford sustainable fashion, right?

Just becoming conscious of the difference is a big step. You’re probably willing to pay at least a few dollars more per piece, but you still have a bridge to gap. The next step is figuring out your fashion budget. Here’s how to do it.

How to Budget for Sustainable Fashion

Calculate your current/past budget. Rather than making up an arbitrary budget of what you think you can manage, go over the past year’s bank statements in monthly or quarterly increments and quickly add up how much you’ve spent. You may find that it the money is actually there, and you might even save by switching to sustainable. Use it to land on an update to track going forward.

Get used to the general cost differences between specifics. A basic, solid tee may be $10 when mass produced versus $30 sustainably made. You need change your idea about what prices are “normal prices” to pay for a product. That’s how you make purchasing decisions now, right?

Shift your perspective of “enough”. AKA, stop valuing quantity as a basis for your budget. Since you’ll be working within the same budget as before, you’ll likely buy less. Doing so offsets the budget. Also, it doesn’t mean you eliminate all “for fun” items from your budget. Just prioritize. Put a cap on the amount you can spend on items that aren’t a total necessity—like the latest trends or seasonal.

A note about secondhand. I focused on how much you’ll spend on sustainable fashion rather than what you’ll spend it on because you no longer hold quantity as something valuable to your wardrobe. The budget is the same, then, whether you thrift or not. That just affects whether you prefer to use more of what you have on secondhand (perhaps since it’s the most sustainable), and if so you’ll start coming in under.

Plus, people like to discover, to fall in love with trends, put on something new just for them, to connect freshness with fashion too much to give it up entirely.

It all really depends on your that past budget, and how much you are used to spending on clothing. I know a lot of people tend to buy fast fashion because you can get physically more for less. But not everyone. You might be used to buying clothing at similar prices (and thus don’t need to adjust for #2) so you can just choose an average and commit.

Just like fast fashion, there are enough slow fashion brands to find everything from lower end, mass-appeal to higher end/designer brands. It’s just that the lower ends start off a little higher (and generally, much higher quality!) than the others.

What are your sustainable fashion budget questions?