Let’s all celebrate Earth Day the right way by showing respect for Mother Earth while continuing to do all your favorite outdoor activities. Whether that is a picnic at the park, snacks for a road trip down the California Coast, or traveling for a weekend getaway — we’ve got you covered, the eco-friendly way.
If you’re eco-conscious travels land you across the Pacific in the Hawaiian Islands, consider some locally made treats and gifts that give back to the land we love. Oh and one last travel essential: nothing says summer chic like rocking a sustainably-made bikini that shows the world you care about the planet while doing it in style.
Now what to do when the vacation ends and the chores at home call us, besides cry a little, and you still want to continue on this eco-friendly journey? It may or may not come as a surprise that the average American household produces 4 lbs of waste a day! Majority of which comes from our ample time spent in everyone’s favorite room of the house, the kitchen. Whether you’re cleaning, cooking or socializing with your loved ones, basic living doesn’t have to be harmful. Here are some of our top finds for eco-friendly kitchen substitutes, without any additional hassle. Saving the planet never felt so easy.
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Feature Photo: Amy Shamblen via Unsplash
We’ve all been there: a paper towel here, a paper towel there, and before you know it, it’s time for the next roll. Not only are traditional paper towels harmful to the environment, but they start to add up on our household purchase list. These paperless towels — that snap together and roll like paper towels — are both adorable and a friend to the environment. They can do everything your old towels could do, and when they are dirty, you simply throw them in the washer and they’re ready to go again — easy peasy. Your wallet and planet will thank you.
Watch out baby goats, you’ve got competition. Introducing the cutest little garbage eater that is also saving the planet — Lomi. In the same way goats digest one thing and turn it into something else, Lomi will turn your compostable materials into soil. It takes a few hours and there are a few odd sounds, sort of like wild birds off in the distance, but it works! Let’s hope this is the beginning of a whole new trend: as in, how about feeding Lomi those pesky plastic take out containers we try to pretend to reuse.
Biodegradable Brushes with Eco-friendly Dish Soap
Dishes, everyone’s favorite chore. But wouldn’t doing dishes with eco-friendly products make it that much more enjoyable? That may be a long shot. Even so, these brushes are not only aesthetically pleasing but they are also 100% plastic-free and that’s what we love to hear. Made with bamboo and coconut, these babies will complete the circle of life once you are done with them and return back to Mother Earth herself. The Lion King would be proud. But let’s not stop there, pair these scrubbers with some of our favorite eco-friendly dish soap and you can give yourself a pat on the back for getting your dishes done with an earth-conscious flare.
Do you ever struggle with parchment paper or cut yourself on that little part of the aluminum box? (You know which part we’re talking about.) What about when your baked goods get stuck to the pan and you spend precious cookie time scraping off the scraps? These silicone baking mats will line perfectly on your tray while eliminating all of those minor frustrations. Made from 100% food-grade silicone, these non-stick angels will allow your cookies to slide right off. When you’re done, simply rinse with an eco-friendly dish soap, grab a glass of milk, and enjoy those freshly baked treats.
Let’s stop using trash to hold our other trash. These 100% certified compostable bags are made from the starches of plants, vegetable oils and fully compostable polymers, which just goes to prove, science is amazing. You can use them in your home, in your yard or even in your car for those of us that tend to let things pile up a little (we won’t tell). We may not be at the point of eliminating all trash in the home, but carrying these out to the cans will make your neighbors say, “Wow, now that’s a friend of the environment.”
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