Hi and happy summer!

I have been absent for a few months. I took a long break on all things blog related to focus on school, club volleyball, and other things that are important to me. However, I needed to find what those things were. I knew that I wanted to find something that would entice me to learn. I gave it some time, and the more I watched the news and scrolled through social media, climate change and its impact on our lives rose to my attention. I realized that saving our environment is very important to me because it is our responsibility as a population to take care of our planet. After all, we only get one!

The environment has always meant a lot to me growing up by the beach and the hills, and with travel, I have countless memories on this beautiful earth. Now that climate change is probably the most important issue we are facing as a population, I think each and every one of us need to start contributing. 

Luckily, there are some very simple ways that each of you can help. At first glance, these may seem obvious, but they’re often overlooked.  If everyone contributed in a small way, the world would be in much better shape.

Here a few super easy ways to help the Earth. Hold yourself accountable!

1. Pick up trash

I’m hoping that everyone reading this doesn’t litter, but if you do, the first step is to stop! That’s how trash ends up in the ocean and in our environment, killing numerous species of wildlife. If you don’t litter, others still do unfortunately. Although it’s unfair, we have to clean up after those who litter by picking up the trash that is not in the trashcan. Whether it’s in the gutter, in the ocean (if you’re spending your summer by the beach like me), on the street, or just anywhere outside, pick it up! It will most likely take just a few seconds to find the nearest trashcan or recycling bin which leads me to my next point…

2. Recycle

This is crucial because each day, landfills are taking up more and more space on Earth. This precious space could be used for both humans and wildlife, but instead it is the home of the plastic water bottle you didn’t recycle! Also, landfills emit methane, a greenhouse gas. Greenhouses gases are the root problem of climate change. These gases get trapped in the atmosphere which warms up the Earth. Although, not everything that gets put in the recycling bin actually gets turned into something new, some of it does, so do your part and recycle! Another bonus tip about recycling is if you are planning on throwing away a single-use plastic container that held food, instead wash off the container and recycle it. For example, if you finished your yogurt that came in a plastic container, rinse off the leftover yogurt and recycle that container. Many people don’t realize that it may not be recycled if it isn’t cleaned. 

3. Compost

Food scraps and food waste make up 30% of what humans throw away. That’s a lot of wasted food! If you can’t find a better source of that food, you should definitely be composting it. The definition of compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Not only will composting enrich your plants’ soil and help them grow, but it will keep these food scraps out of landfills, which, like I mentioned earlier, release methane into our atmosphere. It’s a win-win situation! There’s no excuse for you not to be doing it. Just add a compost bin to your kitchen, learn how to properly compost (it’s super easy!), and say hello to a beautiful, green yard. You can also feel good that you are reusing your food scraps that otherwise would have been wasted!

4. Buy from sustainable brands 

Companies that use and sell plastic and other single-use materials are a huge problem that we face. These companies’ main priority is how to make money and how to make it fast, so they don’t care about how they are impacting this environmental crisis that we are facing. Consumers should start being mindful in the way we spend and where our money is going, and I encourage all of you to start spending your money on sustainable brands that are supporting the cause that we all should be supporting, saving the planet. 

Here are a few of my favorite sustainable brands:

• Reformation is one of my all-time favorite brands. The brand sells T-shirts and wedding dresses, and just about everything in between. I actually did not know that the brand was sustainable until recently, and now that I know about the brand’s sustainability, I love it even more. You can check out the details of their sustainability here.
• Allbirds is a brand that sells super stylish and comfortable shoes. I also did not know that Allbirds was carbon neutral (AKA sustainable) until reading this. 
• Mara Hoffman, although not cheap, is a high fashion brand that approaches with fashion with a sustainable mindset. Learn about this approach here.

5. Use less plastic

Even though plastic can be recycled, less than 10% of it is! Plus, a lot of people forget to recycle their single-use plastic. This leads to even fuller landfills. Using less plastic is probably one of the most effective ways that you can do your part in contributing to the environment.

Ways to do this EASILY:

• Use reusable water bottles. Plastic water bottles have chemicals, like BPA, that leach into your drinks, end up in your body, and are proven to cause all kinds of issues. So not only are these bottles terrible for the planet, but they’re terrible for your health, too! Invest in a cute Hydro Flask or a S’well instead. These are lot prettier than plastic, anyway. 
• Use reusable utensils. Maybe this means bringing your own if you are dining or picking up food from a place who will give you disposable utensils. Also, if you’re picking up take-out make sure to tell the server not to include disposable utensils. 
• Bring your own reusable bags to the grocery store. This canvas bag and this canvas bag are super cheap and adorable, but any tote bag will do. But this only works if you have these bags handy or else you are going to forget them and end up using the single-use plastic bags at the store, so be sure to keep your canvas bags in the trunk of your car or by your front door. This way you are sure to being environmentally conscious. 
• Bring your own mug or thermos to your favorite coffee shop. Not only does this prevent yet another piece of plastic from going into a landfill, but if you get an insulated bottle, you’re coffee will stay warm for longer. And if you’re an iced coffee girl like me, insulation still has you covered with a cold drink that lasts for hours! I love this Yeti bottle and this Contigo tumbler. These brands have tons of products like the linked ones, so go crazy! It’s for a good cause. But the only way you can be sure of being environmentally conscious with your morning coffee 100% of the time is if you remember your reusable mug/bottle/thermos/tumbler/reusable coffee carrier of your choice. So maybe keep a clean mug or thermos in your car console or leave it out the night before, so you can always remember! And another tip is to check with your coffee shop to see if they will reward you for reusing. Some shops offer a deal because they have to pay for their plastic cups, so reusing helps them out, too. 
• Don’t use plastic straws. Don’t use a straw ever, unless it’s reusable. It’s much smarter to invest in steel or glass straws, and they’re super cool looking, too. 
• Use a razor that has replaceable blades rather than having to throw away an entire disposable razor. It’s less plastic going into a landfill. It’s that simple. 
• Say goodbye to Ziploc bags. Because, you guessed it, they end up in landfills and oceans! Say hello to your new best friend, steel containers. I like this one from LunchBots. Even though it’s giving me third grade lunch vibes, those vibes are definitely positive. But if you love the bag style container, substitute the Ziploc for this reusable silicone food bag. This bag is not only reusable, but it is also microwavable, cold resistant, heat resistant, and dish washer safe!