Happy Earth Day! I have a giveaway to celebrate at the end of this post.
Earth Day is a great reminder to be more eco-conscious. Most of us want to make more “green” or environmental choices, and we want to know how to be more earth-friendly. However, it can be easy to get overwhelmed.
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For me, it helps to remember that I don’t have to be perfect in order to improve (and that applies to so many things in life!) Small changes can make a big difference over time!
An environmental choice doesn’t necessarily mean a sacrifice, either. Sometimes, an eco-friendly option can be more fun, more creative, or more luxurious. If you were looking for how to celebrate Earth Day, making one of these switches is an easy way to do it–and an easy way to treat yourself, too. (And if you already do all of these things, way to go!)
1. Switch from liquid soap to bar soap.
Over the past decade or so, lots of people have abandoned bar soap for liquid hand soaps and shower gels. This has meant a lot more plastic in our sensitive oceans. Switching to an ordinary bar soap may be cheaper as well as more eco-conscious.
If you want a slightly more luxurious option that’s cruelty-free, you might like to try Desert Essence soap. It comes in several scents, including this coconut that’ll give you a summer vacation vibe.
Or if you want something more traditionally “masculine” (regardless of your identity), try Every Man Jack in Cedarwood. Actually, even though I’m as stereotypically feminine as they come, I’d still get this. The scent makes me swoon. I think Every Man Jack products would make a great Father’s Day gift basket.
2. Try shampoo and conditioner bars.
This is such a game-changer! I’ve always had misgivings about how quickly I go through shampoo and conditioner bottles, so I was so excited when I first learned about these! You can find many homemade options on Etsy,
My hair needs a LOT of conditioning, but this still works for me: Lush’s Avocado Co-Wash, which cleans and conditions in one step.
3. Replace bottled water with fun metal water bottles.
You can keep metal water bottles in the fridge, ready for workouts, for grabbing on your way to the office, or for any time you need to hydrate. You can re-use them again and again, and as a bonus, they look much classier. And it could just be me, but I think water tastes better out of a metal bottle than a polyethylene terephthalate one. The cold water seems colder, too!
I love these bottles from S’well—they have so many amazing designs to choose from. If you’re using them to replace plastic bottles of water, they’ll pay for themselves in no time.
You can find metal water bottles in “big box” stores like Target and Walmart, some grocery stores and drugstores, and sporting goods stores. I’ve even seen cute ones at Barnes and Noble!
4. Say no to plastic straws.
I’ve gotten in the habit of saying, “no straw” after I order a beverage. Plastic straws are too light to get separated out by mechanical recycling sorters, so they often wind up in the ocean, posing grave dangers to wildlife.
Of course, some people need straws, and some people, like me, prefer them. I always carry metal straws in my purse. These cost almost nothing, they weigh next to nothing, and don’t take up much space. I like them better than plastic.
5. Use recycled notebooks.
I like to do a lot of writing in longhand, and it was hard for me to give up my notebooks with plastic covers, but these earth-friendly “decomposition books” made it a whole lot easier. They’re gorgeous! They come in SO MANY fun designs that I spent about fifteen minutes deciding which three to feature here. This company also makes spiral notebooks (see the giveaway at the end of the post!)
6. The next time you want fast food, order a veggie burger.
More and more, this is becoming an option! I’m a vegan because animals live a life of nonstop torture on factory farms, but the beef and dairy industries are also very hard on humans and wildlife…because they devastate the environment. That’s why many scientists say that avoiding meat and dairy is the “single biggest way” to reduce your impact on the earth.
In the United States, you’ll soon be able to buy an Impossible Burger (appropriately named, because it’s impossibly good) at Burger King.
Impossible Burgers are on the menu at more and more restaurants (including about a thousand Carl’s Jr. locations), with good reason. And my favorite veggie burger is the black bean burger at SmashBurger. It’s so good! It doesn’t taste healthy, but it’s way healthier than a beef burger, which is just another bonus.
And if you’re in the mood for a hot dog, except you want one that tastes better than a hot dog and is animal cruelty-free, you have got to try Field Roast hot dogs. Honestly, you should just try them if you like delicious food.
7. Switch to bamboo toothbrushes.
There are lots of these on the market now. Using them keeps less plastic out of the landfills and oceans—even the packaging is more eco-friendly. Bamboo is a great environmental choice: because it grows so fast, it’s renewable. This is the brand I buy and I really like them, but I bet others are good, too!
And now, the giveaway!
I am giving THREE items (a gift assortment!) to ONE lucky winner. I bought the first two items at Vroman’s in Pasadena, by the way. It’s a fantastic bookstore that also has wonderful gift ideas. If you’re ever anywhere near Pasadena, you should stop in!
Okay, here’s what you’ll win!
This S’well water bottle, to keep you healthy and hydrated…
This gorgeous recycled peacock notebook, to write down all your important musings…
And these eucalyptus mineral bath salts to soothe your body and soul.
How to win…
It’s pretty simple. You need to be subscribed to the blog (if you aren’t already, you can sign up below) and you need to leave a comment on this post! It can be something very simple, like, “I hope I win!”
I’ll draw a name on April 29, 2019, at 6 a.m. PST.
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Let us know in the comments if you have recommendations of your own for becoming more environmentally friendly! I always learn so much from the comments section, and I really appreciate it. Thanks for reading, and
Such a great article, Bryn. Thank you for helping to educate people. Bamboo toothbrushes are now on the menu. Live it. Love it. Be it.
Hi Bryan, thanks for the kind words! Hey, off topic, but I meant to tell you how much I appreciated having you participate in WIP Wednesday and give feedback to others. 🙂 You’re the best. Have a great week!
We’ve changed our habits a lot over the years. I make almost all of my own soap concoctions with organic castile soap and essential oils. We use re-usable lunchboxes and water bottles for school, and we NEVER buy single-serving packets of anything. The kids have also gotten their first bamboo toothbrushes, and they love them. We haven’t quite gotten to the vegan stage, but we’ve been vegetarian for almost ten years now for every reason under the sun: environmentally better, ethically kinder, and just plain healthier. I love hearing my kids talk about recycling, composting, and saving the earth in general. They get it, and that makes me feel better about all our futures.
Wow, Lisa, you’re amazing! And I think it’s especially wonderful that you’re teaching another generation about taking care of the earth, too. Thank you. 🙂
Great tips!
We definitely have switched to reusable coffee and chai cups/tumblers and stainless water bottles.
I still struggle with sports drinks but making the switch to bulk powder saves plastic and money. I remember my grandparents washing and reusing glass and plastic containers like pasta jars, yogurt and cool whip and thinking it was such a weird grandparent quirk, but now I realize they truly were recycling before it was “a thing” that was both crucial and a movement.
Lol, they were being trendy before anyone knew it. We save clear jam jars and use them as glasses, and the kids think its great. Gives drinks a real cafe-cool look, too.
This is a very informative article. Some of it I actually never thought about. I currently use stainless steel straws and LOVE them!
Thanks for the info.
These are such great ideas!
Aw thanks Teri! Thanks for reading!
Thank you for this! I went vegan a few years ago and I haven’t looked back. There’s so many way people can reduce their waste and become more environmentally friendly. 🙂
Hi, Julie! I am still fairly new to veganism and it’s nice to connect with other vegans. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Fun! I’d love to win! I’m not an eco-warrior , but I do try to be a good steward of my family’s resources. Thanks Bryn for suggesting easy and practical ideas.
Anonymous is Jena Henry. The comment “thing” is fighting me today.
Jena! Thanks for reading! So sorry the comments function was being troublesome…I’ll have to look into that and see what’s up. I’m glad you told me it was you. 🙂 Hope you have a great week!
Love these suggestions! (This is Nancy Pistorius)
Thanks for this chance to win!
Some fantastic ideas here, Bryn. Thanks for sharing them and for offering the giveaway!
Very informative article! I’m definitely going to start using some of these suggestions. I love the color of the prizes, it’s my favorite color!
Great post, Bryn. I try my best to recycle and resolved to try to make 2019 a year of buying only what I truly need.
Interesting article, such easy ways to switch – I never thought about recycled notebooks! Thanks for the chance to win too! 🙂
Can never have too many notebooks.
I enjoy your blog anyway, but it is even nicer knowing you are a fellow vegan who cares about our planet. Keep up the great work.
Bryn – Great post! I, too, have long hair and have noticed how quickly I go through shampoo and conditioner, and I am open to other alternatives. Also, I once read that restaurants decided to use straws when lipstick wouldn’t wash off the glasses in their dishwashers and had to be hand washed, but I have noticed that some restaurants have moved to biodegradable straws; certainly a step in the right direction. Thank you for all the suggestions and have a very Happy Earth Day!
Amazing article! Could relate to every word.
Great article! These are simple and creative ideas that everyone and anyone can enact.
Great Article! I use the stainless steel straws and now plan to go to the bamboo toothbrush. I also hope I win the giveaway!
Hi, Dianna! I drew your name! Yay! Please email me your street address so I can send you the prizes: bryndonovan@bryndonovan.com. Hope to hear from you soon!
Thanks for sharing these great ideas, and Happy Earth Day!
These are good ideas for conservation! I’ll have to look into those notebooks, they’re very pretty. What do you think about paper straws?
^ Forgot to leave contact!
It’s amazing what I learn from you, Bryn – how to write simply and now how to live simply. Thanks!
I love how these are all doable and not difficult to implement! Will be keeping these in mind
🙂
You can get veggie burgers at Burger King now? Awesome! Thanks for the suggestions.
Great ideas! I was just having a discussion online about recycling, since most of us seem to have curbside pickup, but there are still those bottle deposits… ideally, I would like to not buy any of those bottles to begin with, so a reusable bottle would be a big help there (although I think many people still buy water because it’s cheaper than buying water filters for their tap… and that is a whole different series of environmental issues, concerning pollution and ancient infrastructure).
What an excellent promotion of Earth Day.
I’ve oogled them notebooks before. They sure do look lovely!! I try to buy as much recycled products as possible.
I also bought a travel coffee mug I bring with me when I get coffee. Often you get a little bit off for bringing your own mug (like 5 cents… Not huge, but still enough ?)
And yes, bought the metal straws a while ago!
One thing I often forget, though, when I’m at a restaurant and ask for water, to say ” … and no straw”. Lots of restaurants no longer have straws, but some still do.
PS: Totally forgot this: ladies, instead of one-use pads, I started using reusable ones, from Topsy Daisy (https://topsydaisy.com – you can also find them on Facebook.) Yes, they are pricey when you first buy them, but since they are supposed to last 3 – 5 years, I think you’ll pay less. If anything, you won’t add a huge amount of waste to the landfills.
PPS: and go vegan. It’ll help. 😉
Thanks for the suggestions! I’ve found that most places offer a very tasty veggie burger option…sometimes you just have to ask.
I’m so excited!!!
Some great suggestions here. Even it every reader made just one change it would make a big difference. I’m a college prof and I banned all assignments using paper from my courses. Strictly electronic except for text book which are rented and returned.
Great suggestions! It’s so much easier to be earth friendly that it was even a few years ago. ?
Happy easter !
I’m happy to say that I’m already doing most of the items in this list. I had never heard of bamboo toothbrushes and will definitely check those out. I’m most excited about the shampoo bar from Lush! For some reason I hadn’t thought shampoo bars would be moisturizing and conditioning, but you’ve convinced me otherwise. I’m almost out of my current shampoo/conditioner and there’s a Lush close to my office so I plan to pick up one of these bars this week!
Hi Bryn, Absolutely love this blog post! Something else people might want to consider if they haven’t, are reusable produce bags. They are lightweight and better than the plastic bags the stores provide – that end up in landfills or worse the ocean.
(4Oceans is something you might want to check out if you haven’t heard of them) Cheers!
I have been trying to be more eco-friendly, so thank you for this post and I hope I win!
Great ideas! I’ve heard of a few of them already, but not all of them, so thanks for spreading them! 🙂
Lots of easy ways to be earth friendly. I think I’ll get the Every Man Jack for my husband and grown sons for Father’s Day.
Thankfully, I don’t use straws to begin with, and I’ve always preferred bar soaps over liquids (they smell nicer). I’ll just have to remember to buy recycled notebooks from now on, though it shouldn’t be too much of an issue as I still have a ton of them left over from when I was in school.
I’m not big on all the ‘earth day’ stuff. But I am all for being smarter, cleaner and in general using something more than once. (Even toothbrushes can be recycled once you switch to your new bamboo one – you can use the old one to clean grout or something). In other words, I hope I win.
Thanks for posting this! I didn’t know about the bamboo brushes, but have been doing everything else for the last couple of decades (or more.) Well, except for the Impossible Burger. I’ll take a falafel sandwich instead, please! 🙂
Great to be reminded of these options – especially the straws. Immediately went to Amazon and ordered some. Been green for 4 decades now, but keep needing to be reminded to do more. We never stop learning to be better stewards.
I have a travel cutlery set from To-Go Ware — it’s a little pouch with bamboo chopsticks, spoon, fork, knife, and a glass straw. I love it! i don’t get take-out very often, but when I do, it sure comes in handy. ?
I love all the new ideas I get from you, Bryn! Happy Earth Dau!
Hi Bryn, we used to live in the same town until your move to LA. Thanks for all the great product options! Definitely going to check them out. I haven’t purchased bottled water for years now. It is heartbreaking to see what is happening to our oceans.
Would love to win!
Happy Earth Day!
Totally worth reading!
Great ideas – didn’t know there were bamboo toothbrushes!!!
Great post. I never heard of bar shampoo & conditioner. I will have to check that out. I never buy bottled water and reuse most plastic items for storage. Small plastic containers are great for storing odds and ends like buttons, bobby pins, loose change and even as pencil holders. Just peel off lables and decorate.Those large plastic coffee containers can store things like sugar, flour, cereal, etc. So many ways to decorate them and fun too. Contact paper, ribbon, spray paint, washi tape, etc. Oh often junk mail letters only use one side of the paper. I cut both the letter and envelope to reuse as scrap paper. So many ways we can help save this beautiful planet.
Awesome giveaway! Pick me!?
Cool beans! Lovely post, lovely Earth. Happy Earth Day!
Hey Bryn! Great ideas for Earth Day observance! Thanks so much for encouraging us all to do more for our Mother.
>>Don’t enter my name for the prizes<< because I have a different reusable water bottle I prefer, so someone who is a s'well fan should win. But I just wanted to say, we make a ton of good environmental choices, but one thing we need to improve is our use of paper napkins and paper towels. We use far too many. So if anyone had recommendations for stain-resistant cloth napkins and/or kitchen towels that will wash well and will last a long time, but don't cost a fortune, I'd love to hear what others use.
Bryn, thanks for this post. My wife and I are mostly vegan and have been very attuned to earthy friendly initiatives for many years going back to at least the start of Earth Day.
Hi Bryn – I love the very practical suggestions in this post. I might have to try the conditioner bar you recommend! Thanks for proactively helping the earth and your fellow writers.
Hi Bryn.
At our work we get a lot of components so there is a lot of packaging as some components were individually wrapped.I was quite shocked and saddened about how much waste goes in the the bin, so I asked the companies that were agreeable to bulk pack the items to save on waste. I also reused the packages from companies that contained bubble wrap for our outgoing orders.
The customers don’t mind and it gets mor use out of a one off package. (Even though they don’t look pretty.)
I’m hoping the customers will catch on and do the same..
I have reduced our waste and have had to buy only one roll of bubble wrap a year now.
Great Article! Gotta spread awareness!!!
Thanks so much! Thanks for reading. 🙂
Thank you for the wonderful article! I would add recycle, recycle, recycle! And up-cycle as well. I love the metal straws!
We reuse, recycle & compost diligently. When shopping, and I’ve forgotten my shopping bag, I say, “No bag. Thanks.” and just carry out my purchases, receipt in hand ?
an other option is switching paper handkerchiefs against fabric ones same goes for make-up remove pads. Or make some stuff by yourself like toothpaste or deodorant. And if you are a little to lazy or have no time right now, buy deodorant for example in glass bottles and not the plastic ones. Than at least a little bit is not plastic.
I didn’t even know deodorant came in glass bottles, so that’s pretty interesting!
Such great recommendations, Bryn. Thank you. I don’t have anything to add, but I’m using a few of the things you recommended already and will think about changing over to the rest. Thank you for helping to make the world a better place – with this post and with all you do for writers. I bought 5k Writing Prompts when it released and it’s waiting for me in my Kindle. Thank you!
Hi, Kelly! Oh, thank you for getting 5K Writing Prompts! And thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate it! (I like your dog, by the way. 🙂 )
I love my metal straws
Aren’t they great? I actaully prefer them.
This is actually very good information I never even knew that bamboo toothbrushes even existed along with the Impossible burger. Well I know what I’m going to use from now on.
I know, I just discovered them! Thanks for reading, Erin! 🙂
I absolutely love bar soaps, especially since there are so many people who sell the handmade kind now. I hadn’t thought about getting them for hair and body too.
Hi April! I don’t know why I ever switched to liquid soap/shower gel, but yeah, I switched back to bar soap a year ago. If I go on Etsy I can get kind of mesmerized by all the choices. 🙂 Thanks for reading!
Awesome read!! Would love to win 🙂
Thank you, Marcia! Good luck on the drawing 🙂 and nice to have you here!
My favorite color!??
Hi Betty! Mine, too, actually!
I just recently switched from plastic straws to the metal straws!
Love it! Thanks for reading, Stephanie!
We love our Swell bottles!
Aren’t they awesome to have around? Thanks for reading, Tracie!
Bought my first metal water bottle right after the first of the year and love it! Your mention of Vroman’s made me miss Pasadena even more! 🙂 Great post.
Hi, Felicia! That was actually our first time at Vroman’s (we’re in Studio City) but we looooved it. We’re going to go there all the time, even though it’s a little out of the way. Thanks for commenting!
I attended a local event recently where they provided wood spoons in place of plastic. So many alternatives out there, and the metal straws are one I need to look into. Thanks for the informative article. BTW, I love your word lists.
Wooden spoons…that’s really smart! Thanks for the kind words, Linda, and thanks for reading!
That peacock notebook! <3
Haha. They had a lot of great designs, but that was my fave!
Very cool! Thanks Bryn. I love using bar soap. I had to stop for a long time because I couldn’t find any that didn’t make my skin angry. (It’s super sensitive.) Now I have a friend who makes it. She is a chemist, and her soap is the only scented soap I can use. I love it.
Also, love the color choice on the items. So pretty.
Hi, Erin! (Sorry the delayed reply. This past week at work was bananas. 🙂 ) Your friend sounds awesome. How great that she makes a scented soap that’s nice to your skin! …I tried to talk myself into more neutral black-and-white things, but I couldn’t resist the pretty green. 🙂
Would love to win
Good luck on the drawing! Nice to connect with you here. 🙂
Great prizes! Excited about the Dead Sea Minerals Salt
Hi Sheila! Welcome. Good luck on the drawing!
Love your ideas! I try recycling everything I can, and even re-use jars/containers/bottles. It’s a great way to save too!
That’s so true, Taylor—it really is thriftier. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for the tips!
Thanks, Melissa, nice to have you here!
Thanks for the tips. A tip you might want to add: Work from home or close to where you live – if possible.
I work close to where I live. I made this green choice a couple of years ago. Less transport … less Co2…+ more time in the day for writing. 🙂
Hi, Ulla! I could not agree more!! Of course, it’s not possible for everyone…lots of people work in neighborhoods where the rent is too high for them to live. But if you can do this, it’s better for the earth and for your mental health, too. 🙂 When we moved out to L.A. last year for my job, we found a place a mile from the office, and in the mornings, I walk in! I have the best commute in Los Angeles.
Great post, Bryn. I’m a fan of veggie burgers. I didn’t know Burger King added them to the menu.
I grew up in a family that recycled, a habit handed down from the generation that lived through the Great Ddpression.
I use natural cleansers most of the time. Vinegar and water in a spray bottle cleans and disinfects most anything. I keep a bottle under the kitchen sink and in the bathrooms. The produce manager in a local grocery shared that a little vinegar in a spray bottle of water will clean chemicals from produce. I’ve also read that it will kill bacteria. Caution: Too much vinegar will wilt lettuce.
My niece shared some natural anti-aging skin cream she made. It feels light, smells nice and absorbs quickly. Much nicer than what I used before. I haven’t used it long enough to vouch to the anti-aging, but I can’t imagine it wouldn’t be.
Sign me up for the free drawing. I.’m ordering a couple of the notebooks with the Monarch butterflies on the cover. My novel is based on their migration south.
Bonnie, I don’t think I realized you were writing about monarch migration! I love it! You have great tips here. And isn’t it interesting how thrifty habits are also eco-friendly ones? Thanks for reading and commenting, as always!
Never Knew There Was A Bar Shampoo and Conditioner . . .
Yeah, I just learned recently!
I do a few of these already, but not all. I have some misgivings about bar soap, so I use the large refills. I feel it helps some with the plastic buildup, but maybe it just evens out to be the same. I do love veggie burgers, and don’t eat them nearly enough. I usually opt for turkey burgers which my daughter also loves (I’m the only one in the house that would eat the veggie burgers. Tsk.) I don’t use straws much, but since my daughter discovered paper straws at a favored eatery, she’s been all for those. She loves the pretty patterns and colors, and the Earth probably loves that she loves them. :3 I just saw shampoo bars at Walmart. I haven’t gotten them yet as I’m not sure that they would work. I tend to have oily hair and have major concerns that they might make that issue worse. I’ll have to look into them more next time we go back to the store. What I haven’t seen before are those decomposition books. I think my next treat to myself will have to be a couple of those. Maybe my muse will come out of hiding to play with them. 🙂
Also, the requiring of a url to comment is a pain. I don’t have a website, lol.
Hi, Jennifer! Thanks for posting! You know what, that is great feedback about the url…I kind of forgot that was the case! I’m going to see if that’s something I can change or if it’s inevitable for WordPress. I’m so glad you mentioned it.
Thanks for the tips! I try to be as green as possible and will definitely try the shampoo bar.
Thanks for reading, Gwyneth! Nice to have you here 🙂
Thank you for this! It really is easy to get overwhelmed when thinking about the issues we and our planet are facing. But you make these small, yet actionable and meaningful changes seem doable, and inspire me to find ways to do even more!
CAROLINA!! I MISS YOU! I’m going to email you 🙂 And thank you so much for reading and for the kind words 🙂
Lots of great tips here 🙂 thanks!
Thanks, Sarah! Nice to have you here 🙂
What wonderful prizes and tips. Thanks Bryn and good luck everybody.
Aww, thanks! Hope you’re having a great week 🙂
I had no idea burger King had a veggie burger, definitely going to be on my to try list!
I’m getting one this weekend! 🙂
I am a subscriber. I would love to win.Thanks!
Thanks for being a subscriber, Kelly. I appreciate it! Good luck 🙂
wanna win…well, somebody’s gotta!
Absolutely! 🙂 Nice to have you here!
Thanks for the informative post. I’m going to try to transition to the metal straws soon. Thanks for the chance to win too!
You bet, Michelle! Thanks for reading!
Keep up with the good work with your blog, they’re always interesting to read and very informative.Plus I hope to win
Oh, thank you, Wilma! I appreciate that. Thanks for reading. And it’s always nice to connect with you here. 🙂
I love the idea of the decomposition book. I use ‘composition’ books for plotting stories and jotting ideas. Fabulous way to save the earth and fill my need to write.
Oh yay, maybe you’ll treat yourself to one soon. Or maybe you’ll win one! 🙂 It’s nice to connect with you here, Jennifer!