Written by: Abigail Burke and Cole Scott
Some people think that to live an environmental and sustainable lifestyle living in a hut made from grass, tilling an organic farm and composting every single biodegradable item that is discarded.
Those lifestyle choices are possible; however, it is not realistic in today’s modern world. Nevertheless, there are ways to live a sustainable lifestyle by purchasing specific products that make living eco-friendlier. These are also easy to use in a dorm room or on campus.
Here are five affordable and environmental-savvy products to have a more sustainable lifestyle for a greener earth.
- Stasher Bags are a sustainable and alternative replacement to any size of single use plastic baggies. Biologicaldiversity.org states that plastic baggies are used for about 12 minutes and then are thrown out; Stasher Bags is a movement that is changing that statistic.
Stasher Bags, founded by Kat Nouri, is a company that creates reusable bags made from silicone. Silicone is derived from silica, which is a natural resource which is primarily made of sand. Silicone contains zero toxicity levels, can undergo extreme temperatures and is 100% recyclable, making it a great replacement to plastic baggies.
Stasher Bags come in multiple sizes and colors and are great for storage in hot or cold locations. These would be useful to take to class or a sports practice.
- Shampoo and Conditioning Bars are products to replace to all plastic shampoo bottles. The website Unwrappedlife.com said, “Approximately 93% of the 480 billion plastic water bottles sold in 2016 ended up in landfill or in the ocean.”
Shampoo and conditioner bars help this ongoing problem. Shampoo bars do not require packaging and they still wash and condition hair as well as traditional shampoo and conditioner. The bars stay intact during travel, which allows for easy shipping and handling without the plastic wrap.
- Reusable Bags are a very popular and trending change in modern society. The push toward a plastic-free world has been a fervent topic among many major countries.
Single-use plastics require a lot of energy and fossil fuels to produce items that are used only once Theconversation.com said, “Many millions of barrels of oil are used to make plastic bags every year. A lot of energy is also used to make and transport plastic bags.”
- Bees Wrap is a newer invention to uniquely replace the usage of plastic wrap and popular food-covering plastics. Bees Wrap produces wrapping that is naturally produced from bee’s wax, allowing the wrap to be used over and over again and keeping food fresh longer.
According to Beeswrap.com, “Bee’s Wrap packaging is made from 100% recycled paper and a biodegradable cellulose window. All of our packaging is recyclable and fully biodegradable.”
The wrap may be composted, allowing for zero waste.
- Bamboo Toothbrushes are a great way to incorporate sustainability into everyday life.
Stasherbag.com said, “Each day, we have opportunities to make better choices for the environment — like using reusable bags and straws and buying food in bulk. And together, we can turn small daily shifts into big impact.”