As most people know, our earth is not doing very well. Glaciers are quickly melting, and by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish. We can still reverse these harmful changes if we act now. I know most people are set on their specific lifestyle and don’t WANT to make any changes in their daily routine, so I made all of the little changes to let you know what it’s really like.
Firstly, I went vegan for a week. I think the diet can be the hardest thing for a person to change but making any small change helps! Even if this means cutting out meat for only one day per week. Raising animals for food occupies 45% of our earth’s land. Animal agriculture produces 65% of the worlds nitrous oxide, which is a gas with the global warming potential 296x greater than CO2 per pound. To produce 1 gallon of milk, it takes upwards of 1,00 gallons of water. The hardest part about being vegan for me was no eggs. Since I make most of my meals at home and they’re already plant based, being vegan wasn’t really a challenge. Some breakfast alternatives I came up with are oatmeal with berries, coconut milk yogurt parfait, or avocado toast. For lunch I’ll usually have a big filling salad with nuts or seeds, and dinner is usually sautéed veggies with rice beans or pasta.
Next is cutting back on plastic which is SO simple. Start with reusable grocery bags, they have many more benefits than just being great for the planet! They’re sturdier so you never have to worry about them ripping and your groceries spilling all over the floor, and they fit much more per bag! I went from having 15/20 plastic bags per grocery run, to just 2 reusable bags (which also means only one trip to bring in all of the bags LOL). Now for reusable cups. One reusable water bottle can last a person YEARS vs drinking several plastic water bottlers per day. I also think these are safer for the body because you’re not ingesting and chemicals from the plastic. As for coffee, there are reusable starbucks cups for just $3! Keep one in your car so you’re always prepared, and you also get a DISCOUNT on your drink for using one! These cups will pay for themselves so quickly, especially if you frequently grab coffee on the go. There are also reusable straws on amazon that come with a bunch for only a few dollars for at home use.
Now for the nitty gritty, at home products. I bought a 4 pack of bamboo toothbrushes on amazon for only $7.99. I actually loved the toothbrush, but the bristles were black and made from charcoal, which I think may have caused some yellowing on my teeth. They do make bamboo toothbrushes with white bristles so I’m trying those out next and I’m sure they won’t cause yellowing. Eco friendly showers were actually my favorite!! Shower as quickly as possible to conserve water but also I used ONLY Lush products which are all vegan, cruelty free, recycled and AMAZING. My favorite products are the shampoo bar and body washes,. You can also return 5 Lush containers to receive a free face mask and they will recycle for you!
You’re probably wondering how to recycle all of the already-plastic things you have in your home, but don’t worry. There is a site called TerraCycle that you can ship your items to such as toothbrushes, razors, and makeup tubes and they will recycle it for you!
Overall, I know that these small changes I’ve made had a great impact on the environment. To be honest, the veganism did not last for me. I still have plenty of vegan meals, but I cannot officially call myself a vegan. Like I said before, any small change helps! Especially when it comes to diet, whether it be going vegan for one day per week or even just vegetarian.
I challenge you to make some of these small and efficient changes to help save our earth.
Love,
Leanna Sally 