10 Ways I’ve Gone Green & You Can Too

Change.

It can be so many things.

Fun.

Innovative.

Intimidating.

Exciting

& best of all,

Impactful.

Even small changes can create big waves.

The ocean is a long time love of mine, so when I found out just how bad plastic pollution was getting as a teen, I kept that issue close to heart.

I have continuously worked towards raising awareness and doing my part in preventing ocean pollution to protect not only our oceans, but our beaches, and marine life, which leads to our planets overall health.

As I mentioned before small changes make big waves, you don’t have to do it perfectly or all at once. Frankly I think if I had made all these changes at once I would of felt overwhelmed and stressed myself out. Truth is all these changes took time and effort. I have yet to regret a single one though and am happy to know I am doing the best I can to make a change so my children and any other generations gracing this beautiful place we call home can truly enjoy it. I don’t want my kids to only see polar bears, and orangutans or whales in books or through a simulation in 15 to 30 years I want them to know they are out there in this world. Healthy, thriving and existing.

Like Anne Marie Bonneau said “ We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly , we need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”

Here are 10 ways I have made ripples to turn into waves for change.

Down with Plastic Straws , disposable silverware and take out cups.

This was a easy decision and something I did long before straw bans were talked about even though I fully support them. However it led me down a road of pure eco friendly bliss and taught me even more about some disposable products I wasn’t even aware of.

Mermaid Straw. First a small business with reusable straws trying to make a difference,then quickly seeing growth,they have now grew to offer a variety of reusable eco friendly products.

Americans use 500 million drinking straws every day. Mermaid straw is helping lessen those numbers and also help support plastic free packaging and ocean cleanup. Did you know that disposable chopsticks are commonly tainted with various chemicals. Sulphur, hydrogen peroxide, sodium sulfite and mold inhibitor, are chemical substances commonly used to make disposable chopsticks, even though they are not allowed. Mermaid straw has a solution though. Reusable chopsticks. Straws , cups and more.

Here is my straw and you can find more on their website.

I fell in love with their products and company so much I am now a ambassador with their company which lets me offer you or anyone 10% off your purchase. Use code lilwritinghood. They also host beach cleanups throughout the USA which is a great way to help raise awareness , keep beaches clean and make a change.

While I love mermaid straws reuseable silverware sets , some things don’t work well in one area where they may work in another.

Pollution isn't centered in one country, it is a global wide issue that affects all our oceans and all of us collectively. In the same it isn’t one countries fault rather or not it exists. More importantly we all need to work together to prevent further pollution and also to create innovations such as the edible spoon. Every year over 120 billion disposable plastic utensil‘s are discarded in India. This innovative creation offers a solution to a problem and you can find the same spoons or similar online for your next bbq or family reunion.

Mindful Buying

I never really paid much attention to packaging until recently. I just figured if I recycled it was fine. What did it matter what something was wrapped in?

This assumption was sadly not true, even though I was recycling a good majority of my produce and other products I purchased came in packaging that was non recyclable. In the United States 292.4 million tons of Municipal Solid Waste was generated About 94 million tons of MSW were recycled and composted, resulting in a 32.1 percent recycling rate. Meaning we as the USA hold a less than 50% recycling rate for what we consume and generate in trash and recyclable products. Meanwhile Sweedish countries have developed innovative use of their recycling and garbage to convert it to energy and heat, gong so well they now import trash.

This realization helped me to start shopping more mindfully.

I paid attention to what I normally didn’t and noticed nearly the entire produce and meat departments were all wrapped in plastic , even the other consumables if not a plastic bag , a plastic jar , peanut butter, bread , cereals , coffee, all in plastic.

So I attempt to only buy non packaged produce, shop at farmers markets and even ditched clamshell wrappers and try to only buy glass jars so they can be reused. If we ever get a local refill store I will be one of the first to utilize it.

Ditching Single Use Storage Methods

Ditching straws is great but what about the storage methods?

Over 100,000 marine animals die every year from plastic entanglement and ingestion. More than 50 percent of sea turtles have consumed plastic. The biggest source of pollution in the ocean is directly from land-based sources, such as oil, dirt, septic tanks, farms, ranches, motor vehicles, among larger sources. Thousands of tons of waste and trash are dumped into the ocean on a daily basis.

Saran Wrap , plastic zipper bags, snack bags , pastry bags and more.

Ditching these seemed so daunting to begin with.

Then I realized the options were out there but we aren’t always aware of them.

First up lunchskins.

The reusable bags were created by moms and are a great option. They even have paper and zipper bags as well as Velcro. They are easy to clean and reusable. Plus very durable and don’t leak !

Next up was ditching plastic wrap ,that is when this magical product entered my life , you can even ale it yourself.

Beeswax Wraps . I was first introduced to these through my mightunrest subscription which is a fun subscripiron that sends you natural and eco friendly products monthly.

You can buy some here at Nature Bee!

There’s so much junk at sea that the debris has formed giant garbage patches. The term “garbage patch” is a large area actually made up of debris ranging in size, from microplastics to large bundles of derelict fishing gear and other marine debris collects.These patches are formed by large, rotating ocean currents called gyres that pull debris into one location, often to the gyre’s center. The debris forming garbage patches can be found from the surface of the ocean all the way to the ocean floor.

There are five gyres in the ocean, one in the Indian Ocean, two in the Atlantic Ocean, and two in the Pacific Ocean. The largest is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Eliminating Tubes & Extras

Cleaning up our bathroom was a fun adventure.

I started with toothpaste. We went from using 2 tubes a month to using bite.

Bite toothpaste bits are toothpaste “tablets” that come in a glass jar. No tubes , no plastic means less waste !

At the same time we also opted to ditch qtips and traditional toothbrushes opting for a bamboo toothbrush and using a ear cleaning tool kit for each of us.

Eco Clean It

Cleaning products have always been a challenge for me. I have headaches that are sometimes triggered by smells and it’s a challenge to find ones that don’t do that. I found it rather intimidating to try and find something that I was happy with.

I did though !

Blueland !

Blueland has different kits for everyone. The main thing that I love about this is it’s centered around making your first initial purchase where you get reusable glass bottles. Then you get plastic free refills anytime you need more dissolve the tabs in water and boom you have more cleaner.

This is the first kit I got and I highly recommend it

In addition to the cleaning products themselves I also switched to Hipposak garbage bags.

from their site “Hippo Sak® Plant-Based Tall Kitchen Trash Bags with Hand-Friendly Handles are proudly made from sugar cane instead of fossil fuels, allowing our bags to be renewable, recyclable and reduce your carbon footprint.”

Wash and Dry

Changing your laundry soap can be intimidating enough ,completely ditching it can leave you saying , uh you want me to do what ? However it may just be the best thing you’ve ever done, for yourself , your budget, your clothes and the environment.

I made the switch this March from bulky laundry soaps to these laundry strips even the packaging is recyclable.

At the same time we also switched from drawer sheets to reusable dryer balls.

Fashion For Change

Though this is something that most likely don’t think about and it doesn’t mean that I never ever buy new because sometimes you have too especially underwear or other garments that aren’t the best used however globally, we produce 13 million tons of textile waste each year.

95% of which could be reused or recycled. In addition to all this, the fashion industry is one of the most polluting industries in the world. To combat this for myself , husband and our kids we buy second hand as much as possible.

Not because we have to but because it’s the best choice environmentally and in the end It helps our environment. Plus some of my favorite outfits have been from second hand stores. I actually just scored a gorgeous evening dress at a thrift store that still had the original store tags for $80 on it and I got it for $7 and some change. It wasn’t even worn and May of ended up in a landfill is as of right now, the favorite thing in my closet. I plan to wear it on Mother’s Day even if we just chill at home all day which is most likely the plan and I am so incredibly happy with that,nothing beats a relaxing day at home.

If you’re looking for other ways to go green in daily life similar to being be conscientious of our consumptions of goods and services like fashion, another thing to be on the look out for is going green through our gardens and food consumption.

Fertilizer runoff creates eutrophication that flourishes algal bloom in aquatic systems. Harmful algal blooms (HABs), also known as “red tides,” something Florida seen just before the COVID 19 pandemic grow rapidly and produce toxic effects that can affect marine life and sometimes even humans, which depletes the oxygen content in the water that affects marine life causing many deaths and harming the local ecosystem. In several parts of the world, including the Gulf of Mexico and the Baltic Sea, Eutrophication has created enormous dead zones that can result in mass die-offs of fish and other marine life, making those zones impossible for marine or plant life.

The dead zones are growing in number. In 2004, scientists counted 146 hypoxia or dead zones, areas of such low oxygen concentration that animal life suffocates and dies, in the world’s oceans. By 2008, that number increased to 405. In 2017, in the Gulf of Mexico, oceanographers detected the largest dead zone ever measured, nearly the size of New Jersey.

Easy ways to help the planet through food choices include

• Eating more plants & eat a variety of foods , 75% of the world’s food supply comes from just 12 plants and five animal species. Greater diversity in our diets is essential as the lack of variety in agriculture is both bad for nature and a threat to food security.
• Being a conscientious and mindful shopper right now, the Amazon is burning and the products that we are buying are part of the system that’s driving this devastation. We don’t need to burn or cut down one more tree, there’s more than enough land to grow food to feed 2 billion more people by 2050. We need to press the Government on the issue by ​demanding deforestation free food.
• Roughly 94% of fish stocks are overfished (34%) or maximally sustainably fished (60%) and aquaculture has its own issues. But when responsibly produced, seafood can benefit people, nature and climate. Try a diversity of species from well managed sources, eat lower in the food chain and opt for lower carbon emission seafood.
• Food waste is a big problem. 30% of the food produced is wasted, with serious repercussions for the environment. In fact, if food waste was a country it would be the 3rd largest emitter of greenhouse gasses after China and the USA. Reducing waste in your household is simple: freeze anything you can’t eat while it’s fresh and, where possible, buy loose produce so you can select the exact amount that you need. Grow your own food and be on the look out for foods containing RSPO palm oil.
• Palm oil is responsible for large-scale deforestation, putting wildlife like tigers and orangutans under threat, as well as contributing to greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the risk of climate change. However rejecting palm oil all together could have unintended consequences as alternatives can be even worse for the environment, with some needing up to nine times as much land to produce. When you’re shopping look for products containing RSPO certified sustainable palm oil.
• Opt for pasture raised chickens and eggs. Free-range chickens have 21 percent less fat in total, 30 percent less saturated fat and 28 percent fewer calories than their factory-farmed counterparts. Eggs from poultry raised on pasture have 10 percent less fat, 40 percent more Vitamin A and 400 percent more omega-3s.
• Lastly If you have extra space and time you might even consider planting a small garden to donate food to your local food pantries or help fill up a little free pantry in your town. If you aren’t familiar with little free pantry learn more on their site here.

In addition to fertlizers keep in mind that our bees still need our help and awareness too because just like our oceans playing a vital role in our planets health as well as our own, if the bees die , we die too. We are one of few countries till using dangerous neonanoticnoids even with the knowledge that other countries have banned the use of them and we know how they affect bees and their colonies.

Getting Involved

Getting involved is one of the best and easiest ways to not only learn more but begin the path of making waves of change. There are so many threats to our oceans right now but the biggest is pollution. Plastic and otherwise. The ocean is predicted to have more plastic than fish by 2050 , a sad reality that only we as people can come to get to attempt to change for the future genrations to come.

The Unseen & Rarely Mentioned Pollution

Getting involved also means learning about what isn’t always at the forefront of issues, one being noise pollution. Increasing levels of underwater noise threaten Arctic whales, seals, fish and other species. A new report offers an opportunity for Arctic nations to lead on the issue. Increasing levels of underwater noise threaten Arctic whales, seals, fish and other species. World Wildlife Foundation actually has some amazing information about this on their website and how the solution is actually relatively easy.

In addition to noise pollution our artic is actually just as endangered as our oceans. One of the last unspoiled wild places on earth is at risk of being opened up to oil drilling. Gray wolves, musk oxen, caribou, and imperiled polar bears roam the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge's 19.6 million acres.

Another oceanic threat , The Marshall Islands and the wastewater reservoir in Florida that has consistent risky leaks are also a active threat to our ocean and marine life.

Change through writing

I am always educating myself and watching new and existing issues. I raise awareness in person as well, but I have a huge goal to be able to raise awareness , encourage change and help others using one of my biggest passions at the same time , writing.

I really want others to know that this isn’t something that has to be limited to me, anyone can do this.

Start a blog , arrange cleanups , make small changes and encourage friends and family to do the same. Follow issues and speak out about them. Support people and companies who are trying to do what they can to help consumers and the environment.

Your Time For Change

Even considering how I have consciously made small leaps to make change, the most impactful in my opinion is when I give my time for change. I am consistently on the lookout for volunteer opportunities, oftentimes local wildlife centers , the humane society , beach cleanups and even park cleanups all need help and run off of the generosity of a volunteers time.

While our world & lives are busy, and COVID messed up a lot over the last year and a half there are still times and places that extra people , hands and time. Even if you can only volunteer once a year it is still such a impactful help and leaves you feeling good not only about what you’ve done but everyone you may of helped in the process.

This article contains 5 great tips and suggestions for volunteer work

In the end, I truly hope with time, change, attention and love we can raise awareness about the planets need for us especially our oceans, so we can be more conscious about consumption and make changes or choices for the better. That way we and others can all enjoy the earth for decades to come and take care of it , as much as it has taken care of us.

After all a unhealthy planet can’t sustain, healthy people.

If we continue to make small ripples to to create change, I am confident we can ensure that our oceans will look less like the bleak video at the beginning of this article and more like the one at the end, a glimpse at what all our oceans should look like. Especially because it’s not normal to surf through plastic . A short look at that sad reality is below as Alison Tearl shows just a brief part of her discoveries in her time on and in the water.

Simply put, the ocean cannot continue to thrive as a dumpsite for people.

So let us all strive to waves of change. So we can see a healthier waters, marine life and future generations of healthy people ,enjoying healthy oceans.