This is a sponsored post on behalf of Tetra Pak USA. All opinions are 100% my own
Living eco-consciously is something that isn’t discussed too much in this blogging space – and to be perfectly honest I am FAR from perfect. As a blogger, I am constantly receiving PR gifts that are packaged in tons of wrapping, using tons of products each month, and just creating a lot of waste all around – something that I touched upon more here. I realize that striving for perfection and holding myself to an unrealistic standard is setting myself up for failure, so I wanted to just take a few easy and small steps to being more environmentally friendly, and working to protect our planet. I want Hudson’s kids, and his kids kids to still have the same resources that we all get the privilege to enjoy, so hopefully if we all chip in just a little, we can protect our lovely planet. Here’s ways we’ve been making changes in our own home, and hopefully just one of these inspires you!
Use reusable bags when going to the grocery store: I know in some states plastic grocery bags are actually illegal, but where I live in Long Beach, NY you can still use plastic bags if you pay an additional .05 per bag. I now make a conscious effort to bring our tote bags and reusable grocery bags to the store with me every time I grocery shop. It actually makes life easier for me, because I can fit way more groceries in each tote than in a small plastic bag, and they are more durable, so it’s easier to unload groceries!
Use metal straws: I bought a pack of metal straws on Amazon, and have been using them ever since! It’s such a great way to use less plastic, and I actually like how it feels to drink out of them. If you happen to forget your metal straw, because it happens, just tell your server you’d prefer to not use a straw with your drink. It’s not bad drinking straight out of a cup!
Be conscious of the packaging the food you purchase at the grocery store comes in: This is a big one I was never aware of, but recently have been taking much more note of – I had the opportunity to fly out to Denton, Texas to Tetra Pak’s headquarters and learn a lot more about sustainable packaging. In the photos below I’m touring their factory and learning how the packaging is made – it was SO cool seeing the cartons flattened out right after the branding is printed on but before the package has been built and filled! The visit truly opened my eyes. Tetra Pak cartons can be found all over at your local grocery store, you just probably haven’t noticed them – a few products that I pickup regularly in Tetra Pak cartonsare my almond milk, soups, boxed water, etc. The cartons are made of renewable materials from sustainable sourcing and after they’ve been recycled they can be turned into tissue, paper products and green building materials. It’s such a great way to reduce your use of plastic!
4. Use cloth napkins: Not only is this one environmentally friendly – it’s cute for dinner time too! Investing in cloth napkins, and then reusing them instead of constantly throwing away paper napkins will reduce your garbage AND save you money. It’s a win win!
5. Check your homes insulation! This one may seem super random, but my dad is a general contractor and he suggested that we re-insulate our crawl space after many heater catastrophes last winter. It turns out that we needed to gut and replace the insulation in our crawl space, which in turn saves us from losing heat AND we waste less energy and money on heating our home. The reduced energy use means your carbon footprint is instantly lower. It costs money upfront but in the long run saves money and helps the environment.
