EnviroPanda

New Year, New You!

The new year is upon us and with the changing earth, why not create some eco-friendly resolutions for Mother Earth this year? We need a New Year's revolution!

6 Green-Minded New Year Resolutions for you.

1. Bring your own shopping bags. Anytime you visit a store, bring your own re-usable bags. Keep them everywhere from your home to your car and in-between so you are never without one. Using reusable bags is a simple way to reduce ocean pollution. Plastic bags are the second more prevalent form of litter in the ocean and billions of single use bags get caught up in storm drains and in our forests, rivers, lakes, beaches, oceans and more. 

2. Meal plan! For this one, your health, wallet and planet will thank you. Try to steer clear of a lot of pre-packaged items and re-use ingredients throughout the week. Try to minimize waste when purchasing items at the grocery store. Less waste = happy planet.

3. Eat organic (when possible) & eat better meat (and less of it)! Not only is livestock raised in inhumane ways, but it's unhealthy and unsustainable. Cutting down on your meat intake will help our planet in terms of the greenhouse gasses. Find grass-fed, pasture-raised meat, dairy and eggs whenever possible. It's a big difference for small farmers and the environment by supporting this change. Think: "Clean meat or no meat" 

4. Avoid fast fashion. Big chain stores with insanely cheap clothing are terrible for the planet. Many people shop for the season at hand and then toss these items after a few uses. The fashion industry is the second most polluting industry in the world... (after oil!). In order to meet the demands of this industry, farmers ravage their soils for precious ground water to grow millions of acres of GMO cotton for export (instead of growing food for their hungry people). AND, the heavy chemicals cause health problems for the workers there. This year, consider buying items that support sustainability, items that you will wear for years to come, and look into brands that are aware of their impression on the world. Another option is stop second hand! 

5. Chemical free cosmetics. Chemicals in your skincare will get absorbed into your bloodstream so whatever you put on your face, should be so pure you can eat them (haha!). Make sure you aren't consuming any questionable or toxic ingredients. We suggest looking at the EWG's Skin Deep Database which will tell you just how safe any brand or item is for your body. 

6. Bring your own water bottle. Cut down on single-use plastic immediately! Oil used to  product plastic water bottles in the US alone is enough to fuel 1,000,000 cars! That's crazy!  This is a quick and easy way to cut down on single use plastic in your home which will have a huge impact on many facets of the planet.

We hope that you find this helpful and will bring some of these easy eco-friendly resolutions into 2021 with you! 

Happy #2021!