Simple Swaps To Green-Up Your Lifestyle
Earth Day is an important holiday for all of us here at FLPSDE. Not only do our products support a sustainable lifestyle, but the inspiration for our products came out of our enjoyment for the outdoors. As a global community, moving toward greener habits is a necessity for protecting and healing the planet. So, we're sharing some swaps for everyday products that will help you reduce waste and preserve this big blue gem we call home.
First, are you up-to-date on your environmental news?
The five warmest years on record have occurred in the last decade.
Rainforests are being cut down at the rate of 100 acres per minute.
93% of heat trapped in the earth’s atmosphere is absorbed by the ocean.
The U.S. is the #1 trash-producing country in the world at 1,609 lbs/person/year.
Around 8-9 million metric tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year.
This year, 5 trillion - that's trillion with a T - plastic bags will be used.
Reusable Shopping Bags
If you haven't already, it's time to make the switch to reusable shopping bags. On average, one supermarket goes through 60,500,000 paper bags per year. That's nuts! Snag yourself some reusable bags to keep in your car for when you're going to the the grocery store or shopping for new gear for the upcoming season. Some towns around the US have a BYOB policy, or charge a fee for each bag used. But elsewhere, many stores will reward you with an extra discount for bringing your own bag. Plus, reusable bags are much more durable, which means you don't have to worry about your groceries busting through the bottom while you're carrying them inside.
While you're at it, stock up on some other single-use bag swaps:
Reusable Food Storage Bags - Different Sizes & Colors on Amazon
Compostable Dog Waste Bags - $13 Best Seller
Reusable Food Wrap - Different Designs from $14.99
FLPSDE Reusable Water Bottle With Snack Storage
It shouldn't be news that the single-use plastic water bottle issue is more of a crisis. An estimated 583 billion plastic bottles were produced in 2021. At FLPSDE, we're proud that our water bottles not only help to eliminate waste from single-use plastic bottles, but the built-in snack storage helps reduce waste from food packaging as well. Much of the materials used for single-use snacks like candy bars, chips and trail mix are not recyclable. By using a FLPSDE water bottle and buying snacks in bulk to keep in the snack compartment, you're a part of the solution.
PS, you should also ditch straws or swap for reusable:
Americans use half a billion drinking straws every day, and scientists estimate up to 8.3 billion plastic straws are polluting coastlines around the world each year.
Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products
On cleaning day, opting for plant-based cleaners is not only better for the planet, it's better for you and your family too. Conventional cleaning products contain toxic chemicals and petroleum-based based ingredients, are harmful to household surfaces, and non-biodegradable. Look for cleaning products that are botanically derived, biodegradable, nontoxic, free of dyes and chlorine, and have natural fragrances like essential oils.
Other eco-friendly household cleaning swaps:
Reusable Wool Dryer Balls - 6-Pack Under $20
Compartmentalized Trash/Recycle Bin - Options on Amazon
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, around 45 percent of waste in landfills can be attributed to food packaging and containers. This swap may be more of a sacrifice for those who are used to buying big boxes of single-portion snacks for lunchboxes and backpacking, but once you get into the habit of buying bulk, you'll be amazed by how much trash you eliminate from your daily life. Common items you can buy in bulk include trail mix, granola, beans, grains, flour, oats, pastas, herbs and more.
Other planet-friendly food swaps:
Make use of your food scraps with a compost bin - Shop on Amazon
Speaking of food and the environment...
Did you know that swapping to a plant-based diet can have a profound impact on everything from deforestation and ocean dead zones to water preservation and emissions? Every minute, hundreds of acres of forests are being leveled to make room for livestock; in fact, livestock covers 45% of the earth's total land. Wonder how much of a difference going meatless could make? Agricultural emissions could be reduced by as much as 70% by adopting a vegan diet and 63% by adopting a vegetarian diet. But that's not all, did you know that it takes approximately 2,500 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef, 477 gallons to produce one pound of eggs, 1,000 gallons to produce one gallon of milk, and almost 900 gallons to produce one pound of cheese?!
Reef Friendly Sunscreen
It can be difficult to understand the impact our lifestyle has on things we can't see, but if one thing is for certain, decisions we make every day are changing the biggest part of our planet - the ocean. Each eco-friendly change you make helps to reduce the carbon emissions that are warming up our oceans, killing coral reefs, and devastating marine life. One of these swaps is reef friendly sunscreen. Ordinary sunscreens can contain harsh chemicals that are terrible for the environment, not to mention, bad for your skin health.
More self-care tools to swap for the environment:
Bamboo Toothbrush - 12 Pack Under $10
99 percent of toothbrushes used around the world can not be recycled; Approximately 1 billion toothbrushes are thrown away annually in the US alone.