Hey, vinas! Summer is here, the air is warm and the grass is green. Isn’t it awesome? Wouldn’t it be awesome if we kept around the awesomeness a little bit longer? A few years ago, I wasn’t a very eco-conscious vina. But I made some little changes in my life to do my part, and you can too! Here’s a few little things you can change in your life to make it a little bit more environmentally-friendly and leave Mother Nature thanking you for it.
Bring canvas bags with you when out shopping and use your own bags rather than using store ones.
This one seems so easy to me and it took me way longer than it should have to make this change. Now, I make sure I have a reusable bag in my car and purse at all times. You can even find some cute ones that fold into themselves and take up NO space in your purse or bag. These are handy to whip out when grocery shopping or even when you’re out and about browsing shops with your vinas.
A purchase that you can count on! Via Not on the High Street
Reduce water waste! Carry around a refillable water bottle rather than drinking bottled water.
Another easy one! Instead of buying bottled water at the store to have it eventually get landfilled, why not try getting a water filter pitcher for at home or drinking tap water? Make it a habit to carry your bottle with you so you always have hydration on the go and don’t have to buy disposable bottles. For some of you shaking your heads at this one, saying tap water just isn’t pure enough. Meet the bobble – it’s a reusable water bottle with its own built-in water filter. I’m also a huge fan of the double-walled metal bottles like the S’well bottle because they keep your water icy for hours, if not days at a time.
Reduce, reuse, RECYCLE.
Chances are, wherever you live has a recycling program. It may be minimal, or maybe you don’t know about it because you haven’t done enough research. Or maybe it’s robust and really easy to start participating in. Either way, do a little bit of research to see if there’s any recycling in your area. This is a great way to give back and feel better about your environmental impact. Many trash companies give recycle bins out free of charge. Recycling helps you to be a more mindful consumer. Before recycling, I bought tons of plastics when at the store. Now, I try to reuse containers or buy glass when I can. It may cost more, but it’s much easier to recycle when I’m done with it.
Change your light bulbs.
By using LED or CFL (compact fluorescent light) bulbs, you’re using less power to light your home. In addition, these bulbs are built to last ten times or more longer than a typical home light bulb! Once they burn out (which really does take a LONG time), be sure to recycle the bulbs at the proper recycling centers. Your environment and your utility bills will thank you.
Borrow – don’t buy!
We live in a world where things are generally really accessible to us if we need to borrow them, and that’s awesome! Instead of spending a ton of money buying books, CDs, movies, etc, try borrowing them from the library. You don’t have to spend so much money on your media collection, and borrowing ensures that the items get great use over time. Much more environmentally friendly than buying a bunch of books and reading them once – and I’m so guilty of this in the past. Living green doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice or settle for less, but it does mean that sometimes, it makes more sense to buy used, borrow, and save rather than consume, consume, consume.
Let me know in the comments what little changes you’ve made in your own life to make it more environmentally-friendly or eco-conscious! Every little step makes a difference – keep up the good work!
(Featured Image via @artifactpdx)
VINAZINE 
I have made a conscious effort to stop purchasing products that contain palm oil or a derivative of palm oil unless it is sustainably farmed. We also keep a reusable mug/lid in our cars so that if we decide to stop for coffee we don’t have to use a paper cup and plastic lid that create waste. And finally, I try not to buy plastic products-ziplock bags, disposable straws, etc. because plastic is such a pollutant. Instead I will but in bulk and separate into reusable containers at home, etc.
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