Six Sustainable Initiatives To Try Today

We all know that we should do our best to recycle and minimize waste. At times it can seen to be an overwhelming task.

We discovered these following IG accounts that take the seemingly huge undertaking of being kinder to planet, and break it down into easy and doable tasks. Their advice is simple and straight forward, so that we each can take on a more sustainable lifestyle, easily and right away.

Check them out now:

1. DIY Laundry Detergent

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Do you have a go-to laundry detergent DIY? If not, look no further. I've found the best laundry detergent so far from @nonlocal.joy! Boy have I tried many DIY's (as well as soap nuts) to find a sustainable and easy way to do our laundry. Some of these experiments almost broke our machine.. so I will spare you from those kinds of nerve wracking experiences 😅😍 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀ Last weekend we found two of these 1 gallon glass bottles in a garage sale and I thought they would be perfect to use for a good batch of laundry detergent. Obviously you can use any kind of bottle or jar to keep your detergent. So here is how I made 1 Gallon (about 4 liters) of @nonlocal.joy recipe: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ – 4 cups of boiled water – 1 1/2 cup Super Washing Soda – 1/2 to 1 cup of salt (only if you have hard water) – 2 cups of Sal Suds – Optional 60 drops of essential oils of your choice ( I used lavender) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In a mixing bowl, whisk the boiling water, washing soda and salt together until everything is dissolved. Let it cool down for about 10 minutes. Then slowly stir in the Sal Suds and essential oil. Pour the mix into your bottle and add an extra 10-12 cups of boiled water that has been allowed to cool. Voila! ✨⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀ For a normal load of clothes use 1/2 cup of the detergent. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Make sure to give @nonlocal.joy a follow! She's such an inspiration!💕 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #zerowastehome #zerowasteliving #zerowastelifestyle #zerowastejourney #sustainableliving #lowimpactliving #journeytozerowaste #plasticfree #goingzerowaste #sustainableliving #reducewaste #wastefree #ecofriendlyproduct #zerowastesolutions #naturalliving #naturalhome #noplastic #saynotoplastic #reduce #toxinfreeliving #chemicalfreelife #naturallaundrydetergent #naturallaundry #zerowastediy #toxinfree

A post shared by Vivi (@wandering_wild_home) on Jun 6, 2019 at 1:09pm PDT

2. Buy In Bulk

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BUYING IN BULK. 🙌🏼🌿 Share your tips below⬇️⬇️⬇️ . . . 📷 @aniahimsa

A post shared by Zero Waste Folks (@zerowastefolks) on Jun 4, 2019 at 11:22am PDT

3. Low Waste Laundry Room

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Such great advice by @kelly.ann.carpenter If you aren't following this amazing account already be sure to go give her a follow! Repost @kelly.ann.carpenter • • • • • LOW WASTE LAUNDRY ROOM I often get asked where to start with lowering waste because many get overwhelmed with ALL the waste they see around them once they start learning about the zero waste movement • My advice is always the same. Pick one area or room in your home and start there. Don’t touch anything else until you’re done with that room. Give yourself time , grace, and money to get to the rest • One of the “rooms” I enjoyed flipping and am still working on is my laundry room. I have now DIY’d my stain spray, washing machine cleaner , and laundry detergent 🙌🏻 All of these items I use come from bulk, recyclable packaging , and essential oils • Two of these recipes are up in my posts. My detergent and my stain spray. You know what my stain spray is? The same all purpose vinegar spray I use for the rest of my home. Citrus and vinegar work like a charm to get our stains • The washing machine cleaner comes from my Guru Sara @mammarevolution . I took a spray bottle and filled it 3/4 with vinegar and then added 5 drops of grapefruit EO + 5 drops do Teatree EO. I spray down the barrel of my washing machine and scrub a bit weekly. Super easy! • Have you made any DIY swaps in your laundry room? Share them below!

A post shared by Waste Free Planet (@wastefreeplanet) on Jun 4, 2019 at 2:08am PDT

4. Eliminate Paper Towels

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Beyond thinking about whether or not I am using something that can biodegrade, I also need to think more about the resources that are consumed when manufacturing things I use one time. • Here are some facts about paper towels from recyclenation.com— “Once used, paper towels cannot be recycled. As many as 51,000 trees per day are required to replace the number of paper towels that are discarded every day. Other facts you need to know about paper towels include: 40% of U.S. landfill trash is paper products. The paper industry is the third largest contributor to global warming. The average American discards of 700 pounds or more of paper each year.” • Crazy, right?! I sometimes fall into the trap of not being mindful when I am consuming paper. But I am trying to do better, and this has included no longer using paper towels and instead using tea towels and dish towels. So if you can, make the switch from something you can use once to something you can use over and over again. If you must use paper towels for some things, consider composting them. But if at all possible, switch to reusables! I don’t remember where I heard it, but this saying helps remind me of the goal: “Surround yourself with stuff meant to last a lifetime.”

A post shared by Autumn Rybin (@the.kind.and.intentional.life) on Jun 3, 2019 at 3:08pm PDT

5. DIY Travel Wipes

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Traveling is stressful enough for any person but for the #zerowastetraveller it can become even more so when you think of all the things we need to avoid and anticipate. . That’s why these diy travel wipes have saved my life sooo many times. . It’s ridiculously easy to prepare and super practical to have with you. . HERE’S WHAT YOU DO: – A small cup of warm ( previously boiled) water. – A teaspoon of (melted) coconut oil or olive oil. (I used coconut 🥥) I found olive oil too greasy. – A teaspoon of Castile liquid soap or baby wash / natural soap. – 4 drops of lavender essential oil. (Optional) – Mix well. . I soaked my little cotton rounds in the mixture, rolled them up and squeezed them into an empty soap tin, then closed with a lid. . You can’t imagine how lovely and refreshing they are to wipe your face and hands with when you feel tired and groggy from traveling. . Do you have similar #plasticfreealternatives for traveling? . #zerowastetips #reduceplasticwaste #nontoxiclife #saynotosingleuseplastic #ecowarriors #zerowastetravel #beautydiy #zerowastebathroom #zerowastebeauty #avoidplastic #reducereuserecycle♻️ #goingplasticfree #plasticfreeuk #plasticfreehome #plasticfreebeauty #lowwastelifestyle #reducesingleuse #reducesingleuseplastic #lowwastemovement #lowwastelife #avoidsingleuseplastic #diynatural #zerowasteswaps #coconutoiluses #plasticfreetravel #zerowasteideas #plasticfreesolutions #zeroquestpeople ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📷 @zeroquestpeople

A post shared by Zero Waste Folks (@zerowastefolks) on Jun 3, 2019 at 11:03am PDT

6. Be Aware Of What You Buy

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Current Fridge 🌱 I still buy some things that come in plastic like tofu, seitan, and other vegan mock meats. I try my best to be aware of what I buy and for what reasons. A small reminder that trying & doing your best is always the best! . . . . . . . . . . . . . #ecofriendlyliving #veganlife #veganfoodie #sustainablelifestyle #ecofriendlyhome #veganhealth #healthyvegan #healthylifestyle #lessplastic #lessplasticwaste #lesswaste #noplastic #eatplants #govegan #plantbasedpower #plantbasedeating #veganhome #planthome #plantbased #plantpowered #sustainability #sustainableliving #fridgegoals #fridgeorganization #fridgesituation

A post shared by NatⓋ (@natsplantlife) on Apr 16, 2019 at 12:34pm PDT

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