Sustainable Living: 4 Simple Swaps

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

― Jane Goodall

Sustainable Living, as defined by Maryville University, “is the practice of making conscious lifestyle choices that reduces a person's impact on the environment”. Daily choices add up and can either result in crises or change. These choices are as simple as refusing a plastic bag at checkout. Conscious consumerism will help you find meaning in mundane products and slow down contribution to man made environmental disasters such as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

At Wellhouse, we want to make sustainable living the simplest choice by providing fun, effective, and easy to use alternatives to conventional lifestyle products.

Sustainable Swaps

1. On-the-go reusables! Instead of bringing your products home in a single (maybe double) use plastic bag that takes hundred of years to decompose, try a cloth bag or grocery tote. Find a fun pattern that shows your individuality! Some grocery stores give a small discount for bringing your own bags and as of 2020, many cities and states have imposed a ban on plastic bags. Other great reusable, on-the-go products include metal straws, water bottles, coffee cups, and utensils.

Pro Tip: Keep your reusable "on-the-go" products in your car, purse, or somewhere visible in your home so that when you are on your way out, you don't forget them!

2. Buy Bamboo! Bamboo products such as toothbrushes, hairbrushes, and dish brushes are an awesome, plastic-free & compostable option. When properly disposed of, bamboo products will just take a few months to biodegrade in your compost bin!

3. Clean Cleaning! The process of cleaning produces a ton of waste. A few product swaps that we recommend for cleaning are.. wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets, reusable and compostable dish cloths instead of paper towels or plastic sponges, and lint mitts instead of conventional lint rollers. While there are a ton of great cleaning alternatives, these are a few of favorites for someone just beginning their journey. The next step of investing into clean cleaning would be transitioning to glass spray bottles with refillable solutions!

4. Shop sustainable clothing brands! Thrifting your clothing is a fantastic way to be a conscious consumer but sometimes you just want something new. Shopping brands that have conscious and ethical production methods and share similar values is a great alternative! Buying quality clothing that withstands time and wear, is a worthwhile investment and consequently is better for our planet.

With each individual step we take towards a sustainable lifestyle, we move together along the path of positive change.