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MY ECOHACKS - reduce plastics, adjust diet, all natural cleaning & within the community- TRY THESE!

Updated: May 19, 2021



I am very passionate (obsessed) with working towards a natural and sustainable lifestyle. Below are some ideas. These are things I practice (not perfectly). I hope to spread the word to make a difference in other people's lives because I have found a positive impact on my own!


To reduce plastic I...

  • Save plastic bags from bread, paper bags and random wrappers from things so I don't have to buy bags.

  • Use beeswax wraps and mason jars.

  • Bring my own containers to our favourite take-out restaurants.

  • Skip the thin bags at the grocery stores and opt for the brown paper bags at the mushroom section- I reuse these until there is definite residue lol.

  • Bring tote bags everywhere just in case, and invest in cute cloth ones whenever I find them!

  • Bring jars to bulk places / butcher / bakery to reduce wrapping- key thing is to go to the cash first to weigh your stuff to get the right pricing.

  • Purposely skip brands that over-package!!

  • Seriously say no to plastic water bottles. Will go thirsty versus buying a plastic bottle- or I ask to use someone's bathroom and just use my hands to drink water from the tap.


To adjust my diet I...


  • Try my best to eat local and in season.

  • Certain foods I try to only buy organic, fair-trade, eco-smart, etc.. like crops that have a negative impact on the environment when bought commercially, or cause turmoil in the country where they are grown- e.g avocados, chocolate, coffee..

  • Try my best to avoid supporting direct or indirect companies that use GMO. A key thing to look for to avoid supporting GMO is buy organic, since legally something can't be both. Not eating processed foods is a good way to decrease GMO consumption.

  • Shop at farmers markets.

  • Grow and compost my own food- will be blogging about this during the summer!

  • Attempt (lol) to not overeat, or waste unnecessarily.

  • Support companies that put effort into reducing their packaging or using reusable materials.

Read: What about GMO is so bad?


Within the home I..

  • Try to make all my own products like skincare, cleaning, etc.

  • Bought the metal clothes drying racks so I can skip the dryer.

  • Use wool dryer balls to increase the speed of drying in the machine and eliminate the single-use waste of dryer sheets.

  • Try to buy fabrics that last.. like wool, leather, hemp, cotton.. etc.

  • In the summer (I try my best) to skip the air conditioning and opt for the open window method.

  • Try not to run water unnecessarily, a.k.a make a huge stink about my family members that leave the water running when they brush their teeth!!

  • Organize recycling into plastics and paper and take note of brands that use unnecessary packaging


Cleaning I..

  • Use natural homemade cleaning solutions for counters, air fresheners, bathroom, floors etc.. This saves two ways: reduces the bottles and packaging and also no chemicals are washed down the drain / in the air. It's super easy to make with saline solutions, vinegar and essential oils.

  • Use homemade soap or locally made products that sell without packaging.

  • Use bar soap for the dishes with a European abrasive plant cloth thing I got from a hippy store- it works!

  • Have sets of cotton / microfibre cloths for around house to forget the use of paper towels


In my community I...

  • Pick up trash in parks and on nature paths.

  • Support small businesses where possible.

  • Take public transit, bike and walk.

  • During the winter I shovel versus using a snowblower.

  • I use a push mower- lol

  • Recycle properly when possible.

  • Speak up when others act like idiots and litter around me.


Some cool things I have seen around the neighbourhood..

  • Impermeable driveways that allow water to absorb into the system instead of becoming runoff

  • Solar panels

  • Shareable libraries for book recycling


If you have some cool ideas, let me know! :)

-Samantha

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