The retail market is overflowing with options on everything you may ever need or want in your life, and while the “easiest” option is just to go buy anything and everything our “in-the-moment” hearts may desire - as ambassadors of the world we need to really take a moment to stop and think about how all of these purchases are affecting our earth as well as our health.
Let’s look at a few simple changes you can make in your home that make a big difference to this spectacular little blue planet we all call home.
- Household Products - Look for cleaners and other household essentials that offer recyclable packaging and or refill options. OneTab’s line of household cleaners uses the refill-only approach to cleaning products. With the purchase of 1 card you receive 4 full bottles of powerful cleaning solution for any surface in your home - and it actually works! Since our products are fully biodegradable and our packaging is recyclable you can feel good about making the choice to use OneTab.
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Try to fix things before buying new - We live in a time where we have a wealth of information and instructions right at our finger tips - literally. Lose a button on your favourite shirt? There is a website with directions how to sew it back on. Lawn mower won’t start? A repair call is usually much less expensive than buying new and helps out your small local businesses. Dishwasher not working as well as it once did? Try cleaning it up and using OneTabs unique 2 step system to clear out limescale, hard water and hard scale build up. If that doesn’t do it, support your local appliance repair shop and give them a call.
Anytime we have the option to reduce, reuse or repurpose what we have available to us - we are making an impact.
- Pick local and seasonal food stuff - While visiting your local farmers market or even your nearest fresh produce market isn’t exactly easy during this pandemic period - try giving them a call and/or see if they take online or over-the-phone orders. They possibly offer curb-side pickup and may offer delivery services. Stick with fruits and vegetables that are in season. They are usually less expensive and will help to increase the variety of foods you eat. Local markets often offer locally sourced produce, thus you will be supporting local farmers while reducing greenhouse gas emissions produced from the import of such items from other countries.
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Repurpose and Reuse Jars and Containers - Before you run out to buy a whole new set of canisters for your pantry, take a look at what you already have in your home. Some examples include:
- That pretty candle jar you just finished using can make a beautiful canister. All you have to do is put the jar with candle remains in the freezer for a day, and once frozen you are then able to use a spoon or the like to easily remove the last of the candle remnants. If the wick has a metal bottom - try using some Coconut Oil to remove it. Once cleaned out, wash thoroughly and let dry.
- Take your empty spray bottle and clean it out so that you can switch to using a refill based product like OneTab’s household Cleaners line.
- Old spaghetti sauce container? Let soak in hot water until you can remove the label. Clean and let dry. Once dry it works perfectly to hold many items in your pantry including tea bags and sugar. Dress it up using washi tape or relabel it using homemade labels. Use it in your workshop to hold miscellaneous nuts, bolts and screws! - Switch to rechargeable batteries - Instead of using single-use batteries to keep your small items and toys operational, it is much more cost effective and produces significantly less waste to switch to a rechargeable option.
- Thrift Shopping - So many clothing items are donated everyday because the original owner didn’t like the way an item fit, got tired of it or changed their own style. There is nothing wrong with the items and you can usually find them at deep discounts. Why not do a clothing trade with friends? It’s a great excuse to get together and you all walk away with new-to-you items. Plus you can donate whatever doesn’t get traded and help out someone else in the process.There is at least one online store designated to the sale of used clothing at discounted rates called ThredUp where you can sell your own used clothing! It’s a great website - so seriously, check it out...
Anytime we have the option to reduce, reuse or repurpose what we have available to us - we are making an impact. We hope you will take part in our #Earthweekchallenge and share the ways you make Smarter, Greener choices in your shopping.
Photo attributed to freepik.com-girlfriends going shopping
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Sarah Brooks
Author
Promoter of clean homes and sustainable resources. I have been a Business Development Rep for close to 20 years and enjoy assisting my customers in finding products that are right for them. It is always my goal to have everyone at the table feel comfortable and satisfied with their buying choices.