Living a Green(er) Life!

Eco friendly products to replace plasticI am sure most of us have seen horrible videos and articles about how our garbage, especially plastic is hurting the environment.  Plastic was invented in the 1900s and it was a great invention then. Producing plastic is cheaper than other materials, durable, and very easy to make. But back in the 1900s, people did not know what the long term outcome of using plastic will be. Fast forward to 2018, our oceans and landfills are jammed back full of plastic products.  Realistically, we cannot turn a switch and tomorrow we stop using plastic. However, each one of us can do our part, and use a little less.  Small changes lead to bigger changes. And nowadays, there are so many more sustainable inventions for our uses that it is not inconvenient at all to make the switch. Here are a few of my favourites sustainable products to reduce plastic usage.

These are amazing resuable product bags with drawstrings. These are always in my car or purse so it is ready for my grocery trips. I love how they come in three different sizes as well!  You can easily wash these in the washing machine or by hand and can use them for a very long time.  They are very light so it does not affect the scale when you weigh your produce.

These are food wraps made out of beeswax. No need to use plastic wrap anymore. These are super handy and works just like plastic wrap. It comes in different sizes too so you can wrap up anything you have left over. These beeswax wraps are breathable, compostable, and antibacterial! You can reuse them by washing it with a mild soap. Once it gets too worn out, you can add it to your compost bin! No waste!



Reuable straws are another favourite of mine. I am so glad to hear many restaurants, including chain restaurants like Harvey’s have stopped using plastic straws. If you like to use straws, there are many alternatives including these amazing stainless steel ones. It comes with 4 bent and 4 straight straws and also includes those handy teeny tiny brushes to clean them after use. These are only $2.77, seriously, go buy them!

THE BEST Water bottle EVER!! It is worth every penny! Using a water bottle is nothing new to reduce plastic waste but get yourself a good one, we need water to live! Try this LifeStraw water bottle. It is an award winning bottle and can filter out 99.9% of waterborne parasites! This is perfect to travel with as well and you can make sure your water is always safe to drink. Win win!

Using reusable glass food containers to pack your lunch is a must! You can throw them into the dishwasher and they don’t warp and they are microwavable too! Another trick, put one in your car or purse so when you dine out and have leftovers, you can pack it up in your own container. You can even bring your own containers when you order take out! Trust me, I worked in a restaurant for many years, and they don’t mind doing this for their customers! In fact, they probably like it since it saves them money on those expensive take out containers.

And don’t forget to throw a couple of these reusable grocery bags in your car or purse as well. Sometimes you buy things unexpectedly and now you are always ready with your eco friendly bags! You can also get them from the grocery stores, but these ones fold up nicely and are just so cute!




Bring your own insulated thermos for either cold or hot beverages when you stop by Starbucks or your favourite coffee shop. Again, they don’t mind putting your java in your own cups! I love these thermos ones because they are a great size and also keep beverages hot or cold! There are a ton of other sizes, colours and varieties to suite your needs on amazon! You can also find more on Clever Shop List and shop to your heart’s content without having to worry about paying for your purchase, because you can pay back later at your convenience.

We have probably used so many ziplock bags in our lives and we end up just throwing them out or we try to be thrifty and wash them. But really they cannot be fully clean. I was so happy when I discovered Stasher Bags! They are essentially a reusable ziplock bag that comes in a variety of sizes and fun designs and colours. They are made out of food grade silicone and you can even cook food inside the bag! They are super easy to wash and are dishwasher safe! If you are lucky, you may be able to find these at your local Winners or Homesense as well!

These are just a few of my favourite tips to get started on living a more sustainable lifestyle. No one is perfect but we can all do our part. I look around my house and see tons of improvements I can still make to make this planet greener. Every person, every step counts! So get started and share with your friends these tips.