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Here’s a fact: 25% more waste is generated by Americans during Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day celebrations. It’s frightening to think how we produce such a big waste in a span of 2 days.

However, it is possible to apply small changes during Thanksgiving to still make it a happy celebration without skimping on your pledge of living an eco-friendly lifestyle. Here are some suggestions to try:

1. Skip the decorations, go for natural items to highlight your place. Decorating with nature is possible. You can use pine branches, acorns, pinecones, and colorful leaves and flowers! Not only are they free but they definitely add a touch of sophistication. They also give off a wonderful fragrant to your dining table. Best of all, once you’re done with the festivity, you can always return them back to nature.
2. Reuse when possible. Use reusable dishes and cloth napkins. But if you want the convenience of single-use items then go for ecofriendly disposable cups, plates, napkins, and utensils. Some of them are 100 percent recycled and are made of compostable materials.
3. Go for local foods. Support local businesses especially now that the economy is tough due to pandemic. Go for farmer’s market within your locality. Local foods tend to require lesser greenhouse gases and the produce are usually grown on smaller farms that uphold sustainable practices that could very much help save nature.
4. Prepare foods that is just enough for all your guests. Avoid food waste during the festivity by preparing smaller portion.
5. Give back to the community. In case you can, volunteer to donate unused food to a shelter or volunteer to a food bank. If ever the food banks near you are not welcoming volunteers this pandemic, then try to extend your help to a neighbor in need. Doing grocery shopping for them will help you live the true essence of Thanksgiving.

You can be a food hero by reducing your food waste! Do you know that about one-third of the world’s food is being discarded? It’s somewhat startling to think about this given that many people at some part of the world are actually losing their lives on hunger and malnutrition. So if you wish to take part of the planet conservation, why not start with life preservation? One thing you can do is to reduce your food waste.

Have a meal plan so you buy only those food items that you are going to actually eat. If you are someone who likes to buy a lot but would only throw most of the items away because they are either rotten or has expired already, then it’s high time that you start making a list of your grocery items before you go out to actually buy them. Getting a list will help you stay on track of items that you will really need. This will also prevent you from buying unnecessary items, hence helping you save on your finances.

Learn how to store your foods properly. Proper storage can prolong the life of your fresh produce. Vegetables like garlic, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and cucumbers must not be put inside the refrigerator. They should only be kept on a room temperature. On the other hand, you may want to separate those food items that produce ethylene gas since they speed up fruits and vegetables ripening.

You can also learn the art of food preservation. There are lots of cool YouTube videos to help you with this. Fermenting fruits and vegetable can help preserve food items for years. Buy food items that are in season so that you can get them at a cheap price. Then, you can preserve them. For example, you can try to make strawberry jams when strawberries are in season. Otherwise, you can freeze them so you can use the fruit later for baking or cooking.

Furthermore, you can help prevent food wastage by actually buying fruits and vegetables that are about to rot. For example, if you are going to make tomato sauce then you can get tomatoes that are already very ripe since you are only going to peel and crash them after. This way, you can save these fresh produce from being thrown by stores and supermarkets. Plus, they are obviously cheaper so you will be able to save too!

You know it is time to go green. With many issues concerning global warming, even students can partake in your own little ways some lifestyle changes that can provide big benefits to saving mother earth. In fact, some of these ways are so easy and inexpensive that you can start on them right now!

1. Time to throw that paper away! Since the world is now digitally focused, you can now get rid of using paper when taking down notes. This will drastically help save trees. Not only will this be cheaper compared to buying notebooks and writing materials, but you can conveniently access your data anywhere you go!
2. Lessen meat consumption! While we cannot advise that you go all-vegan, but you can at least try to minimize your meat consumption. Eat less meat or try to at least omit it from a meal each day. This will bring significant change not only in your health but also in saving the environment. If you have to eat meat, look for labels like organic, free range, antibiotic and hormone free.
3. Stop buying bottled water. Instead of purchasing water bottles every day when you are at school, you can try bringing reusable bottled water wherein you can just refill your liquid when you need to. Obviously, this is a cheaper option than buying every time you need to quench your thirst.
4. Recycle when you can. You can recycle just about anything from paper products, to plastics, etc. Before you toss your trash on the bin, try to be creative and think of ways that you can upcycle or reuse it. This will save the landfill and will protect the air and water from further pollution.
5. Think about your water usage. Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth. Avoid using the bathtub when you can just take a quick shower. In fact, reducing your shower usage to 4 minutes a day is enough to save 3,650 gallons of water per year.
6. Support eco-friendly brands. Since you are on your way to saving mother earth, might as well help those businesses that have the same goals as yours. Check on your beauty and cleaning products to see if you are using brands that are responsible and eco-friendly.
7. Walk or bike instead of using your car. In addition to adapting a healthier lifestyle, you can also try to cut down on driving to save on gas. This is a good way to eliminate the use of too much fossil fuel.

It does not take a scientist to realize that this pandemic has taken an extra toll on the environment. For one, there’s the issue of disposable facemasks that has posed a threat to the marine world. There’s the problem with face shields that’s contributing more waste to the landfill. So in today’s tough times, is there a way to still live an ecofriendly lifestyle?

Here are 5 ways to manage the impact of waste and lifestyle in times of Covid 19.

1. Shift to recyclable face coverings. Disposable masks and other used personal protective equipment are washed up to the shoreline thus endangering the marine life. To solve this issue, it is best to use reusable face covering instead of opting for single-use choices. What’s better is that you can actually save up by choosing to make them on your own. Basically, the World Health Organization recommends that we use a mask that comes with at least 2 layers of fabric.

2. Do not overdo the use of disposable gloves. If you are merely going out to do your grocery, do you really still need to use disposable gloves? These gloves are just contributing to the overwhelming waste issues that the world is facing.

Of course, there are people in certain professions who will have the need to use gloves in their daily life but this is not the case with the general public. In fact, if you are not using your gloves rightly then there’s a big chance that you are actually contributing in the spread of the virus. The WHO does not recommend the public to use disposable gloves. It is best to wash your hands often.

3. Limit your energy usage. People these days had rely so much on their gadgets to kill boredom while staying at home. However, it is still encouraged to limit your energy usage to limit greenhouse gas emissions. You can turn the heat down to a couple degrees to save on your electric bill. During daytime, it is best to use natural lights instead of switching your lights on. Turn off appliances that are not in use. Be mindful of how much you spend in front of your computer or cellphone.

4. Try upcycling! Even during these times of pandemic, it is important to always be mindful of how much single-use plastic products you are patronizing. To help save the environment, it is wise to reuse items and containers that you would normally throw away. There are so many tips you can find online about recycling and upcycling. You can even follow our Pinterest page for these tips.

5. Encourage others to do the same. It’s always a collective effort. If you try to encourage your friends or family members to do the same then you will likely be able to offer bigger contribution to saving the environment. Remember that this pandemic is not an excuse not to think of our future.

Save the earth today for tomorrow!

It seems like a lot of people are going vegan these days. From your favorite celebrity to your college friend. Call it a fad or whatever, there are now 6.5 million self-identified vegans as of today. While some people turn to vegan lifestyle out of their love for animals, others decided to take the route because of nutritional and health concerns. So the question now is, should you go vegan too?

We’ll tackle some of the benefits of going vegan.

First of all, a vegan diet is very rich in vitamins and nutrients. Although you will have to forever say goodbye to meat and animal products, you will replace them with healthier choices of fruits, grains, vegetables, peas, beans, seeds, and nuts that are packed with beneficial nutrients. These are not pure assumptions because there are studies that confirm that a vegan diet provide more amount of antioxidants, fiber, and beneficial plant compounds. The diet also provides high amount of magnesium, potassium, vitamins A, C, and E, and folate.

A vegan diet is also a good option for those who want to lose weight. In fact, many are lured to go vegan because of the promise of weight lose. It is obvious that vegans are normally thinner and they enjoy lower body mass indexes compared to non-vegans. Interestingly, there is a study that says that a vegan diet is more effective in weight loss compared to a calorie restricted diet. So just imagine how fun it would be to eat until your heart is full without gaining extra pound. The reason could be the fact that vegetables have lower calorie count.

Some would opt for a vegan diet in order to improve their health condition. There’s truth to this because it appears that a vegan diet is a very good option to lower blood sugar level and to promote a good kidney health. Vegans enjoy lower blood sugar level, lower risks of developing type 2 diabetes, and higher insulin sensitivity. There are even studies that directly confirm that a vegan diet lower blood sugar levels among diabetics. Also, those who substitute meat with plant based protein tend to enjoy better kidney health.

Best of all, a vegan diet offers defense against cancers. The World Health Organizations confirms that one-third of cancers can be prevented through the help of proper diet. It is said that eating fruits and vegetables each day could limit your risk of developing cancer by as much as 15%. Also, a vegan diet contains high amount of soy which offers a high protection against breast cancer. Avoiding meat can also significantly reduce the risk for developing breast, prostrate, and colon cancers.

The use of stainless steel straw is a practice slowly getting adapted by fast-food restaurants nowadays. It’s for a good reason that it has started to become a replacement to plastic straws, wherein the later symbolizes the world’s unnecessary reliance to plastic.

It is no brainer to realize that plastic straws are one of the primary source of pollution nowadays. They fill up the landfill and plastic is made of non-renewable fossil fuel that can harm a large variety of marine life.

Now, reusable stainless steel straws provides a good alternative to plastic. Aside from helping in the preservation of the environment, here are more reasons to use stainless steel straws:

Provide ease of use

While there are other alternatives to plastic straws like bamboo, paper, and glass straws but they are not the best choices. First, glass straws can look stylish but they can easily get broken especially when used by kids. Bamboo straws are hard to clean because of the uneven surface they have. Paper straws on the other hand tend to loss its function when wet. So this leaves us with a stainless steel straw that functions well and is also rust-proof.

Easy to clean

Stainless steel straws are very easy to clean! Comparable to other metal kitchenware, the straw is dishwasher-safe. Most of them are also sold together with a cleaning brush which makes cleaning the straw entirely effortless.

Stylish and unique

We all want a touch of elegance when dining. No doubt, stainless steel straws look more stylish and elegant than its plastic counterpart.

Perfect as gifts

If you are looking for something unique to give your friend then a stainless straw would make a great choice! Not only they are pretty to look at but they are also functional. Your friend would truly appreciate something that she can use every day while helping save the environment from further damage.

Reusable

Plastic is designed to be used only a single time. Plastic is also cheap, which is why most companies would use plastic in their operations. But overtime, plastic can create a very big problem and can mean disaster to the environment. Stainless steel however might cost a little higher than plastic but they are reusable and very durable that they can be used for a very long time. In the long run, you will be able to save more on stainless steel straws.

It is no surprise that commercial cleaners are packed with different sorts of chemicals, toxins, and polluting substances. While they can make your life easier with their instant result, they can pose long-term concerns that can put your health and the environment at risk. Asthma, allergies, sinusitis, and bronchitis are some of the health issues you will have to deal with if you do not stop using commercial cleansers. And the sad truth is, the federal government isn’t even requiring these manufacturers to list down their actual ingredients. So since there is no guarantee to ensure that you will choose a product that’s free from dangerous chemicals, the next best thing to do is to opt for natural cleaners.

Are they effective? This is probably the first concern of people regarding natural cleaners. Yes, they are effective and natural cleaners are a great substitute from chemical-laden cleaning products. They are non-toxic and can definitely keep your house clean and sparkly! They can also save you money and of course, give you the confidence of knowing that you are doing your share in protecting the environment. Going for natural cleaners will also reduce packaging wastes. The best thing of all is, these non-toxic substitutes are just a footstep away from you since most of them are items that you already have inside your home!

Borax

Borax is a very handy help for all your cleaning needs. You can add it on your laundry to enjoy that extra clean. You can also put some on your toilet bowl, let it sit for a while, and then flush! You can use it to clean the shower and bath by adding a little water to it to make a paste. Borax is also good for removing carpet stains and to treat smelly trash bins. Borax is easily available among hardwares and at the laundry supply section of your favorite supermarkets.

Distilled Vinegar

Go for distilled white vinegar. They are inexpensive and definitely versatile to keep all your cleaning needs done! You can use it as a nontoxic disinfecting agent. Vinegar can eliminates grease, grime, and soap scum. It can also kill molds and wipe away stains on surfaces. It can be used to clean windows and sanitize surfaces. Simply combine vinegar and water into a spray bottle to clean your surfaces. For your laundry, you can add couple of tablespoons and it will deal with musty smell.

Hydrogen Peroxide

Check your medicine cabinet and you will find a very good antiseptic solution that does a really good job in keeping your house clean—hydrogen peroxide. While the name may sound complex but it is nothing more than water and oxygen. It is definitely safe! You can add mix it up with water to sanitize your wooden cutting boards. If you want to clean your drain, add some baking soda and hydrogen peroxide and watch how it can easily remove the drain grime. It is also a good toilet bowl cleaner and works as a substitute to bleach when doing your laundry.

Salt

This unassuming kitchen staple can actually play a big role in cleaning your house! It is a wonderful scouring agent. It also augments the ability of other cleaning ingredients since salt is known to boost deodorizing and cleaning actions of ingredients like vinegar. You can also use salt to clean sink drain by simply mixing it with hot water. You can rub a thin paste of salt together with vegetable oil to remove water rings on glasses.

Baking Soda

Baking soda is very powerful natural cleaning agent that works both as a deodorizer and a whitening help! You can add it to your laundry to enjoy extra white clothes. You can also make it into a paste and scrub it on your tubs, bathroom walls, and tiles. You can actually use baking soda to whiten your teeth! Best of all, you can score some good baking soda almost anywhere from groceries to drugstores in a very affordable price!

The best time to go green is right now! But much more than fad, starting a green lifestyle should become a habit and a way of life. Of course, it may be difficult to start at first since it will require a significant change in your lifestyle but you don’t have to do it drastically. In fact, you don’t have to be completely living a green life all of the sudden. You can start by making small changes, and soon you will be making bigger and more satisfying ones.

So here we give you 6 reasons why you should go green right now:

1. It can improve your health. Of course, let’s first talk about the big benefit that such lifestyle can give you. Using environmentally friendly products can radically improve your health since they are free from any harmful chemicals that poses great health risks such as cancer. By opting for chemical-free products, you are also reducing your exposure to pollutants. So as a starter, you can switch to homemade and natural cleaning products instead of getting commercially made ones. Also, you can open the windows to enjoy natural light and to get fresh air.
2. Reduce your water bill. One easy way to go green is to simply turn off the faucet when not in use! For example, you can use a glass of water instead of directly getting water from the faucet when brushing your teeth. You should only use your washing machine on full loads. You will be amazed with how much money you can save on water bill just by practicing these simple lifestyle changes.
3. Enjoy lower electric bill. Let’s admit it, electricity isn’t cheap. Fortunately, by going green, you can also save on energy and consequently lower your electric bill. For a starter, you can use LED lights that are not just environmentally friendly, but also very cost-effective. You should also make it a point to unplug your electrical device when you leave the house and when not in use. If you have enough budget, investing in solar panels is a very good decision in the long run.
4. Preserve the earth for your kid’s future. Do you ever wonder how the earth will look like in 20 years or more? Well, if we do not play our part in preserving the planet then we can expect it to turn extremely worst in the coming years. By that time, your children might have to use masks since the air had turned dirty. Or they may not have enough natural resources to consume. By going green right now, you will be able to lessen the chances for these unfortunate situations to occur.
5. Improve your creativity. Once you start living a green lifestyle, you can find yourself becoming more creative. For example, you might start finding good ways on how to recycle so your mind becomes imaginative. Who knows you can innovate something that you can sell later on!
6. Increase your home’s value. In case you choose to sell your home in the future then going green will definitely make it more sellable! Many real estate buyers favor homes with environmentally friendly features that can save owners of electric and water bills!

Probably one of the least enjoyable task inside the house is ironing clothes. So with the coming of wool ironing mats that promises to get the job done in less time, many started to be curious of whether or not this item can really deliver its promises.

Wool ironing mats are said to be more effective compared to traditional ironing boards. Due to its thermodynamic properties, it allows you to smoothen both sides of the fabric at the same time therefore requiring less time to accomplish the job.

In order to guide you better, we have compiled some of the pros and cons of wool ironing mats so you can decide on your own whether or not you would like to give it a go.

Benefits of Wool Ironing Mats

1. It can magically iron both sides of your clothes. One of the main selling points of these mats is the idea that it can iron out both sides at the same time. Of course, this is good news among busy moms because it simply means that you get to iron your clothes in less amount of time! Because wool is a good insulator, it absorbs the heat and quickly releases it. This is how the mat is “ironing both sides”.
2. Wool is insulating fiber so it helps cut your pressing time in half. Wool is known for its ability to absorb moisture. Compared to a synthetic fabric, the mat has this fuzzy feel (which is natural for wool) which helps grip the fabric tightly so they do not slip around.
3. The wool’s texture keeps the fabric in place. Another reason why people hate the idea of ironing clothes is because it is hard to keep fabric in its place. Because of the wool’s fuzzy texture, you can expect clothes to behave in place so you can proceed with ironing the clothes without hassle.

Some Drawbacks with Wool Ironing Mats

1. They do not smell good. In fact, some may complain that wool smells a bit stinky. The ironing mat can smell like barn floor although the smell is not very strong to the point that it will stink the whole house. But when they get hot and steamy, they tend to smell bad. Some would remedy this however through the use of a scented spray. Also, you don’t have to worry much because the smell tends to disappear overtime. Although there are others who may not be bothered by the smell, but it is something that some people would complain about.
2. It’s hard to find larger mats. Most of the mats sold in the market come in pretty small sizes that is not enough to iron a standard yard of fabric. In special cases, there are people who like to buy bigger ones to accommodate larger sheets.

Overall, the use of wool ironing mats is a promising addition in every household. They cut back energy consumption cost by allowing you to iron your clothes in half the time so you get to save on your money too!

Change has to start with you. If you are really serious about your concern for the earth and the future generation, then it pays to do your job to save the environment from further damages. Sad to say, many people are still doing things every day that contribute to the damage. While many of them give a big frown once they see and hear about issues like garbage problems and animal abuse, but that usually ends there.

It is sensible to start the change with you. So here are 10 simple steps that you can practice every day that will truly help preserve the earth from further problem.

Be conscious and aware of your actions. The first thing to do is to become aware of some practices that you typically do in a day that is not helping towards living a sustainable life. For example, you can vow to start using shampoo bars since they are more economical and they are more earth-friendly. Another thing you could do is by making a conscious effort to cut back on your energy consumption. Buy solar lights for a start! Take some time to assess your life to know some lifestyle changes that you can do.

Stop buying bottled water. Not only are you spending extra money on bottled water but the plastic container is very damaging to the earth. You can remedy this by buying a water filtration pitcher at your home. Despite the initial investment, you will be able to save money in the long run. Plus, you can help the earth by eliminating the use of plastic bottles that would only add more trash to the landfills.

Try going paperless. Because of technology, you no longer need to be keeping paper records all the time. So you can ask your bank and credit card companies to send you paperless financial statements by opting for emails. Also, you can book online so you don’t have to be carrying tickets to movies or sporting events. You can also keep digital copies of your photos instead of printing them out.

Turn the lights off. Turn out the light when you are sleeping or during mornings. Studies show that people use lights too often even when they are not needed. Many actually forgets to turn off the light after they use the bathroom or when they leave the house. Not only will this result to bigger electric bill but will also increase energy consumption in your home, which again can damage the earth.

Drive less. So many people own a car without realizing that they can actually save on money and energy if they learn to drive together. Carbon dioxide emitted by vehicles is the major cause of global warming. You can help the environment by joining a car pool or taking the public commute. You can also try to go biking or walking, especially if your destination is near your place.

Invest on more plants! Each time you plant a tree or take care of a plant, you are helping clean the air. Adding plants to your home will also make it more attractive.

Wash full loads. Do you know that in United States, residents can help fill 7 million swimming pools with water that they can save by opting to wash less often? Most families would wash their clothes on schedule, regardless whether they have full load or not. Waiting to pile up the dirty clothes before they are washed can cut down water consumption and definitely make the Earth happier.