The need to embrace eco-friendly practices has become a huge deal, especially as environmental issues grow. People are now adopting more eco-friendly options on the market, from their food choices to the bags they buy.
Back in the day, plastic shopping bags dominated the manufacturing industry. However, most stores and businesses have replaced plastic and nylon bags with eco-friendly options. Here is where eco-friendly bags come in.
These innovative alternatives allow customers to reduce their carbon footprint. This guide highlights some top benefits of eco-friendly bags and why you should consider them.
Durable
Eco-friendly bags are made from high-quality fabric. Cotton, canvas, linen, and Tencel are common materials for making eco-friendly bags. The bags are made with durability in mind to ensure they are versatile and last a long time.
You can find different bags, from stylish tote bags to basic rucksacks made from recycled cotton. Moreover, the bags are available in various sizes to cater to different needs. The bags can also be branded and used for promotional purposes.
There are many customization options for eco-friendly bags. You can have screen printing, heat transfer, sublimation, and machine embroidery. Some of these printing options cannot be done on plastic or nylon bags.
Less Plastic Waste
Plastic bags are built for single use only. Most people dispose of the bags alongside their kitchen waste. Studies show that plastic waste is the leading cause of environmental pollution. Plastics destroy both ocean and terrestrial ecosystems.
Using eco-friendly bags has reduced the amount of plastic waste that ends up in dumpsites and oceans. The overall effect has been less pollution and a better ecosystem. Also, other industries, for example, fast food joints, are replacing plastic cups and straws with more eco-friendly options to complement their branded recyclable packaging.
Cheaper and Cost-Effective
How so, you may ask? A lot of energy is used to make plastic bags. In addition, the need for plastic bags is high as they are not durable. Eco-friendly bags are durable, meaning that you can use the bag for a couple of months before wear and tear takes over.
Eco-friendly bags are made from recyclable materials, which reduces the carbon print during production. The bags can be sued to make other products, such as mats and rugs.
Governments are also implementing a tax on plastic bags. Retail stores using plastic bags will have to pay extra taxes. This move is to help incentivize the adoption of eco-friendly alternatives such as eco-friendly shopping bags.
Sustainable Lifestyles
You will probably find most homes with kitchen cabinets full of plastic bags. By using eco-friendly bags, people can actively participate in sustainable practices. For instance, you only need one or two medium-sized or large tote bags for grocery shopping.
Unlike plastic or nylon bags, the tote bag can be hand-washed and reused multiple times.
Bottom Line
Adopting eco-friendly bags is a step towards a healthier and more sustainable future. By adopting eco-friendly alternatives, businesses can also educate the masses and gain more customers. The bags can be used as promotional products with branding and logos.
As the need to adopt responsible lifestyles increases, the demand for sustainable fashion has grown at a rapid pace. While opting for products made with organic materials is a fantastic solution, it’s not the only great way to reduce your carbon footprint.
A conscious effort to make fashion choices that protect the planet will remove any feelings of guilt that you may have had. Likewise, it’ll often deliver increased comfort and support your long-term financial health. Follow some of the steps below and you should notice a significant reduction in your carbon footprint.
Avoid Fast Fashion
Fast fashion can spell disaster for the environment for many reasons. The materials are often sourced in a less ethical way while the mass production methods create a lot of waste energy and materials. Worse still, the inferior quality of the goods means that consumers have to replace the items far sooner, which only adds to the problem.
Finding an online boutique that operates in a responsible manner and partners with reliable brands is good news for everyone. The increased quality translates to better styles for the consumer. Likewise, the long-term costs are far smaller than the false economy of super-cheap products. Besides, many boutiques are surprisingly affordable.
Use Local Services
When thinking about the environmental impact that fashion has on the planet, it’s not just about the materials. The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of the planet’s carbon emissions. Waste materials and energy consumption during manufacturing processes are key contributors. However, it’s often the impact of transporting goods that really hurts.
Clothes may travel from one country to another before moving to a warehouse before then being transported to a store or customer. Where possible, using domestic firms is a far better solution than importing goods from halfway around the world. Not least when you consider the fact that you may have to return some of those goods.
Learn To Repair Clothes
Even if you buy premium quality goods, there is always the risk that your sweater will get a hole or the zip on a jacket might break. Thankfully, there are plenty of online tutorials that will allow you to fix minor faults from the comfort of your home. Alternatively, you could use these ideas to revamp outfits that you’ve worn too often or have stopped loving.
Repairing and upcycling your existing clothes will breathe new life into them with stunning results. You will naturally reduce your carbon footprint because you won’t need to trash them or replace them. This will naturally save you a lot of money as you can find accessories like sequins, buttons, and thread for a fraction of what new products would cost.
Buy Used Fashion
Revamping your old clothes isn’t the only way to see the benefits of giving clothes a new lease on life. Another effective solution is to buy previously owned garments from charity shops, garage sales, or online platforms. There is, in particular, a growing trend for the latter option, and becomes even more effective when you find local sellers.
Buying used fashion items isn’t only a good way to save money and prevent products from ending up in the trash. It also gives you a fantastic opportunity to experiment with new fashion styles without breaking the bank. And once you’re finished with a garment or outfit, you can sell it or donate it to a charity shop to help someone else embrace sustainability.
Consider Rentals
There are few bigger forms of waste than buying an outfit that you’ll only wear once. However, weddings and special events may call for you to find an outfit befitting the occasion. In this situation, renting a suit or outfit could be the far better solution. It’s better for your bank balance and can make the outfit-hunting process far smoother.
Moreover, it’ll reduce your carbon footprint for many reasons. The outfits can be worn time and time again by multiple people. In addition to that increased usage, the fact is that the majority of clients will be local users. So, the carbon emissions caused by transportation will be significantly reduced. You will be supporting a concept that really makes a difference.
Take Care Of Your Clothes
Sourcing clothes in a sustainable fashion is one thing. However, it’s equally important to take good care of those items. For starters, washing them at a lower temperature can help reduce your carbon emissions. In addition to impacting your footprint in relation to fashion, it will influence the situation relating to the home.
It is also important to consider the storage and protection of seasonal clothes. Many people find that airtight clothing storage is the ideal choice. Whether kept in the garage or at a self-storage unit doesn’t matter. Any opportunity to prolong their lifespan will help. Of course, wearing appropriate clothing for an activity is highly advised too.
Analyze A Company’s Habits
Partnering with responsible brands and retailers is one of the best ways to support sustainable fashion. You will find that their actions easily outweigh any personal changes you implement. Therefore, it’s important to conduct a little research to see what steps they have taken to create a sustainable business model.
Some of the most effective options include using renewable energy, EVs, and eco-friendly packaging. You can also check out any awards, press coverage, or initiatives that support the company’s claims. If nothing else, it helps you shop with confidence.
Focus On Organic Beauty
As already stated, the materials used to create your clothing will have a huge impact. However, it is difficult to buy exclusively-organic products. In truth, you may find it a lot easier to focus on organic beauty. Aside from helping the environment, it will actively enhance your skin and deliver long-term anti-aging. After all, chemicals are not good for the skin.
An organic beauty makeover can deliver a plethora of direct benefits. Crucially, seeing and feeling the rewards will help you adopt a better mindset. This should give you the added motivation needed to embrace the ideas above. Better still, you will find that it becomes easier to sustain the improvements for the long haul. Looking good never felt better.
If you have made the decision to look at sustainability in relation to your wardrobe, you might be wondering what exactly you can do to lower your carbon footprint and start making better choices in this area.
With that in mind, below you will find some of the easiest ways to increase your wardrobe’s sustainability, so you can get started right away without having to spend a fortune on fancy sustainable brands:
#1: Hit the thrift store
If you want your wardrobe to be more sustainable, then one of the best things you can do is commit to buying fewer new garments overall. Hitting the thrift stores and looking for interesting clothes that are new to you but not new to the market, is an amazing way to reduce your carbon footprint and even better, to curate a look that is completely unique to you. When you go thrifting, you just never know what you are going to find!
#2: Swap with friends
If you fancy a change in your style, instead of hitting the stores to buy something brand new, why not arrange a clothing swap with your friends instead/ you can each bring along a few pieces of clothing that you no longer love, and then swap them between yourselves so you all end up with something new, to your wardrobe, at least.
#3: Choose more sustainable fabrics
If you do need to buy something new, then choosing garments that are made from more sustainable fabrics, like the bamboo sandals and accessories https://paisleygraceboutique.com/ or sustainable cotton t-shirts, which many retailers are now selling, will help to keep your wardrobe’s carbon footprint down, while also ensuring that you look amazing.
#4: Stop washing after one wear
One thing that will hugely improve your wardrobe’s sustainability is simply washing your clothes less often. Many of us wash garments after one wear but unless they have gotten dirty or smell bad, then it really is not necessary, and causes lots more water and power to be used than necessary. Washing too often also causes clothing to degrade faster, which means it will need to be replaced sooner, which is not ideal either.
#5: Rent clothing
If you need, say a ball gown for a fancy black tie event or a stunning designer dress for a one-off wedding, then it is much better for the environment for you to simply rent your outfit from a company that offers such a service. If you are only going to wear an outfit a handful of times, then buying it and leaving it to wither away in your wardrobe is really not the sustainable choice; rent and you won’t regret it because you will be improving your carbon footprint, and you’ll probably be able to afford to wear something a whole lot more luxe too.
As you can see, making the choice to increase your wardrobe’s sustainability is so simple, and so affordable that you’d be foolish not to consider it. So, what are you waiting for?
Did you know that approximately 50 million Americans experience acne every year? According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, acne is the most common skin complaint in the United States. More often than not, it begins in puberty. However, the condition can still appear when you are an adult.
Puberty-related acne is typically linked to a sudden change in hormones, which occurs during adolescence. Hormonal fluctuations can lead to an increased secretion of sebum and oil, which can lead to clogged-up pores. Unfortunately, it’s the reason why pimples appear to plague young people.
However, you may still be affected by unpleasant outbreaks as an adult. Why does acne continue to happen throughout your 20s, 30s, 40s, and even later in life?
The answer is more complex than it seems. There could be a variety of causes for acne in adult life, ranging from stress to lifestyle choices. But summer is a season that tends to increase the risk of pimple outbreaks, and here is why it happens and how to fight it sustainably.
The importance of packaging
Skincare has become an essential ritual, not only in terms of mental and physical self-care but also as a social expectation. People are expected to take better care of their skin because society now has access to better information regarding skin health.
Additionally, countless beauty and fashion magazines have jumped on the trends and offered insights into the skincare routine of celebrities and influencers, such as Vogue Magazine.
Unfortunately, the popular 10 steps skincare routine models that have become viral on social media present a huge inconvenience to the environment. The global skincare market size is expected to reach $145.8 billion by 2028 as people become more aware of their skin needs. Unfortunately, skin care products also bring packaging. As the market is growing, its impact on the environment needs to reduce rapidly.
So, if you are considering the purchase of new acne-focused products, you want to focus on brands that are actively reducing packaging waste and making green choices.
How to choose the right green products for your skin
You can work closely with a dermatologist to determine what your skin needs. It is not uncommon for dermatologists to have a specialist brand they partner with or help design. However, they also have knowledge of other brands and can help you make a better choice for your skin health.
A dermatologist can help you with:
Identifying brands with natural ingredients
Recognizing brands that have a low environmental impact through manufacturing to packaging processes
Understanding which ingredients are best for you
Cutting down and simplifying your routine (more is not necessarily better)
It may be worth also keeping a journal of the products you use as part of your beauty routine, as makeup or moisturizing lotion could be the cause of your outbreaks.
Summer skin inflammation problems
Why is your skin more likely to be inflamed in summer?
Summer is a season that makes a lot of promises but rarely delivers. You may be planning for a lovely day, so you can give your favorite light summer dress a spin. But, the temperatures can rise suddenly and ruin your plan. Suddenly, the dress feels suffocating on your skin, trapping the sweat under the surface. Additionally, you might find it hard to stay hydrated in summer. Mild dehydration is a frequent occurrence, leading to water retention, which can cause frictions against the dress fabric. You may notice red marks around the armpits, the elbows, and the waist, where light swelling can lead to discomfort. The condition is not dangerous and is often easily regulated via increasing your water intake over a few days. It can also be helpful to avoid excessive sun exposure so your body can keep its moisture. But the combination of frictions and sweat may lead to inflamed outbreaks. You can help with solutions that can soothe, cleanse, and target inflammation. You may even have everything you need already at home. Have you heard about the skin-calming benefits of using colloidal oatmeal? A mixture of water and oatmeal can work wonders on your summer skin, helping reduce problems in the typical areas.
Other causes of inflammation and acne in summer can be mosquito or other bug bites. The summer heat may increase discomfort around the area where you’ve been bitten. So it gets harder not to scratch. Yet, the more you scratch, the more likely you are to tear through the upper skin layer. This could increase the risk of exposure to bacteria, dirt, or even waste products such as sweat, causing inflammation and clogged pores.
Sunscreen protection is a must, but at which cost?
Ideally, you should wear sunscreen lotion daily, regardless of the season. Yet, most people tend to skip protection in winter and focus only on the summer day. As tempting as it is to buy lotions in inexpensive family packs, you want to research the skin benefits of each lotion.
Indeed, sunscreen cream is the number one cause of acne outbreaks in summer, as it can clog the pores. Some sunscreens may also use chemicals that can irritate the skin and increase the risk of breakouts. So, you want to ensure you pick a sunscreen that is safe for your skin type. Read the label carefully to check whether:
It includes oil, which is a no-no for oily skin
It mentions comedogenic ingredients (or is not labeled as a non-comedogenic sunscreen)
You can help clear your skin naturally with this homemade skin hygiene recipe that can reduce redness and inflammation.
Dermatologists also recommend mineral sunscreens, which tend to be lightweight and anti-inflammatory ingredients. Chemical sunscreens tend to increase sweating, which can affect your pores. Select also a product that contains niacinamide, which can help control breakouts.
Your diet affects your skin
You are what you eat. Nutritionists recommend healthy foods that can address skin balance and health, such as fatty fish for keeping your skin hydrated, walnuts for reducing inflammation, and bell peppers for bringing in antioxidants. Summer is the best season for healthy salads that are packed with nutrients and vitamins.
Yet, it’s also a season for indulgence! After all, the sun is hot, so it’s the perfect weather to have ice cream at the beach. Americans consume approximately 22 pounds of ice cream every year, and the hot weather contributes to increased consumption. Unfortunately, two of the main ingredients in ice cream are tightly connected to acne outbreaks: dairy products and sugar. The yummy summer scoops in a cone could well be the cause of your frequent outbreaks. The quickest way to know is to write a journal of your daily activities and food, comparing skin health day after day. You may also want to experiment with removing some food groups from your summer diet.
Another surprising effect of the nice weather is the friendly garden party and BBQ event. With Independence Day celebrations, you might find yourself standing in front of a garden grill, preparing burgers for your guests. Prolonged exposure to the smoke could lead to buildups on your skin, which could affect its health and appearance. So, if you are a BBQ lover, you may want to take good care of your skin hygiene during and after a grill party:
Avoid touching your face while in the vicinity of a BBQ
Always wash your hands after handling raw meat or any part of the grill
Wash your face thoroughly after a BBQ to ensure you can remove fine smoke particles that may clog your pores
Let’s be real: Summer leads to excessive sweating
If you live in a region that is prone to heatwaves, you are probably familiar with uncomfortable nights at the peak of the summer. Your body sweats more during the summer than it does in winter. So, you might notice dry sweat patches on your pillow or mattress cover. These patches can also trap bacteria. The last thing you want at night is to lie down on top of a bacteria pool. While it is unlikely to put your immune system at risk if you are healthy, it could affect your skin and lead to acne outbreaks.
As a rule of thumb, you should change your bed sheets at least once a week in summer. It may even be easier to switch to daily changes during a heatwave, especially if you have sensitive, acne-prone skin.
The same principle also applies to your bath and face towels, as they accumulate dirt and bacteria.
Some ideas to reduce sweating at night:
You can place your bed sheets in the freezer for a few minutes before making the bed at night.
If you have a bed water bottle, you can also place it in the freezer during the day so it is ready to use when you go to bed.
A cold shower will increase sweating as your body experiences a temperature shock. Instead, try to take a short shower at a warmer temperature, closer to your body’s natural temperature.
Hopefully, these few ideas can help you understand and manage the unpleasant summer outbreaks. Keep your skin clean and fresh this summer with strategic and sustainable choices in terms of cleansing routines, products, and everyday lifestyle!
Natural and earth-friendly materials are back in style thanks to the rising awareness of sustainability and eco-friendly initiatives. This means that consumers today look for good and ethically produced products. As a result, manufacturers have started using natural fibers, organic dyes, recycled materials, and other processes that are friendly to the environment. Even if eco-friendly materials aren’t as widely used as synthetic ones, there is no excuse for not using them. Making your own eco-friendly jewelry at home is an excellent way to support sustainable practices while also getting much satisfaction from creating something beautiful and useful.
Why Make Eco-friendly Jewelry?
The benefits of eco-friendly jewelry are almost endless, but we’ll list the most important ones here. First, sustainable production processes are better for the planet. They use less energy and emit fewer toxic chemicals, which means they are better for the workers. That means eco-friendly jewelry is better for you and your loved ones. Second, eco-friendly jewelry often uses less plastic and more sustainable materials, such as wood and fabric, which means it can be used for longer. Eco-friendly jewelry also has a much longer lifespan than synthetic jewelry materials since it does not break down as quickly. And since it is mainly made from recycled materials, it also helps you reduce your carbon footprint. Finally, eco-friendly jewelry is more affordable since the materials are less costly than synthetic ones.
Materials for eco-friendly jewelry
Generally speaking, eco-friendly jewelry can be made from almost any natural material, including wood, paper, glass, fabric, seeds, stones, and more. Of course, the suitability of particular materials is subject to your creativity and skill. If you want to make a wearable item, we recommend using soft, pliable materials, such as fabric, leather, seeds, or paper. This way, you get the durability of the material and its aesthetics. To make eco-friendly jewelry, you will need to gather natural fibers, seeds, or stones; a pair of scissors; a needle and thread; and some jewelry findings, such as clasps, jump rings, and ear wires. You can also use household items like egg cartons to make beads or aluminum foil to make pendants.
Recycled Metal Jewelry
Recycled metal jewelry is made from used or old metals like copper, silver, pewter, gold, and aluminum. It is not only earth-friendly since it uses old materials, but also has a vintage look that is popular for special occasions. You can use recycled jewelry to make simple and minimalist necklaces and bracelets or find creative ways to incorporate recycled materials into more intricate designs. For instance, you can make a pair of earrings by melting coins and pouring the liquid into a pair of earring backs. Another idea is to use an old coin or a medallion as a pendant. You can also make a simple ring by soldering old jewelry. As earrings can be quite expensive if you have recently gotten a new ear piercing, it is likely that you won’t want to wear pieces that are not made of metal while you’re worried about your cartilage piercing healing. Therefore, turning to create your own earrings will keep the cost down and will also be environmentally responsible.
Beaded Eco-Friendly Jewelry
Since beads are a popular decorative item, they are a great addition to any eco-friendly jewelry collection. You can use natural materials like wood, seeds, shells, or fabric to make beads. For example, to make a beaded necklace, you can use wooden beads and thread them onto a cord. You can also use glass, ceramic, or porcelain beads and string them onto a chain. You can also make seed beads by rolling seeds in a thread, which will give them a round shape. Another option is to use fabric to make beads by hand-stitching pieces of fabric together.
Eco-Friendly Ring Wraps
Ring wraps are made from fabrics like velvet, satin, and cotton. You can use eco-friendly materials, like organic cotton or natural fibers, or recycled fabrics like wool, linen, or mixed cotton. This means you can use your creativity to make each ring wrap unique. You can also incorporate eco-friendly materials into intricate designs. When making ring wraps, you should remember that rings need more room to expand, so your ring wrap should be about 3 inches wide.
Recycled Paper Beads
If you want to make jewelry with a twist, you can use paper to make beads. Paper beads are eco-friendly since they are made from recycled paper and have a stylish, modern design. You can use almost any type of paper. However, thicker paper, like cardboard, is better suited since it is easier to roll and manipulate. You can use paper beads to make a necklace or a bracelet or incorporate them into more intricate jewelry pieces.
DIY Macrame Bracelet
For a simple bracelet, you can use any natural material. We recommend using cotton or hemp, biodegradable or recyclable acrylic yarn. You can also incorporate other eco-friendly materials, like wooden beads, papers, or shells. You can make a macrame bracelet by following a simple weave pattern. Once you finish, you can finish it off with a clasp.
There’s no better feeling than making something with your own hands, especially when it is eco-friendly. Jewelry is a great way to express your creativity and use materials you can find around you. Creating eco-friendly jewelry is an excellent way to support sustainable practices while also getting much satisfaction from creating something beautiful and valuable.
