Sustainable Ways to Be Sustainable – Sally B’s Skin Yummies

Sustainability is one of those buzzwords that is everywhere these days. And now that Earth Month has begun, expect to hear from him a lot more often! In fact, we hear it so often that we may never stop to think about what it means to be sustainable.

Sustainability can really be understood in two different ways. The first concerns materials and assumes that there are a limited number of resources available. Material sustainability means that we must use products that make use of these resources in the best possible way.

The second type of sustainability refers to practices and habits. It would probably be very difficult to find someone who wants to actively “harm” the planet. But when most people are faced with ways to be more sustainable than materials, they find that they are too harsh.

So in honor of Earth Month, we’re offering some tips on how to transition to a more eco-friendly lifestyle. These habits are easy enough to incorporate into your regular routines, so hopefully you can maintain these ways of sustainability. While we understand you can’t implement them all, commit to doing your part whenever you can, because every little bit helps.

1. If you forget your reusable grocery bags at home, go ahead and use the disposable plastic ones instead. While most household recycling programs do not accept plastic bags, all supermarkets have bins to collect and recycle them. So collect them and return them to the grocery store on your next visit for recycling!
2. Save up to 90% of the energy your washing machine uses by washing your clothes in cold water instead of hot.
3. Speaking of appliances, new dishwashers only use about 1 gallon of water per cycle, while hand dishes can use up to 15! So you run your dishwasher every night, even if you have it half full.
4. Put an end to those paper-wasting “pre-qualified” credit card offers. Just go to www.optoutprescreen.com to remove yourself from credit card company lists.
5. Take the stairs instead of the escalator at least once a day. This way, you burn your energy (calories) instead of the planet!
6. While driving, avoid the jack rabbit starts and stops. Flooring the gas pedal not only wastes gas, but leads to drastically higher pollution rates. One second of high-powered driving can produce almost the same amount of carbon monoxide emissions as half an hour of normal driving.
7. Teach children to turn off the water while brushing their teeth. Leaving the faucet running for the recommended two minutes of brushing can waste up to five gallons of water per day.
8. Say no to Drain-O. If you have a clog and no standing water, pour in one cup of baking soda, then chase it with three cups of boiling water and repeat if necessary. If there is backup water, pour a cup of washing soda into the spot above the dam, wait for it to settle, then use the baking soda technique.
9. When you leave your desk, be sure to turn off your computer screen, especially for long periods like your lunch break. A computer set to “screensaver” mode consumes almost as much power as it does when it’s in use.
10. Let the companies you buy from know that you support businesses that are taking steps to be environmentally responsible. If it’s a merchant, let them know you prefer to buy organic, recyclable products. Companies will follow their customers’ demand.
11. Switch to soaker hoses instead of sprinklers in your garden, as they can reduce water waste by up to 70%. Soaker hoses apply irrigation water directly to the roots of your plants, so the water doesn’t evaporate like it does with a sprinkler. Also, avoid watering during the hot hours of the day.
12. Print on both sides of the paper or use the back of the used paper for notes or for the kids to color.
13. Reuse shipping boxes by detaching the tabs that hold the box together or removing the tape that holds the box together. Turn the packaging over and just rebuild the box the other way around and voila, a box is good twice!
14. Put food coloring in your toilet tank. If it seeps into the bowl without being flushed out, there is a leak. Fix it and start saving gallons.
15. According Energy Star, sealing and insulating ducts can improve the efficiency of your HVAC system by more than 20%. This is an energy and money saver that will keep you cool all summer long!
16. According Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, Sending fats, oils and grease (FOG) down the drain can result in raw sewage reaching rivers and streams, causing nutrient and bacteria levels to rise and oxygen levels to drop, thus posing a threat to aquatic life. Instead, collect the FOG in a container and cool it before disposing of it in a waste bin.
17. If you are using solid wood for a project, choose products with Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label, certifying that the wood was grown and harvested responsibly. Or find salvaged lumber products at local used building material retailers.
18. Ditch your dependence on disposable sandwich bags for reusable ones. Either make your own with some thread and velcro or buy one like it these adorable ones on Etsy.
19. Many commercial air fresheners use chemicals that can be harmful to pets and baby’s development. Instead, lightly spritz the area with a mixture of essential oils in water or Organic Witch Hazel.
20. Commit to using body washes and scrubs WITHOUT microbeads, which are a major threat to our waterways and marine life. You can download it Win the Microbead appwhich will tell you if your product has microbeads.

We hope this list helps you transition to a greener lifestyle, but this is just the beginning! There are many more things you can do to minimize your impact on the planet, such as using clean non-toxic skin care products such as Sally B’s Skin Yummies. Let’s commit to making every day Earth Day and challenge ourselves to keep making bigger and better strides all year long for a greener world!