BYOR: Bring Your Own Reusables
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”
-Anne Marie Bonneau
Reducing our daily waste is a way to help improve the environment around us. Unfortunately creating waste is part of life, luckily there are some pretty simple ways to significantly reduce our regular rubbish!
Making lifestyle changes can be tricky, so convenience is key for making changes that stick and become habits. Here are some simple swaps that will make sustainability on the go a little simpler.
BYO Mug: Don’t give up the coffee, just the flimsy paper cup! Bringing your own coffee mug will reduce the number of disposable cups that end up in the trash and landfills. Also, lots of coffee shops offer a discount if you bring your own cup, why not save some money while cleaning up our earth? The mug I always bring with me on the go is the Yeti Tumbler, I absolutely love it! This mug comes in so many different colors and keeps my drinks either super hot or cold, depending on what I have. The best kind of mug is one that holds enough caffeine to get me through the day, but small enough to stash when I’m done. Look for a mug that is dishwasher safe for an easy clean up that is ready for use again the next day!
BYO Straw: Lots of places are now going straw-less, so bring your own straw to avoid this! Also, by bringing your own reusable straw, less plastic will end up in places it shouldn’t, like our oceans (save the turtles, am I right?)! My favorite reusable straws are glass so that I can see inside them to know they’re getting clean in between each use. Paper straws are another eco-friendly option as long as you’re prepared to slurp (ok, ew) your drink before the straw turns soggy! Tip: Keep your reusable straws and cup together so you can easily take them on the go!
BYO Grocery/Produce Bags: A plastic grocery bag is used for an average of 12 minutes from the grocery store to your home, so why not switch to a cloth bag and use it over and over again! Reusable grocery bags are so versatile and can be used for way more than just groceries. I enjoy collecting cloth bags from all of my travels and I love pulling one out and remembering the occasion when I bought it. I find myself using these bags to carry more than just groceries and always keep them in my car for easy access.
PS. Bringing your own produce bags to the store is huge for reducing the amount of plastic that is used when grocery shopping. Ditch those plastic produce bags and swap them out for a reusable one! Tip: Keep your reusable produce bags with your grocery bags so they’re always together and ready for your next shopping trip!
BYO Utensils: When packing your lunch (in your reusable containers, obviously), don’t forget to bring your utensils! By bringing your own utensils, you’ll never have to use a plastic fork or spoon or spork again. Sometimes plastic cutlery is unavoidable, but day to day, bringing your own utensils with your lunch will reduce your plastic waste. Who knows, you may just inspire your co-workers to do the same! Also, have you seen the cute cutlery pouches that are available to buy? Check out Etsy for some options that will make you never forget to bring your own fork again!
BYO Water Bottle: Plastic water bottles make up a huge percentage of the global plastic waste. Though plastic water bottles can be convenient, they take more than 450 years to biodegrade, and thats not convenient for the earth! Bringing your own water bottle can greatly reduce the number of disposable bottles that end up in landfills and in the ocean. Personalizing your reusable water bottle can be a fun way to show your unique style. Support a small business and style your bottle with some handmade stickers from our friend @stickwithitri.
Just making one of these simple swaps in your daily routine can put you on the path to being a more thoughtful member of club earth. If you have any additional suggestions or products to share with the NJE community, please tag us on Instagram @nothingjusteverything so we can post for everyone to see!
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