Sustainable Swaps to make for Earth Day, Every Day

In our corner of the Midwest, April is a fickle (and sometimes downright cruel!) month. It's also when Americans typically celebrate Earth Day. And while there is definitely value in taking this time to do a neighborhood clean-up, plant a tree, or educate yourself on the climate crisis - We believe that its an even better time to adopt a new every-day practice to ensure our planet is safe for future generations.

Here are the facts - There are more than 5 trillion pieces of plastic already floating in our oceans. We also know that only about 9% of plastic is recycled, and nearly 80% ends up in landfills, where any given piece could take hundreds of years to decompose. 

At our shop 473, we've got tons of ideas for easy "sustainable swaps" you can make TODAY to begin reducing your household waste and single-use plastics:

1. We're proud to be stockists for Meliora home cleaning products, which are made from safe ingredients and eco-friendly refillable packaging. 473 now carries everything from laundry detergent to dish soap, so we've got your whole home covered. 

2. At your next get-together, swap plastic cutlery for compostable wood 

3. Eliminate plastic cling-wrap and use eco-friendly food wraps instead (these also make a great host or housewarming gift)

4. Swap plastic snack and sandwich bags for reusable, Re-Zip Bags

5. Cut out plastic grocery bags. Keep a number of sturdy tote bags in your car, and practice bringing them every time you enter a grocery store (my extra tip is to always bring one more bag than you think you'll need!). We carry a great selection of high-quality totes that will last for years.

6. When shopping for new accessories, look for items that utilize recycled materials. At String Theory, we love ORI Bags because of their sustainable production practices and use of recycled plastic. Oh, and they look amazing too!

7. This one is worth double points for sustainabiliy: Swap single-use paper towels for Marley's Unpaper Towels. The clever design means that the unpaper towels work just like the real thing, but you can wash and reuse them. This reduces not only paper but also single-use plastic (think of the plastic that usually covers a roll of paper towels at the grocery store).

8. Consider switching to personal care products that use zero packaging, such as our natural hair care shampoo and conditioner bars. Each bar lasts for 2-3 times more washes than a standard non-recyclable plastic bottle of similar product, which saves you money too!

What "sustainable swaps" have you made that have helped to reduce waste in your home? Share your tips and tricks in the comments, and be sure to come visit us this month at 473 in person or online!