Doing right by our planet doesn’t have to be complicated! Let go of feeling overwhelmed and join us in making five simple eco-friendly changes to our daily routines.

1 - Use Bar Soap
Plastic pump bottles for liquid hand/bath soaps are a good place to start. The manufacturing of the bottle, pump, and the soap all involve extracting and consuming fossil fuels. Good old fashioned soap in a bar can be made without any of those pesky petroleum products, just make sure you look for soaps without Polyethylene glycol (it's made from petroleum). And buy package free soap bars whenever possible!

 2 - Bring Your Own Lunch
There is such a thing as a free lunch: the left overs from last night's dinner! Lunch is a good place to go waste free: pack food in glass containers, wrap items in your favorite cloth napkin or linen tea towel, use beeswax wraps, and bring your own silverware and straw. The commitment to go plastic free at lunch is a small change with a big impact!

3 - Use Tea Towels or Cloth Napkins
Natural fiber textiles are as absorbent as paper towels and can be used countless times. We love linen for it’s absorbency, stain-resistance and durability, but cotton and hemp are also good. Try switching out paper for one month.

4- Hang Your Laundry to Dry
I refer to hanging up the laundry as 'slow laundry'. Dryers account for up to 6% of household electricity use in the United States and much of that electricity is generated from costly fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. I like to do a small load of laundry (in my water/energy efficient washing machine) after dinner then hang it up inside to dry overnight.

5- Drink Your Tea Loose
Most teabags you get in the store contain plastic like polyester. It helps them stay together in hot water. Switch to loose leaf tea and try our linen tea bags - skip the plastic!

We know that life is busy and that convenience is necessary. Sustainable living can be overwhelming, but start now and start small. Each of these changes are beautiful, uncomplicated, and practical. If we all start to make small changes at home, we can make big changes in the world.