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Eco friendly habits can be easy to implement! If you have already made the switch to the DivaCup, you may have made it for any variety of reasons.
Maybe you were excited about the cost-savings or the 12 hours of leak-free protection, or maybe (like many of us) you found disposables bulky and uncomfortable and knew that there had to be a better way.
Whatever your reasoning may have been, many of our Divas really start to notice the big environmental changes they are making by ditching the disposables. It is one small change, but it makes a HUGE difference. Here is a list of other changes you can make in your life that help reduce your environmental footprint.
Though it may not feel realistic to tackle them all just yet, even doing one or two of them can make a positive change.
1) Buy Vintage and Donate
When it’s time to pick out some clothes or a cute outfit for an event, why not make the stylish and eco-friendly choice of buying vintage?
Buying vintage is definitely the most stylish form of recycling!
When you purchase something vintage, you are saving money, reducing the eco-footprint, and resources used up in new clothes production, processing and shipping. You also have a much better chance of finding a one-of-a-kind outfit that can really showcase your personal style.
When you are done with clothes, be sure to donate them (or trade or sell them). Someone will love your old treasures just as much as you did!
2) Go Bagless
So replacing plastic bags has definitely become a thing in various parts of the world where it is encouraged to bring and use reusable bags for purchases (like groceries), but why not take it a step further?
Even though many of us may use reusable bags for our groceries, we still often grab the thin plastic produce bags, or perhaps small bags for bulk items, but did you know there are reusable options for all of these?
It’s true. There are reusable produce bags made from materials like canvas, muslin, or mesh and you can use reusable containers in lieu of snack bags!
Many bulk stores will also allow you to bring your own containers instead of using bags.
3) Replace Your Commute with a Greener Option
There are many green options for getting to work or school. If you are a commuter, with a long daily drive to the office, why not try looking into carpooling, the train, or busing?
Long drives can be painful, boring, and tiring as well as come at a horrendous cost environmentally and to your wallet with the ever-climbing prices for gas. For many of us buying an electric car, or a hybrid, isn’t realistic. Sharing the ride can be a lot more social and environmental as can forgoing the car completely for some form of public transport. If you live close to work/school, you might enjoy walking, biking or skateboarding to get you there and back.
4) Reduce Chemical Use
When cleaning the house, your clothes, or even yourself, there are many options available naturally or commercially that help reduce the use of harmful chemicals.
This is both healthier for you as well as better for the environment. As the cleaners we use wash down the drain and are flushed down the toilets, they can enter our waterways which can affect the quality of drinking water as well as compromise aquatic ecosystems. Other cleansers can contaminate our air quality and contribute to greenhouse gases. For these reasons it is important to read the label and be cognizant of what you are using to clean yourself and your surroundings. There are also many natural options for cleaning, such as vinegar, lemon, baking soda etc.
There are a ton of articles online that can give you some tips to get started! Remember, DivaWash is a great option as a body wash and face wash, and guess what? It’s 100% plant based!
5) Buy Local
Buying local fruits and vegetables is a great option for so many reasons! Not only are you supporting local farms and the local economy, but this deliciously green alternative has some amazing environmental benefits.
By buying local produce you’re also cutting down on the fuel used in transporting, processing, and packaging the produce. This added to the fact that local product can ripen naturally rather than on a truck, boat, or plane, means that your food will taste better as well.
6) Replace Paper Products
If you ever break it down and think about how much paper products you might use, it can honestly be a little daunting, but there are a ton of greener options that can replace these.
Paper towels may make life easier sometimes, but a reusable microfiber cloth can replace most of these instances (and they work better), writing notes and shopping lists on a piece of paper can similarly be replaced with keeping them on your phone, or tablet (if you have one), even napkins at the dinner table can be replaced with reusable cloths which will elevate your entertaining and feel much nicer as well.
Try reducing your paper use and make sure to recycle or compost (in the case of paper towel and tissue use) what you do use.
7) Ditch the Disposables
Did you know that close to 20 billion sanitary napkins, tampons and applicators are dumped in North American landfills each and every year?
If you’re already one of our Divas then you know how good it feels to not have to worry about disposing (or purchasing!) pads and tampons by using the DivaCup.
Making DIVA Part of Your Eco Friendly Habits
If you’re still sitting on the fence about making the switch, then this may be the day to remember how much you will be reducing your eco-footprint and how much waste you will be diverting from landfills by switching to a reusable period care option!
