Mindy Chung

If you’re reading this blog chances are you’re starting, or are well into, your sustainable lifestyle journey. You’ve probably swapped out plastic bottles for a cute stainless steel emotional-support water bottle, or invested in a 6-pack of reusable straws (because, save the sea turtles!). But if the shine of going green has started to fade, let me help you stay motivated by introducing you to Plastic Free July.

What is Plastic Free July?

Plastic Free July is a charity dedicated to reducing single-use plastic (SUP) waste; they offer resources, ideas, and a fun sign-up challenge to get consumers motivated and mobilized. Although the foundation is based in Australia, their campaign is open to all, and they share a variety of ways for individuals and organizations to get involved. For those that need a little dopamine kick to stay on-task, Plastic Free July is the perfect way to create attainable goals and set yourself up for some instant gratification.

And for the commitment-phobes (I know you’re out there) here’s a few steps you can take on your own without the hullabaloo:

Shop loose or bulk groceries

While the convenience of pre-packaged salads and bagged grapes is undeniable, choosing to bring your own bags and/or buying loose produce and bulk grains can help you reduce the amount of SUPs you consume.

If you want to take it a step further, you can research local small-batch and sustainable shops in your area, supporting your community while saving money and trying out a new way of shopping!

Opt to combine packages

I know we all love Amazon.

I also know we feel terrible about loving Amazon.

But unless you’re willing to avoid online shopping like the plague in July, one way to cut your SUPs is by choosing to have your deliveries bundles into fewer boxes. It might take an extra day or two to arrive, but it’s an easy, zero-effort way to be a little more sustainable.

Of course, you can always take it a step further and opt-out of Amazon shopping for the month—it’s all about what feels doable to you.

Join a community clean-up

This is for the extroverts, or people of action. If you want to make a tangible difference that you can see, try joining a local beach or park clean-up! You get to meet new, like-minded people, and flex on your Insta while beautifying your community.

If you want to be involved without being *involved,* you can also organize, donate to, or share the event to spread awareness. There are a variety of reasons someone may not be able to physically contribute to a clean-up, but there’s many equally impactful alternatives to support the cause!

Contact your local government

For those who are passionate about making a difference and unafraid to speak up, calling your local representative can be a great way to initiate change in your community. Share how you feel about new laws or mandates that are up for voting on, or demand change for specific situations in your area.

You can also spread awareness by involving your friends and family, and even write a script for them to follow if lack of knowledge is keeping them from getting involved.

It’s important to remember that reducing SUP consumption doesn’t just have to be buying less plastics. Building awareness is an equally important way to increase your impact, and grow the movement.

It’s also important to remember you’re just one person. Sometimes avoiding single use plastics isn’t an option, and it’s okay if you don’t adhere to a plastic-free life 100% of the time. Becoming more sustainable is a lifelong journey that modern consumerism doesn’t always cater to. And getting caught up in an all-in mindset can lead to discouragement, and then defeat.

Take going green day-by-day and understand that your best effort is important and valid. Celebrate your wins, and remember to give yourself grace—changing the world takes more than one Plastic Free July.

I get it. When every news channel is talking about the bad news du jour it’s hard to really believe in a better tomorrow. The hard truth is that there will always be bad news one channel flip or scroll away. But that doesn’t mean that should be all you focus on in your life. As we collectively make bad environmental decisions over and over again (hello single use plastic!), scientists, environmental advocates, and everyday people just like us are out there making the change they want to see in the world.

Still skeptical about any real changes being made? Here’s a round up of positive environmental news to prove that not everything that’s happening in the world has to be doom and gloom… as of this writing, anyway!

Positive environmental news stories 2023

We May have a Microplastics Solution

After writing a few blogs on why microplastics are so bad for us and the environment, it looks like scientists are making way on finding a solution to combat this type of pollution. Craig Arnold, vice dean of innovation at Princeton, has found a way to utilize egg whites(!) to create an aerogel that is roughly 99% effective in capturing and removing microplastics from seawater. (via Science Daily)

EPA rallies to protect Alaska aquatic ecosystem

In an unusually bold move the EPA blocked the creations of a proposed copper and gold mine in Alaska. Their reasoning was the necessary preservation of the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery. The final verdict for this situation is still up in the air, but the EPA has made it clear they will continue to advocate for the protection of Bristol Bay’s ecosystem; where about half of the world’s sockeye salmon originate from. Positive environmental news from the EPA in this day and age? We’ll take it! (via PBS News Hour)

Finland makes Breakthrough in Vegan Solution to Meat

The Finnish government’s state-owned research institute center, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, has found a way to turn overlooked crops like fava beans and sorghum into a sustainable and scalable alternative to meat! Focused on addressing the issue of creating an appealing meat alternative, they’ve invented a technique that uses a combination of cellular agriculture and food design to take plant-based ingredients and create alternatives that mimic the texture and juiciness of real meat. (via VegNews)

St. Louis Stadium Pledges to Host a Zero-Waste Season

The CITYPARK stadium in St. Louis, MO will be eliminating single-use plastic products and replacing them with compostable utensils and reusable aluminum cups this sports season! Dedicated to creating a zero-waste stadium, they’ve partnered with multiple diverse organizations and initiatives. CITYPARK aims to donate and reduce food waste, implement renewable energy sources for power, and encourage fans to choose environmentally friendly transportation options like bikes and e-cars. (via SLC SC)

Boldy to Launch Vegan Seafood

In the wake of the success of companies like Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers, Boldy is the new kid on the block with a lofty mission: to launch a 100% vegan seafood line. Slated to start distribution this summer, their products will include plant-based salmon and tuna sashimi, calamari, shrimp, crab sticks, and white fish filets featuring konjac root. (via Vegconomist)

(And if you’re in Los Angeles and too impatient to wait for Boldy’s launch, check out Fysh Foods in WeHo!)

Looking for more positive environmental news? Check out our guide to where to find good news!

I feel like sometimes—in all the hullabaloo about living sustainably, going green, and just being more eco-friendly—we forget that not everyone automatically knows everything about green living. More often than not, articles on being green offer suggestions and tips assuming that the reader has a baseline understanding about what it all means.

But what about the novice eco-warrior? How are they supposed to start their journey to being more mindful? Looking up essential terms like “sustainability” means a bunch of academic journals pop up; and no one likes spending hours trying to understand one article, let alone a whole virtual book of them.

Knowledge should be inclusive and transparent—and that’s why I’ll be taking us back to the basics today with something we’ve all heard of, but maybe don’t yet fully understand: the carbon footprint.

Carbon Footprint 101

What is a carbon footprint?

Your carbon footprint isn’t a literal thing; it doesn’t mean you’re taking a physical step that somehow creates carbon dioxide. Instead, your carbon footprint is this concept that every choice you make creates greenhouse gases, and that those gases in turn affect our planet.

Choices like the kind of produce you buy, car you drive, and where you get your clothing from, all create some level of greenhouse gases. For example, we know that gasoline comes from fossil fuels, and burning fossil fuels creates exhaust which contributes to the depletion of our ozone layer.

Why does that matter?

Think of the ozone layer like plastic wrap around the Earth; protecting us from the sun’s UV rays. The same way that guacamole turns brown if you don’t seal it in an airtight container, the ozone layer keeps us from turning brown (i.e. the bad kind of roasty-toasty) from too much exposure to the sun.

Now, as the human population has continued to grow, more and more people are making choices that create greenhouse gases. While it may not seem like a huge deal if one person drives a gas vehicle, when it’s people in the billions, that amount of pollution adds up!

This is where our carbon footprint comes into play.

The carbon footprint of the average US citizen is about 16 TONS. That’s four times more than almost anyone else on the planet. And while there’s a bunch of factors that contribute to this number, a lot of it comes down to our culture of consumption.

Creating positive change

When you look up tips for reducing your carbon footprint it’s always advice like “walk to work,” or “eat less meat.” And while that’s good advice, it’s hard to make the “right” choice sometimes. Fresh fruits and vegetables cost more than junk food. Meat is a more accessible source of protein than seitan or chickpeas.

We make choices that are convenient because choosing sustainability isn’t always an accessible option.

The size of our carbon footprint is not entirely our fault, and I think that’s an important distinction to make. While we can try to live greener, it’s crucial not to get caught up in guilting yourself for not “doing enough.” Educating ourselves is the first step to reducing our carbon footprint, and so long as you understand how you’re affecting your environment, you’re bringing change through awareness.

And let’s be real, sometimes it’s easier for us to create positive changes that balance out our consumption rather than cutting back entirely. For those who have to commute to work, planting a tree, making the most of your food scraps, or donating to a charity may be a more realistic option to reduce your impact on the environment. Small acts do add up.

Remember, there is no “wrong” way to approach sustainability. Keep educating yourself, aim for small, sustainable changes over grand gestures, and you’ll be making more progress than you ever thought possible.

Not sure where to start? Here are some articles to help you find eco friendly habits that work for you!

How to Quit Palm Oil
Your Guide to Vegan Leather That’s Actually Sustainable
6 Sustainable Apps to Help You Become a More Conscious Consumer
A Beginner’s Guide to Shopping More Sustainably

Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels

Here’s a (not so) hot take—bad news sells. It’s a fact of life, and why sometimes it feels like we’re being bombarded with stories about war, police brutality, and so much more. And while good news rarely makes it to the front page, there are always small moments of human kindness if you know where to look.

So if you’ve been feeling a little blue, here’s a few stories about the good things people have done to make the world a more environmentally friendly place! PS: Be sure to click the hyperlinks below to read the full articles behind each story.

5 articles with good news for the environment

Patagonia Founder Donates Fortune to Charity

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you may have heard that Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard, and his immediate family have donated their shares of the prolific outdoor-apparel company to charity. Valued at roughly $3 billion, these shares are now under the tutelage of the Patagonia Purpose Trust and the Holdfast Collective—a climate-focused trust, and grouping of non-profit organizations—that will be taking any profits not reinvested into the company and funding initiatives to protect wild lands and fight climate change.

EV Charging Stations Approved Nation-wide

If you’re like me and the fear of getting stuck in a dead-zone has kept you from seriously considering an electric vehicle, this may be the news you needed! This project, titled the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program, has allocated $5 billion to help create an infrastructure of charging stations throughout the US over the next 5 years. Hopefully that means we’ll never have to be afraid of being stuck in a forest, in the dark, with no power and means to travel, ever again.

Dutch Students Invented an Eco-Friendly Car

While we may not have invented flying cars just yet, a group of Dutch students has gotten us one step closer. The Zero Emission Mobility (ZEM) car is a 3D printed vehicle made from recycled plastics that will solve the problem of pollution from the production of battery cells that makes it difficult for electric vehicles to balance out their carbon footprint (despite what the advertisements tell you.) The ZEM holds two filters that can capture up to 2 kg of CO2; while not a huge amount, the car signals positive progress made towards a carbon neutral vehicle.

New York and California Make Huge Strides to be zero-emission by 2035

California has pioneered the way for other blue states to ratify measures meant to protect and preserve our environment. In fact, after the state voted to start banning the sale of new gas-powered cars in 2035, New York followed suit, and is requiring all new cars sold in the state to be zero emission by the same year. As two of the most heavily trafficked states in the US, these initiatives are huge for a greener future—and is a key step in New York reducing its greenhouse gases by 85% by 2050. And with the other news about an expanding EV charging network, it looks like we’re on track to slowly transition away from fossil fuels and gas cars.

Ozone Layer on Track to Close in the Next 50 Years

If you’re a 90’s kid, you know all about the terror of the hole in the ozone layer. The science teachers loved talking about how detrimental the hole was, and how devastating it could be for us in the future. And while movement to a greener society can feel slow at times, the newest research shows that the changes made because of the Montreal Protocol has dropped the concentrations of harmful chemicals that damage the ozone layer just over 50% compared to the 1980s.

Have you heard any good news stories lately? Comment below!