5 Challenges For Being Eco-Friendly In October!

It's a brand new month and that means a brand new start! For the month of October we are focusing on being more eco-friendly, so we are creating a few challenges we hope you'll join us in participating in. 5 challenges to be exact. You can take on all of these challenges or pick just one. The point is to do what we can in our circumstances to be a little more green!

Challenge #1: Ride your bike as much as possible.

The Environmental benefits of bike riding means you are lessening the use of fossil fuels and is a pollution-free mode of transport. Bikes also reduce the need to build, service and dispose of cars. Cycling 6 miles each way to work could save 3,300 LBS of greenhouse gas emissions each year. Also, the benefits on your health are far greater since biking increase endurance and strength. As well as strengthen your core and improve heart health. There are many benefits when it comes to picking up the bike and riding as much as possible. You could even start with minor commutes -- say to the grocery store, post office, or gym. Start small and work your way up. Always be safe by wearing a helmet and following local traffic laws. 

Challenge #2: Bring Utensils with you and a re-usable bag. 

Another idea my wife and I have been doing for over a year is taking our own utensils with us. When we eat somewhere that only offers plastic utensils we have our own wooden utensils that we can use and save the use of single-use plastic ones. Helps keep plastics out of landfill. You can also just bring a fork or spoon with you from home when planning to get food out. 

Bringing your own re-usable bag is another big one. Some places now deduct a few cents off of your bill for bringing your own bag or they ask if you'd like to donate it to charity. Either way your helping keep bags out of landfills. This has saved us so many times when we are in a pinch!

 

This one really depends on personal preferences and lifestyles. The good thing is, a lot of places are now adopting a no straw standard, but if we really need one we can bring our own. Or if you're not into the idea of drinking with straws at all, just opt for no straw at all and simply sip on your beverages the old school way. For many today, coffee and tea are the fuel that keep people alive and functioning. This is where a lot of waste can accumulate quickly. Try bringing your own coffee cup from home or even a mason jar if you're on the go. Or if you plan to stay in the restaurant and enjoy your beverages there, you can simply ask for a "for here: cup. More places have ceramic mugs and glasses than you might think. Also, many local coffee shops and Starbucks offer discounts off your drink when you use bring own re-usable cup. The truth is, when it's in landfills, plastic cups and coffee cups are at risk of blowing away and ending up in rivers or oceans. Even more of a risk is plastic litter. These plastic items can be carried by wind and rain into our drainage networks or rivers that then flow into the sea. We all have seen what devastating affects that can have on ocean wildlife. Coffee cups take around 20 years to decompose so doing our part to bring our own re-usable cups and straws can be life saving. 

We have implemented a 3 part system for our trash. We try to minimize single use plastic as much as possible, as well as bringing our own bags to buy bulk items so we don't use plastic bags. We bring our own bags to hold produce we buy as well. With our 3 part system of dealing with waste, we have found that we can greatly reduce our trash as well. Scraps from food and organic waste (like hair, cardboard, toilet paper rolls, paper) go into our compost bin that can be used for gardening or soil or just picked up on curbside for our local waste plant. We clean our plastics and put them in a recycle only bin. And any trash that doesn't fit into these categories we but in the trash bin, but we actively try to make sure that not much ends up there. The biggest tip we have for reducing waste, is thinking about it before you buy an item. We also have been using up-cycled glass bottles and jars to propagate plants, or use as cups around the house. 

Challenge #5: Be aware of what you buy and the impact it has!

Shopping intentionally is very important. Doing a little research helps in being aware of what things are made of and the impact it has in the community which it comes from. Search for recycled materials, organically grown and made. In our last blog post we talked about how our dollar has a lot of power and that when you purchase sustainably and ethically your telling companies what is important to you. So the challenge is to be aware of what your buying and the impact it can have. 

We hope you join us in this challenge! We will be posting on our stories and our feed. If you join the challenge please tag us and use the hashtag #EcoWakenedChallenge. One participant will receive a $35.00 voucher to use on our website, wakenedapparel.org at the end of the month. The more consistent you are with posting and sharing, the higher the chances to win. Looking forward to doing this challenge with every single one of you!