Earth Day, Every Day With Sustainable Babes We Love
While our earth is something that should be celebrated and taken care of everyday, we love the reminder Earth Day brings as sort of a reset button and time to reflect on how we can do better. Sometimes all it takes is a simple, easy change in your everyday routine or swapping out a less than earth-friendly product for something new. It’s all about progress over perfection; making small attainable changes you can handle. Looking for some new ideas on how to increase your personal sustainability practices? We tapped some babes who know a thing or two on the subject. They’re filling us in on how they’re acknowledging Earth Day and what eco-friendly products they’re loving now.
@sharonashnayder of Tuesdays for Trash
Tell us about Tuesdays for Trash and what led you to start it.
Tuesdays for Trash is a global movement based in Oregon encouraging everyone around the world to dedicate at least one day a week to the planet by picking up trash. We are a youth and women led organization mobilizing for our future and a cleaner home for all. The movement was started as a way to show individuals their actions matter and that small acts of change when multiplied can transform the world.
What are some ways you practice sustainability in your everyday life?
Sustainability isn't just something I practice but has truly become a survival method for me. As someone who didn't grow up having much, I learned to incorporate sustainability as much as possible into my life and it's grown today to carrying around reusables wherever I go, doing laundry with dryer balls and eco-detergents, picking up trash everyday, offsetting travel emissions, etc.
How are you celebrating Earth Day?
My movement has organized a fun cleanup in Oregon where we'll be bringing the community together to help keep our environment litter free and enjoy some time outdoors with fun games and snacks together.
What are some accounts you follow for tips on living more sustainably?
I love following @get.waste.ed @brightly.eco and I honestly learn a lot doing research for posts on @tuesdaysfortrash.
What are your favorite brands at Prism Boutique?
My favorite brands are Superga, Rollas, and Whimsy + Row!
Shop Sharona’s Picks:
@faye.sen, Home Gardener
Tell us about you and when you got into gardening?
I’m a first generation American pursuing medicine and have noticed a huge gap in the level of care when it comes to people of color. I believe growing food is one of the many ways we can incorporate functional sustainability and foster collective culturism. I’ve always had plants, but didn’t start an edible garden until my grandma passed away from breast cancer. She loved plants so I planted a blueberry bush for her. Every year that it fruited, I’d invite my family to pick as much fruit as they wanted. I began to love gardening and it quickly became one of my favorite methods of both self-care and community care.
What are some ways you practice sustainability in your everyday life?
I’m constantly figuring out what I can reuse and recycle for the planet and people. Sustainability to me isn't just about making sure things get discarded properly, but it's about "Can I create something new out of this? Can I compost this and later use it to nourish my garden? Can I dye this stained shirt with a natural dye so that I can continue to wear it? Can I just walk there?" etc. I’m also very mindful about how I shop, where I shop, and what I shop.
How are you celebrating Earth Day?
I will be celebrating Earth Day by having a picnic in my garden and making a list of 3 things that I want to change/be more conscientious about this year. I know one of those things is remembering to turn my light off when I leave my room.
What are some social media accounts you follow for tips on living more sustainably?
I follow a bunch of gardening/farming accounts because I believe a huge part of sustainability involves cultivating healthy soil and plants. I have so much to learn; there are many accounts that teach me things like @queerbrownvegan,@humanswhogrowfood, @climateandstyle, @allyne_ann, @reducewastenow, @least.waste, @growinthelight, and so many more!
What are your favorite brands at Prism Boutique?
My current favorite brands at Prism Boutique are Girlfriend Collective, Mate The Label, Lisa Says Gah, Lacausa, and From Here To There Curated.
Shop Faye’s Picks:
@amyquichiz of Veggie Mijas
Tell us about Veggie Mijas and what led you to start it.
I started Veggie Mijas because I really wanted to have vegan friends of color after graduation. I was really passionate about food justice and environmental justice, and I realized that other people of color were as well. Veggie Mijas started out as an IG page for vegan recipes, which then led to an entire plant-based community that wanted to meet up and gather to create change in their own communities. I wanted that as well, I just had no idea to what scale Veggie Mijas would end up being.
What are some ways you practice sustainability in your everyday life?
By eating mostly plant-based foods, reusing cute (and not so cute!) jars, buying from local stores, thrifting and repurposing items that need extra love, etc. I believe that many people can practice sustainability in many ways, and it looks very different for a lot of us.
How are you celebrating Earth Day?
I’ll be helping my teams organize events throughout their communities, whether that’s visiting a farm sanctuary, setting up movie screenings with films based on vegan and climate information, or hiking trips. I am also celebrating by enjoying the good weather, having a picnic, and gardening with my partner on our balcony.
What are some accounts you follow for tips on living more sustainably?
I would recommend following @myvidaverde, @browngirl_green, and @cerowastecindy.
What are your favorite brands at Prism Boutique?
Baggu has the cutest and most sustainable bags - they're perfect for farmers market trips! Girlfriend Collective also has incredible leggings that are super comfortable. I'm grateful that I can shop at Prism Boutique, and know many brands are sustainable and great quality...and cute!
Shop Amy’s Picks:
@chloegoesslowly, PhD Student + Sustainable Stylist
Tell us more about your PhD program and what led you to take that route.
Pursuing my PhD in political science came from an interest in wanting to better understand the root behind problems of inequality and injustice. I think real change is most sustainable when people are working simultaneously to understand problems at the theoretical level and implementing research-informed policies at the level of practice. I feel like my ability to study and communicate complex ideas is better suited for researching and writing and teaching, so I decided to pursue my PhD to do all of those things as a career!
What are some ways you practice sustainability in your everyday life?
For me, it really starts with checking in with myself. One area where I noticed more waste was in my kitchen, so I have been putting in place more consistent and flexible meal plans to avoid food waste. I also compost, use reusable + refillable cleaning products, and always make cafe quality beverages from home to avoid plastic!
How are you celebrating Earth Day?
I like to spend Earth Day reflecting on how the conversations around environmentalism and the policies of this past year have improved or changed. I'll listen to some podcasts and then journal to guide this reflection and also set some new sustainable priorities for the next year.
What are some accounts you follow for tips on living more sustainably?
@Queerbrownvegan is one of my favorites. They are doing so much to educate on complex issues in sustainability in a concise and compelling way! I also love @blackforager for info on next-level sustainable food consumption and @acteevism on sustainable fashion and imperfect sustainability.
What are your favorite brands at Prism Boutique?
I love Back Beat Co for their comfortable, colorful, and perfectly stylish basics! I’m also obsessed with the sustainably sourced scents that Juniper Ridge packs into their body washes and incense. Finally, I have been dying to get my hands on Xenia Taler's checkered bamboo plates!
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