Becoming more eco-friendly is often viewed as a big adjustment because, ultimately, it’s seen as inconvenient. And ain’t nobady got time for inconvenience. We’re busy, am I right? Left your reusable shopping bags at home? Just grab a plastic one. Forgot your glass water bottle? Thank god for single-use bottles! Right?
WRONG. What if you just decided that you’d carry your shopping home if you forgot your bags? Or you’d go without coffee if you forgot your reusable cup? Committing to less waste is a lifestyle choice, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
A bit of thought, a few purchases, and a slither of organization can mean you never get caught short again. You’ll save money, your body from the endocrine-disrupting use of plastic, and the planet all in one. You go, Glen Coco.
Here are five handbag staples that will make living an eco-friendly lifestyle much easier.
5 Eco-Friendly Staples You Need In Your Handbag
1) Stainless steel straw
We use over 5 million straws per day. Five million. And because they’re too small to be easily recycled, they quickly find their way into our oceans and can harm animals.
Keeping a little pouch in your handbag that has a stainless steel straw in it will mean that you can opt out of plastic straws, the use of which has devastating consequences for our planet.
Happy slurpin’!
2) Reusable water bottle
Nothing revolutionary here, but a reusable water bottle should be in everyone’s handbag. Annual consumption of plastic bottles is set to top half a trillion by 2021, far outstripping recycling efforts and jeopardizing oceans, coastlines, and other environments.
Carrying a good quality, stainless steel water bottle will ensure you’re always hydrated, save you a tonne of money in single-use bottles, and seriously minimize the stress you place on the environment.
Plus, it’s 2018, so they’re cute AF. When we live in a world where you can get your mitts on a marble or palm print water bottle, how can anyone excuse the use of plastic?
3) Reusable bags
If you haven’t yet started taking reusable bags for grocery shopping, the environment officially hates you. Ok, maybe hate is too strong, but it’s looking at you with narrow eyes and wondering why such an intelligent creature can’t work out how to remember a simple shopping bag.
Hessian, canvas, string, or a good ol’ fashioned Woolies bag for life; just make sure your handbag is home to at least one.
4) Reusable coffee cup
Because who DOESN’T feel all Devil Wears Prada with a takeaway coffee clutched in hand?
No one, that’s who. This is why billions of disposable coffee cups end up in the bin every year, which KeepCup equates to roughly 2,700,000 paper coffee cups being thrown out daily. Every day!
For those who buy coffee daily, a reusable cup is essential to minimize the impact your actions have on the environment.
And ICYMI, you can buy reusable coffee cups with inbuilt PayWave. Like your bank card. In your coffee cup. We’re done.
5) Bamboo cutlery
Negate the need for disposable plastic cutlery with your takeaway salad by taking a pouch of reusable bamboo cutlery with you wherever you go. It’s small, it’s easily transportable, and it’s bamboo, so it’s cute. Bamboo anything is cute. Case in point:
Feeling inspired to overhaul your lifestyle habits to become more environmentally conscious? Check out 6 ways to make your beauty routine more eco-friendly and which eco-friendly Aussie activewear brands you should be keeping an eye out for.
