Blog
How to [finally] break up with Amazon
It's time to do the thing. We’re gonna dive deep into the problems with Amazon, and you can be certain that once we’re through that, there’s gonna be a ton of resources and tips (plus 13 alternatives!) to help you finally break up with Amazon once and for all.
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10 Ways to Celebrate World Ocean Week
It's World Ocean Week! This year’s World Ocean Day theme is protecting at least 30% of our blue planet by 2030, and we've put together our 10 favorite zero waste wannabe ways to celebrate World Ocean Week - and have fun in the process.
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3 Zero Waste Reasons to Use Your Dishwasher
Dishes are one of those household chores that are never done, and require quite a bit of time, water, and energy. When we're trying to live lighter on the planet, then, what’s the most sustainable and zero waste way to wash our dishes?
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Keeping Local Delivery Sustainable
From the time I started A Drop in the Ocean, I wanted zero waste and sustainable living to be easy, affordable, and accessible. And one of the ways I wanted to make that happen was with a free local delivery service. But as current delivery system is becoming unsustainable, it's time for a delivery facelift.
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What is reef-safe sunscreen?
Summer is coming and that means vacation, beaches, and sunscreen - so let's make it sustainable! But what exactly is reef-safe sunscreen, how can you be sure a sunscreen is actually ocean-safe, and why does it matter, anyway?
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Do we need corporate action or consumer action for zero waste?
Last week I posted a TikTok about how plastics aren’t actually recyclable. I very quickly received a comment that said, “Pretending this is a consumer issue is not going to help anything.” And I agree. But these are complex issues. So in our quest for a zero waste world, do we need corporate or consumer action?
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The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable Cleaning
It’s that time of the year! The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, it’s like straight out of Snow White. Time to clean! So this week, I wanted to share some of my favorite spring cleaning tips and tools to keep our homes, our bodies, and our planet clean.
Why I don't recommend Seaspiracy.
These are big issues. These are complex issues. These are issues that involve governments, corporations, communities, individuals, scientists, and activists. And because of all of that and more, here's why I can't recommend the Netflix documentary Seaspiracy.
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5 Reasons to Hang Dry Your Laundry
Hang drying your laundry isn't just great for the planet, but it's great for you, too. Here are the five reasons I choose to hang-dry nearly all of my laundry.
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21 Ways to Celebrate Earth Day from Home!
Every day is Earth Day around here, so we've put together 21 ways to celebrate the Earth from home! Which will you be doing this year?
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6 Ways to Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Shopping Habits
We can't consume our way into a sustainable future for all living things, but, of course, we can't just not buy anything ever again. So how do we minimize the environmental impacts of our shopping?
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3 Reasons to Wash Laundry on Cold
Many of us, myself included, choose the hot setting for some loads because we believe the hot setting will sanitize our laundry. But apparently that's not the case. Washing your laundry on cold benefits the planet, but maybe it benefits you too.
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What's the Environmental Impact of Online Shopping?
I want to take a little deep dive into the impacts of online shopping versus in-person, and how we are optimizing our systems to get you the essentials you need, as fast as possible, as safely as possible, and with the smallest carbon footprint possible. Because the answer to "which is more sustainable - online or in person?" may surprise you.
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Is a reusable straw better than a plastic one?
Straw messaging is generally seen as the gateway swap to a more sustainable lifestyle, which is great! Everyone’s gotta start somewhere, right? And while I do believe that we’ve overplayed the straw card, it’s still an important topic. Because the 500,000,000 straws used every day add up. FAST. So if you’re new to the zero waste and sustainable lifestyle, here’s what you need to know about straws.
Low Waste Grocery Shopping Without Bulk Bins
The number one thing people tell me they struggle with when trying to live more sustainably is food packaging, especially now in the middle of a global pandemic. So, today, let’s chat about my favorite ways to reduce waste at the grocery store without access to bulk bins - one of the most sustainable options in non-COVID times.
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Reflecting on 2 Years of A Drop in the Ocean
A Drop in the Ocean just celebrated our SECOND BIRTHDAY! 🥳🥳🥳 I can’t believe it’s been two years already since I pressed “Publish” on our little corner of the interwebs. So much has changed and evolved in the last two years. So today, I’m reflecting on the 12 things I’ve learned so far as a sustainable and zero waste business owner.
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How to Save Water Without a Shorter Shower
We all love our long, hot showers. We know they're not great for the planet, but they're just so nice. So when a colleague said, "We need to stop telling people to take shorter showers," I was hooked. Here's how we can save water every day without taking a 5-minute shower.
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7 Tips for Writing to Companies About Sustainability
I’m a huge advocate for living by your values, voting with your dollar, and making changes in your life to leave a smaller footprint on our planet. But we can’t reach a sustainable future for all living things in a vacuum. We need bottom-up and top-down change. So let’s talk about reaching out to companies to improve their practices.
We are but guests on this planet
When I started babysitting, my mom taught me to always leave the home better than when I arrived. I was a guest. And we are all but guests on this planet, trusted with its life.
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The Ultimate Guide to Sustainable and Ethical Jewelry
Apparently there’s a lot happening in the jewelry space. I knew NONE of this before digging into the research and HOLY MOLY, friend. But knowing the problems with traditional jewelry options can help us all make better choices in the future.
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The Carbon Footprint of Unwanted Emails
We’re BOMBARDED with emails, all day every day. And how many of them do we actually read? How many of them do we actually value? And what's the carbon footprint of all those unwanted emails?
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Lessons from Nature
I went for a walk in nature today, friend. And I was reminded of some beautiful lessons we can all learn from nature.
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What's Your Eco-Footprint?
My ecological footprint has actually grown over the last two years! Gahhhhhhh!! But...what the heck is an ecological footprint and why does it matter? And how can we use it to fuel our own eco-journeys?
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How to Perform a Personal Waste Audit
We all want to do our part to protect our home, but sometimes we don't know where to start. So in honor of the new year, let’s start with the very beginning. The one thing that will really kickstart our sustainable journeys - whether you’re just getting started or you’re a veteran EcoWarrior. A personal waste audit.