Welcome to the A Drop in the Ocean blog!

Every Monday we're popping into our EcoWarrior community's inboxes with practical + actionable tips for living more sustainably, and we're always working hard to add those emails to our blog as well. But we're a small team and sometimes we get behind because, hey, we're human.

So if you want these kinds of tips every week, without even leaving your inbox, join the EcoWarriors for Make Waves Mondays - because that's one thing we don't get behind on. Pinky promise.

Blog

How sustainable are bananas?

The other day, a friend of mine purchased a bunch of bananas because they said they'd “feel weird just buying a single banana.” Which [shocker...] got me off on a whole tangent about banana sustainability, leaving everyone in the room staring at me like some kind of banana fiend. So buckle up, friend, 'cause I'm about to hit ya with some 'nana trivia.

How to Use a Zero Waste Dish Soap Bar

I’ve been using a zero waste solid dish soap bar for years and I can’t imagine ever going back to liquid. It’s just so much more convenient to use, is quite literally zero waste, and honestly just looks better next to my sink than a plastic bottle of Dawn. But if you’ve never used a solid dish soap bar before, you might be hesitant to make the switch. So let's talk about it!

The 7 Best Documentaries for Sustainable & Eco-Friendly Living
Most sustainability documentaries are trash. But there are some truly spectacular documentaries about sustainability, waste, and climate change that have had lasting, positive impacts on my life. Here's 7 of my favorite documentaries to inspire you to live more sustainably - without guilt, shame, fear, and absolutism.
A Drop in the Ocean Tacoma Zero Waste Store Vendor Spotlight with Meli Wraps Beeswax Wraps
We’re turning the mic over to our zero waste vendors! This month, get to know Melia Foster of Meli Wraps who makes our zero waste beeswax wraps in all their colorful glory. In this video, we’re chatting about everything from how Meli Wraps started in a kitchen, to Melia's passion for ocean conservation.
Are Pizza Boxes Recyclable?
Last week a friend forwarded me an Instagram Story from Domino's Pizza that got me real fired up. So let's take a look... How much does grease and cheese impact recyclability? Are pizza boxes recyclable at all? Is Domino's greenwashing us all?
What's the environmental impact of one pound of meat?

It takes intention to change food habits. They’re ingrained in our culture. So rather than use this space to say we should all go vegan or we should all go vegetarian, what if instead we each ate one less pound of meat each week? How much would it really matter?

A Drop in the Ocean Tacoma Zero Waste Sustainable Living Blog Do I really need to preheat my oven?
Every recipe tells us to preheat our oven as step numero uno, but is it really necessary? Or are we wasting resources, money, and energy by turning on our oven too soon?
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?
A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Blog: 6 Tips for Low Waste Grocery Shopping without Bulk Bins
The number one thing people tell me they struggle with when trying to go zero waste is food packaging, especially without access to bulk bins. But there are still so many ways we can reduce our waste in the grocery store and at home. Here are 6 of my favorite tips for low waste grocery shopping, even if you don't have bulk bins around you.
A Drop in the Ocean Online Zero Waste Store How to Store Produce Without Plastic

Did you know that in the United States we throw out 25% of edible food produced? Let’s change that! Here are 4 of my favorite tips for storing produce with zero waste and zero plastic to keep them fresh, longer, so we can stretch our dollars and fight food waste.

Is eating locally actually better for the planet?
Eating locally has a myriad of benefits and aligns with the values I choose to live by - but like anything in sustainability, it's not a silver bullet. Let's dive into what the benefits of eating locally are and the easiest ways to get started.
A Drop in the Ocean Tacoma Zero Waste Sustainable Living Blog Is organic worth the price and better than conventional?

There’s a lot of information surrounding organic foods and whether or not they’re actually “better” for us. Understandably, this can cause confusion and distrust. I’m hoping today not to clear up all of the confusion - because even the scientific community does not have a clear consensus - but instead provide some straightforward insight to why I choose organic when possible.

A Drop in the Ocean Tacoma Zero Waste Sustainable Living Blog What do expiration dates actually mean

There are many ways to reduce our food waste, first and foremost being to simply buy less. But once that food is in our fridge or our pantry, what do we do with all of those expiration dates? First, we must learn what these dates mean. Because we’ve been bamboozled and all expiration dates are not actually the same.

A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Blog: 3 Ways to Save Time and Money with Zero Waste Grocery Shopping
Have you ever felt like zero waste grocery shopping takes way too much time and there’s no way you could make it work for you? What if I told you it could actually save you time AND money? Here's exactly how I manage my time and money with my weekly grocery trip.
A Drop in the Ocean Sustainable Living Zero Waste Plastic Free Blog Plant-Based, Vegan & Vegetarian - What's the Difference?
If you haven’t seen the buzzword “plant-based” somewhere on your social media or news feed, I’m impressed. It’s being used everywhere from the diet sphere to the zero waste sphere. But what does it actually mean? Is it the same as “vegan”? What about “vegetarian”?
A Drop in the Ocean Sustainable Living Zero Waste Plastic Free Blog {{Video}} Homemade Almond Milk
In this video I'm sharing my experience with making zero waste almond milk from scratch for the first time. Be sure to watch all the way to end to see the final result!