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

A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Shop Vendor Spotlight with Potluck Press
We’re turning the mic over to our zero waste vendors! This month we’re hanging out with Rosie and Karen from Potluck Press, who print our zero waste Swedish dishcloths. In this video, we’re chatting about everything from how Potluck Press got its start to the process of printing a Swedish dishcloth!
How "green" are specialty recycling programs?
Specialty recycling programs like TerraCycle and Ridwell pick up the slack when it comes to hard-to-recycle items not accepted by our municipal recycling programs. When we're trying to live zero waste, this sounds like a great solution. But are these programs actually sustainable, or are they greenwashing us and letting corporations off the hook?
A Drop in the Ocean What is Earth Hour plus 8 ways to spend Earth Hour

Earth Hour was founded in 2007 as a call to awareness about our climate crisis. It’s a simple, symbolic way we can all take a stand and make a difference. To participate in Earth Hour, on March 26th, for one hour, beginning at 8:30pm, turn out your lights and choose how to spend Earth Hour. Here's how I'll be spending the hour this year.

A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Store: Composting vs. Recycling - Which is more sustainable?

Today we're chatting all about recycling versus composting, which is better, and why. This topic was inspired by one of our EcoWarriors when she commented on a post in our EcoWarrior Pod that pizza boxes are compostable, and that’s better than recycling. I realized that this is something many of us assume in the sustainability space, especially with how much we hear about how broken our recycling systems are, but is it really true?

A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Store Is boxed water really better for the planet?

Boxed Water is a brand of prepackaged water in cartons rather than plastic bottles. When I first heard of them in 2017, I was totally on board, because at the time in the zero waste world, all plastic was bad. But, is boxed water really better, as they claim?

A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Herbal Body Care Vendor Spotlight with KV Apothecary
We’re turning the mic over to our zero waste vendors! This month we’re hanging out with Kendra from KV Apothecary, who handmakes our calendula salve, reef-safe refillable sunscreen, and refillable bug spray. In this video, we’re chatting about everything from how KV Apothecary got its start to delving into Kendra's plethora of past and future jobs.
A Drop in the Ocean Tacoma Zero Waste Store 5 Swaps I Didn't Know I Needed

Today, on our third anniversary, I'm looking at our little zero waste shop and I’m reminded of this journey - and how you have helped shape A Drop in the Ocean into what it is. So I thought I’d take some time to share five zero waste swaps we've added to the shop because you, our EcoWarriors, asked for them.

A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Blog How sustainable are roses?
For centuries, the rose has been the symbol for love and beauty. Today, more than 250 million roses are grown annually, just for Valentine's Day. But how eco-friendly are these flowers, and can we show our affection more sustainably?
A Drop in the Ocean Vendor Spotlight: Zero Waste Soaps with Soap & Clay

We’re turning the mic over to our zero waste vendors! This week, get to know Chantine McBain, aka Mrs. Soap & Clay, who makes all of our unpackaged bar soaps and more. In this video, we’re chatting about everything from how Soap & Clay got its start to answering the question, “What is soap, really?” with a whole lotta laughs along the way.

A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Store Ocean Conservation Partner Vermilion Sea Institute Field Station
You already know at least 1% of our sales are donated to our ocean conservation partner, Vermilion Sea Institute. But have you ever wondered, “Why VSI? Who is Vermilion Sea Institute? Why did we choose them to be our ocean conservation partner??” I'm about to tell you all about it.
A Drop in the Ocean Shop What is zero waste and a circular economy?

What is zero waste? It’s a simple question, but I’m not usually one for simple answers. I don’t believe there are black-and-white solutions to most things, and I don’t believe there are one-size-fits-all ways to be sustainable. So let’s take a closer look at this question. What exactly is zero waste...and what is it not?

A Drop in the Ocean Zero Waste Store Answering New Year FAQs

To kick off the new year, we're taking a step back to basics to answer some of the most common questions we received in our year-end survey. Because chances are if one EcoWarrior has the question, there’s likely several more in the community who are also wondering the same. We're tackling everything from how we named the shop to why our prices are the way they are.

Small Changes. Big Impact.

This year, we introduced a mini-series of blog posts where we focused on just one small thing we can do in our everyday lives that has a big impact for our planet. To wrap up this mini-series, we're taking a journey back through them to see just how big of an impact we could have making these changes for just one month.

A Drop in the Ocean Shop What is Lights Out for Migratory Birds?

I first heard of the Lights Out for Migratory Birds program in 2017, and the more I learned about the program, the more interested I became. I discovered just how important programs such as these are for our wildlife - and for ourselves. So today I wanna share with you a bit about Lights Out, why it matters, and what we can all do to protect migratory birds from the comfort of our own homes.

6 Ways to Wrap Furoshiki
There’s a lot we can do to reduce our waste during the holiday season, including how we package our gifts. Let's take a look at the beauty of Furoshiki wraps, and we'll show you how to wrap six different types of gifts using just one wrap, all with zero waste.
Why should you turn down your thermostat?

What’s your thermostat set to right now? It may not seem like one or two degrees really matters when it comes to sustainability, but they really do! Residential heating and cooling accounts for 9% of all energy consumption in the United States. Here's how to slash that number and save money.

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?