Going Zero Waste just turned FOUR! I can’t believe it - Happy birthday GZW! It has been a wild ride. This little hobby has turned into something I am so incredibly proud of and a full-time career!
Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be here, but here I am… and I am so, so glad. Every day I’m filled with so much joy and a slight bit of terror since I control my own schedule...
Every year, I like to take this time to look back and then look at best practices going forward.
I’m super excited to share this post with you because it was sponsored by tentree. All thoughts and opinions are my own. For more information please see my disclosure policy.
You know that tentree is one of my favorite sustainable brands. I’ve included them in almost everyone of my roundups like favorite sustainable leisure wear, athletic wear, hiking essential and cute ethical clothes under $100.
What can I say!? I have a major love affair with this brand and their mission to pant 1 BILLION trees by 2030!! With every purchase you make, 10 trees are planted.
So, what’s NOT to love about reasonably priced, extra comfy, super cute, ethical pieces that have a positive social and environmental impact!?
I am seriously so happy to be partnering with them on this post and modeling some of my favorite pieces of theirs like the bamone sweatpants, yampa hoodie, and the Plateau 3.25 tee that I practically LIVE IN right now.
tentree is so thoughtful with their materials and dyes. Most of their clothing is made with natural fibers like organic cotton, hemp, and TENCEL.
I like clothing made from natural fibers because it’s breathable and I don’t have to worry about microplastics shedding into the water ways. Check out this post to learn more about microplastics.
To date, tentree has planted more than 25 million trees!!
Yes, you read that correctly 25 MILLION TREES and counting. These trees have been planted in communities all over the world, some of which include: Canada, United States, Nepal, Madagascar, Haiti, Senegal, and Cambodia.
Not only are these trees providing clean air and absorbing carbon, they’re also helping to build local economies.
Nepal has lost more than a quarter of its forest cover in 20 years which has created a lot of destabilization with the soil. In 2015, the 8.1 magnitude earthquake was worsened due to the lack of trees on the hillsides which resulted in unnecessary land/mudslides.
tentree's top priority in Nepal is soil stabilization. They have worked alongside community partners to plant thousands of trees both in the mountainous and grassland areas.
In addition to the planting, they’ve been able to help educate the villagers on sustainably harvesting the lumber and taking care of the trees to prevent future mudslides from both earthquakes and rainstorms.
This is only one of their many projects. Check out all of the other amazing ways tentree is working to plant trees and helping communities.
tentree is offering 20% off to all Going Zero Waste readers with the code 'GOINGZEROWASTE20'
looking back:
Wow, I have grown a lot in the last four years. What started out as a side project solely focusing on trash has opened my eyes to a world of other environmental problems like animal agriculture, fast fashion, carbon emissions, environmental racism, and so many more.
I have grown so much, and watched my world view and horizon expand exponentially.
looking forward:
I have definitely created a lot of bad habits. See, I didn’t know that you could burn out doing something you love. Have you heard the phrase, “Find something you love doing and you never work a day in your life.”?
Yeah - that saying is WRONG. So, so wrong. It should be “Find something you love doing and you kind of work all of the time.”
By the end of last year I was SO burnt out. I had been working 14 hour days, sometimes 7 days a week. Because I love what I do so much, I just thought I could just continue at that pace forever… which is really unsustainable.
I started skipping meals, workouts, and then would just sit at my desk without moving for hours on end. And, if you were wondering, that’s not super healthy.
So, this year is my year of work life balance. I’ve created a lot of rules to try and make sure that I don’t allow work to consume me like it has in the past.
I’m not saying I will ALWAYS stick to my rules, but it’s something that I’m working on.
What I’ve realized, is that I can’t help the environment and do my job without taking care of myself.
Below, I’ve outlined ten different ways I take care of myself and how they relate to the environment. Since I write an eco-friendly blog, I want to make sure that all of my decisions are helping the planet even when I’m just chilling at home taking care of myself.
1. separate outfits:
You’re going to notice a big theme in this post is separation. Since I work from home, it’s become important to have defined and separate areas so my brain understands work time vs. non-work time.
I have created four different outfit categories like exercise, working from home/weekend, working while out, and then lounging around the house.
By putting on different outfits for different activities, it really helps my brain commit to one task. If I’m wearing sweatpants, I’ve noticed my productivity levels are lower which means it takes me much longer to get work tasks done.
If I can put on my business pants, I can get a task done quickly and then change into my leisure pants to actually enjoy my time off.
When I start mixing work with pleasure, I just kind of half-ass them both. When I make distinctions between the two I can thoroughly enjoy my time. This prevents me from allowing my time to bleed into too much of one area or the other.
How does this pertain to the environment?
When it comes to choosing the clothing that makes up these outfits, I’m always looking to support sustainable brands. I’m looking for ethical supply chains, sustainable fabrics, and brands that give back. One of my favs is tentree! Not only do they make my favorite tee on the face of the planet, I just love that I can be relaxing at home while still having a positive impact.
Favorite pieces?
You’ll see a few of my favorites photographed throughout this post, but I’ve listed my all time favorites below like the bamone sweatpants. These are my favorite pants of ALL. TIME.
exercise: the yampa hoodie has been accompanying me on my morning jogs since it’s still pretty chilly!
working from home: plateau 3.25 tee - what I've dubbed as the Positive Impact tee is my go-to working from home shirt cause who’s got two thumbs and trying to create a positive impact points thumbs at self THIS GIRL.
weekend out: the harbor tank I can’t wait for warmer weather to wear this down to the local biergarten with my friends!
working while out: The organic cotton twill camp pants this hits a nice line between comfort and office wear! ( My husband has the oaken pants also made from organic cotton twill and they are his favorite to wear to work!)
lounging around the house: Have I convinced you to get the bamone sweatpants yet?
2. separate tech:
Hardcore minimalists, cover your ears. I have two separate laptops. Yep. I have two separate laptops. Is your body filling with wasteful accusations, you’re ready to hurl at me?
Most people have a computer at work and a computer at home, so I’ve decided to implement that same principle into my life.
Because I’m addicted to working, the fun laptop is not signed into ANY work related websites like email, Instagram, or the blog.
Of course, I COULD log into them if I really wanted to, but most of the time once I hit that log-in screen, I’m snapped back into reality and reminded it’s not working hours. It’s relaxing/fun/clean your house hours.
This has been one of the most helpful rules I’ve implemented so much so, that I wish I had a separate work and non-work phone.
I’m sure you know how easy it is to get sucked into social media. You say you’re just going to check on one thing and the you look up and 20minutes to half an hour is just gone.
This happens to me all the time with working. I’m just going to go fix one thing, and then I look up and it’s been four hours and it’s time to go to bed.
How does this pertain to the environment?
When I use technology, I try to be very intentional about its usage. You’d be surprised how much energy it takes to run things like servers. You can read more in this post about how eco-friendly is technology.
3. separate spaces:
Did I say, that separation would be a theme here? The first of this year, I worked on creating an office space that I’d actually want to work in.
See, I have this weird quirk where I can’t work if I face a wall. It just makes my insides turn and my creative brain shut down. I have to be facing the room to let the creativity flow.
So, I got a few house plants and created and office space that inspires me. Then I made a rule (that I don’t always stick to but 98% of the time do) that work can only happen in the WORK ZONE. If I am not in the work zone, then work does not happen.
How does this pertain to the environment?
Instead of running out and buying new things for my office space, I rearranged things that I already had around my home to make it work. The only thing I got new was a few houseplants which is a great natural way to purify the air in my office. Check out this blog post for more tips on making your work place more eco-friendly.
4. tech free:
I have created tech free boundaries on the weekend. Similarly with the separate laptops, I try not to even be on my phone or laptop on the weekends. Often times I even delete my slack and Instagram app off of my phone so I’m not tempted to go on them.
This makes sure that I’m being present in what’s happening instead of getting sucked into the social vortex.
How does this pertain to the environment?
Less tech = less energy! I try to spend my tech free time reading, walking, with friends, and definitely enjoying some time out to eat.
5. self-care:
Self care for me is about so much more than floral baths and face masks. While I think those things are wonderful, self-care, for me, is about making myself do the grown up things that I don’t necessarily WANT to do… like flossing, paying my bills, unpacking (I HATE unpacking ((guess who still hasn’t fully unpacked from Phoenix in JANUARY)), cleaning the toilet, you get the idea.
See, when I was working so much, I only had time for working, sleeping, and a few hours of numbing my brain while playing puzzles and binge watching Death in Paradise for the fourth time.
Now that I’m giving myself space, I can work on being an adult which means doing those pesky things that I like to push off doing for a while.
How does this pertain to the environment?
I try to make my own face masks from kitchen ingredients instead of relying on those individually packaged sheet masks. My floss is compostable. I pay my bills online and signed up for e-statements to avoid any unnecessary paper. I clean my toilet with homemade cleaners that are biodegradable.
And, because I hate packing/unpacking so much I don’t travel very often - so eco-friendly! ;) But, when I do travel 10/10 am wearing my bamone sweatpants!
6. exercise:
Exercise is another thing that I don’t particularly love doing… I know that as a eco/wellness blogger, I should LOVE exercise… but I don’t.
I never have never really enjoyed exercising, but I do it because I know that I should.
How does this pertain to the environment?
I really want to write a post about more eco-friendly workout options because conventional gyms can use a lot of power! I like to jog outside or go on a hike with Nala. I often do yoga at home with downdog love the hemp ice-fall tank for this!
I also love going to a dance class and occasionally hitting up barre or spin.
7. pizza friday:
Pizza Friday is my J-A-M. I look forward to Pizza Friday every single week. It has become a sacred ritual in my home.
My husband tends to work 10 hour days M-Th and then gets off early around 2pm on Fridays. I try really hard to get all of my work done for the week so we can spend this time on Friday together.
We both typically change into our comfiest clothes (tentree of course) pick out a double feature and order pizza! It is seriously - my favorite thing!!
How does this pertain to the environment?
Pizza is our favorite food, but if we’re going to order delivery we opt for pizza because the box is compostable. For more information check out this video on how to properly dispose of your pizza box!
8. tea time:
Most people have a morning coffee ritual, but mine is with tea. I try to make this time very calming. A time to think through my day without any distractions. I use it as a time to focus and center myself. I brew and drink one cup very mindfully.
It’s a really nice way to start my day and feel connected and ready to face whatever comes.
How does this pertain to the environment?
Instead of using a tea bag (which are often made from plastic!) I use loose leaf tea. You can read more about the teas of my choice in this post on how I quit coffee.
9. reading:
Every night at 9:30 I shut everything down. I get ready for bed and wind down with a book. There have been a lot of studies done about technology right before bedtime.
Tech can interfere with your quality of sleep (study) which is the last thing I need. It’s nice to plug my phone in (outside of the bedroom!) and then have a night time routine that’s totally tech-free.
How does this pertain to the environment?
I like to read physical books which might sound like an un-ecofriendly thing to do, but when comparing the carbon emissions of one book vs. an e-reader. You'd have to read 150 books on your e-reader to match the emissions of one physical book.
So, I buy books secondhand, use the library, and I also buy books firsthand to support authors! It’s a nice healthy mix of everything.
10. scheduling:
I used to only schedule my work engagements and then try to find time for exercise and date night around those times. Now, I’m scheduling my exercise and my date nights FIRST and then fitting my work obligations around those things.
This means that I actually get to have a full and wonderful week beyond just being stuck to my laptop.
How does this pertain to the environment?
This one is a bit of a stretch, but volunteering my time is something that I also tend to put off so it’s something I mark down in my calendar too!
I’m curious if you’ve implemented any of these practices in your life?
I’m really proud of these 10 practices that I’ve cultivated, and I’m excited to see how these habits will pay off in the coming year. I definitely think that I’m going to feel much happier, rejuvenated, and inspired when it comes to creating content.
I’m also really excited to track my growth for the future. Not just personally, but the trees that I plant! With each tentree purchase you get a code with your tag. You can enter that code on there website to see where your trees were planted.
With my last purchase, mine were planted in Madagascar! You can also track how many trees you’ve planted as well as the planting progress.
tentree is offering 20% off to all Going Zero Waste readers 'GOINGZEROWASTE20'
