4 sustainable products you'll find in my bag

Got any weekend plans? Maybe a movie with someone special? Coffee with a friend? Or a solo farmers market date? No matter what you are up to, these sustainable products are super helpful when leaving behind less waste. Try keeping them in your purse, car, or backpack. To make things one step simpler for you, I am recommending my favorite brands for each product (none of these are ads, they are just the ones I have used and liked). If you already have a different version of any of these products please do not feel like you should buy the particular one I am calling out. After all, the most sustainable products are the ones we own!

Without further ado, here are 4 sustainable products you'll find in my bag:

1. A Reusable Straw

Let me start out by saying these are worth the hype! I mean, a compact straw, that's easy to store and clean, yes please. There are many competing numbers on how many straws Americans use in a day but all of them are in the hundreds of millions. That's enough for me to say no more plastic straws please. I have a FinalStraw. I got this baby a few years ago and it has never failed me since. A few added bonuses to them are that they contribute to 1% for the planet and their marketing focuses on big issues while using an amusing mermaid as the subject.

2. A Reusable Bag

The great news is that a lot of us are already on the reusable bag train when going to the grocery store or farmers market. But here's my question, do you bring one everywhere? On a movie date or on your way to work? I know that I've been caught without one many times where it could have come in handy so I bring one everywhere now. I like the brand Baggu as they have very clear sustainability and ethics practices laid out on their website. The bags are also very compact meaning they fit in my purse, car, and even my pocket.

3. Water Bottle

How often are you out and about and you find yourself very thirsty. This has happened to me many times and i'm always left with two options: Buy a single use water bottle to take care of myself or don't drink water for the rest of the day to not make trash. These are not great options… In college I was given a Hydro Flask by my friend after she got tired of me refilling my used yerba mate jars with water. After about 4 years I gave my Hydro Flask to my younger siblings as they went off to college (you go Spencer!). I am planning to purchase my new water bottle from Ocean Bottle. I recommend watching the videos on Ocean Bottles youtube and checking out their website to learn all about their mission to eliminate plastic from our oceans.

4. Tupperware

This one might seem a bit bulky but I promise there are ways to make it work even if all you have is a purse. How often do you bring leftovers home from a restaurant or order to-go food? Now imagine that you finish your tasty meal, pull out your tupperware, box it up and carry it out in your reusable bag. Doesn't that feel good! So if you are keeping things in the car or have a bigger bag than a glass dish is a great call. If you have a purse or plan to be out for a bit and don't want the bulk, consider using Stasher reusable ziplock bags. Stasher is a woman run company that also donates to organizations that protect the ocean (seems like this article might be all about ocean conservation - that's fine by me!).

I hope this article inspires you to take a look at common habits we all have and ask the question “could I make a more sustainable choice here?”. The more we ask this question the better off the planet and all of us will be.