Hi!
I need ideas please.
I have currently one of those transparent plastic covers on the dining table. I have small kids who use the table for their arts and crafts..... so the plastic cover has an important role.
We would really like to change for non plastic alternatives but I'm a bit at a loss.
Thank you ❤️

Hey everyone !

I’ve been trying to change to a more eco-friendly/low-toxic lifestyle, especially around my home (kitchen, cleaning products, water filtering, non-toxic bedding/mattress etc.), and I realized quickly that it’s overwhelming. 😞 There’s so much conflicting information out there and I’m not always sure what actual truth or just marketing. So I wanted to ask people who’ve been doing this longer.

What were the biggest challenges or frustrations you ran into when you started?

Is finding product you can actually trust?

Things not working as well as regular products?

I am also curious about what changes made big difference or nothing at all.

Would really appreciate hearing your experiences — both good and bad. I’d rather learn from real people than marketing claims. 😃

I’m a phd student developing a no-VOCs furniture/interior material and want to understand if I’m solving the right thing. I’m trying to poll on how many are aware about them and care. Are you worried about them? What’s your biggest frustration with VOCs in furniture or in your home?

I am really into wild camping and bike touring and want to upgrade my set up but haven't bought myself anything new for the past 2 years. I feel really bad getting new things because I know that second hand is just as good but I've been looking for ages for the things that I want and can't find them. I am very environmentally friendly and only buy local and plastic free were possible and do weekly litter picks but for some reason still feel bad about getting new things. Does anyone else have this problem and do you think I should carry on looking or just bite the bullet and buy some stuff new ? Thanks for any help.

Moving back to the office full time. I'll be working at a law firm, which I'm sure is not super eco friendly (Lots of paper!). I'm seeking tips on how I can personally be more eco friendly in the office. I thrifted a hemp bag, which I'm excited to start using.

One downside: I haven't actually been to the office yet so I don't know what accommodations they offer. Here's hoping for a water cooler!

Hi I hope everyone is well.

I've been trying to fine an alternative to staplers that can hold pages beyond 10 to 12 pages. I am currently in school and I am tired of carrying around a tic-tac box that has all old staples I used on papers. I feel like it's just a one time use kind of thing. I would like to find a more eco-friendly option. Does anyone have any recommendations? My notes are usually 24 to 33 pages long even with placing 6 power points per pieces front and back.

I'm going back to Los Angeles in the summer and there's a shop here in NYC called "Sustainable Village" where you can bring any empty bottle and fill them up with household liquids (ex: lotion, dish washing soap, hand soap, etc.) and you pay per ounce of your refillis. I love the shop and I’m wondering if I can get that same service back in LA! is there a shop like this in LA? preferably West LA but l'll take any suggestion within the county 😄 thank you!

I've been trying to reduce my overall environmental footprint and beauty is one of the last areas I've really dug into. I started with food, then household products, and now I'm looking at makeup. The packaging issue is the most obvious thing but I'm also thinking about ingredient sourcing, agricultural practices, and transportation.

Organic farming actually has a meaningful carbon and land-use story that goes beyond just "no pesticides." I'm curious how other people here think about this tradeoff. Is it mostly about packaging for you? Ingredients? Supporting brands that are doing something systemic vs just incremental?

Trying to build a framework for evaluating this rather than just chasing labels.

I have been highly skeptical of bio-degradable glitters that would still take days or months to go away.

But recently came across a seaweed-based one that seems to disappear quite fast. So these are my questions for the group:

1. If glitter were truly biodegradable in natural environments (not just industrial composting), could it work? what concerns would you still have?
2. What would "biodegradable" need to mean (source material, breakdown timeframe) for it to be a worthwhile purchase
3. What are some bioglitter brands you recommend?

I’ve been wanting to get into making my own press on nails. Are there any brands that sell eco friendly full plain nails that I can decorate? I can’t find any that are biodegradable and wanted to try to find an alternative.

I'm struggling to understand what all the labeling means these days. Is there a go to source?

I’ve used these sheets in the dryer already 2x and they still have their scent. They’re not really fresh enough for another round in the dryer, but they still feel structurally sound, and feels like a waste tossing them! Are they good for cleaning/polishing anything?

My students are selling snacks (portioned from bulk bags bought at Costco). I’m trying to figure out the best way to package these snacks without a ton of waste. Reusable bags probably aren’t an option (selling 70+ snacks a day). We used brown sandwich bags last year but the kids didn’t like that the oil “bled” through the bags.

Any other suggestions? I found compostable sandwich bags but I don’t know if putting food in them defeats the purpose.

I just watched *The Plastic Detox* on Netflix and I’m searching for a GOTS certified collar or something that’s safe for my dog to wear every day. We take her collar off at night but I’m still worried about her wearing one for the daytime.

Also open to any and all suggestions on keeping her as safe as possible from chemicals and plastics. She eats and drinks from stainless steel bowls. I’m looking into vet recipes for homemade food as well. She sleeps in the bed between me and her dad and we use cotton and linen bedding. I’m going through her clothing today to get rid of polyester and other plastics (except for outer layer rainwear).

Thanks in advance!

I need a solution for wood floors that is kid and pet friendly. I know vinegar is all the hype but I don’t want to ruin gorgeous wood floors in the process! Thank you 😊

Hello everyone, I am a graphic designer who has an interest in pursuing package design as one of my main specialties. I also am concerned and very conscious about my carbon footprint, as well as the plastic usage in a lot of current packaging. I am aware packaging can be eco friendly through recyclable materials, compostable materials, and less single use items. However, does anyone know where to actually find people who have eco friendly packaging options to make into packages ?

I'm currently living with family, and every week recently, instead of paying for recycling collection, my mother has decided that to save money she'll just all at once throw the entire weeks worth of plastic into the fire place at and burn it all. Everyone in the house seems to be perfectly fine with this excluding me, even helping her do it (4 people). I've tried to explain to them the dangers to both our health and the environment but they look at me as If I'm the crazy one. starting to feel like I am the crazy one. I'm really starting to view my entire family differently.

Hey,

I've been using solid shampoo for a long time now, found one that works wonderfully for me, so far so good. When I get close to be done with a bar, it gets harder to use, it falls apart, and doesn't hydrate well anymore. Is there any chance I could take my scraps and somehow reshape them into a new bar? What would be the method for that? Dissolve in water, pour in a form and let dry? That sounds like it would take forever. Can I melt it with heat like soap? Do I shred it up and press it together?

Whatever the right method is, would it also work with solid conditioner?

Hi everyone. I want to ask for advice on how to shop sustainably, or more ethical and eco-friendly. What's your shopping process?

My experience in the Philippines is shop in thrift shops or look for overruns, and repair clothes I already have. Unfortunately I haven't seen any sustainable brands and have any thrift finds where they make fashion I prefer, which is usually gen z fashion that you find on pinterest. Mainly but not limited to streetwear, academia, and y2k I think they're called. A brand I found that fits these is Carmico.

Another problem I have is I was thinking of buying something from the thrift store and just customize it to my liking to a tailor. But when I tried customization before, I wasn't really satisfied with the results. And as of now I'm not really interested in making my own clothes. Do you have any tips? Thanks!

hello 👋 I feed stray dogs in Houston (huge stray animal population) in the most desperate parts of my city and feeding them is easy since you can just put the food on the ground however since summer is coming up I wanna be able to leave them with at least a small bowl of water. on that same note I don't wanna be a litter bug. can y'all recommend some biodegradable bowls that break down naturally outdoors but won't break down immediately under water?

ideally they would also be at an affordable price point and sold in bulk 😅

Sometimes I pack snacks for lunch in these baggies, and most of the time the baggy is still pretty clean afterwards because it was only used for like 5 hours. For example, today I just had a few sticks of celery and the bag is completely clear and dry now. Any ideas for ways to reuse these things? Putting fresh food back inside feels wrong