Easy Ways to be More Eco-Friendly: Tips from our Team

Some of my favorite sustainable reads last year were Conscious Closet, How to Do Nothing, Over-Dressed, and Plastic Free Life. They all have some great tips on how to work with what you have, and strategies to avoid bringing in so much into your life. I also volunteered at a local non-profit thrift store, and it was incredibly informative to work through all the donations, and really see how much textile waste is generated even in a small community, and what items have value to resell and which can’t be resold. Learning about the journey of donated textiles, from the local thrift stores, to the rag houses, and then eventually to overseas markets and landfills was really eye opening. My biggest takeaway was how important it is to take care of our items and repurpose them whenever we can. 

This Earth Day, the Printfresh team is having a gettogether to teach one another mending, darning, and dyeing techniques. I’m personally excited to over-dye some of my favorite garments that have some mystery coffee stains on them - even just a quick dunk in some blue dye can transform anything into a totally wearable piece of clothing again! 

Living a more eco-friendly lifestyle doesn’t have to be a huge mountain to climb. Small changes add up over time, and allow you to be more aware of your impact on the environment. From daily habits to big mindset shifts, our team is sharing the ways they choose to live in a more eco-conscious way. 

Molly: This year, I have committed to loving the things already in my closet, shopping second-hand, breaking up with fast-fashion, and mending my clothes instead of buying new. I try to be very intentional about my wardrobe purchases and only buy what I’ll wear over and over again. 

Christiane: I’ve started using a local composting service to reduce the waste I’m adding to the landfill. They supply a 5-gallon bucket that gets collected (often by bicycle!) weekly, and accept a wide variety of compostable items including fruits, veggies, dairy, coffee grounds, tea bags and cardboard. I feel better knowing my food waste is being recycled, and I also get a few free bags of compost each year, so my garden will be happier too!

Bea: I’ve been using reusable everything! I love Grove, a sustainable cleaning supplies company that is all natural. I like to use reusable mesh bags that you can just throw in the wash. I hate buying paper towels because they feel especially wasteful so I make sure to have a fresh load of clean rags to wipe up my counters in the kitchen, bathroom, etc. I’ll always be a thrifter at heart, which is a great way to make sure nothing goes to waste! When I’m not thrifting, I’ve been shopping at companies that use ethically sourced materials and do small batch production, which makes me appreciate and take care of my clothes with way more intention. 

Ashley: Like Amy, I’ve made more of an effort to shop local and seasonal produce instead of buying imported veggies at the grocery store. We also plant a huge vegetable garden every year- and love giving our over-abundance of eggplant to the neighbors!

Amanda: This year I’m committed to filling my gas tank significantly less often than last year, plus walking and biking more.

Amy: This year I switched to doing most of my produce shopping at my local farmstand. Their produce tastes amazing, and I like being able to support local agriculture and reduce the amount of plastic packaging I accumulate. I have some mesh cloth bags that I’ve had for years, and am really committed to using them. They even call me ‘the bag girl’ now at the farm stand! 

Enjoy This Article? Here’s More We Suggest! 
Value vs. Price: Shopping More Consciously
Tips for Recycling and Repurposing Your Clothes 
5 Tips Before Your Next Donation to the Thrift Store
Breaking the Fast Fashion Habit

Best Ways to Recycle Your Clothes