How to Shop Sustainably
by Stephanie Cochrane, The Waste Less Shop
Starting a low-waste lifestyle can seem overwhelming, especially considering how our entire society is designed around convenience, expedience and single-use items. We have been trained to shop without question and trust the system, but our litter-ridden planet shows us that the system is broken. The easy thing to do is go with the flow and plead ignorance, but the truth is unavoidable; we HAVE to change. Here are some easy but important tips to remember when making efforts to shop sustainably.
No One is Perfect
What matters is that we all take small steps in a positive direction to show the world where we want to go. The big brands won’t change as long as we are buying their environmentally toxic products, we have to use our spending power to vote for the kind of businesses we want to see more of.
Only Buy What You Need
It can be tempting to buy allll of the things. Trust me, I know. But our consume, consume, consume society is sucking our planet’s resources dry and simultaneously covering it with waste. When making purchases, think… do I need this?
Invest in Quality
Sometimes it’s hard to justify spending more for items that are organic, local, or handmade- and sometimes it’s just financially not possible. The products are a little more expensive up front than what you’ll find at the mega-market, but they also last MUCH longer making them more affordable overall.
Use What You Have
Before throwing away/recycling all of the plastic in your house, use what you have! It’s important to use the full lifetime of an item before discarding it. Repurposing takes much less energy than recycling!
Buy Local & Secondhand
Shopping secondhand can seem time consuming, but it’s fun when you have a free day to spend with a friend! Buying truly locally made products is difficult, but you can start going to the Farmers Market for produce or simply support local businesses.
Consolidate Orders
When shopping online, consider the importance of placing one larger order vs. multiple small orders. If you know you will need a year’s worth of toothpaste or shampoo, don’t order every other month! Order once!
The Waste Less Shop
Exclusive 10% Discount!!
We’ve partnered with The Waste Less Shop, founded by Stephanie Cochrane, in an effort to reduce waste by delivering sustainable alternatives to plastic household goods to earth-lovers near and far. She works hard to source and ship plastic-free and encourages customers to reduce, reuse, refill, refuse, rot, repurpose and recycle.
To get the discount, enter the coupon code ecofresh at checkout, or mention us if you shop at her store in Manhattan Beach.
Local Services
Zero-Waste Shops
- The Waste Less Shop
3515 Highland Ave
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266 - The Refillery LA
Mobile refilling van with a location schedule through their site and Insta. - BYO Long Beach
431 E 1st Street
Long Beach, CA 90802 - Sustain LA
5214 Monte Vista Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Sustainable Clothing
- Marine Layer
1144 Abbot Kinney Blvd
Venice, CA 90291 - Madewell
1349 3rd Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401 - Patagonia
1344 4th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401 - prAna
Clothing Recycling
- Madewell – Do Well Denim Recycling
Give them your jeans, they will turn them into house insulation and give you a $20 credit for a new pair! - Marine Layer – Re-spun Tshirt Recycling
Give them your old tshirts, they’ll re-spin them into new ones and give you $5 credit per shirt, up to $25!
Things you can do for FREE!
There are tons of things you can do every day that don’t cost anything, simply a mindset change…
- Refuse straws
- Recycle correctly
- Limit online purchases
- Ride your bike or walk
- Wash clothes in cold water
- Say no to freebies
Get More Sustainable Ideas from our Pinterest!
