World Environment Day is celebrated annually every June 5th, and it’s important. I want to save the planet for my future grandchildren so they don’t all die on a fiery earth that my generation helped create.
Here are the top sustainable, eco-friendly products and companies that made it simple and easy for me to do my part and lessen the size of my carbon footprint while keeping me in my lap of luxury like the bougie gal I am.
1. GOOGLE Nest Hub Max
I’m very busy, and I work a lot from home. One simple thing that I can do in the course of my chaotic lifestyle is reduce my home’s energy consumption, and Google has helped me do this. All Google products since 2020 are made from recycled materials and have minimal impact on the environment, and as a company, Google has been carbon neutral since 2007. The Google Next Hub Max is the base for building my own smart home. It cuts down my energy consumption dramatically and makes my whole lifestyle more eco-friendly and sustainable. Any smart devices compatible with Google works with this hub, including smart plugs, smart bulbs, smart thermostats, etc. It can do everything, from keeping your daily schedule, to finding recipes, setting reminders, answering questions, and more. Google also collaborates with suppliers to create safe, fair trades, and they put people first, expanding across economic status and making the benefits accessible for everyone. This product in particular is so consumer-friendly that anyone can use it on their journey to making any home a smart home.
2. MEROSS Smart Wi-Fi Plug Mini and Smart Wi-Fi LED Bulbs
I have fully embraced the idea of building my own smart house, and I am always in need of more smart plugs and smart bulbs. Smart plugs provide an easy solution for automating everyday home appliances, from fans, to heaters, to lights, and more, but most importantly they make saving energy effortless. You can control the function of this particular smart plug directly from the Meross app, but they also work with my Google Nest Hub Max (along with Siri, Alexa, and others) – so, it truly is seamless. From the Meross app, you can create schedules or auto-off timers to keep everything running smoothly in your house, even when you’re not there. Best of all, these Meross’s smart products don’t require a dedicated hub. The smart products feed off your pre-existing wi-fi, which is a major win that makes it consumer-friendly. Plus, the brand’s smart bulbs work in tandem with the smart plug, doubling up on the eco-friendly initiative, thanks to adjustable brightness levels and more. Using these bulbs saves nearly 80% of the energy normally consumed with an incandescent light bulb, and smart plugs save between 1 and 4.58% each year, which is approximately one month’s worth of energy for the average household. This duo from Meross is perfect for anyone taking their first steps toward building a sustainable lifestyle.
3. PELA Eco-Friendly Phone Case
I’m always in the market for a cute phone case, but after finding out that 1.5 billion non-biodegradable phone cases pollute the already overflowing landfills each year, I had to stop and think about it. Then I discovered Pela, the world’s first truly sustainable phone case. Pela’s cases are made of raw material that has a much higher quality than plastic. The exterior of their cases has a delightfully soft texture but is durable enough to protect my phone from drops and scratches. Ethically manufactured, fair trade, and organic – not to mention 100% compostable – this amazing product doesn’t leave me feeling guilty every time I want a new case. I really enjoy how velvety-soft and flexible the case itself is, and I was really impressed with how well it has protected my phone, even after a few mishaps that could’ve easily caused permanent damage. With the many colors and patterns that Pela offers, I’ll never get bored. I highly recommend this product to people in my life because where you purchase your phone case is such a small, unobtrusive step that you can take toward sustainability while still making a difference.
4. HIDRATESPARK PRO
I have a paralyzing fear of tap water. It’s just something that was instilled in me as a child. So, I am very insistent on drinking filtered or bottled water, which in the past (I’m ashamed to say) made me a carbon ‘Bigfoot.’ Then along came the HidrateSpark PRO, the latest in hydration technology. This smart water bottle is compatible with Apple, Google Play, and Fitbit. This amazing product has a sleek stainless steel body that keeps your beverage cold for up to 24 hours. It holds up to 32 ounces and monitors your water intake through an app, lighting up with reminders for you to hydrate. Incredible, I know, but by far the best thing about this high-tech water bottle and the company behind it is the fact that it’s replaced over 110 million (and counting) plastic bottles – and a good quarter of that was probably from me… While it may have a steep price tag, it’s more than worth it for me to create a sustainable, luxurious drinking experience for myself.
5. PENTAIR ROCEAN The Reservoir
Another way I’m working to reduce my own personal plastic consumption is with this sleek, modern-looking Reservoir by Pentair Rocean. It’s an innovative solution to typical water gallons and other filtration systems. I really love the design of this, and I was shocked at how easy it is to assemble. As someone who can forget to hydrate, this product makes cleaner filtered water that much more accessible to me, with its lovely countertop spigot dispenser. This fresh, new take on H2O is sustainably designed to enhance my environment while also protecting the environment. Every filter is made from coconut husks, while the housing is made from 40% recycled plastic, which I appreciate. The Reservoir also removes 76 contaminants, which is 10 times more than my old Brita filter system. The functional aesthetic and convenience of this product is definitely a luxurious step up from my other water filter systems and into a more sustainable world.
6. BIOM Sanitizing Wipes Starter Kit
After dealing with a pandemic for the last two years, I am obsessed with sanitizing. As everyone else experienced, it was quite trying to find Clorox wipes at one point – and after looking into them, I was a little disheartened by the negative environmental impact my generous use of them causes. Enter BIOM and their award-winning, 100% plant-based, plastic-free, biodegradable and compostable CDC-compliant sanitizing wipe. These truly groundbreaking wipes come in a stunning refillable one-wipe-pull dispenser that has a magnetic lid, keeping the container airtight so your wipes are always fresh. I absolutely love the design of this dispenser. Available in multiple colors, it looks almost like home decor, and it can stay sitting out without looking like an eyesore. With such a great ingredient list, these wipes are perfect for sanitizing surfaces and can be used on skin as well. Biom has a subscription option, which is something I really appreciate because I can have refill wipes show up to my house on a shipping frequency ranging from once a week to every two months. Biom’s packaging uses 85% less plastic than leading disinfectant brands, but in one year, over 200 billion disinfecting wipes were consumed in North America alone. Do your part, and switch to Biom.
7. OUTLINES The Shower Liner System + Hooks
Now, here’s the latest and greatest in shower liner technology. I may be a bit of a germaphobe when it comes to my shower and bathroom, so I’m constantly replacing shower liners and curtains if I even think I see a speck of mold. And since most shower curtains and liners are made out of PVC, one of the most harmful types of plastic, I always felt a little guilty about my frequent disposal. But this incredible shower liner system from Outlines changes everything. It’s an incredibly inventive product. The 12-piece hook set and a cotton canvas shower liner top are both reusable, and a PEVA (polyethylene vinyl acetate) liner makes up the bottom half and is easily replaceable via a magnetic system. This PEVA liner is far superior than the average shower liner since it’s much more eco-friendly and antimicrobial. Basically, this system works as a subscription service. You simply take a quick five-question quiz that determines your replenishment schedule. That replenishment will be sent on the agreed timetable, along with a mailer that will easily allow you to recycle your current liner with the brand. The replenishments are reasonably priced at $25, and typical replenishment periods are every three months, every six months, or every nine months. This inventive system is very easy and hassle-free to set up. I really love that the top part of the curtain and hooks can stay put while the bottom part of the liner is magnetic, super easy to remove and replace. The starter kit also comes with two anchors, which are little weights that go on the bottom corners of your liner, keeping it perfectly in place. No more shower liner constantly swinging forward and hitting your body as you shower.
8. BLUELAND Clean Essentials Kit
This is one of those eco-friendly no-brainers when it comes to lowering your carbon footprint. The average home needs only one of Blueland’s fabulous ‘Forever’ bottles and a pack of 30 cleaning tablets to keep the whole house spick and span for a year. But instead, the average home goes through 30 single-use plastic bottles of cleaner over a single year. That plastic is polluting our oceans and damaging our wildlife. In fact, there is so much single-use plastic being used and disposed of in the world that we are eating a credit card’s worth of plastic each week, and 90% of the water we drink and food we eat contains microplastics. That’s really intense, and I’m happy to do my part to reduce plastic waste by upgrading my cleaning routine to these stunning, high-quality, sturdy spray bottles and their plant-based, earth-friendly cleaners.
9. OUR PLACE Home Cook Duo
When it comes to the kitchen, I’m always on the hunt for pots and pans that have environmentally-friendly, non-toxic non-stick coatings. By far my favorite is the Always Pan and Perfect Pot from Our Place. These incredibly versatile kitchen tools are brilliantly designed to replace over eight traditional pieces of cookware. They are super versatile and have been specifically designed for user comfort, ease, and convenience; not to mention that they come in some pretty great colors too. Our Place’s packaging is biodegradable and 100% free of plastics, innovatively designed to eliminate the need for a separate shipping box. This brilliant kitchen pair will increase your sustainability practices by reducing the number of kitchen items you need to replace on the regular.
10. WOODFORD RESERVE Straight Bourbon Whiskey
I always enjoy having an adult beverage with a group of friends over a lovely dinner and great conversation. Woodford Reserve’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a way I can bring my sustainability practices into my cocktail choices. Not only are all of their spirits expertly crafted and flavorful, but also, they use 98% recycled materials across all operations. Ten acres of land on the Woodford Reserve is even dedicated to native grass restoration. This particular whiskey blend is rich and well-rounded and has a smooth taste of complex citrus, with notes of toffee and caramel. The delightful scent of vanilla and tobacco spice wafts from the bottle. This bourbon has a finish that is wonderfully silky and smooth and comes across almost as ‘creamy,’ leaving behind that warm, satisfying burn every sip.
11. CADENCE Build Your 12
As someone who travels frequently, I love, love, love Cadence. If you haven’t heard, Cadence offers customizable sets of magnetic and leak-proof, TSA approved, travel-sized containers called ‘capsules,’ made from recycled ocean-bound plastic. There are multiple colors to choose from, and you can customize a label ‘tile’ for each capsule. They hold 0.56 fluid ounces of whatever you need, whether that’s skincare, hair care, body care, toiletries, and more. When I travel, I like to travel light, so my past self would have purchased travel-sized disposable versions of my everyday necessities. But with Cadence, I can cut down on my consumption by filling each capsule with my desired product. And because each capsule is magnetic, they all stick together in one place so I’m not constantly digging through a bag, looking for my travel-sized face wash. About nine billion single-use plastic travel bottles and six billion silicone travel bottles end up on the beach or as pollution. Cadence has reinvented how we travel. Quality plus personalization equals less waste. There’s so much plastic ending up in our oceans, causing pollution and destroying the planet, and using Cadence gives me peace of mind that it’s one less pollution I’m contributing to.
