I don’t know about you, but I definitely felt a shift in my life in 2021, a prompting and urge to become more eco-friendly. The concept of mālama ka ‘aina, caring and protecting the earth and land, has always been near and dear to my heart. I’ve always known that if we care for and protect the earth, it will care for us. And it has, in many unique and humbling ways. 

The problem is… it’s kind of hard to go eco-friendly. I have always tried to cut back on waste, be aware of plastic products and consumption, and get eco-friendly options, if possible. One day I hope to be totally plastic free and buy things that are ethically sourced, but I’m starting out now.

I’ve finally decided to sit down and write an article on some of the things I’ve discovered this year to become more eco-friendly. Some of these tips I’ve done for years and others I’ve tried out and can confirm they’re awesome! 

This article includes affiliate links. If you click on a link and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Mahalo for the support! 

Wool Dryer Balls 

Did you know that wool dryer balls can be used up to 1000 loads? Yes. One thousand. That means they’ll last about 2-3 years… and all for $15. Why buy dryer sheets, that create more waste? What if I told you wool dryer balls also reduce dry time by 25% AND reduce static? They’re incredible and I can positively say they do reduce dry time. When I hear the dryer beep I check it right away, thinking maybe it just turned off too early. But no. The clothes really are dry. And they’re not staticky. I can’t recommend these wool dryer balls enough. I’ve had absolutely no problem with them and feel SO good about my choice to use something eco-friendly. 

I’m not an affiliate or ambassador of Kind Laundry, but my friend is and so feel free to use her code! 

Laundry sheets 

Kind Laundry also offers laundry sheets. In the last couple of years I’ve been so disappointed with my own consumption of laundry bottles. They’re big plastic jugs, full of chemical-laden soap. Because of the color of the bottles, as well as the chemicals used to make them, these jugs will most likely not be recycled. 🙁 

So, enter laundry sheets. They’re so easy to use. Just stick one sheet with a load of clothes. The sheet dissolves and guess what? The packaging is a box, which means it’s easily biodegradable. Win win! 

Use non-plastic shampoos, conditioners, and body wash

I switched over to a rice shampoo bar and conditioner, and I’m never going back. It feels good to know that I’m not contributing to wasting plastic and that my purchase also supports a village tribe in China… like, an actual village, real people.

Let me explain: I buy Viori rice shampoo bars and everything about this company is transparent, meaningful, and quality in every way. Not only has my hair been healthier (and growing super long), but I haven’t bought normal shampoo or conditioner in ages. I also use their bamboo holders to place my bars in, which is another excellent alternative to plastic bottles! 

I have yet to find a body wash bar that I like. I’m quite picky about smells and the ingredients used, so if you have any suggestions I’d love to hear them in the comments! 

Use my link or code LEIALOHA10 and get 10% off your Viori order!

Hydroflask water bottle 

In summer 2021, I was a background actor for a movie and I was so upset by the amount of water bottles consumed. On our call sheets, the coordinators specifically asked the actors to bring refillable bottles and they’d have large coolers of waters. I was disappointed when we got to the set and they didn’t have those coolers, as promised to us. I even asked, but they didn’t have them. It’s crazy to think that this was just one small movie. I can’t even begin to imagine how many more water plastic bottles are used every single day—not only on other movie sets, but construction sets, tours, you name it. 

A refillable water bottle, like a hydro flask is SUCH an easy way to go eco-friendly. It’s practically a no-brainer. I’ll make it easy and even include a link below to the hydro flask I have! Mine is the hibiscus color and I absolutely LOVE it. The hydro flask keeps cold drinks cold and warm drinks warm. 

Get a hydro flask here: Hydroflask

Stop buying clothes you don’t need

A few years ago I realized that people spend a lot of money on clothes. I am pretty minimalist and don’t like to shop, especially for clothes. But I realized that there were clothes in my closet I never touched. These clothes were usually gifts, or something I didn’t purchase myself.

Here are a few tips I learned:  

Tip #1: If someone gifts you clothes and you’re pretty sure you won’t use it, give it away. Don’t take the tag off immediately. Pause, think about it. Will you use this? If not, it’s a great option to regift or donate the clothes (especially since it still has the tag!). Or, if possible, take it back to the store it came from, get a gift card, and use it on something you would wear (or something else you can use).

Tip #2: Take a styling class. The average adult spends $161 on clothing a month. That’s $1932 in a year! Maybe an outfit was bought for a photoshoot, or because a person thought it looked good in the store (or online). They wore it once and that was it. If you don’t know what looks good on you, take a styling class. Save yourself money and boost your wardrobe confidence. I didn’t buy the full class, but I took Hilary Rushford’s free class, and just the tips she shared there were SO helpful. I highly recommend. 

Hilary Rushford’s Free Style Class

Last tip: Buy ethically, if possible

Tip #3: Buy ethically, if possible. It’s not always going to be cheaper, but I’m sure it feels better. I’m not to the point yet where I know all my clothes are ethically sourced. I buy from places like Old Navy and sometimes their prices can get so low, you wonder if they’re making anything from it. I will keep doing research and get to the point where I’m confident I know where all my clothes come from, who made it, if the people that made it were paid fairly and have good working conditions, and so forth. That’s definitely the next step for me. 

Be selective of jewelry and other accessories 

I’ve stopped gifting jewelry and accessories to people. I used to think it was a nice gift, but everyone has different preferences and I realized that maybe the things I gave as gifts just ended up in the trash. And not only that, but I often found good deals on these items, which tells me that maybe they weren’t ethically sourced or eco-friendly.

If you do want to buy jewelry, shop small, like on etsy. I’m an ambassador for Fahlo, a company that sells bracelets to support conservation efforts. For example, if you buy their Journey bracelet, you’ll support not only the Turtle Conservancy, but you’ll even receive a turtle to track! I love my turtle bracelet and love seeing where my turtle is in the world. It’s a nice little way to support conservation efforts and have a fun little reminder to malama the earth. 

(And if you’re like me, maybe, buy it only for yourself cause you’ll appreciate it most haha!)

Get 20% off your next order if you use my code LEIALOHA20, or simply use this link!

Read a fun article about sea turtles here: 6 Lessons from a Sea Turtle

Don’t impulse buy, especially around the holiday season

A huge reason I wasn’t into the Christmas season in 2021 was because I got so sick of all the waste and consumerism culture. People spend so much money and time on Christmas wrapping paper, presents, and even trying to find little things to fill stockings and more. Let’s not forget to mention White Elephant gift exchanges, which I loathe, because people usually buy and give junk to simply throw away. These impulse buys support a system of consumption and waste, and, unfortunately, so many of these items end up in the trash. D: 

Can we all commit to not impulse buy this year? 

If you want to get Christmas gifts, start early, like even as far as July. Christmas is the same time, same day every single year. So let’s not be a part of the system that perpetuates such waste. I’ve also found that if you can’t figure out what to gift to someone, they probably don’t need anything. The gift of your time or a kind note would probably show more aloha than any other tangible gift!

Here are some other ideas to avoid impulse buying: 

Repurpose: Is there something in your home you could use instead of the item in front of you? How can you repurpose it? 

Reuse: How can you reuse what you have? 

Make it: Do you have to buy it? Can you make it with what you have?

Wait: Instead of buying something right away, sit on it, think it over for a few days. You might find you don’t actually need that thing. 

Alright, that’s all I got this year. I hope something here helps or inspires you in 2022. There are so many ways to go eco-friendly but I thought this might be an easy, starter sort of list. Can you think of any other easy ways to go eco-friendly? Thank you for every effort you make to go eco-friendly. Every little effort makes a difference! 🦈🌈🌴🌊🌿☀️🐬

Love,

Lei 

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