It’s Plastic Free July! I love how Plastic Free July is a great reminder to consider making sustainable swaps in your life. But I also feel it can seem a bit daunting to do a whole month plastic free. I've never done a completely plastic free July (or any month for that matter) but like to use this month to take time to think about a new eco swap or sustainable lifestyle goals.

Reflecting on my eco goals, I thought I’d share the goals I’ve set and my process of setting eco goals so you can too!

Setting Eco Goals:

Trying to live more sustainably can feel overwhelming. There are so many changes that can be made that oftentimes it can be challenging to know where to start. That’s why I like to run through what I do regularly and then compartmentalize those into different categories like:

Kitchen
Bathroom
Makeup / Personal Care
Laundry
Cleaning Supplies
Clothing
Home Essentials / Decor

From there, I like to think about which category I’m most excited to make a change in. Personally, I have more fun and feel more motivated when thinking about a swap I’m excited to make rather than feeling like I have to make this change. Taking that pressure off and having fun with it has helped me consistently move forward with making sustainable changes in my life!

Once I select a category I run through the products I’m currently using and see where I can make a change. Sometimes, I also see a conscious product that I’m excited about and give that a try, but I always try to use what I have first.

While I talk a lot about eco swaps, setting sustainability goals can be so much more than switching plastic generic products to something lower waste. Making product changes are still amazing, but there are a lot of other approaches to consider as well like:

Reducing food waste
Properly disposing of products (like batteries, textiles, etc.)
Upcycling items you own
Repairing items to extend their life
Getting involved in an organization
Donating to impactful organizations
Getting out there and voting!
And the list goes on!

Over the years, I’ve made a lot of eco product swaps in multiple areas of my life and although I still have more swaps to go, this month I wasn’t really feeling as excited about making a product swap so, I set other goals that I’ve excited about.

My Eco Goals:

Eco Goal #1: Learning how to properly dispose of items

In particular, I’m going to learn how to dispose of batteries and my prescription bottles. I have a big stash of batteries that I’ve been going through and before buying rechargeable batteries, I want to use what I have. So I set a goal to learn how to dispose of my batteries when they no longer work.

I also want to see if there is a way to properly dispose of prescription bottles or if my pharmacy has a take back program. I love to upcycle and these bottles can totally be used for storage of things like tacks, buttons, and beads but I have a lot of other upcycled jars I’m using and don’t have a use for these. If you have prescription bottles, consider upcycling or tune back in to learn what I found about disposing of them!

Eco Goal #2: expanding my garden with veggie scraps

I’ve been learning a lot about gardening lately and in that process, I’ve had quite a few casualties *sigh* My sister suggested that I consider expanding my garden by propagating veggie scraps and I’m finally going to challenge myself to do it! Although composting is great, using my scraps to grow more food seems like a whole other level of upcycling that I’m so excited to try and it will save me money! In case another 107 degree days comes by and knocks out some of my plants, this is super low budget and can be added to my compost if it doesn’t work. I’m going to start with lettuce and go from there!

Lastly, don’t forget to set dates with your goals. Setting a date is helpful to stay accountable with your goals. Life happens, things get busy, and again this should be fun, so if it’s feeling stressful, set a new date, and try to stick to it as best you can.

I’m challenging myself to try these eco goals by the end of the month. For eco goal #1, I want to have the research complete and an action plan ready for when it’s time to dispose of batteries and prescription bottles. For eco goal #2, I want to have a lettuce propagating and research other easy to grow food from scraps by the end of the month as well!

This Plastic Free July, I hope you challenge yourself to make an eco change in your life that you’re excited about! Have fun with it and let me know if there’s anything I can do to help support you on your journey :)