TIPS TO LIVING ECO-CONSCIOUSLY 🌿

LOVING ON MOTHER EARTH

+ ways to realistically live eco-consciously

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Happy April, you tea lovers! This month is one of our favorites because it reminds us of all that Mother Earth gives us. That's why we want to share some simple and realistic ways to live eco-consciously on the day-to-day.

Here are a few realistic ways to easily reduce, reuse & recycle.

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Reduce Food Waste.

The key to reducing waste is often just using what you already have. Did you know that we discard 30-40% of our entire food supply in the U.S.? Food waste is one of the key contributors to global warming and climate change, but the good news is that food waste is actually really easy to prevent! One of the main reasons so much food is wasted is because food products are forgotten about when they are put at the back of the pantry or fridge, or simply expire as we continue to buy new groceries.

Here's are tips to reducing food waste at home AND saving money on your grocery bill:

• Plan out your meals for the week based on ingredients you already have in your fridge or pantry. Try googling recipes with the miscellaneous ingredients that you need to use and then make a detailed list of the ingredients you will need to purchase for each meal.
• If you know you'll be buying a certain ingredient that you won't use entirely on one recipe, try to think of ways to incorporate that same ingredient into meals you plan to make later in the week. The goal is to get the fridge as close to empty as possible at the end of each week without throwing things away. 
• Keep an eye on your pantry and fridge items with long expirations; these expirations tend to creep up on you because they aren't as obvious as veggies going bad. 
• Save scraps of veggies in a container in the fridge; the ends of ingredients we usually throw away can be boiled to make a great veggie stock.

If you can't use it, compost it! Throw your scraps in your heap to incorporate into your soil so your plants can grow big and strong.

Let's talk totes.

A mass extinction event is about to happen.  We are talking about plastic grocery bags. If you already have converted to being a reusable tote carrying individual, you probably are familiar with that soul wrenching feeling you get as you are standing in line at check out and realize you left that dang tote at home. Again. Congratulations, now you now have to pay 10 cents for each plastic bag you take. Don't worry, we've all fallen victim to those scheming, yet completely useful and earth-loving rascals.

OBTC Floral Tote

Here's how to never forget your tote again:

• Keep your grocery totes anywhere and everywhere. In your car, your spouse's car, your garage and your office! That way, you have back ups. It might seem counterintuitive if the goal is to use and buy less, but having extra of totes on hand may help reduce your environmental impact.
• Make it a mantra. Every time you leave the house, add reusable bags to your necessities checklist. Keys, phone, wallet, bags.
• Let your kids pitch in. If you have little ones in the family, task them with bag-reminder duties.

Jars: The easiest and most useful thing to upcycle.

• Keep jars after you use what was in it! Even if you don't have an immediate use for it, you will thank yourself later when you need a container to store extra food in because you ran out of tupperware, or if you want to send a guest home with leftovers! Extra jars also make great vases and to-go cups. 
• Candle jars are one of the main culprits of disposing after a single use. Here's how to clean your leftover wax out without clogging up the drain: Pour hot (not boiling) water into your jar, and the water will melt the candle wax, causing it to float to the surface of the container. Let cool completely before removing the wax and strain the water and remaining candle bits so you can avoid getting wax in the sink drain. Break wax into small pieces to melt down later in a wax warmer!

BTW: Do you know about our tea tin/ jar refill program?

In store: Bring your empty tea tins and jars back to refill with any tea you want for $1 off!

Online: If you are purchasing a jar of tea, you have the option to choose for your tea to be packaged in a glass jar or in a paper bag. Opting for the paper bag gives you $1 off your tea purchase!

Here are some tools to help you jump start your eco-journey:

Bamboo Mason Jar Lid

Silicone Food Storage Baggies - 3 Pack

Reusable Swedish Dishcloths - 3 Pack