Journey Through Time Antique Emporium The Xavierite
While Earth Day is only celebrated one day of the year, we can all take a more active approach to help celebrate it daily. There are countless ways to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly, but it can be an overwhelming thing to start.
In a world of consumerism, here are some ways to be more sustainable, starting with what you purchase.
Take a Trip to the Thrift
Growing media attention has been given to thrift stores recently, with social media users showing off their thrift finds. While this has caused some thrift store prices to go up, this way of shopping is still beneficial for the planet and your pocket.
There are several thrift stores near campus and in surrounding areas to fulfill your shopping needs. Antique and vintage stores are also worth a visit, with all of these proving to have more price effective options with quality products that are not yet ready for the landfill.
For antique and vintage, I recently visited Journey Through Time Antique Emporium in Tinley Park. It was a magical place to visit, the setup expanding further back than what I would have expected. They carry everything from knick knacks to jewelry to toys.
This shop is located at 17030 Oak Park Avenue.
My two favorite thrift stores near campus would be Hope’s Thrift Boutique at 7600 S Pulaski Road in Chicago as well as the Goodwill at 9321 S Western Avenue in Chicago.
Hope’s has a lot of sales going on at various times that can save you even more money. Just note they do not have traditional dressing rooms, but customers are allowed to try on clothing in front of the mirrors around the store.
Follow Hope’s on social media for their latest merchandise and sales. Find them at Hope’s Thrift Boutique on Facebook and @Hopesthriftpulaski on Instagram.
While Goodwill can get pricey, a lot of locations do half off certain price tag colors, the color changing every week. I usually try to look through these tags first.
While buying secondhand is more sustainable, it is still important to note that we need to be more mindful with what we buy, making sure they are items we actually need or will get a lot of use out of.
Find More Sustainable Products
Recently, I shifted from using bottled shampoo and conditioner to bars. You use them the same way you would use a bar of soap, but for the hair instead.
Kitsch is the brand I tried after seeing it pop up regularly on my social media. For my first order, I got the Rice Water Shampoo Bar for Hair Growth and the Purple Toning Shampoo Bar for Color Treated and Grey Hair. As I use a lot more shampoo, I figured I would get a conditioner bar if I liked what I ordered.
The items came wrapped in little boxes that leave less environmental waste. Their site also claims a bar can save about two bottles of shampoo or conditioner, serving as a money saver as well as eliminating waste.
The bars made my hair feel really soft and were just as effective as the products I was using before. I especially liked the purple bar; I typically use bleach on my hair for highlights, and the purple always makes the blonde pop and look less brassy.
Kitsch also offers soap, hair accessories, sleep accessories, and more.
Aside from Kitsch, there are several other brands to support that are built on sustainability. One example is the growing popularity of laundry detergent sheets over tide pods or liquid detergent. Similar to the shampoo bars, these sheets eliminate waste and claim to be just as effective as their counterparts.
Remember to do research on these brands to find out which is best for you.
Take Your Business Inside
As an avid coffee consumer, I try to visit as many coffee shops as possible. One thing I like to try and do is enjoy my drink inside so that it can be made in a mug or reusable cup instead of plastic.
While this is not always possible, I think it is a start to try and do this when it is to eliminate unnecessary waste. It is also an option to bring a reusable cup to a coffee shop to avoid the plastic.
Similar can be said with food places. Staying inside typically uses less waste and less bags.
These are options when going out to eat or drink. The alternative is always eating at home. Making coffee at home easily avoids the plastic, while saving money.
On a similar note, shopping that happens on a weekly or daily basis uses a lot of plastic bags that are also harmful to the environment.
Certain stores have also gone bagless, with the plastic carriers only offered for an additional charge. A lot of stores also now offer reusable bags, most usually retailing for a couple of dollars or less. This is another way to eliminate waste when spending money has to happen.
About Post Author
