L.O.A.S.H’S ECO SWITCH: Reusable Bags

Quote of TRUTH: “The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for.” – 

Sup, my eco-peeps, back again with an ECO SWITCH. Heck yeah. Let’s get this party rolling. Parrttyyy. Okay, serious game face. seriousness.

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Single-use plastic bags = NO!!!! Food, food is good. It’s necessary. It’s yummy. It’s the essence of- okay, let’s get back to the point. Remember those plastic bags that we use? The ones we use for like food, groceries, vegetables, and other stuff? Yeah, we kind of need to change it up. Like ASAP, ASAP. Did you know that there are billions (it’s a pretty big number) of plastic bags being consumed yearly?? Plastic bags win the majority of grocery bags in the United States alone. Estimated only 1 out of 200 plastic bags we use get recycled. In coastal cleanups, there are so many plastic bags popping up. Dude, it’s not good. at all.

How do you switch this up? Invest in a reusable bag! Stay committed by always remembering to bring this bag with you when you go grocery or someplace else. To get your own eco plastic bag switch, one option would be to get it from your local grocery store. Sometimes they do sell reusable, durable bags! There are other places you could order from, too. Another option for you could be to purchase one from these links:

 

Reusable Shopping Bags

 

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These reusable bags are durable, compact, washable, and can fit a good amount of groceries in them. Click here or the image to check them out!

 

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Reusable Shopping Bag w/ Wheels

 

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This is better for when you have heavier and more groceries with you. When you aren’t using it, it can be folded! It’s a great size and good quality. Click here or the image to check them out!

 

 

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Reusable Mesh Produce Bags

 

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These are amazing for vegetables and fruits and moreeee! They are durable, eco-friendly, see-through, and breathable. Instead of grabbing those one-time-use plastic they have, use these ones instead. You can even clean the veggies with the bags, too! Click here or the image to check them out!

 

 

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invest. commit. share.

🙂

 

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

Rivers and Hope

Quote of AWESOMENESS: “Everything that is done in this world is done with hope.” – Martin Luther 

Interesting title, I know. But, wait! Give me just a moment of your time so that I could share with you what I find very motivating and true. Have you ever heard of the Hudson River? It is actually a river named after Henry Hudson, the man who sailed up from the Atlantic Ocean in 1609 as he searched for a new route to Asia. It is about a 300-mile river stretching from the Adirondack Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. In between the two points, one may notice that the Hudson neighbors communities of New Jersey, Mount Vernon, Manhattan Islands, and more. 

The Hudson has had its past and ongoing situation with the environment. Back in the 1800s, the industrial era left something behind in the river. There was this human-made compound known as polychlorinated biphenyls (a.k.a PCBs) which were good electrical insulators, used to prevent fires in electrical transformers and capacitors, and considered safe. There were hundreds to millions of PCB deposited by the established manufacturing plants in the river and mixed with the sediments. In the 1970s, it was a downfall. PCBs had proven to cause liver disease, suspect to a carcinogen in humans, and health effects like low birth weight and some immune system disorders. The fish and wildlife around were also being negatively affected. Commercial fishing was banned (the manufacturing plants took the blame) and it was said that the fishing industry and that culture that has been present for centuries was destroyed at that river valley. EPA then banned PCB. However, by that time, there was a lot of work that needed to be done to make the river better again. 

In 2009, a cleanup began. Thousands of samples were taken. A process called dredging was being done to remove the sediment contaminated with PCB. This was completed in 2015. The second phase of cleanup was then approved. Programs and monitoring have become more strict. The Hudson River seems to have a positive outlook as its cleanup and preservation strives on. Many people, just like you and me, made personal sacrifices whether it be a career, reputation or livelihood, to do what they can to protect the river. Environmentalists, activists, and even a folksinger joined together in organizations to fight to protect the river, to educate those, to eliminate pollution, and more. Clearwater and Scenic Hudson are both active organizations that had a big impact on helping the Hudson River. 

What does this all mean? What’s the big picture? Why did you read this story? I’ll tell you. This river represents the many environmental problems that we have seen risen up today. Maybe it’s an actual river (like the one in the Philippines called Pasig River), the fires that come roaring, corals dying, or the plastic and trash issues that come to slap us in the face. Yes, it looks like such a big problem that it doesn’t seem like one such even bother to try something because it might be too small a difference. BUT YOU SHOULD BOTHER. You should have that turning in your stomach that makes you feel like the environmental problem is bad. Because it is bad and it’s growing. You should feel so fired up that you can’t just sit around and do nothing. Right now, the hope that this world has is me, you and every individual. It starts with you. You can keep going forward to fight for the environment. No matter how small. Spread the word, write, paint, create a movement, dance. Just DO SOMETHING that can help in contributing to helping the environment. Some people might laugh, some people might say no when you try to tell them. It’s okay, suck it up, and keep going because at least you tried and you keep trying. That’s what counts. And, how do I know if this will work? Because the Hudson River shows that when we come together, no matter what the situation may look like, we can make a difference in sustainability and the environment. 

Yours truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria

Garbage Island Motivation

“The earth does not belong to us. We belong to the earth.”: Chief Seattle

There is literally an island of garbage. OF GARBAGE! And, I’m not talking about a small teeny island that is harmlessly floating around, it’s about THREE TIMES THE SIZE OF FRANCE. It’s continuing to keep building up and building up. There is too much trash being accumulated and we really need to do something.  This garbage island, a.k.a the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is basically an evil vortex, continues to pull in garbage, plastic, unbiodegradable material one after another every day. Although the price is sky high to just get a bunch of ships or some other alternative to quickly clear it all out, everyone can make a difference. YOU can make a difference. A small change in your daily life will make a difference. If you were looking for some sign to get up and DO SOMETHING even if it’s as small as switching from utilizing plastic bags to eco grocery tote bags, DO IT. It was all the little things that everyone did which added up to big things that created the mess in the first place. So, believe me, just start by doing something small and spreading the word to those around you. It’s important, it’s our planet, our home.

♡

Yours Truly,

L.O.A.S.H

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© Elizabeth Anne Villoria