One of my goals for this year is to write company a month to point out I notice their crappy environmental policies. It's easy and fast to do, so join me! They only know we care if we say so with our money and our words. 


We are extreme lego fans in this house. Where I have been able to stop the flow of almost all plastic toys, my boys absolutely cannot resist the building, instructions, and endless opportunity of your tiny little blocks. They even want to keep looking at the boxes! Now grandparents, uncles, and aunts love buying them these sets as gifts.

This year, we took them to Legoland as their big Christmas gift, and they loved it. I, on the other hand, felt kind of uneasy.

Legoland (at least in California) is a weird combination of efforts to cut waste-making, lecturing their visitors on (pretty lame) ways to cut their personal consumption (at the entrance/exit of a gift shopping selling plastic toys in plastic packaging), and some surprising gems of actual green changes.
- The hotel room had (maybe) refillable shampoo bottles next to single use plastic water bottles.
- The restaurants had compostable plates and plastic silverware and lids.
- Plastic toys everywhere. Clothing and other items all made in countries that do not regulate their labor.

It's like Legoland will happily admit plastic is a problem, but maybe not one they personally feel responsible to solve. When you walk out of one of the rides (and into the gift shop), you can see this sign:



What about you, Legos? You are part of the problem, what more can you do about it? I am so glad you are doing something, and I am grateful brands are taking this up, but we both know this problem is bigger than plastic straws on the beach.

Ok, I get that if you are going to a theme park devoted to a brand of plastic toys, you are going to be hard pressed to find much of anything else. I mean, how high of a horse can you get on? That said, I think this points to a larger problem that Lego has (and can solve).

A few years ago, Lego got some good press for saying they were trying to come up with an alternative to the plastic they make their toys with. Now, there is talk that they will make their blocks out of everything from sugar to hemp. That is dang cool, and I hope that you find an amazing solution.

But Lego's blocks aren't your  biggest problem- it's their single-use, pure garbage, better options ALREADY available plastic bags.

Much like the small efforts wrapped in large blindpots at Legoland, your legos come wrapped in your biggest blind spot- single use plastic bags. There are usually a handful of these plastic bags in every box.

Let's do some simple math.
Online estimates suggest that 7 lego sets are sold every second. (Wow!)
Let's make the (very) conservative guess that there are 5 plastic bags in each one (some have way more).
That means that Lego sells 35 single use plastic bags a second.
That's 2,100 a minute.
That's 126,000 instant garbage plastic bags in an hour.
About 3 million single use plastic bags a DAY
Ok, are you ready for this? 1,103,760,000 single use plastic bags a year.

Holy crap. ONE BILLION. And that is the conservative guess.

If only someone had already come up with alternatives to plastic bags! Lego, you could save our planet from a billion pieces of totally useless plastic a year.

Thanks for what you are doing already, but you can take this first step now. People have already solved this problem, so while you are working on blocks, you can totally solve the bag problem. You could try recycled paper boxes or bags. You could also do a plant-based or compostable plastic bag.

It's time to start making REAL changes where it makes the most positive difference (instead of just getting you the most press). All toy manufacturers need to abandon plastic packaging completely. Be a trend setter and let's see who follows suit.

It's clear you know that our world is in trouble and that plastics are a major part of the mess we are in. You can do so much good by making this change. Why not get started now?

Sincerely, Sunshine Guerrilla

The Great Donate 2020 is on! Can you donate, gift, or recycle 2,000 items out of your house this year? The average American household has 300,000 items in it- who needs that much? No one, but there are lots of people who could use what you have sitting collecting dust. Check out The Great Donate 2020 for more inspiration and ideas. 




We have been cleaning out the corners of our house that get neglected and messy. One of these is our medicine cabinet. It is so cluttered so of course we have doubles, old medication for old ailments, and more than one empty bottle.

Now, I would not recommend ever gifting or rehoming the medication itself. The FDA has pretty complete information on how to dispose of the medication and/or pills(though they do make me hope people only do this once in a long while, because that could be a lot of sealed containers going to waste). They have a lot of good advice, so this is a great resource.

That said, lots of us get pill bottles regularly and that can easily become a lot of waste. But it doesn't have to be! 

First, ask your pharmacy if they have any pill recycling programs. If they aren't offering anything yet, ask them why. In my dream world, every pharmacy would have a take back system, so that pill bottles got used over and over again. They are starting up in some areas and chains, but it still isn't expected. The plastic these pills come in can probably only be sterilized so many times, so we need to come up with other viable solutions as well.

Luckily, there are still lots of other options for reusing pill bottles. Just remember before you hand them over to wash them thoroughly and to peel the stickers with your personal information off. Get ready to do some good- let's look at your options!

Matthew 25 Ministries

This amazing ministry will take all of your prescription and over the counter bottles- they use them for transfering medical supplies. In developping countries, medication isn't always packaged safely, and this can be a major health hazard, so this is a major service they are doing. If they can't use the bottles you send (you can even send ones without lids) they shred and recycle them. You can read more about the steps to take to send your bottles correctly on their website. If you are a church-going person, you could also do this with your whole congregation, as an easy outreach project that also protects the environment.
This is their address: Matthew 25: Ministries11060 Kenwood RoadCincinnati, OH  45242

Creative Reuse

As a teacher at Seattle Recreative (a creative reuse space), I have seen pill bottles become robots, binoculars, drums and more. Wash the heck out of your pill bottles (get your personal info off of there) and donate them to creative reuse spaces near you. Your old pill bottles will become someone else's art!

Local Homeless Shelters and Free Clinics

Local Veterinarians 

Pill bottles can also be helpful for animal clinics, shelters, and veterinarian offices. They also have to distribute medication! Check in with the ones near you to see if this could be helpful. 

Going absolutely plastic-free can be so daunting (especially when grocery shopping) that it is easy to give up. A few summers ago, we tried our first Plastic-Free July and had an absolute meltdown in the grocery store when we realized that you can't buy much of anything without plastic. I don't think we had ever realized before just how dependent we are on plastic for our food shopping.

The amount of plastic we bring home with our food is a big problem. Plastic food wrappers are one of the largest sources of plastic overtaking our oceans (plastic will outnumber fish by 2050) and our land. We need to clean up our oceans, but we also need to turn off the tap of all of this plastic. Businesses and brands need to take the lead to turn away from plastic, but we can hold them accountable as consumers by refusing plastic-wrapped products and by speaking up. This helps us too- we know that plastic packaging is connected to a host of health problems with our endocrine system, our hormones, and may even lead to cancer. We need single use plastic out of our lives, and soon.

I love people who manage to be zero waste- that is freaking awesome! For me, the goal is to get through the grocery store with 3 plastic-wrapped items or less. This wiggle room gives us freedom (and keeps us from falling off the wagon completely), because we don't have to be perfect. I think perfection is a trap (on that note, we fail pretty often. Then we try again the next time we go. The real trick to making a positive impact on the environment is to just keep trying).

We all have what we can do, and what doesn't make sense for our lives. I try to think of it as a plastic diet- doing a fad or cutting completely probably won't last. Instead, I try to make pretty good decisions most of the time. You can only do what makes sense for your life, so pick a number you feel comfortable with.

So, this is my challenge for you- the next time you go shopping, count how many pieces of plastic you leave with. Could you cut that number in half? How about by a third?

I know that low waste shopping can seem intimidating. It keeps us from our normal routine and does sometimes require some planning. But plastic is absolutely overtaking our planet, so it is worth doing. Here are my best, simplest tips for getting a bunch of plastic out of your shopping trip.

1. Be Prepared and Bring Our Bags

The biggest step is to show up prepared. When we are on point, we have cloth grocery bags, our Colony Co produce bags (love these), and containers for the meat and deli counters.

 If you need tips on how to shift to reusable bags, I have a whole post on that here.

2. Let Our Produce Swing Free

Ok, now if you are like me, you may have some emergency grocery runs mid-week (we are always running out of milk and apples... it doesn't matter how much I buy). If I wasn't planning on coming, I may not be as prepared, but I can usually still make my goal happen. I either dig up a bag in the car somewhere or I ask for paper.

For the produce, I just let my produce roll around in the cart, and then I wash them when I get home. There is truly no reason for plastic produce bags- your apples and oranges get along just fine in the cart.

3. We Shop the Outside Edge of the Store

Most everything on all those aisles in the middle are wrapped in plastic. We just have slowly gotten the hang of mostly just skipping the whole section. We stick to a lot of fresh produce, so we can use our plastic credits for bread, milk, and something else.

4. Eat Less Meat and Processed Food

Meat and processed foods tend to be wrapped in a lot of plastic. If you go absolutely zero waste, you will be buying lots of mushrooms and other plastic-free proteins!

Some meat and deli counters accept containers, but not all. But the truth is, most meat or seafood you buy has already had a pretty high plastic cost. Fishing nets are the number one source of plastic in our oceans and large farms use a tons of plastic for their farming and shipping. Best case scenario, environmentally-speaking, is that we all go vegan. But if you aren't ready for that leap you can still do a lot of good by eating less animal proteins. So we now eat more Meatless Monday meals and tend to choose meals where we can spread one package over several meals (I call them Less Meat Meals).

But yeah, the bad news is that if you are avoiding plastic waste, the cookie aisle is basically going to be a heart breaker. Our regular grocery store has donuts in the bakery you can take away in paper, so we do that. There is also usually a baker at the counter, so in theory you could ask for your favorite item before it hits the packaging. It's all about being strategic and not being afraid to ask questions! Same for the freezer aisle (we make our own popsicles- so easy).

5. Shopping our Local Farmer's Market and Bulk Stores

Unlike grocery stores, farmer's markets won't use fruit stickers and tend to be much more open to using whatever bag you happen to bring. I also love farmer's markets in the summer, because we can get berries without any plastic clam shell.

I am also obsessed with grocery stores with bulk spices, pasta, candy, and grains. We can get a ton of what we need in our own containers so we skip a bunch of plastic containers (this is really great for everything from filling our pantry to filling our Easter baskets). We also can buy these dry goods (and cleaning supplies) in pretty big quantities, so we don't have to do it all of the time. Think you don't have a bulk store near you? Check again! Even our tiny hometown has one 10 minutes away now. Do some research!

6. Beware of Paper Cartons

Pretty often, paper milk cartons are still lined with a thin layer of plastic that keeps the whole thing from being recyclable. You are better off buying one jug, which can be reused for water storage or recycled.

7. We Don't Buy Bottled Water. Ever. 

If you want to kill a bad habit, the first step is to just stop buying it. Just stop with water bottles.

We are lucky to live in a place where our tap water is perfectly drinkable with a healthy filter. I would never, ever buy bottled water, because you are really just paying for tap water wrapped in plastic garbage. It makes tons of sense if you live in Flint. The rest of us just need to stop.

8. We Order Our Paper Goods Online (and Wrapped in Paper)

We mostly use reusable options like unpaper towels and cloth napkins, but if we do need toilet paper, we buy it in bulk and wrapped in paper. THIS IS SO MUCH EASIER THAN GETTING IT FROM THE GROCERY STORE. This post gives you a big list of places you can buy toilet paper without plastic, but the short answer is to just fall in love with Who Gives a Crap, because they are awesome.

9. I Stopped Buying Pads

I have a menstrual cup. It is a freaking game changer, and if you haven't tried yet, look into it. Thinx is another option that people love, but the bottom line is that disposable pads and tampons have huge amounts of plastic in them, and no one needs them. If you want more plastic-free tips for your menses business, I have a whole post for that.

10. We Eat What We Buy 

I am not the best at using everything in our fridge, and we used to throw a lot of food out. My partner in grocery crime has become a pretty committed meal planner, and we throw away a lot less. It's so simple, but using what we have creates less waste. Less food and packaging wasted for nothing.

11. We Use Bar Soap and Refillable Shampoo Bottles

We have been using bar soap for a few years, and I wouldn't go back. It's just as easy, but everything comes wrapped in paper. I think bar soap is sorely due for a big comeback, because you can buy beautiful, local, paper wrapped soap that will last you so much time!

For shampoo, we use refillable shampoo bottle from Plaine Products. They send me a full metal bottle of shampoo every three months, and then I mail them back my empties in the same box. Bar shampoo didn't work for me, but this really does, and it is so simple to do.

That has been the big things that have helped us! Do you have a specific item that you can't figure out? Write me in the comments and I will try to help you find a plastic-free solution!

12. We Skip Boxed and Bagged Salads

Lettuce from the produce aisle takes a few minutes to clean and works just as well.

13. We Grow it Ourselves

We have parsley, basil, green onion, and chives growing in our yard all of the time, so we don't have to buy the little (way overpriced) plastic pouches of herbs. We also grow blue berries, strawberries, and raspberries in our yard. It isn't going to stop all plastic, but it is the most healing and fun way that we cut down on plastic.

14. We Skip Individually Wrapped

Just because you can't cut plastic out completely doesn't mean you can't cut out a whole lot of it. We will never buy those American cheese slices that are wrapped in plastic again. Even kraft sells their cheese slices without all that extra packaging, so we can even get American cheese without so much plastic.



Want more ideas for getting plastic out of your life? Check out our crazy long list of easy ways to cut plastics out! Happy Plastic-Free July!

We can see that our planet is hurting. From climate crisis to plastic waste, many of these problems seem so huge that we couldn't possibly make a difference. It's not true. By getting involved, using our voice, and supporting the people on the front lines, we can help. 

Each week, we share a few simple ways to get involved and help. None of these steps take a ton of time, but they do make a difference. 




Microplastics have transformed our oceans and our own diets. Tiny pieces of plastic, about the size of one piece of glitter, shed off of our plastic-based synthetic clothes every time we wash them by the thousands. These fibers are washed out into our water sources and the oceans. These pieces may seem insignificant, but in such overwhelming numbers (trillions), we now eat and drink about the equivalent of a credit card every week.

This is a huge environmental crisis that most people have never heard of. But rest assured, all that plastic consumption will effect our health and our lifespans. But we can do something about it.

There are lots of things we can do as individuals- STOP buying any clothes made of synthetic fabrics, use a cora ball or filter in the washing machine we use, and tell your friends about microplastics! These are all important.

That said, we know that collective action makes a big difference. Here are some quick and easy ideas to help fight microplastics in the system, not just in your home.

1. Embrace the Filter or Cora Ball 

(and Ask your Washing Machine Company to Do it too)

There are now filters and balls out there that are meant to collect these plastic mircofibers in your washing machine before they move out into the water sources. A few recent studies have shown that these do work, so if you have any plastic in your wardrobe, this can help. We all need to work towards the goal of the plastic-free wardrobe, but this is a good first step to take for yourself (and maybe everyone you have to give gifts to in the near future).

That said, if we can now see that filters and balls can make a difference in keeping microplastics out of water sources, it is time to put pressure on washing machine companies to incorporate something like this into every washing machine they manufacture. Even better, they could retrofit something and send it out to the people who have bought their machines.

So, this week might be a good time to write the company that made your washing machine and ask them to add microfiber filters to their designs. Need some help doing it? Just use this letter as a template.

2. Join up with the Story of Stuff Project

The Story of Stuff is amazing, and you may have seen their video about microfiber pollution. They are pushing for legislation in California to stop microfiber pollution, and they can use your signature. You can sign their petition here.

Sign up for the Story of Stuff Project updates and to hear when you can help with a signature or getting the word out. This group is one of my favorites, and they are doing all sorts of good work. They are one of the only major groups to address this problem so far.

3. Make a Helpful Suggestion to Greenpeace

As I mentioned, most of the major environmental groups aren't dealing with microplastics yet. We need a few things to happen:

- Ban the manufacture and selling of plastic fabrics
- Require all washing machines to be made with a plastic filter

You could try to do this through the companies first, but if they aren't willing to do the right thing, this is urgent enough to require legislation.

This, to me, sounds like the perfect job for Greenpeace. They are currently on a plastic mission, specifically confronting the major corporations contributing to the problem (looking at you, Nestle and Coke). In all that awesomeness, they haven't touched on the microfiber problem yet. You can write them to ask where that investment is at. If you are a member or already give them money, you should definitely speak up and help get this on their radar.

4. Write your Favorite Brand

As companies try to keep up with the constant demand and low prices of fast fashion, they use plastic-based clothing more and more. This is unacceptable. If you notice that you can't shop your favorite brand and avoid plastics, write to tell them how disappointed you are. Tell them they have to stop using plastic fabrics.

Need a template to do this? I wrote you one! Switch up the wording to fit the brand you want to approach, and send it on their facebook, twitter, or email. Call customer service. Just put a stink up, and relatively little effort can have a major effect!



How are you stopping microplastics in our water this week? Every little step or action we take creates ripples. Every positive ripple can turn into a wave. Help us save the world!

LG, Whirpool, Kenmore, Samsung, AEG, Bosch, Electrolux, and Maytag,

You are at the center of a growing and disastrous environmental crisis, and you have the power to solve this problem. Not many industries have the ability to quickly and easily end an environmental disaster, but you do.

You can end the microfiber crisis.

Our ocean is being overtaken by tiny, microscopic pieces of plastic by the trillions. These plastic pieces are shed off of plastic-based synthetic fabrics in our washing machines. Washing machine filters do not currently stop these microfibers, so these tiny fibers exit our homes and head to water treatment plants. Some settle into sewage sludge, but most head out with the treated water into our water sources.

You can now find microplastics in samples taken from most bodies of water, rivers, and streams. Researchers from The Ocean Conservancy have found over 100 microplastics in one fish. Other researchers have found that these microplastics have reached the most remote corners of the ocean.

This kind of pollution is particularly disturbing because there is no real way to clean it up once it reaches our water sources. It is like filling a bathtub with glitter; you will never be able to clean up every single piece. Until a method for cleaning arrives, all of our water becomes more and more overwhelmed with plastic.

This has a significant effect on humans. Microplastics have become part of our food chain, being found in everything from our table salt to our drinking water to most of the animals we eat. We are now eating plastic with enough frequency that it could have a significant negative effect on our health; we know that plastics can effect hormones, disrupt our endocrine system, and has even been connected to cancer.

You have the power to solve this problem.

Small companies have already developed filters to stop these microfibers from ever leaving the washing machine. The technology and research is out there to filter these microfibers, leading to products like the Cora Ball and others. Some people are starting to use these products, but most are not.

These products wouldn't be necessary if it was standard to have a microplastic filter in every new washing machine sold. You have the power to stop this problem completely by shifting your product to serve this need.

No washing machine manufacturer is doing this yet, so if you did it first, you could get all the positive press from blazing a trail that could save our water and save lives. We can assume that with a little time and common sense, microfiber filters will be common practice, but you can make that day come sooner, and you can keep trillions of pieces of plastic out of our oceans.

Your company has the chance to do something heroic here, to help save our water and our people. Please develop microplastic filters for your washing machines and make it standard that they be included.

When we think of plastic waste, we picture plastic bottles, bags, food packaging, and straws. We notice those single use plastic items, which are a huge part of the problem, but are not the only issue by far. Our approach to clothing (especially fast fashion) is a major part of the plastic crisis.

If you want to stop the plastic waste taking over our planet, you have to start looking at your closet.

You may be thinking "Ok, but I don't have any sweet plastic rain coats or polyester leisure suits. This is not my problem." I guarantee you, this is your problem. Let's go over some of the ways your closet makes plastic waste:

-The Shipping

It costs companies less to put their product in plastic envelopes than to cover the cost of damaged items. Hence, everything now ships wrapped in plastic, unless the company explicitly takes another route.

- The Fabrics

Plastic-based synthetic fabrics are one of the biggest environmental crisis that no one is talking about. Any of your clothes with spandex, lycra, polyester, elastene (and so many others) is made of plastic, and thousands of tiny pieces of that plastic shed off every time you wash them. This plastic washes out into our water sources, so most animals (including humans) now ingest a significant amount of plastic. This plastic can't be cleaned- unless something changes, your grandchildren will be drinking your leggings. Is it worth it?

- The Upkeep

Dryer sheets, dry-cleaning bags, and detergent all add more plastic to the mix. You can side step all of these, but only if you are ready to pay attention.



Ok here are my best ideas for having a plastic-free wardrobe where you still look like the beautiful, fantastic person that you are:

1. Just Buy Less Clothes

We all have too much clothes. Fabrics and textiles are one of the largest sources of waste and chemical pollution in the world, and it makes sense, because each American, on average, throws away 65 pounds of clothes a year. We are buying way too much, and all those deals come at a huge environmental cost.

Our huge collections of clothes mean we are creating more plastic waste too. When you are buying a lot of clothes, you are more likely to be investing in cheap pieces, which are now mostly made of plastic fabrics like spandex and polyester.

Investing in fewer pieces (and making the wonderful clothes you already own shine, you beautiful person) will do the most good. It avoids the plastic new clothes are packaged in, shopping bags, synthetic fabrics, and all the invisible plastic we don't even notice anymore. If you like having a concrete plan, look into capsule wardrobes. If you have way too much already, do a swap with friends or offer items on Buy Nothing. Do not toss your clothes in the garbage!

The best you can do is wear the hell out of the clothes you already have. It's the one mindset shift that can do the most.

2. Know your Synthetic (see: Plastic) Fibers

Our clothing is creating one of the biggest plastic crisis our planet is facing- microfibers. Plastic-based synthetic clothing sheds microfibers of plastic (about the size of one piece of glitter) every time you wash them. They come tout in your washing machine, and then they are washed out into water sources. These microfibers, though tiny are major problems.

First, because they have reached every corner of our water sources and oceans.

Second, because these microscopic pieces end up in our water and food (maybe up to a credit card's worth of plastic a week), potentially messing with our hormones or causing cancer.

But most importantly, these microfibers cannot be cleaned. Have you every tried to clean up a glitter spill? How about in a full bathtub? That's the challenge our planet is facing now. The first step is to stop pouring glitter into the bathtub, and that means no more synthetic fibers.

The first step is to just increase your awareness and vocabulary around plastic-based fabrics. Check out this post for all the information you need. 

3. Stop Buying Plastic Clothing

Once you know what to look out for, you just have to stop buying things that use synthetic fabrics in them. This can be tough to do, but you just get the hang of checking tags or the details tab when you shop online. If something is made with plastic fabrics, just don't buy it. Even if it is just what you wanted, it isn't worth it.

This is true of secondhand shopping as well. Try to focus on shopping for items that don't list plastic materials. If there isn't a tag anymore, sometimes you can identify by feel. If the fabric is particularly shiny or stretchy, it likely has plastic in it.

You also learn with time that certain companies are less likely to use plastic-based synthetics. Companies that tend to be earth-conscious also tend to avoid these fabrics. Pact, Reformation, Gustin, and so many others mostly avoid it. It feels particularly good to invest companies that are already looking out for the environment.

But really, it's as simple as just not buying something if it is made with plastic fabrics. As you slowly replace things in your closet, you will slowly remove all plastic fibers as well.

4. Embrace a New Kind of Legging

Certain items, like fleece, activewear, and leggings, are particularly loaded with plastic. It can be tough to find plastic-free or plastic-light alternative to active clothing that still gets the job done (and makes your butt look good), but companies are working to make activewear with minimal plastic.

This is ONE area where I will not recommend secondhand or recycled. If you buy leggings made of spandex secondhand, they will only shed more plastic the longer they get use. Another trend is to make activewear out of recycled bottles; while I know their heart is in the wrong place, what this actually does is turns recyclable plastic into tiny pieces that can never be cleaned. Skip it.

If you love your leggings, but you don't want to fill our oceans with plastic, check out this post with my favorite companies that are using as little plastic as possible. If you are only using a tenth of the plastic, that's a tenth of the waste too. If you wear a lot of leggings, this is a change worth making.

5. Fall in Love with Secondhand Clothing

One of the best ways you can protect the environment is to buy as much of your clothes as you can secondhand. Have you ever bought clothes online? You know how they come in that little plastic envelope? All new clothes ship in one of those! So if you buy your next 10 items of clothing secondhand, that is 10 fewer plastic envelopes in the world. Simply by shopping secondhand as a rule, you can keep thousands of those envelopes out of the landfills.

If you don't live somewhere with good thrift shops, you can still switch to secondhand amazingness. Try Thred Up, which sells everything you can dream of AND they ship wrapped in paper, not plastic. I love them so much, and you can get great deals on top of everything else.

6. Return the Plastic to your Dry Cleaner

If you use a dry cleaner, you will get your clothes back in those big plastic bags. The easiest way to sidestep this is to just give them back immediately. They can make it back to your home just fine without the bags, so when you show up to the dry cleaners, take the minute to take the bags off and leave them there for them to use again on the

7. Invest in a Plastic Filter (And Pick up an Extra for a Friend)

Companies have now developed products that filter the microplastics out of your washing machine before they are washed out into water sources. Current studies suggest that they aren't perfect (so not as good as eliminating plastic completely) but they do make a difference.  You can try a filter, a bag, or a Cora Ball. The most important thing is that you do SOMETHING.

Also, my new goal is to just buy one of these for everyone. Everyone should be used to having one of these in their washer until plastic fabrics are banned completely. The less plastic we send to our oceans, the better.

8. Switch up your Detergent

The detergent we use also tends to create a lot of plastic waste. There are a few ways to avoid the big plastic bottles of Tide:

First, think about refillable options. Is there anywhere near you that you can refill your detergent bottles that you already have? We have refills at our co-op grocery store. If not, you can still buy refills from online stores like The Refill Revolution. They sell giant pouches that you use to refill, and then you send it back when you are done.

You second option is to make your own. There are tons of great powder and liquid options on Pinterest, so you can kind of pick what fits what you already like. It saves money, and you can avoid a lot of plastic this way.

9. Think Vintage, not Vegan

This is a controversial one. If you are trying to minimize your negative impact on animals, you will do more good buying secondhand leather boots than brand new pleather ones. Many of the fake alternatives to leather, wool, and other animal fabrics are 100% plastic. Plastic that will become extremely harmful to animals.

Leather, if cared for, can last a lifetime. So even if you are vegan, buying secondhand leather items (where you did not pay a company to kill an animal) has a better impact on animals longterm.

10. Write Companies that Still Use Plastic-Based Fabrics

Want to do a little more? Write the companies that are still manufacturing clothes with synthetic fabrics. If we don't tell them that we aren't ok with it, they assume that everything is fine. If you are at a loss on how to word it, check out this post with my letter to the Gap. You can use the same note and just switch the details to match your favorite companies that need to stop with the synthetic fabrics.

You could also write the washing machine manufacturers to pressure them to include microplastic filters in all of their machines. They knew about this problem and should have done something to solve it long ago. But doing something now is still a better option than doing nothing.


How have you gotten plastics out of your wardrobe?



Check out the Little Green Dress page for more resources on how to transform your wardrobe into something greener!

We can see that our planet is hurting. From climate crisis to plastic waste, many of these problems seem so huge that we couldn't possibly make a difference. It's not true. By getting involved, using our voice, and supporting the people on the front lines, we can help. 

Each week, we share a few simple ways to get involved and help. None of these steps take a ton of time, but they do make a difference. 



This week is the start of Plastic Free July, and we are so excited here. That said, it's important to remember that your personal changes can only have so much impact. We cannot stop plastic pollution without also speaking out to leaders, lawmakers, and businesses to do the right thing.

This can be intimidating to do, and it is hard to know where to start, but there are so many ways you can get involved to stop plastic not only in your own life, but to speak out against the throwaway culture that created this problem in the first place.

1. Join a Plastic Free Challenge

One of the best ways to exponentially amplify your Earth-saving efforts is to combine your actions with others. Plastic Free July is partially magical because you have multiple opportunities to do this. Joining a team or taking a pledge adds to their numbers, gives you a sense of community, and becomes collective action.

My favorite is this Plastic-Free Eco-Challenge from the Coalition of North American Zoos and Aquairums. What I think is most cool about it is that you can join a team or act as an individual, and then you get points depending on the actions you take. It seems pretty addictive.

I also love the pledge you can take on the Plastic Free July Challenge's website, though I really wish they gave more info about how many people have signed up with you! I find that kind of info encouraging, but I know it is growing, which is pretty exciting all on its own.

Signing one of these is a nearly effortless way to combine your plastic-free commitments with others. It makes things add up that much more, and hopefully businesses will take notice and suck less.

2. Fight Back Against Fishing Nets

Fishing nets are the largest source of plastic in the oceans. The fishing industry is absolutely out of control. Step one is to dramatically decrease how much fish you buy and to know exactly where and how what you buy was fished.

Step two is to get involved with the groups that are standing up to the fishing industry or cleaning up fishing nets. Here are two you can get involved in or donate to- it makes a big difference!

Ocean Voyages Institute just made the news this week for pulling 40 tons of fishing nets out of the oceans using technology to find the nets easily. We know this is the tip of the plastic iceberg, but this group has found a system that works, You can donate to their mission here.

Surfrider is a grassroots program based out of California, and they have 127 campaigns going right now to fight ocean and beach plastic, including things that consider fishing nets. Check out their campaign page to read about what they are doing and to get involved.

The Olive Ridley Project is also specifically targeting ghost nets and helping with clean up and education around the issue. Check out their super interesting website with really helpful descriptions of the problem.

3. Join Greenpeace's Plastic Initiatives

Right now, environmental justice titan Greenpeace is taking on plastic production and distribution, and they are going HARD. If you are worried about the plastic in our water (and you really should be), sign their current petition to stop grocery stores from using so much unnecessary plastic. You can also read their scorecard on which supermarkets are doing the best at limiting plastic waste.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. They are currently confronting companies like Nestle and Coca-Cola, who are responsible for millions of pieces of plastic waste a day. They recently put "plastic monsters" outside of Nestle's offices, and they have started their own petition and call chain to fight Target on their plastic bag policy. You can sign their petition to these corporations here.

If you want to give some money to help the environment and specifically our oceans, consider becoming a Greenpeace member or donating specifically to their plastic campaigns.

4. Stand up Against Nestle

Bottled Water companies are consistently the worst, but no one is worse than Nestle, who steals water from poor rural areas and even indigenous communities. Nestle absolutely needs to be stopped. You can start by signing this petition.

If you want to learn more, check out the Story of Stuff website. They have tons of excellent information, and you can get involved in their "Unbottle Water" campaign by simply signing up.




Happy Plastic Free July! So glad you are here and fighting this battle with us. We will have more actions to take next week so you can let your inner activist shine!

This blog is on a mission to get plastics out of fashion and out of our waters. You can read way more about this on this post. We need your help. I am going to write some of the biggest producers of clothing and tell them to stop using ANY plastic-based synthetic fabrics. Join me in speaking up. You don't have to be as long-winded as me, you just have to say something. Our voices will amplify each other. 

from the gap - this model is not impressed

Art Peck (CEO of Gap Inc),

 You have a big problem, but it isn't what you think it is.

I have read that The Gap is having some challenges. Your brand is actually made of multiple stores- Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Athleta, and apparently the only store that is doing well is Old Navy.

Business Insider pinned Old Navy's higher popularity on lower prices. In other words, Old Navy is perfectly practicing fast fashion. They see this as a good thing, but the moral cost of this "success" is high. And the bottom will fall out, because it isn't a deal if the clothes fall apart immediately.

So what are you leaning on? Lots of plastic-based, synthetic fabrics. To keep costs low (and follow the Old Navy model) you are going all in on fast fashion, making cheap plastic junk instead of the kind of clothes that would actually last.

Plastic seems to have snuck into every corner of your Gap fashion line- your athletic wear has it (pretty normal at this point), but so do almost all of your dresses and even some of your denim. Basically everything in Old Navy is made of plastic (and lasts about 6 minutes) as well.

So it's pretty clear you are just trying to double the Old Navy model at your Gap and Banana Republic stores as well. In a way, I get it. If I want to invest money in

This is a big problem. I am sure you know this, and you have made the decision to chase profits anyway, but I want you to know that I notice, and I still think you can do the right thing.

We know that the clothes you are making and selling in your Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta stores are doing unfathomable environmental damage. Every time these items are washed, they shed plastic into the washing machine and out into water sources. The fibers are very small, but each load of laundry can send thousands of them out into our water every wash.

There are now billions of these tiny plastic threads in our water. Scientists have found them in the most remote corners of our oceans, in much of the food we eat (including almost all salt), and in human stool. This would be horrifying enough, but we now know that plastic is poison for humans. We know it is linked to hormonal and endocrine problems, even cancer. It becomes clearer and clearer that the chemicals in plastic are doing serious damage to our health.

So, making plastic clothes is basically like shooting poison into the water in every corner of this Earth. Later, when we will see plastic like asbestos or other toxic chemicals, your company (and its willingness to pander to fast fashion) will be seen as a villian, unless you make a change now.

So, doubling your Old Navy model- cheap plastic clothes, cheap labor- only adds to your responsibility for this problem.

So I am asking you to do something surprising.

Give up the plastic clothes. Stop making them. You can even make a big deal about it to get some good press for The Gap. Your stores still have a lot of pull, and you sell so much in a year. Think how much plastic you could keep out of the world by simply becoming a plastic-free company. If the Gap is having an identity crisis, why not stop racing to the bottom, and instead become a company that stands out for doing the right thing?

Even your athletic wear can be low plastic or plastic-free. I have done the research; companies are figuring out how to make great leggings and athletic clothes without plastic.

I get that this is a scary concept. Wearing something from Old Navy is basically just putting on a plastic bag, so this move would be way out of your current business model. But it is the right thing to do. And just maybe, doing the right thing would be enough to set you apart.

Thank you for reading and considering. Your company can be better than plastic.

Sunshine Guerrilla



Finding synthetic fabrics in your closet? Write the companies that produced that clothes and tell them to stop with all the plastic clothes! 

You may have heard some bad things about synthetic fabrics. You may have heard our wardrobes are increasingly made of plastic. What you may not know is that this is a huge problem. Probably bigger than plastic straws, but you don't hear nearly as much about it. Let me tell you everything you need to know.

What's your Problem with Polyester? 

Synthetic fabrics had a bad reputation for a long time because they were uncomfortable or cheesy. Now, they are barely detectable and they are EVERYWHERE. They are in most of the clothes at Old Navy, Target or anywhere you shop. They are in all stretchy pants and fluffy fleeces. They are in most clothing sold now, mostly because companies have to make their clothes as cheaply as possible, to sell them as cheaply as possible, to keep up with fast fashion.

They are also exceptionally terrible for the environment. Here's why:

1. The tiny plastic fibers that make up these fabrics shed off every time you wash them. The fibers are tiny, about the same size as glitter, but thousands (like hundreds of thousands) of them shed off in the washing machine.
2. They then flow out of your washing machine into nearby water sources.
3. The water moves them to every corner of every water source in the world. These fibers are found even in the deepest and most difficult to reach corners humans can study.

Now, imagine this is happening, every day, in the billions. These fibers are so small that they aren't being caught by filters along the way. There are now so many of them in our oceans that they outnumber the stars in the sky.

So imagine enough glitter to fill a room in your house going into the ocean every day. It sounds fun, but it isn't.

So, What's the Big Deal? 

In a way, these fiber can seem harmless because they are just so tiny. They can't choke wildlife and you can't see them in epic pile ups of trash. But it's their smallness that makes them so dangerous.

There is no way to clean them up, and they are absolutely everywhere. Have you ever tried to clean up a glitter spill before? It's terrible, and you are going to be finding glitter for the rest of your life. It's like that, but on epic scales.  They have found these microplastics in salt, in the deepest and darkest corners of the ocean they can record, in most sea life, and in human poop. You ingest these tiny plastics everyday.

This is a bigger deal than it seems, because we know plastic is poison that does not belong in our bodies. It has been linked to major hormonal changes, to endocrine system problems, and even to many cancers. And the damage plastic does is barely studied, because plastic lobbies fight against it. Some day, our children will gasp in horror what we were thoughtlessly shooting into their water, because this could have a life-ending effect on humans AND wildlife.

So we need to stop them. If your bathtub was overflowing, the first step isn't to clean it up. It's to turn off the tap. Our waters are overflowing in these tiny plastic terrors. Step One is to turn off the tap. 

You can help stop synthetic fibers from flooding our waters and bodies with plastic, and we have all sorts of information to point you down the paths that count. Let's do this.

How Do I know which Fabrics are made of Plastic? 

The first step we can all take is to stop buying plastic-based fabrics, but to do that, we have to know what to look for. Before we go further, let's learn about our fibers:

Polyester- Oil-based, PLASTIC
Nylon- Oil-based, PLASTIC
Spandex (also known as Lycra or Elastene)- Oil-Based, PLASTIC

To be clear, STOP buying anything made of Polyester, Nylon, or Spandex. If it is another name you don't recognize, just look it up. Anything that is oil-based is literally garbage.

So are all synthetics out? No! I have good news- some synthetic fibers still have a relatively positive (and low waste) impact.

Rayon- Wood fibers, considered a "semi-synthetic"
Tencel- Made of Eucalyptus Trees, sustainable practices
Viscose- Made of Trees, larger impact then Tencel, but still pretty great
Modal- Made of beechwood trees from sustainably farmed forests. The yield is twice as high as cotton; I think modal is a fabric of the future.

So what kinds of fabrics do you want to buy? Any of these plant-based synthetics, bamboos, hemps, and cottons. There are tons of good options here, but I guarantee if you check your closet, the plastic-based stuff may be taking over.

If you are looking for activewear, we did our research and found the companies that make it with the lowest plastic content. Check out all the places worth buying leggings and activewear from here.

Yep, This All Sucks. What Can I Do to Help? 

A lot. The fact is that this issue, though deeply important, is mostly still ignored. We need to raise awareness, put pressure on the companies making this problem to solve it, demand our representatives legislate to end the manufacture of these toxic materials, and just bite into the appeal of this stuff. It's a lot to do, and a lot of it depends on public perception, so we definitely need your help.

Join the Right Groups

It can be easy to kind of let these things fall off our radar, but the best first step is finding a place to be engaged (because often they just need signatures or a phone call- and you can do that). The Story of Stuff is one of the groups taking this problem on. You can join their facebook group here to keep up with what is developing.

Go Look at your Closet

This isn't a sexy or appealing problem to solve, mostly because our closets are all already LOADED with synthetic items we likely love (myself included, no judgement). A conservative guess is that 50% of the items in your closet have plastic fabrics in them.

So the first goal is to be more aware of what you have, and (as much as you can) STOP wearing those items! Then, as things need replaced, stop buying anything synthetic! Every time you need to replace something, pick a natural fabric option instead. In a few years, you will have an all natural wardrobe.

Where to Find The Info- Most companies put the fabric information on the care tag on the inside of an item, usually toward the bottom. If you are in stores where you buy clothes new, the tag sometimes has the info as well. On websites,

Stop Buying Things Made from Plastic Fabrics... Even Recycled and Secondhand

Stop buying synthetic fabrics in your own life, for yourself, for gifts, for kids. Get in the habit of checking the tags, and if it has plastic, don't buy it. This is even true if the clothes are secondhand or recycled! Stores like Thred Up have the fabric information listed, so you can still avoid it there too (though I know I have bought a few dresses with synthetic fabrics in them on there).

Everyone note, this is the ONLY time that I think recycled and secondhand are not viable options. In fact, the older and looser this fabric is, the more plastic it sheds (it's why cheap and synthetic clothes last such a short time). Lots of companies have tried turning recycled plastic bottles into clothes, but that just takes a recyclable, cleanable item and turns it into something that can't be cleaned OR recycled. Not good.

It is 1000 times better to buy a brand new pair of leggings with low plastic content than to buy secondhand 100% synthetic ones. This may seem really hard to do, but I promise way better options exist. Check out this list of leggings and active wear with much lower plastic content.

Write the Clothing Companies You Love and Tell Them to STOP

Once you start looking for plastic fabrics, you will notice that the brands you love use them all the time! How freaking annoying! Write them and tell them to stop. The more they hear the feedback that consumers will not buy plastic-fabrics, the more likely they are to just quit using them. But that requires a LOT of feedback, so we all need to speak up. Just post on their page, their twitter, or call them out on your own page. Here is an example post, so you can just copy and paste.

I used to love your clothes, because (put your reason here). Now, I have noticed that many of your products use plastic-based fabrics, and I won't buy your products until this stops.

Plastic-based synthetic fabrics are shedding millions of plastic fibers into our oceans everyday. Your choice to cut costs and use plastic fibers is a huge part of the problem, and it is making our water more toxic everyday. You have the power to stop this flow of plastic by refusing to use synthetic fabrics. When that happens, I will buy your clothes again!

Sincerely, (your name here)

See!? It doesn't have to be anything epic. Not buying plastic fabrics is great. Telling the company why you have stopped giving them your money is even better. They will keep going unless they have a reason to stop. Let them know losing your business is one of the reasons.

Reach out to Washing Machine Manufacturers While You are at it

It is likely that our best chance for filtering this plastic out of the water is from the washing machines themselves. Washing machine companies are also part of the problem, and they could really be a hero here if they figured out a filter that kept the plastic out of the water. You can write them and ask that this is something they work on.

There are a few products claiming to filter plastic fibers out already on the market, but as far as I can see, none of them are particularly beloved. But I will keep an eye out. If one is really doing the job, we all know what holiday gifts we are buying this year!

Push your Representatives to Ban the Sale of Plastic-based Synthetic Fabrics

This is coming, but the sooner it happens, the better. It needs your help, as this is more pressing than single use plastics, but barely talked about. Start calling representatives who claim to care about the environment and demand that plastic-based fabrics should no longer be manufactured or sold.

Make plastics (including plastic fabrics) an issue in coming elections, and push your representatives now to participate in the Green New Deal and to fight for other legislation. Ask them to ban the sale of plastic fabrics, because the faster we can stop them, the more likely our kids can have somewhat drinkable water! The stakes are pretty high, so let them know it.

Just Talk to Your Friends About It

Things are starting to change and people are becoming more and more aware of how poisonous plastic is to our planets and our bodies. People care more about the environment. Even 5 years ago, our vision of someone who cares about the environment was a certain hempy, crunchy kind of individual. Now it is anyone and everyone. Including you. People are way more likely to listen to their peers. So bring it up! Tell your friends on your next shopping trip or tell your mom how you are trying to get plastic out of your wardrobe.

This may seem little, but it normalizes caring about these things, and there are still LOTS of people in this world who genuinely have no idea what a big deal this is. No one can solve a problem that they don't know exists, so every time you speak up, you are changing the world.



Need more info? Want some ideas on where to shop instead? Check out the Little Green Dress for eco-friendly and ethical fashion ideas.

Oh, yoga pants. We all wear them. Some of us even do yoga in them (not me personally, but that is the rumor). Some of us take selfies in them (thanks to Heather for the pictures). Most of us own them.  Leggings and athletic wear are a pretty common part of our everyday fashion. If you are a tired parent like me, you might be wearing them all the time! That said, they are freaking terrible for the environment. One of the worst things we are all wearing. And we all have a bunch (myself included, no judgement).

So can we switch to greener, more ethical leggings? Do they even exist?


OF COURSE THEY DO! Or I would politely ignore them, right? But they are tricky, and the normal rules I live by (buying secondhand and recycled) don't actually apply. So, it takes a real shift and some new information to transform our yoga pants for the better (while they transform our butts for the better).

So, what is the rule we are living by?

No Synthetic Fibers, Even Recycled Water Bottles

There are a few amazing companies out there who tried to recycle plastic bottles into activewear (the one recommended to me most is Teeki. Inner Fire is another one). In theory, this means less new synthetic materials can be made and fewer bottles go into landfills.

I love this idea so much and really want it to work, but it just doesn't.  Those bottles are turned into fibers that shed off in your washing machine and out into water sources. Creating billions of microscopic trash pieces that have totally taken over the water. Teeki uses 100% synthetic fibers, some recycled and some not. That means 100% of those pants are shedding microfibers into your water.

THIS IS WHAT EVERY PAIR OF YOGA PANTS ALREADY DO. Anything made with synthetic (plastic-based) fibers sheds plastic into our water.

This needs to stop. We all need to get all plastic fibers the heck out of our wardrobes and our lives.

This is one of the only areas where I won't say the easy fix is to buy recycled or used. Neither solve  plastic pollution. If anything, they make the problem more impossible to solve. 

So how do we do it? And what should we look for. And most importantly, do we have to give up yoga pants?

Before we go further, let's learn about our fibers:

Polyester- Oil-based, PLASTIC
Nylon- Oil-based, PLASTIC
Spandex (also known as Lycra or Elastene)- Oil-Based, PLASTIC

To be clear, STOP buying anything made of Polyester, Nylon, or Spandex. If it is another name you don't recognize, just look it up. Anything that is oil-based is literally garbage.

So are all synthetics out? No! I have good news- some synthetic fibers (and yoga pants) still have a relatively positive (and low waste) impact.

Rayon- Wood fibers, considered a "semi-synthetic"
Tencel- Made of Eucalyptus Trees, sustainable practices
Viscose- Made of Trees, larger impact then Tencel, but still pretty great
Modal- Made of beechwood trees from sustainably farmed forests. The yield is twice as high as cotton; I think modal is a fabric of the future.

So, your new mission is to look for organic fibers like cotton (also linen and hemp) and "semi-synthetic" fibers in the rayon family like tencel, viscose, and modal. Get plastic out of your pants.  At the very least you should keep those fibers to a bare minimum.

Ok, this is a lot to take in and might seem hard to apply. It's not. You need to just start reading tags. On Thred Up, you can read the list of fabrics on the website to avoid all the plastic-fabrics (plabrics?).

Well, the answer is mostly. Average stretchy pants are 80% or more plastic-based synthetics. I found plenty that are around 10%. So much better, but I am going to update this post someday with perfectly green yoga pants. Until then, pretty dang green pants is the best we can do.

I am going to show you some yoga pants/leggings. The holy grail of stretchy synthetic goodness. This is a case of looking for a better option until the best (completely plastic-free) option comes around. But we can all still do a heck of a lot better.  To compare, an average pair of sports leggings you would get from the gap is 75% polyester and 25% spandex. 100% synthetic fibers!

Let's do this!

Blue Canoe

Blue Canoe is an amazing resource for American-made organic clothing. Their yoga pants also look soft and natural, instead of that shiny synthetic stuff. I dare you to poke around this website- you will be kicking yourself for buying your active basics anywhere else!

Percentages- Most of their yoga pants and leggings are 87% organic cotton and 13% spandex.

Hyde

This awesome brand makes their leggings and yoga pants in the US, and they use organic fabrics. They have a lot of the basics you will be looking for too, so you can keep it simple and functional.

Percentages- 87% organic cotton/ 13% Spandex

Lily Lotus

This fashion/spa brand sells yoga pants and activewear that focuses on natural, not synthetic, materials, with the tagline that what we put on our bodies is as important as the things we put in our bodies. They do lots of dying, so these are really unique as well.

Percentages- 90% organic cotton/ 10% spandex or 92%bamboo/ 8% spandex

from Inner Waves

Inner Waves

This family-owned and woman-led company makes all of their clothes in the United States with eco-conscious practices. They also donate some of their profits to a Yoga Give Back foundation, which brings yoga to underserved communities. One of those companies that I want to switch to the more I research about them!

Percentages- 90% organic cotton/ 10% Lycra

Pact

Both ethical and affordable (no, really!), this holy grail for eco-shoppers sells paneled leggings and a strechy pants.

Percentages- 92% organic cotton/ 8% Elastene

Prana

This company is probably the most well-known eco-friendly activewear company. They have tons of yoga pants choices. They have earned their acclaim, and their sustainability practices are really excellent across the whole supply chain. They also have a wider variety of sizes than both of my choices.

Percentages- The Leda Pant is 53% hemp/ 42% organic cotton/ 5% spandex. Not all of them are nearly as plastic-free, so be sure to check.

from Satva

Satva Sustainable

There is so much to love about Satva and their commitment to sustainaility, from their organic materials to their ethical practices. I love their partnership with Suminter India Organic; this co-op in India uses all sustainable practices and fair labor.  And some of their fabrics have the highest natural to synthetic ratio I have seen! So much good being done here, but keep an eye out, because some of their clothes use the recycled bottle fabric we now know is not much good for the environment.

Percentages- These leggings are 95% Cotton and Modal and only 5% Lycra! Most of the leggings I saw are the same, but always check.

from Soul Flower

Soul Flower

This online shop sells two brands of yoga pants- wishful thinking and their in house brand- that are made in America, use 87% natural fabrics, and low-impact dyes. These are really green options.

Percentages- 87% organic cotton/ 13% spandex

Woo hoo! Doesn't it feel good to have a place where you can easily do better? These brands are awesome, most aren't particularly expensive, and you can do so much good by simply working those synthetic fabrics out of your life!