Dear Diary

Here at RAOP, we love all things colourful and cute, but we also care about the environment/world/greater good. Just a couple of weeks ago we passed “Earth Overshoot Day”, which means that humanity has used up more resources than the earth can regenerate this year (you can read more about it here). Basically we’re using up resources beyond our year until the end of 2019, creating a debt in the eco-system!

As citizens of this world I think it’s our duty to try and make up for that debt in any way that we possibly can, and hey, it doesn’t hurt if the little daily solutions to over-consumption are also cute, right?

Here are a few of our (eco-friendly) favourite things! //

Abeego Beeswax Food Wraps // I was intimidated at first by bee’s wrap products, especially when it comes to keeping them clean, but honestly they work SO well and a quick wipe-down after use seems to totally do the trick!

Ten & Co Sponge Cloths // Say goodbye to paper towel for good with these adorable printed sponge cloths! Designed in Toronto and printed in Sweden, this woman-owned local company even ships in zero waste envelopes!

Hannahpad Washable Organic Cotton Cloth Pads // I’ll be honest: I’m not a regular pad user. For the most part I was already fairly sustainable in this department because I’ve used a menstrual cup in the daytime for the past couple years. That said, I still used panty liners at times for extra confidence, plus night pads for heavy nights, and I used up SO many pads in my postpartum period (I bled for 8 solid weeks). I seriously wish that I had know about these amazing eco-friendly pads sooner – they’re compact, cute, so well designed, and last about 2-5 years, after which you can compost them. I really look forward to giving my body a break by using them nightly when I return to my usual post-baby cycle. The extra long design is also going to be my new favourite postpartum gift for pregnant friends!

Saalt Menstrual Cup // in the past I used a Diva cup but I’m totally making the switch to Saalt when I need a new one! They also donate 2% of their revenue to improve period care around the globe.

Cotton Mesh shopping bags + produce bags // I’m always shocked to see how many people are still using plastic at the grocery store! These bag options are lightweight and the shopping bags both look adorable with any outfit and hold so much! I take these bags with me everywhere.

Metal straws // I was a BIG straw user before the plastic straw bans came into play, and I’m really happy I made the switch to metal sooner rather than later – I save so many straws! If you want to feel fancy (like me) they’re also available in gold!

Blueland Cleaning Tabs // Sadly this company doesn’t ship to Canada (yet!) but you best believe when they do I will be the first customer in line. You order a starter pack with your forever bottles and from there you simply refill with the cleaning solution tablets and water from the sink! Such an innovative, well designed solution for a typically wasteful product category.

Stasher Silicone Storage Bags // These are the best little bags for stashing snacks (I keep one in the diaper bag with cashews for days when I forget to feed myself properly). You can also use them to COOK veggies, right in the bag!

We love Wild Minimalist package free shop, especially this Zero Waste Mama Kit!