Simply Sarah

Do you know what the numbers on plastic items mean? Most plastic containers have a number on them ranging from 1-7. They tell us what chemicals are used in the plastic and how recyclable it is. The three-point arrow does not actually mean its recyclable, The number is what you need to pay attention to. It is still best to limit or eliminate plastics but my goal with this is to educate you with the types of plastics there are and their ef...fect on us, the recycling system and the environment. Head to my blog to find out what each number means. I'll be sharing over the next few days some more details on everyday items and where they go. See more

How can you use reuseable bags during a pandemic? I polled you all recently about the item you were disappointed in letting back in and that was the dreaded plastic bag. Here are two solutions I found to be able to bring your own bag. ... 1. Bag your own groceries. Stores are slowly allowing this to happen, call ahead to make sure. Wash your hands when you get home! I'm still a sucker for wiping down every item that comes into my house but the experts say to wash your hands with soap and water for 20 sec after would suffice. 2. Put your groceries back into your cart loose. Pack them in your bags and bins that were waiting for you in your car. Worried about loose produce (skip the plastic produce bags), just wash your produce when you get home, don't forget to wash your hands too. These two options can save so many plastic bags from needing to be used. When doing our weekly pandemic grocery shop we buy for my mom as well. This is a lot of groceries. I have recently been gifted these bags from @RatherGreen.ca and I fell in love. They are made of sustainable materials (organic cotton & hemp) AND made in Ontario! I love supporting local, small and Canadian, the added sustainability factor was a huge bonus. The Bags are washable (Unlike the plastic/polyester ones) which, according to Ottawa public health, makes them safe to use. The virus is killed in the washer so throw them in the wash after each trip. I like to hang dry them with my masks. They have given my readers a 10% off code if you do want to try out some of their amazing bags. use 'SIMPLYSARAH' at checkout. See more

Buy Used Buying used is a great way to help the environment. It saves usable items from the landfills, saves you money, and reduces the amount of packaging coming into your waste stream. Ottawa has amazing Buy Nothing groups, which is huge for keeping items out of the landfill, passing items along among neighbours. Local thrift stores, kijiji, craigslist, facebook marketplace are also great places to find used items. ... I want to shout out Boomerang Kids wellington west for its service during the pandemic. They were open for online orders and curbside pickup. I felt safe ordering and the customer service was impeccable. We were able to get Mia clothes as we transitioned seasons without ordering from box stores and were able to get some of her costumes and new favourite toys to play with. This doll set we got from there in April and it is her fave! When going this route follow the distancing rules and be sure to wash/sanitize the items and your hands after picking up. See more

Buy bulk/ Go refillable As one of my tips, this one is one of the hardest in the middle of a pandemic. Not many places are even offering bulk and are just starting to offer refillable. Since every place is different please call your favourite local store to get the lowdown. ... Grooming products (shampoos, conditioners, etc) can be bought at Terra 20 or NuGrocery. All sorts of unpackaged foods can be bought at NuGrocery, farmer’s markets or produce depots. Lush can be a great resource (toothy-tabs, shampoo bars, etc all can be put in your own container). Be safe and use your discretion when choosing what items to buy in bulk or refillable during this crazy time. See more

Become a Maker Try to make things, I type that and can imagine people thinking yea, no thanks but so many times it feels harder than it is. Do what YOU can handle and take this as far you want. During this Pandemic a lot of things were short and people found themselves making more things. I couldn't find yeast so I decided to try and make my own yeast starter. You can check out my highlights for this journey. ... Referring back to my post on assessing your waste habits, you can see some of the biggest areas of waste (excess packaging, etc.), and try to make those items. During our year plastic free we discovered that Cleaning supplies are a super simple switch to put into reusable containers and much better for the environment, we have also made clothing, deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo, dry shampoo, soy/almond/oat milk, all sorts of bread (tortilla, crackers etc). All of these things were easier than we ever would have thought, and are great ways to use less. Which recipes would you like me to share? See more

Waste Habits The most important part of assessing your waste habits is to properly assess them. Sorting your waste over the span of a week is the best way to see it all as a whole. I suggest a week because that usually gives you a good idea and also aligns with waste pickup. ... 1. Make one spot for recycling, garbage, compost. Somewhere you can see it all accumulate. 2. Be diligent and anal about sorting. After doing this you can really see where your habits are and reassess what you are doing and make changes that are attainable for you. Reducing household waste is an easy way to lower your impact and something that we control almost completely. I personally find most waste comes from food products (plastic containers, plastic produce bags, wrap and packaging from meats), If this sounds like you a few simple solutions for reducing waste from the grocery store could include reusable produce bags, buying from the deli counter in a reusable container, buy in bulk, etc. This is a bit harder to accomplish during a pandemic but call ahead and see what your local stores are doing. Things are slowly starting to ease up so be cautious and use your discretion. Scroll to see if you were can guess where each item belongs Black bin- Recycling (papers etc) Blue Bin- Recycling (glass, plastic etc) Green bin- Compost *** #sahm #ottawamom #simplysarah #momblog #modernmom #momsofinstagram #stayathomemom #momlife #realmom #thisismotherhood #eco #ecofriendly #sustainable #sustainability #recycle #zerowaste #ecoliving #plasticfree #ecofamily #zerowastefamily #plasticfree #pandemicchange #climatechange #realistic #ecofriendlyliving #plasticpolution #greenfuture #ecochange @ Ottawa, Ontario See more