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Earth shaped like a heart

Wouldn’t You LOVE to Live More Sustainably?

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Earth shaped like a heartWe sometimes hear people say they’d like to live a more sustainable lifestyle, but it seems like it might be hard to live with, and they don’t know where to begin.  We want to help with that!

We want to give you a sample of some of the products you can use at home to avoid some of the single-use plastic items that we see every day.  You don’t have to dive into the deep end – even just a few swaps like these can have an affect on the amount of waste you produce.

The 2020 National Litter Study conducted by Keep America Beautiful revealed that plastic is the highest littered material.  According to National Geographics, Americans use an average of 365 plastic bags per person per year.4

Here are some products that we hope will help change the way you think about all those single-use plastic bags, and maybe even change your behavior.  If you do, you’ll probably find that you’re saving money too!

You can enter our “Sustainability Sampler Kit – At Home” during the month of February.  Ten names will be chosen, and we’ll ship the kits at no cost.  All we ask in return is that you use the items, and answer a short three-question poll to tell us what you think about the products.

Stasher reusable sandwich bags, washable sponges, mesh produce bags, and cloth bowl coversHere is a list of the products that are included, along with links to the vendors we used:

  • STASHERS – EcoManiac.com
    This reusable sandwich baggie is dishwasher safe, and keeps food fresh or small items corralled. Use this instead of single-use, disposable baggies.
  • WASHABLE SPONGE – Etsy Green Spot Shop
    Use this sponge in the kitchen or bathroom, and wash it in the dishwasher or washing machine instead of throwing away plastic sponges.
  • MESH PRODUCE BAGS – 3bbags.com
    Pass up the single-use plastic baggies at the grocery store or farmer’s market. These mesh bags won’t split with a heavy load, and can be washed and used many times.
  • CLOTH BOWL COVERS – EcoManiac.com
    Instead of struggling to tear off a piece of plastic wrap, these bowl covers are easy to slip on to keep items fresh on the shelf or in the fridge. Just put in the wash and they’re ready to go again.

You can begin to live more sustainably with just a few swaps!  We hope you’ll submit an entry to be included in the drawing to receive a Sustainability Sampler Kit to help us learn what works for you!

Washed Ashore

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Shark made from plastic debrisThe staff at Keep Virginia Beautiful took a field trip recently to host a meeting with their state affiliate network — in person, for the first time in over a year.  We met at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, where we could mingle safely outdoors and tour their amazing exhibit Washed Ashore.   I hope wherever you live in our beautiful state that you’ve been to the Norfolk Botanical Garden, but you need to plan a visit soon to see Washed Ashore!  Plastic debris collected by volunteers during beach cleanups was used to create sea creatures and shore birds that are designed to inspire change.  And it’s just one of the many positive things the Garden is doing!

The mission of the Norfolk Botanical Garden is to immerse visitors in a world of beauty, lead through environmental action, inspire through education, and connection to nature.  And they deliver!  They have 175 beautiful acres to discover, 7 miles of paved paths and another 7 miles of unpaved paths to explore.  They inspire through education with their beehives, native plants, kitchen garden, and wildflower area.  Their connection to nature is abundant at every turn.  But it’s their desire to lead through environmental action that caught our group’s attention.Jelly Fish Art

For starters, they ask that you please bring a reusable container for use at their many cold, filtered-water refill stations located throughout the Garden.  Secondly, they do not sell bottled water in the Gift Shop or the Cafe.  And they do not allow caterers for events at the Garden to bring single-use plastic utensils.  They are serious about tackling the plastic problem!

Their Washed Ashore exhibit continues the conversation with 15 large-scale sculptures.  It’s bittersweet to examine them.  On one hand, it’s fantastic what the artists created with plastic bottles, snorkels, flip-flops; with washed up shoes, golf balls, and nets.  You can play “I Spy,” searching for a cell phone, eyeglasses, and other peculiarities embedded in the sculptures.  But on the other hand, it’s sad to think that all the material used for the artwork was collected from beaches in Hampton Roads and elsewhere.   It is, however, a beautiful way for the Gardens to bring awareness to the problem.  Visitors of all ages looked up at sharks and puffins and the enormous bald eagle with wonder.

Eagle made from plastic debrisIt was certainly a treat to be at the Norfolk Botanical Garden, and have an in-person meeting.  The impact of the Washed Ashore sculptures made us marvel at the art, as well as its message.  We applaud the Garden’s commitment to make the statement, as well as initiate policies to off-set the problem.  We encourage you to visit this beautiful spot in our Commonwealth to see it for yourself!

Washed Ashore, “Art to Save the Sea,” will be on display until October 31, 2021.