Single use plastic is a scourge on our environment, yet we continue to produce and use plastic products that are designed to head straight to the landfill after we use them just one time. Products like plastic straws and baggies are so ingrained in our culture, many of us can't imagine not using them in our day-to-day.

The problem is, all of that convenience is destroying fragile ecosystems and harming our health at the same time.

Many plastic products, like Ziplock bags are not recyclable, because the plastic is of too low a quality. Instead, they're landfill-bound, but often they don't make it that far. Whether they fall off of a trash truck or someone carelessly tosses them on the ground, those plastics make their way into waterways and eventually to the ocean where they become part of one of the huge plastic gyres. These gyres are massive areas of the ocean that are too polluted to support life.

Plastic is no good for our bodies, either. Plasticizers like BPA leach into food and water that they come into contact with. These chemicals are often untested, so we don't full know how they'll impact our health. Others are endocrine disruptors or even carcinogens. No, thank you!

Any time you replace a disposable option with a reusable one, you're making a huge impact on your health and the health of this planet. Here are a few simple ways that you can replace single use plastic with reusable alternatives.

1. Reusable Snack Bag

Just say no to wasteful plastic baggies! There are lots of companies making reusable snack bags, or you can make your own reusable snack bag!

2. Cloth Diapers

You might not think of disposable diapers as a plastic product, but those Huggies use a layer of plastic on the outside to prevent leaks. Cloth diapers have a hefty price tag initially, but you buy them once, and you're set! Compare that to the cost of buying disposables over and over, and you're not only reducing your plastic waste but saving between $900 and $1900 during your child's diaper-wearing years!

3. Glass Straws

Of course, you can skip the straw all together when you're grabbing a drink on the go, but if you don't want to give up your sipping habit, choose a reusable glass straw instead! Most glass straws are dishwasher safe, so they're easy to care for. They're also way cuter than clear disposable straws!

4. Picnic Ware

Next time you're heading to the park for a picnic, pack yourself some proper utensils instead of disposable plastic ones. If you're traveling and don't want to carry dirty dishes with you, opt for more sustainable disposables made from wood or bamboo instead of plastic.

5. To-Go Cups

When you head out to the coffee shop for that next latte, bring your own cup! The cup they put your coffee in may be made from paper, but those paper cups usually have a plastic coating to prevent leaks, and they come with a single use plastic lid. Boo!

What other ways can we replace disposable plastic products with reusable alternatives? I'd love to hear your ideas in the comments!

photos by Becky Striepe

Is your stash of reusable grocery bags a little slim? Beef it up with these DIY ideas!

Did you know that you should be washing your reusable bags? Those totes are much better for the planet than the single use plastic sort, but without proper care they can harbor food-borne illness. That doesn't mean you need to switch to disposables, but it does mean that maybe it's time to add a few bags to that rotation, so you'll still be able to grocery shop when one set is in the wash.

You could pick up reusable bags at the store, but then you'd have the same boring bags as everyone else! We've rounded up a few grocery bag tutorials to make sure your stash or totes is as unique as you are.

1. Embellished Grocery Bag

You can use this tutorial from Sew Homegrown to spruce up one of the bags in your stash or fancy up any tote you pick up at the thrift store. Not only does she show you how to add cute, geometric embellishments but she walks you through adding a pocket! Perfect for stashing a magazine or your coupons!

2. Upcycled Denim Bag

The Queen of DIY shows you how to make a reversible grocery tote from an old pair of jeans! A bonus? Denim is super durable, so this bag is sure to last you ages!

3. T-Shirt Grocery Bag

Got some old tees in your stash? Use them to make a DIY mesh grocery bag - no crochet or knitting skills required!

4. Vintage Pillowcase Bag

A reclaimed pillowcase is perfect for hauling those groceries around, and SpiderWomanKnits shows you how to make a super sweet upcycled grocery tote from a vintage one. Just make sure you choose a pillowcase that's in good shape. Some of the older vintage pillowcases can have very delicate fabric, and you want your bag to be durable!

5. Flour Sack Grocery Bag

Have you ever bought flour in one of those awesome cotton sacks? Here's how to turn that flour sack into a grocery bag! You could use the same instructions to turn a burlap coffee bag or rice bag into a tote, too!

Image Credit: DIY Grocery Bags photo via Bigstock

You don't have to be crafty to have a handmade holiday! You can buy handmade gifts like these awesome book journals for the folks on your list instead.

Jacob of Ex Libris Anonymous creates his beautiful book journals in his Portland, Oregon studio. He was kind enough to send me a journal to review, but I'd been a long-time fan of his work. He constructs each journal with the cover from a vintage book, and they are a mix of blank pages and pages from the original.

What I love about Jacob's journals is that he manages to keep so much of the character of the original. The Ramona Quimby journal that I picked out not only has original pages in it but the original library card:

That piece of tape on the cover is also part of the journal's charm (see the photo at the very top). Maybe the original owner or someone who borrowed it from the library taped a note to the cover, or maybe the book was out on the table while she was working on a crafty school project and that was just an errant piece of tape that got stuck to her library book.

Old books have more stories than just the pages within, and I love that Ex Libris Anonymous journals capture those moments.

Journals make great holiday gifts for men or women of pretty much any age. Who doesn't have thoughts, lists, and reminders to write down, right? And everyone has a book or author that's close to their heart!

You can find Jacob's journals on the Ex Libris Anonymous website and in his Etsy shop.

Finding ethical maternity clothing can be a little bit of a challenge. You can buy second hand or organic, but if you want to support handmade artisans and add a few super cute pieces to that maternity wardrobe, handmade maternity clothes are the way to go! Here are a few that I'm ogling on Etsy right now.

Maternity/Nursing Dress

I am in love with this beautiful, purple maternity dress from Sole Role. It's made from an organic cotton/soy/spandex blend, so it can stretch and move with you as you grow. That criss-cross neckline is super cute, and it's functional, too! You can wear this dress even after you have your baby, and the neck pulls aside for easy nursing access!

Versatile Maternity Shirt

Maternity clothes are only useful for the six months or so that you're big enough to need them, so versatile pieces are great additions to your maternity wardrobe. By having pieces that you can dress up or down, you can have fewer maternity clothes but never feel like you have nothing to wear. This simple, flowy organic maternity top from Tees for Two fits the bill perfectly!

Everyday Maternity Tunic

I don't know about you guys, but since I've been pregnant, I'm loving anything that goes with my maternity leggings. IO Goods makes a beautiful bamboo tunic that's perfect for pairing with a comfy pair of leggings. Think of this as "going out pajamas." No one has to know how comfy you are!

The trouble that I had searching on Etsy for maternity clothing is that some sellers seem to use the tag "maternity" for anything high-waisted or with an elastic waist. Sometimes that can work, but when you're really big, you need that extra give from maternity clothes. Have you guys found any good, handmade maternity clothes? I love fantasy shopping for my baby bump!

Atlanta's historic bar, Manuel's Tavern, recently announced that its new recycling program has reduced their trash output by one dumpster per week.

Adding recycling to their waste disposal is helping them reduce their impact on the landfill and saving them money at the same time. Here in Atlanta, businesses pay based on how many dumpsters they need picked up each week, so by cutting back on trash, they're saving a buck.

Not only are they saving money, but those 52 dumpsters worth of trash per year reduces their landfill output by 468 cubic yards annually. Imagine the impact if every Atlanta bar and restaurant started recycling instead of trashing their recyclables in the dumpster!

On top of the recycling program, Manuel's switched from Styrofoam take-out containers to recyclable ones. The recyclable containers come with a higher price tag, but they're able to make up the difference because of the money they're saving on trash pickup. Who says being green has to cost more, right?

Recycling might seem like a no-brainer, but for businesses it can be a bit of a struggle. When you're hustling every day to run a bar, it might not be at the top of your to do list. High five to Manuel's for making this happen!

Image via Manuel's Tavern

We love furoshiki around here - the Japanese method of folding cloth for everything from wrapping presents to toting groceries. Who needs wasteful giftwrap, tape, and synthetic ribbons and bows when you can use beautiful, durable fabrics to wrap presents instead, right?

We generate 5 million tons of waste from wrapping paper during the holidays alone. That figure doesn't even account for birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and other celebrations throughout the year. Reusable paper bags are better, but they are still not super durable. You can reuse them, which is great, but eventually they're landfill-bound. The point is, if more folks embraced furoshiki for wrapping presents, we'd cut back on millions of tons of waste every year. That's where VZWraps comes in.

VZWraps: Furoshiki for Everyone

One of the barriers to entry with furoshiki is that you have to learn how to do the different folds. There are lots of different furoshiki folds, depending on what you're wrapping. For folks with busy schedules, learning a whole new skill just to wrap presents might not seem worth it.

The folks at VZWraps were kind enough to send me a couple of their wraps to try out, and they're super easy to use. It took about as long to wrap two gifts as using a paper gift bag, and it was great for odd-shaped presents like an unboxed stuffed animal that wrapping paper couldn't handle.

VZWraps are part gift bag, part furoshiki wrap. You just place your item in the bag, tie with the sewn-on ribbon, and voila! A beautifully wrapped gift.

You might look at that ribbon and say, "Thats' just polyester!" The ribbons are polyester, but they're made from post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Yay!

VZWraps come in all manner of patterns, and my only criticism is that while they do have some bags made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, their site doesn't make it very easy to find them. Giftwrap may be wasteful, but conventional cotton is a scourge on the environment and terrible for farmers who grow it. I asked for organic bags, but after checking out the patterns on their website, it like the ones they sent are made from conventional cotton. Hopefully, they'll make it easier to choose organic bags from their shop as they grow.

Do you use furoshiki to wrap gifts? What do you think about these new fabric wraps?

This summer is shaping up to be a scorcher, and I bet a lot of you are planning beach vacations to escape the oppressive heat.

When you're getting ready to head to the beach, it's easy to hit the big box store for essentials like your beach bag and towel, but those purchases tend to come with a hefty carbon and social footprint. Chances are that cute beach gear was produced in a sweatshop using conventional cotton and petroleum products, then shipped all over the world. Boo on that! Luckily, you can find handmade and vintage beach gear that's just as cute with way less guilt.

Check out these awesome beachy finds!

This plarn tote is listed as a shopping bag but would be perfect for toting your beach essentials. It's strong, stretchy, and the loose weave will make it much easier to dig out those shades when the sun is high.

Speaking of shades, no trip to the beach is complete without some sunglasses to protect your eyes from the sun! I am loving these vintage  oversized sunglasses from Star Struck Ladies.

Of course, you'll need a towel to lounge on and to dry off. Add a little kitsch to your beach trip with this freaking amazing merman towel. I mean, seriously. Who doesn't need a groovy merman beach towel, right?