Hannah Riley
It’s January, which means once again everyone restarts their quest to pretend they’re a good person. Some people try to not drink for a month, some try to save money, and a lot of people try their best to make more eco-friendly decisions.
Instagram account Reduce Waste Now is helping people to find eco-friendly swaps and easy ways to go green with these Old Me vs New Me memes.
Well, it’s becoming pretty clear we’re nearing the end of planet Earth. Hopefully, these eco-friendly swaps can help slow down the process of the earth trying to cook the human race off of it.
Like the great philosopher 2 Chainz once said “I’m different, yeah I’m different.” Follow his wise words and become the difference you want to see. Who knows, maybe you will reduce your carbon footprint and lower your bills a little bit in the process.
1. Preserving veggies correctly.
2. Try out rechargeable batteries.
3. Knowing how to store produce.
4. Saving stale bread.
5. Making yummy apple juice.
6. Preserving herbs in the freezer.
7. Using looseleaf teas.
8. Changing to plastic-free laundry detergent.
9. Reusable sponges are much better!
10. Moving to plastic-free toilet paper.
11. Leftover rice water is great for your skin.
12. Not using paper towels anymore.
13. Wait to buy that reusable bottle.
14. No more plastic highlighters.
15. A little is better than nothing.
16. Much better for the environment.
17. It really works!
18. Makes them really last!
1) Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and ice.
2) For the herbs, cut off the stems and remove any bruised, dry or damaged leaves.
3) Submerge the picked herbs into the ice bath.
4) Soak for about 15-30 minutes, or until they perk up and look refreshed.
5) Drain the herbs in a colander.
6) Dry thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel or salad spinner.
7) To store, place the herbs in an air-tight container lined with a thin cloth on the top and bottom to absorb any extra moisture. You can also do this in a reusable sandwich bag. Use within a couple of days.
19. Much tastier too!
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.
2) Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.
3) In a greased cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook tortillas over medium heat until lightly browned, 1 minute on each side. Serve warm.
20. Save those peels!
21. They lost the starch.
22. Switch to reusable bags.
23. Cut your water bill too.
24. They last much longer too.
25. Reuse the jars!
26. Support a local business too!
27. This one really works.
28. The reusable bags last so long.
29. It’s a prettier present too!
30. Great for chilled cocktails.
31. They perk right up.
32. Much better for the environment.
33. They last much longer.
34. This is better for your body too!
35. Now I don’t use way too much soap.
36. Better for the environment.
37. No more paper towels!
38. These last forever.
39. No more food spoilage.
40. Save those onions.
41. Much smaller carbon footprint.
42. This is cheaper too!
Ingredients:
2 cups warm water 110 degrees F/45 degrees C
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5-6 cups flour You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!
Recipe:
1) In a large bowl, dissolve the 1 TBSP of the sugar in warm water and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
2) Mix remaining sugar, salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Dough should be tacky and clean the sides of the bowl save for a small part at the bottom. Too much flour added in yields a dry loaf of bread, so if you’re worried you added too much, add a bit more hot water, until you get the correct consistency.
3) Knead dough for 7 minutes. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4) Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two greased 9×5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
5) Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes. Let cool, then eat!
43. A perfect cake.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbs coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 tbs pumpkin puree (can use mashed banana/applesauce)
1 flax “egg” (1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 tbsp water)
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tbs peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
optional: handful of vegan chocolate chips
Note: please use a small loaf tin as this is a single portion! I imagine this will work if you bake them in several small ramekins to make a mini tiered cake. if you want to use a standard issue loaf tin, please double/triple the recipe!
Preheat your oven to 180C/360F and prepare a small loaf tin by greasing it well and lining with parchment paper. Prepare your flax egg as well.
Blend rolled oats until a flour-like consistency (or use oat flour). Mix in cocoa powder, baking powder and coconut sugar. Stir in pumpkin puree, flax egg, almond milk, vanilla and peanut butter. Batter should be thick and fudgy!
Bake at 180C/360F for about 25-30 minutes until the middle springs back to the touch — it should be a little damp in the middle when a skewer comes out. cool completely in the pan on a wire rack and let chill overnight for maximum fudginess. I used my chocolate tahini ganache recipe:
For the tahini chocolate ganache, mix the following ingredients:
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 tbs tahini
2 tbs maple syrup/liquid sweetener
44. Smells great too.
45. Sparkling clean butt.
46. Nothing to throw away!
47. Find these ingredients at a health food store.
How to make an activated charcoal face mask
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon bentonite clay
1 teaspoon activated charcoal
1 teaspoon organic raw apple cider vinegar
3 drops tea tree oil
Directions:
1) In a small glass bowl, combine clay, charcoal powder, apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil. Stir to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add a few drops of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.
2) Apply mask to clean face, spreading in an even layer. Wash hands and rinse out glass bowl.
3) Leave mask on for 10 minutes. Rinse mask off with warm water and a washcloth. If you have trouble getting rid of the colour, apply a bit of makeup remover with a reusable facial pad to stained spots.
4) Moisturize as normal.
48. Saves so much plastic.
49. No more tossing out soft spots.
50. Both are perfectly fine, one makes soup.
