38: Solo episode: Plastic Free July and getting started with sustainable living

In today's episode I talk about Plastic Free July and my tips for getting started with sustainable and zero waste living. It can feel overwhelming at first, but there are so many easy steps you can take to get started on reducing your environmental footprint. Whether you're brand new to this lifestyle or a pro, I hope this episode provides you with some new tips and insight into sustainable living.

In this episode, I discuss:

• The Plastic Free July Movement

• How to get into the mindset of sustainable living

• Why reduce, reuse, recycle isn't a circle— it's a hierarchy, and what it's missing

• How to audit your trash

• What to include in your zero waste toolkit for reducing waste on the go

• How to use your own containers while shopping in the bulk section

• How reducing your waste is not the end all, be all of sustainability and what the bigger picture is

• Why zero waste "fails", to me, are actually wins

• What to do if you can't find something plastic-free

• How to help others get on board with your sustainable lifestyle

• Why composting is another useful tool and a helpful tip

• Prioritizing multi-use over single-use

• Why you should give yourself grace in the process

• How getting into nature is important for your sustainability practice

Mentioned in this episode:

• A handy PDF guide to the topics I discussed in the episode

• Plastic Free July

All the deets:

• Find all the previous episodes of Medium Well on my website.

• Tag me (@saraweinreb) on Instagram with your favorite takeaways from the episode and what you want to try.

Related episodes:

• Episode 7: Sustainable living, global health, and building an impact-driven business with Megan Faletra

• Episode 15: Building a brand that sticks, celebrating women in food, and going green with Kerry Diamond

• Episode 16: Grounded wellness, adapting through adaptogens, and living with curiosity and empathy with Lopa Van der Mersch

• Episode 26: Living a zero waste lifestyle, sustainable events, and green business with Leslie VanKeuren Campbell

• Episode 33: Reconnecting to mother earth, financial responsibility and healing, mindful confrontation, and conscious consumption with Deborah Hanekamp of Mama Medicine

• Episode 35: Taking the pressure off your passions, rooting sustainability in nature, setting boundaries, and managing burnout with Rebecca Magee