Plastic is everywhere. Even in the aisles of natural grocery stores, eco-friendly products, and in our attempt at sustainable homes. We recycle what we can, but where does it all go from there? Headlines are littered with news of recycled plastic that never makes it through the recycling process. It can feel like you are running against the wind, trying desperately to preserve the planet, but are your recycling efforts even helping? 

In 2018, according to the EPA, only 8.7% of plastics were actually recycled while landfills received more than 27 million tons of plastic, a number that seems unimaginable! Of course, it’s tempting to just pitch plastics in the recycling bin: out of sight, out of mind. But if we really want to make a difference for Mother Earth, we should shift our efforts towards purchasing plastic-free and reusable items. 

That’s why at Coast to Coast Sustainable Solutions, our focus is on educating the community about the importance of reusable items and reducing the need for packaging wherever possible. For example, we have made sustainable shipping supplies a priority, mailing with zero plastics using products like EcoEnclose.

Truly eco-friendly products can be hard to find. That’s why we were thrilled to discover TruEarth laundry detergent. I’ll admit, I’ve tried dozens of natural detergents only to be disappointed with the outcome, never seeming to get my clothes completely clean. TruEarth caught my eye, not just for the natural ingredients, but I was surprised by their innovative  packaging, which is basically an envelope with absolutely no plastic inside or out. It’s hard to believe a 2 x 4-inch strip that feels weightless (less than 3 grams) could do the job. But to my delight, the laundry came out feeling fresh and clean. I felt like I had struck zero-waste gold!

These seemingly magical strips, a unicorn in the world of cleaning supplies, became a top-notch sustainable solution in our home. Zero plastic, check. Clean laundry, check. The most simple, sustainable packaging we have ever seen, check! 

On their website, Dave Asprey, CEO of Bulletproof, states "If everyone switched to Eco-Strips we could eliminate 1 billion plastic jugs, and save truck fuel and CO2 equivalent to taking 27 million cars off the road a day... or planting 9 million new trees." 

WOW, Dave! You really summed up this no-brainer! 

We are simply in love with this plastic-free, human-friendly, earth-friendly laundry soap. It’s available in Unscented, Fresh Linen (which did not bother our sensitive noses one bit!), and Baby detergent. There are bundle options and automatic deliveries to keep you stocked and sparkling clean year-round. Thanks to the team at Tru Earth, you can try it for yourself and save 10%.  Use coupon code SUSTAINABLE10 at checkout to get your discount!

Stephanie Torres