1. Aim for Zero Waste: This should be a priority for every vanlifer, for obvious reasons. Aiming for zero waste helps maximize space and reduce what we send to the landfill. Dustin and I make a weekly meal plan. We purchase ingredients like grains and beans because they’re versatile and easy to store. When combined …
It’s been over 4 years since Dustin and I sold most of our possessions and moved into our ‘85 Westy. We often laugh about being “accidental minimalists.” It wasn’t our plan, but the road sort of tailored our life in that direction. I mean, it’s hard not to be a minimalist when you live in …
Food waste is a topic we don’t talk about nearly enough, but it’s a topic that hits home for me. I grew up in a poor community where resources were scarce. Quality whole foods were expensive and difficult to come by unless you grew your own. There were occasions when we weren’t sure where our …
There are many good arguments for boycotting Amazon, but let’s be honest, with over 3 million active users, they’re not going anywhere. And truth is, for those of us on a tight budget or individuals who don’t have access to affordable, local sustainable options, Amazon can be a lifesaver. One of our biggest beefs with …
How To Reduce Amazon Packaging and Live Frustration-Free Read More »
So you have questions on how to get started with a zero waste lifestyle. Where do I start? What products do I need? How much should it cost? Zero waste is not an overnight process. At the same time, it shouldn’t be a complicated one. Before you start purging everything you own, read on for …
AIM FOR ZERO WASTE – A SIMPLE GUIDE TO JUMPSTART YOUR WASTE-FREE LIFE Read More »
Dustin and I just wrapped up three glorious days on our first low waste backpacking trip in Yosemite National Park. This required a lot of planning and prepping – making lists, reevaluating our gear, etc. It also meant obtaining a level of awareness about our waste consumption that we’ve never had before. Though we could …
LOW-WASTE BACKPACKING – GOING PLASTIC-FREE IN THE WILDERNESS Read More »
One of the most important things we can do as consumers is vote with our dollar. Where we spend and invest our money impacts more than just our pockets – it affects local communities, fair wages, and the health of the environment. Building a green economy requires adopting green practices and a shift in …
Homesteading is the dream for many people. I know we’ve always been curious – simple living, self-sufficiency, a greener lifestyle.Wikipedia defines it as a lifestyle of self-sufficiency, characterized by subsistence agriculture, home preservation of food, and . . . the small scale production of textiles, clothing, and craftwork for household use or sale. This didn’t …
Plastic Sticks. We’ve found that one of the best ways to go Plastic-Free is to avoid plastics that would end up in our recycling bin. WHAT’S WRONG WITH RECYCLING, ANYWAY? Well, as it turns out, only 9% of plastics are actually recycled. The other 91% is burned or ends up in landfills, neither of which …
Make a fresh start with your fridge in 2019. The thing is, most of us barely have time to scribble together a shopping list, let alone take inventory of what we have in our cupboards and plan our family’s meals for the week. Which is why meal planning and shopping apps can be a great …
The 3 Best Meal Plan Apps to Reduce Food Waste & Save Money Read More »
BY CALLEE ACKLAND Plastic Free July is in the books and we’re halfway through August. We learned a lot over the month about our waste and consumption, and we’re working hard to carry these habits forward. We know minimizing our impact is more than just reducing our plastic waste. We caught up with our friend Callee …
Since Dustin and I moved into the van two years ago, we’ve been seeking ways to minimize our waste. I’m proud to say that since we’ve made these sustainable switches, we’ve been sending significantly less waste to the landfill – which is the point right? What used to be a weekly trip to the dump …
We recently had a chat with globetrotters Ben and Katie of Two Wandering Soles. They’ve been traveling for 4 years spreading awareness of responsible and sustainable travel. In October 2017, the Year of Sustainable Tourism, Katie was chosen as the winner of the Responsible Traveler Competition hosted by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). …
About 70% of our bodies are made up of water. It covers 70% of the Earth’s surface. Yet only 1% of freshwater is accessible to us. So let’s have a conversation about conservation. The world’s water resources are scarce and unpredictable. Overconsumption and pollution from agriculture, fracking, mining, industry, and homes has led to …
What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the term ‘vanlife’? You may think of tiny living, minimalism, freedom. A beautiful scene of a van driving through a towering pine forest. A couple laying with their back door open overlooking the ocean. Or you may think, “dirty hippies living in a van …
THE TRUTH ABOUT VANLIFE: SUSTAINABLE LIVING ON THE ROAD Read More »
About two years ago Dustin and I realized we needed to re-evaluate our life’s trajectory. We’ve long been attracted to sustainable living – but as we found out, following this path would require a lot of change. When we met in college, we thought we knew exactly where our lives would take us. We’d graduate, …
LEAVING THE CITY, HITTING THE ROAD: OUR PATH TO SUSTAINABLE LIVING Read More »
Americans produce an immense amount of waste – estimated at over 250 million tons annually. Most of the waste consists of goods that are used only briefly and tossed in the trash. This takes up landfill space, generates gnarly amounts of greenhouse gases, and wastes energy and non-renewable resources. More than a quarter of the …
How (and Why) to Conduct a Waste Audit in Your Home Read More »
Sometimes, embracing the idea of doing something and knowing exactly how to go about it are two very different things. That’s often the case when it comes to decluttering in an earth-friendly way. After all, it’s one thing to be willing to part ways with your “stuff” and another to do it in a manner …
How to Declutter Your Home without Hurting the Environment Read More »