My Sustainable Morning Routine
My zero waste morning routine is rather simple. But it’s still full of eco tips and swaps I’d love to share with you! Take inspiration from this or totally build your own eco morning routine. Let us know your low waste routines below!
Wake up
I try to be as phone-free as possible in the morning, but sometimes Mochi pounces on me for a cuddle before I can move. When she traps me, this is usually where I will do my social media posting for the day. I turn on my secondhand lamp and get the day rolling.
I like to make my bed, but after a little while, so that my bedding can air out first. We’ve been long-time fans and customers of Sheets n Giggles sheets and Buffy bedding, and we’re new fans of Avocado Mattress for their mattresses and pillows alike.
Skincare, Haircare, and Makeup
You can check out my full skincare routine here, but here’s the short version:
I usually start with brushing my hair so that I can pull it up to do the rest of my face without dirtying my hair. I have a run-of-the-mill bamboo hairbrush that I got from my local natural foods store but there are great options on Earthhero.
For my face, I’ve been loving a few options from small brands such as Shifting Gaia, Rebrand, and Feord. From serums to eye creams to moisturizers, these places have me covered. My skin is left feeling hydrated but not greasy and ready to start the day.
Then, I move on to my Babo Botanicals sunscreen, though I have tested many brands in my days. Babo is just the brand I keep reaching for!
Then, makeup! It depends on the day, though, how much I put on. Sometimes I just curl my eyelashes and call it a day, and other times I have fun with my products from Elate Cosmetics, Zerra & Co, Fat & the Moon, and Axiology.
I used to be big on curling my hair with my secondhand curling iron, but I really just save that for special occasions and filming. I wear it down, but often find I also pull it up with Kooshoo or Pina hair ties. This is easiest for me for biking on my commute, going to science labs, or swing dancing.
Lastly, it’s deodorant time before heading onto the next part of the routine. I’m constantly testing eco-friendly deodorants, though, but I’d have to say my favorites have been Meow Meow Tweet and Sustain Yourself! But at this moment, I’m testing Hey Humans and HiBar.
Breakfast
Time to fuel up for the day! My breakfast is the most routine part of my day as I always have the same thing. As long as I’ve been making sourdough, I NEED to have sourdough toast to start my day. But I want to load up on plant protein to make me full, so I top it with jalapeno hummus, a tofu patty (think an egg patty, but tofu that is plenty seasoned), and fresh tomato. It’s SO good. I’ll complete the meal with any fruit we have and often some sort of caffeinated beverage.
But while it’s cooking on my Caraway pans, I do other eco things such as:
Scoop Mochi’s litter that we LOVE from Oko Cat
If I have newspaper or brown paper bags that need cut for my vermicompost, I’ll do that
One day of the week is compost pick-up day, so I’ll prepare our bucket that day
Get my school bag ready, which is the brand Got Bag. They’re made with recycled plastic and waterproof, which helps protect my school items! This also includes refilling my trusty reusable water bottle.
Another day of the week is dance day. I do tap and swing dance, so I like to get that bag ready at the start of the day, too. Another recycled plastic bag from Bags by the Ocean contains my secondhand tap shoes, small business-made swing shoes, and a secondhand fan, among other dancing necessities.
Once my breakfast is ready, I plate it on secondhand plates and try my best to read vs scroll while I’m eating. You can catch me digging into a secondhand book (shoutout Thriftbooks) or one I got from a small independent bookstore. Though sometimes I use my old e-reader via my library card!
Before heading out for the day, I brush my teeth with whatever eco toothpaste I’m using at the time.
School/Work
Most days of the week during spring and fall semesters, you can find me studying away, trying to earn my second undergrad degree. It’s so much work, but so fun to learn! With the exception of pens and lab gear, all of my school supplies are secondhand: binders, folders, notebooks, notecards, a pencil bag, and even BOTH of my calculators!
But on non-school days, I’m doing stuff like this! I write blog posts, film content, make graphics, and I try to do so as eco-friendly as I can. I limit my energy usage, use secondhand journals to track metrics I need to track, and wear secondhand clothing in my videos. Considering I work for myself and do it all online, it’s a relatively eco job!
Misc
Other things I use throughout the morning are:
Various lip balms as I’m also testing to find the best. But the current best is Sustain Yourself.
Stojo bowls are great for packing a lunch when I need to do that
I’m ALWAYS wearing Darn Tough socks so matter what
We have Quince towels in the bathroom for face and hand washing
When I need some lotion, I reach for Plaine Products
And overall, I strive to conserve as much energy and water as possible and do other things like compost and recycle throughout the morning
What’s in your low waste morning routine? Let us know!
Thanks so much for reading along, I truly appreciate your time. As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)
Emma
