5 Must Watch Sustainability Movies

    Since we are going through a time where we are pretty much stuck at home, I thought I'd share some movies that motivated me to start my low-impact journey. Some of these also helped me find my way back to sustainability when I had lost my way a little bit.
    All of these movies are super educational, and there is a lot in them that I didn't know before watching these.
    Let's get into it!

1. Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret

    This movie came out in 2014 and instantly gained fans as well as many haters.
    Mainly the movie is about the impact of animal agriculture on the environment.
    There were some very controversial facts and stats presented that made some people call this movie "vegan propaganda."
    However, now it is pretty much proven to be true. In a 2019 Forbes interview Steven Chu (an American physicist) said, "Let me say it again: agriculture and land-use generates more greenhouse gas emissions than power generation."
    This movie is available on Netflix. Check out the trailer!

2. The True Cost

    This is a 2015 documentary on fast fashion and the impacts of it on the environment, but mainly on the workers in developing countries. They are paid an extremely low wage and work in inhumane environments.
    The movie also explores the after-effects such as river and soil pollution, pesticide contamination, disease, and death.
    This movie made me genuinely hate fast fashion! While I still own stuff from companies that are not sustainable, I try not to buy any more of their stuff, unless it's second hand.
    This movie used to be on Netflix, but if it happens to not be there anymore, you can find it on their website. Check out the trailer!

3. The Story of Stuff

    This short animated documentary came out in 2007.
    This is how I found out about consumerism when I was in middle school. The movie explains the supply chain very well, and I mean, I was in middle school, watching it in a foreign language, and understood almost everything.
    The Story of Stuff Project has a couple of more videos on Youtube about different sustainability topics, and they are all worth your time!
    The full 20-minute movie is available on YouTube, with all the other videos accompanying it. Check out the full movie!

4. Erin Brockovich

    This is the oldest movie on my list. It came out in 2000 and is actually a Hollywood film based on the life of environmentalist Erin Brockovich.
    Julia Roberts is in it! And she won the best actress Oscar for it. That's all the convincing I should do for you to want to watch it.
    This was considered such an essential movie that in two of my classes at my university, the professors made us watch it (which means I did it twice!).
     Erin Brockovich has also said that the movie is about 98% accurate, which is insane to think about when you've seen the movie. You wouldn't believe half of these things could even be possible.
    This is a harder movie to find online. I don't think it is on Netflix. But it should be on DIRECTV and the Starz extension on Hulu. Check out the trailer!

5. An Inconvenient Truth

    This is a 2006 documentary.
    The movie is about Al Gore's campaign to educate people about global warming. If you don't know, Al Gore is a former Vice President of the United States. So he is using his platform to speak out.
    This movie got its long-awaited sequel in 2017 called An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power. I haven't seen this one yet, but it's on the top of my list.
    This movie should be available on Amazon Prime Video, and possibly American Netflix (?). Check out both of the trailers here!

    This is it from me for now!

    I know there are many many more of these types of awesome educational movies. If you guys show interest, I will do a part 2 to this post, because I left some good ones out for now.

    Something interesting to notice - 3 out of these 5 movies came out before 2008, which means we have been warned for a long time about this worsening situation. It is still not too late to do your part and take action though!

Stay safe everyone, and have an awesome day!

My Habits That the Zero Waste Community Would Frown Upon

    So as you can see from the title, today, I am talking about some habits that are hard for me to change to be zero waste. By listing these 5 things, I hope to show you all that nobody is perfect, everyone has areas they struggle with, and that is OK.

1. Traveling and using airplanes

    If you've been keeping up with Greta Thunberg, you'd know that last year when she visited the US, she didn't fly there. She took a boat. Not all of us have the time or the money to do that, unfortunately.
    The reason, why it is almost impossible for me to not fly, is my job. I play professional basketball, which means I fly a lot, and most of it is out of my control.
    At the end of the summer, I fly to the team. Then in November, I fly home to represent the national team and fly back in a week. During that week, we have another trip for an away game. Next, I get to go home for the holidays, another 2 flights. National team break in February adds at least 4 more flights. And then finally going back home after the season.
    Now all of those flights are not counting trips my team could possibly take, my summer competitions, and an occasional vacation.
    Since I do fly a ton, I try to buy carbon offsets, to at least try and help Mama Earth out a bit.
    Now, you might suggest I took buses, trains, etc. instead, but most of these trips are out of my control. The only way for me to be able to be 100% in control would be to quit basketball, which I am not doing just yet.

2. Toilet paper

    What a great time to be testing out alternatives, taking into account that we are in the middle of a TP crisis.
    All jokes aside, I am not sure if I will ever be ready to give up this "comfort."
    There are many great alternatives out there like bidet attachments by TUSHY, pee cloths made by Kula Cloth or something you DIY-d.
    I am not there yet, and I'm not sure I will ever get there. So, what I am looking to do is to switch out my regular old toilet paper. Instead, I will probably use the bamboo or the recycled ones being sold on these two websites - Who Gives a Crap or No.2.

3. Waste management

    This is so different everywhere you go. Managing one's waste can be super easy, but some areas make it very difficult, and that can be discouraging.
    Why I put this on the list, is because living with other people or moving to an entirely new country or city is literally what my life is all about. Both of those situations add stress and difficulty to all my zero waste endeavors.
    Right now, living at home, it is hard to change my own habits that I have done here all my life, and also try to convince others to do the same.
    When it comes to moving to a new place, there is always a learning curve, and if I happen to live in a country where English isn't widely known, it is tough to make sense of it all.
    This past season I lived in Krakow, Poland, where most people actually speak good English. Still, I didn't figure out that my building had a composting bin until 6 months after I got there.
    So this has been and will be a challenge for me.

4. Skincare routine

    2 or 3 years ago, when I was still in college, I had just learned about the zero waste movement and was making plans about how I can adapt my life to it.
    One of the first things I did was making face toner out of apple cider vinegar and started using a bar of soap (specifically face cleansing one) to clean my face. Which worked good enough, I guess.
    The problem was and still is my adult acne. They tricked me, I was here thinking, "yay, not a teenager anymore, my face will clear up." Oh, how wrong I was. It only got worse.
    So today I am back to using stuff in plastic containers, and actual acne medicine also. This is really working for my skin, and it is clearing up, so at the moment, I have no intention of changing the routine, yet.
    In the long term, I definitely hope I can move away from these products and opt for better alternatives that are more eco-friendly.

5. Haircare

    I know, I know, literally in my last post I was talking about how good the shampoo bars are. Well, that hasn't changed. I still love them! The shampoo isn't the issue.
    About a month ago, I let my hair air dry after washing them, and without brushing them after the shower. Turns out, my hair is wavy/curly.
    So I was curious if I could get my curls to be defined and for them to stay in longer. I went and got some products. And voila - the waves looked awesome.
    Since I just found out about it and bought the products, I have no idea if there are low waste options for curly hair.
    That is something I need to look into, but until then, I love my hair products that finally made me appreciate my hair.

    These were the 5 habits that I am struggling to change. I hope this makes you feel a bit better about your journey and progress. Let me know, what you are struggling with and also give me advice on how to change some of my habits.

Stay inside, wash your hands, but don't forget to enjoy your day!!

PLASTIC-FREE HOME | Shampoo and Conditioner Bars

    I bet most of you have already heard of shampoo and conditioner bars, but if you haven't, let me introduce you to the concept.
    Well, there actually isn't much to explain. Shampoo bars are just shampoo made into a hard bar, like a bar of soap.
    I thought it would be helpful for you guys if I talked about my experience with them.

Ditch the Bottles

    That was the main reason I wanted to use shampoo bars. I was trying to find areas in my daily life, where I generated the most waste. In second place (right after cooking/kitchen waste) was my cosmetic and shower products' waste.

    Think about it. When you walk into a drugstore or just the self-care section of a grocery store, what do you see? The right answer is a bunch of plastic bottles. Literally, everything I used to use in my shower routine or my morning/evening routine had a plastic container that it was in.

    The shampoo bars usually either come "naked" or are wrapped in compostable/recyclable packaging. This makes them SO much better for the environment.

Conditioner Bars - Not for Me

    I ordered my shampoo bar from Lush, and I honestly never even tried any other brands, because I loved my Lush shampoo bar that much. I can't say the same about the conditioner bar though. I tried 2 different ones, and neither felt good on my hair. I also think the conditioner bars were far harder to use (can't get the product from it that easily). 

    I just haven't found the one for me yet. Not all shampoo or conditioner bars work on everyone's hair, the same way oily hair bottled shampoo doesn't work on dry hair. I just have to try more of them in hopes of finding my one and only... conditioner bar.

Last Longer

    I did notice that the bar versions of shampoos and conditioners last longer than the bottled ones. I think it is because when you squeeze the product out of a bottle, you tend to take more than you need. That's not the case for the bars. Most of the time, I didn't take enough, but I'd rather have that problem than using too much.

    Also, think of a bar of soap, that thing can last you what feels like years. While the liquid soap is gone faster. The same goes for the shampoos.

Easy Travel

    Using bars of shampoo, conditioner and soap will lighten up your bag a ton. 

    Also, now you don't have to worry about the amount of liquids allowed in a carry-on bag. This makes traveling much less stressful and easier.

Learning Curve

    There is a learning curve to using the bars. 

    Questions I had before trying them out included: where do I keep it, so it doesn't get soaked during my shower, how much do I need to get my hair clean, and others. It also takes a bit of time to get used to, but for me, that made showering a little more exciting. I wanted to see how it worked, and after a couple of times, I was completely in love with my shampoo bar.

Patience - Find What Works for You

    It might be the first bar you try that converts you, but it also might be the fifth. My advice is to research the bars a little bit. There are a ton of influencers, YouTubers, and bloggers out there that have made content about shampoo bars. Most of them have different hair types. So, see what they liked and recommended. And try them out. That is the only way you will ever know.

    Don't lose hope! The perfect shampoo bar is waiting for you to find it somewhere.

    I encourage everyone to at least try these once. If you don't like how it feels or it doesn't suit your hair, there are other sustainable options out there, which I will get into in another post!

Remember to stay inside and wash your hands!!!

Stay healthy and have an incredible day!

    

7 Things You Can Do While Social Distancing

    This blog post is a bit different from my usual content, but it is appropriate for the situation most people in the world are currently in.
    I have been self-quarantined in my apartment for 13 days now. I have done a lot of things during that time and thought I would share some tips for coping with social distancing. This is the perfect time to try new things, finally, do the things you've wanted to for a while, or just completely relax.
    I understand that not everyone is safe, and some people are affected by this virus more than others. But if you are in a situation where you're safely at your home and don't know what to do with all this time, this blog post is for you.
    Here are 7 things you can do while social distancing (approved by me).

1. Clean your home

    I don't mean the standard type of cleaning where you sweep the floors, dust the shelves, and take out the trash. I mean, go through the things you own and assess if you truly need them or not.
    We, humans, tend to hoard stuff. We are made to believe that if we don't have this piece of clothing or that kitchen tool, then we are missing out. Now that you have time, you can go through your items and declutter your house a bit.
    I went through my closets a couple of days ago and added about 10 pieces of clothing that weren't any use for me anymore, and it is time for them to be given up for donations.

2. Go for a walk

    Preferably in nature, since there is more room to distance yourself from other people taking their walks or runs. I have gone out for a walk every single day during my self-quarantine, and it genuinely makes me happy. I enjoy being in nature so much, and it is such a privilege to be able to go and walk there every single day.
    One thing to make your walks even more purposeful and motivating is to take a bag with you and collect the roadside trash. People are very ignorant and still throw trash is nature as if it would make it disappear. Let's do a good deed and clean up other people's mess since they are incapable of doing so themselves.

3. Take online classes or courses

    What better time to learn about something that you've always wanted to, experiment with new topics, and get even better at things you're already good at.
    I am currently enrolled in 2 courses and already finished one. I use a website/app called Coursera. If you want to get a certificate about you taking the course, it can be costly, but you can audit it, which makes the course completely free.
    I have also heard about other websites doing free trials for as long as this situation is over. So search the web and find something that interests you.

4. Online workouts

    Since we don't get enough movement in, and the gyms are closed, there are free subscriptions or open online gyms out there provided for us for the period of the lockdown.
    For example, I own a Fitbit watch and got a message on my app last night that they are giving everyone a free 90-day premium subscription. So obviously, I signed up and now have access to a ton of new and exciting workouts until June 24th for free.
    If you are from the Baltic States, MyFitness made all their content free without subscription, so go check out their website and get moving.
    Another way to access thousands of free workout videos is YouTube. This is honestly the easiest and fastest way! My recommendation is to check out Yoga with Adriene, she has tons of videos for all different levels of athleticism.

5. DIY projects

    Have you been wanting to change the wallpaper in a room at your house, put new shelves up in your bathroom, or maybe make a cool new bag? Now is the time to do all of that!
    I am currently crocheting a bag for myself, and am planning to get into changing the wallpaper and modernize a room that looks like it hasn't been changed since the '80s.
    Look around and think if there is something you've meant to work on and do it. There are tons of videos and blog posts out there that help you through whatever you have in mind step by step.

6. Conference call or group facetime friends and family

    Yes, we are all locked up in our own homes, but that doesn't mean we should lose touch or not "hang out" with our friends and extended family.
    Have lunch with your bestie, go on a walk together (via facetime ofc), or have morning coffee and discuss your plans for the day. Spice up your usual facetime call, and make it into something exciting!
    Also, I just sent a letter to a friend in the USA, even though we talk daily, I thought this will be exciting for both of us!

7. Take this time to relax and unwind

    Last but not least, this is the time to just relax and slow down your usual lifestyle. Watch movies, binge watch Netflix, find new music and podcasts, read a book, draw, write in a journal, or just lay around in your pajamas all day!
    Just do stuff that you usually can't and make most of this unusual situation.

    There are tons of things one can do in the comfort of their home, so there is no reason to go and break the rules. This will make it worse for everyone. The faster we understand the seriousness and take the proper precautions, the faster the lockdown will be over!
    #staythef*ckhome

I hope you have a wonderful day! And STAY HOME!

5 Sustainable Clothing Tips Evryone Should Know

Sustainability and zero waste apply to every aspect of a person's life. One of the big things people can try and be more conscious of is our clothing. Clothes are something all of us use and need, for obvious reasons. That is why it's an important and relatively easy step to take on your sustainability journey. I wrote down some tips to be more sustainable when it comes to clothing.

1. Use what you already have

    This is one of the main things to get used to in zero waste living. Always look at what you have and think if you really need something new, or are you able to live with the things you already own. For me, I still wear a sweater that I got in middle school, and it used to be super oversized, and now its more fitted, but it is still in a perfectly good condition. I try not to go along with the fashion trends created by the industry because that is precisely what the companies want. They convince the consumer that the items already in one's closet are not enough, and they HAVE to buy the newest product the company has. The reason - that's what is stylish at the moment.
    We do not have to go with the flow of the fashion industry. Know yourself and your body type. Not everyone looks good in everything. For example, for my body type, high wasted jeans are EVERYTHING. They compliment my body, and I love them, even though the industry wants me to buy low wasted jeans, which BTW look terrible on me. Just remember to wear what you want to wear and feel the best in because confidence looks better on you than any piece of clothing ever will.

2. Second-hand clothes

    If you do need something new from your wardrobe, check the thrift stores first. There is so much waste generated by the fashion industry, and so many awesome pieces of clothing end up in thrift stores.
    Not only will you get your items much much cheaper than you would from a real store, but you also get unique items that not many people own.
    I personally have gotten the majority of my clothes my whole life second-hand. I enjoy shopping in thrift stores more because you never know what you are going to find or not find that day. But if you do find something, the process makes you love and appreciate that piece of clothing so much more!

3. If you decide to buy new, do your research

    Try to support ethical companies as much as possible, or at least don't support the big fast fashion giants. They run factories where people don't work in good conditions and get awful pay.
     Also, they create so much waste. Those big giants control what is "in" and what's not. They throw out all the clothes they were unable to sell after each season. All this will never go away unless we, the consumers, make a statement and show that we do not tolerate that.

4. Don't buy one wear clothes

    I bet there has been a time for everyone where we needed a ball gown, a tuxedo, etc. I had a situation like that when I was a senior in high school, and we had a senior ball. I needed a dress. Now, I tried to find it for rent or second-hand, but my height made it difficult. I am 190 cm (6'3), so for me to find a dress that would be long enough was hard. So I purchased one, and it is still in my closet, and I will probably never wear it again. 

    I know not everyone will find a perfect dress that's for rent or second-hand, but I encourage everyone to try. 

5. Materials + make it yourself

    Not all materials are created equal. So whenever you are on the fence about something, opt for the 100% cotton option, which is better for the environment than the synthetic materials. 

    This is another situation where there are exceptions. One that I am the most familiar with is hiking. Hiking in cotton is not considered very smart, because cotton soaks moisture very easily and dries slow, so it puts you at risk of hypothermia. Know what you need and do your research would be my advice.

    Make it yourself is just a bit of fun advice, especially at this time, where most of us are sitting at home anyways. If you have any craft skills, you can either upgrade your clothes you already own, or go all out and start sewing, knitting, crocheting your own. If you don't know where to start, YouT

ube has video tutorials to everything you could ever imagine!

Afterlife

     I won't count this as one of the tips, but if you are done with a piece of clothing, don't just throw it in the trash. Heres the order of things I think about before getting rid of something:

1. Offer to people you know
2. Sell - to those vintage second-hand stores that would buy them off my hands
3. Local charities
4. Donate (goodwill, or other big thrift stores)
5. If not in good shape - can I make it into rags to use for cleaning, basically can I make it into something else
6. The last step - get rid of it, there are recycling bins for clothes tho, so be mindful of that.

These were the 5 tips about sustainable clothing. I hope you got something useful out of my post, and if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me. I am happy to help anyone with anything!

Stay safe, wash your hands (!!!), and have a beautiful day!

Reasearch Thursdays | Activated Charcoal Water FIlter

    I do research, so you don't have to! That's what my new series, Research Thursdays, is all about. I have been there, seeing something online but not being sure if it's being portrayed truthfully, or wanting a solution to a problem, but don't know what the right thing for it is. I am hoping to solve these problems for you guys with this series. Every other Thursday, I will release a new post in the Research Thursdays series.
    So here is my first one. I talked about switching from bottled water to reusable bottles and drinking tap water in an earlier post. The reason a lot of people do not drink the tap water is the taste and sometimes the impurities that are said to be in the water. I did some research and have a good option for people wanting to improve the quality of their water - an Activated Charcoal Water Filter.

Now you may think how is putting charcoal in my drink going to improve it, doesn't it just make it dirtier? 

    And the answer is in the name - ACTIVATED charcoal. Just regular old charcoal won't do much for the purity of the water. It needs an activating reaction, usually chemically. This process opens a ton of pores in the charcoal on an atomic level. That is what gives it the purifying properties.

What exactly does it do to the water?

    The activated charcoal water filters, as I have already mentioned purify the water. That is a very broad term. The activated charcoal attracts and traps other organic impurities (chlorine). It is important to remember that it does NOT remove microorganisms, so if that is what you are looking for in a water filter, activated charcoal is not for you.
    It improves the taste of the water while adding essential salts like magnesium, iron, and calcium. Basically, the rule with this filter is to know what needs removing from your tap water. If you live in an area with highly contaminated water, or you wish to take water from a lake and make it drinkable, this is not for you. The activated charcoal water filter is best at making your bad tasting regulated tap water drinkable.

Tell me more!

    So if you are still interested, here are some things to know about how to use the filter. 

• The lifetime of one filter is about 4-6 months, after which the filter is fully compostable.
• Each filter needs to be "reactivated" every 3-4 weeks.
• Reactivation means boiling the filter for 10-15 minutes. This gets rid of all the impurities that have been collected in the pores.
• You get the best result by having the water sit with the filter for hours.
• Activated charcoal also gets rid of odors, so when you're done with a filter, boil it through and put it in your fridge.

I want it now, where can I get it.

    Many companies sell these filters. There are also some on sale on Amazon. I will have all the links listed right here:

Kishu Charcoal Water Filter:

• US - Get it here
• Europe - Get it here

If you have a zero waste shop near where you live, chances are they also sell these filters. Buy local, if you can, especially right now that a lot of small businesses will be struggling.

If you are from the US, Package Free Shop also carries them, and they have free shipping on orders over $25. Check it out here!

As always, stay safe, and have a beautiful day!

5 Things I Am Working on at the Moment to be More Sustainable

    As I have already said multiple times before, this is a journey. I have known about the zero waste movement and tried to better myself for about 2 years. I am still nowhere near how I want to be living eventually, but I keep trying to be better. I think that is the best thing anyone can do. So I decided to write about what I am working on at the moment. That way, everyone can see where in the journey I'm currently at.

1. Figuring Out the Waste Management in My Childhood Home

    I haven't lived at home (except for summers) since the 9th grade. Usually, I get back home mid-May and stay until the beginning of August. Well, this year, because of the pandemic, things are a bit different, and I am back home in mid-March. That means I am going to be here for a long time this year. I will take this time to try and establish a waste management system within the house that everyone can follow even if I'm not here.

    At the moment, I am trying to figure out how recycling, composting, etc. even works in Tallinn, Estonia. I have lived away from the country for about 5 years, which means I have a good understanding of how the waste management system works in Pennsylvania but have no clue how it works in the city I consider my home.

    So the first thing I am working on is trying to reduce the waste in the house and the waste that goes to the trash needs to be sorted better.

2. Less (Plastic) Packaged Food

    This second point kind of goes with the first one. There is no waste to manage if nothing is generated. I am not there yet, where I could fill only a mason jar with my trash in one year, not even close. But I have noticed that I haven't been paying much attention to the packaging in Tallinn so far. When I lived alone in the USA or Poland, it was different. I would only cook for myself, and it didn't matter what I bought. So often, I picked things in cardboard over plastic, no package at all over packaged goods, etc. 

    At home, it is harder, because I have established favorites over the years, and if I only come home for a little bit, I want to eat all my favorite stuff. Well, now that I am here for a more extended period, it is the perfect time to find new favorites with less packaging, or at least less plastic packaging.

3. Eat Less Meat

    I have always had a weird relationship with meat. Lately, I have been defining it as: "I only like bad meat, like burgers, bacon, hotdogs, etc., so why should I eat meat at all if I'm trying to be healthier." That is why I have been trying to cut down on meat. I don't like touching raw meat, so why should I put it in my mouth. It doesn't make sense!

    So about a year and a half ago, I lost like 4% bodyfat, by eating less meat and being more aware of the nutrients I was putting in my body. What makes it difficult for me to completely stop, is that I play professional basketball, which means my body and its performance is what I get paid for. That is why it is difficult to radically change how I fuel my body, but I am trying to anyways.

    This spring/summer, I will try to do that, since I have some time off of basketball. That makes now the perfect time to try and change my habits.

4. Take Shorter Showers

    Now this will be a challenge. I love a good, long, hot shower, where I perform a couple of songs to my imaginary fans. Honestly, who doesn't? But it is so wasteful. There have been times I've done so good with this, but then I have a moment of weakness where I am dead tired and just stand in the shower for like 20-30 minutes. 

    So this will be the fourth thing I am working on right now, trying to take shorter showers. And again I think right now is a great time to get this habit in my system.

5. Be More Consistent

    With trying to change any habits you have, consistency is critical. I have good days and bad days with my habits, but this will not get me to be the person I want to be, because I am not consistent. For a habit to stick, you have to do it regularly. For example, have you ever tried to change your diet? The first two weeks are pretty much the hardest part. Most people don't get past the first weeks without breaking the "rules" at least once. Well, if you do get past those weeks, its honestly not that hard anymore and it's becoming a habit.

    The same goes for any other habit. And that is why my fifth thing I am working on at the moment is being more consistent. Hopefully, making some of these habits permanent.

These are the 5 things I am working on right now. I hope you got some motivation or ideas for your own journeys.

Have an awesome day, and stay safe!