Greening Up My Act: A Sustainable Living Podcast

Is there such a thing as green wrapping paper or eco-friendly holiday cards? Join hosts Tiff and Kat on this sleigh ride of an episode to learn the answer, and how to avoid becoming 25% more wasteful during the holiday season. They discuss DIY wrapping paper and holiday cards, or if you ain't got time for that, more eco-friendly options from the store. And learn how to lumberjack it up by cutting down your holiday tree from a U.S. national forest in this zany sustainability podcast!

Products we covered

• Wrappily
• Shiki Wrap
• Plantable gift cards

Sources

• New York Times on wrapping paper
• GoingZeroWaste.com
• WBUR’s Here and Now
• Wildlife and Countryside Link
• Upstate.edu on paper waste
• Oregon Environmental Council
• Greenpeace on less-waste wrapping paper
• Zero-waste card ideas from Trash Is For Tossers
• Brightly on greeting card waste
• Tree cutting at a U.S. National Forest

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Find out if toilet papers or bidets are more sustainable and count how many times Kat can say "butthole" in this week's episode of your favorite sustainability podcast.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

What we used:

• Who Gives a Crap Bamboo Toilet Paper 
• Tushy Bidet

Sources:

• Cottonelle - How Much Toilet Paper Should You Use? 
• Vox - America has never embraced bidets. The toilet paper shortage could change that. 
• Ecoy - Toilet paper vs bidets: Which is greener? 
• Brightly - Are Bidets Better than Toilet Paper? 
• The Good Roll - How Toilet Paper Waste Hurts the Environment 
• Science Focus - What Happens to Toilet Paper? 
• Reel Paper - Bamboo Toilet Paper 101: Everything You Need to Know 
• Cloud Paper - Eco-friendly and sustainable toilet paper: Bamboo vs Recycled 
• Center for Biological Diversity - Why Isn’t All Toilet Paper Made from Recycled Content? 
• Storables - How much does toilet paper cost? 
• Cleveland Clinic - Is Using a Bidet Healthy? 
• Tushy Bidet Sustainability – goes to a blank page ☹️
• Tushy Give Back Program with Samagra 
• Bidet Genius - Why You Should Think Twice Before Buying a Tushy Bidet 

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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What the heck are toothpaste tabs? Do they work? And are they more sustainable? Your hosts Tiff and Kat walk you through the marketing behind the company Bite, what Tiffany's dentist has to say about these Bits, and whether they're actually less wasteful in this fun and funky sustainability podcast.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

What we talked about:

• Bite Toothpaste Bits
• Bite vegan floss

Sources:

• Tiffany's dentist
• Bite Toothpaste website + blog
• Bite Impact Study
• EWG rating of Bite
• Journal of Odontostomatologic Sciences (Annali di Stomatologia) literature review
• Eagle Harbor Dental
• Shark Tank
• Fast Company on Colgate having recyclable toothpaste tubes
• Fluoride study
• Colgate study
• Treehugger on toothpaste tabs
• CNN Bite review
• BCorporation.net
• The Guardian on carbon offsets
• Bite blog about PLA in its floss

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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In their bloodiest episode yet, marketing writers Kat and Tiff dive into reusable period products. (Freddy Kreuger ain't got nothing on them!) Get over your squeamishness and explore the impact tampons and pads have on the environment plus whether or not reusable products like menstrual cups and period panties are worth it. Join your favorite sustainability podcast for all the deets.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

What we talked about:

• Keeper Cup
• Diva Cup
• Thinx Period Underwear
• Knix Period Underwear
• Sustainable Jungle's 9 Sustainable Period Underwear for a More Eco-Friendly Flow

• Duquesne University, Ultimate Guide to Feminine Hygiene - https://onlinenursing.duq.edu/master-science-nursing/the-ultimate-guide-to-feminine-hygiene/
• Pandia Health, The True Cost of Your Period - https://www.pandiahealth.com/blog/the-true-cost-of-your-period/
• Mayo Clinic, Toxic Shock Syndrome - https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxic-shock-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20355384
• Hindustan Times, Can sanitary pads cause cancer? - https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/health/can-sanitary-pads-cause-cancer-here-s-what-experts-say-101669190755670.html
• Healthline, How Often Should You Change Your Pad? - https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/how-many-days-between-periods
• Healthline, Are Menstrual Cups Dangerous? https://www.healthline.com/health/menstrual-cup-dangers
• AllMatters, Environmental reasons to switch to a menstrual cup - https://www.healthline.com/health/menstrual-cup-dangers
• NPR, Thinx Settled a lawsuit over chemicals in its period underwear - https://www.npr.org/2023/01/19/1150023002/thinx-period-underwear-lawsuit-settlement
• BuzzFeed News, What to know about period products and PFAS - https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/fjollaarifi/period-underwear-pfas
• Stanford Magazine, Planet-friendly periods - https://stanfordmag.org/contents/planet-friendly-periods
• Business Standard, Menstrual cups reduce plastic waste generation by 99% - https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/menstrual-cups-reduce-plastic-waste-generation-by-99-soumya-swaminathan-123060501144_1.html
• CNN, Menstrual cups are a safe, environmentally friendly option for people with periods, and few know about it - https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/16/health/menstrual-cup-study-intl-trnd/index.html
• The Period.co, FAQs - https://www.theperiod.co/pages/period-underwear-faqs
• Healthline, How to Clean and Store Your Menstrual Cup - https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-clean-menstrual-cup

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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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Be afraid... be very afraid... of your plastic Halloween costumes never degrading in the landfill. In this special Halloween episode, your favorite sustainability podcast hosts Kat and Tiff explore how to have a blast — maybe without the 16-foot skeletons. Listen as they chat about more eco-friendly costume ideas and how to do Halloween candy better.

Sources

• Instagrammers libery.mai fully vintage Scooby Doo costume
• Survey by HalloweenCostumes.com
• Survey by charity Fairyland Trust
• History Channel on history of Halloween
• Wallethub on Halloween stats
• Forbes on more sustainable Halloween
• Duke Today 
• Yale Sustainabiilty
• The Honest Consumer
• BBC on costumes
• SaveYourWardRobe.com
• Orangutan Foundation on palm oil
• EthicalConsumer.org 
• WildMinimalist for eco-friendlier candy

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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Learn why we've been talking so much trash about landfills throughout season 2 of your favorite sustainability podcast. Find out why you should be trying to keep stuff out of landfills in this mini-episode and get a teaser for what's up in season 3 (starting October 17)!

Sources

• The EPA - https://www.epa.gov/landfills and https://www.epa.gov/pcbs/learn-about-polychlorinated-biphenyls
• University of Colorado Boulder Environmental Center on The Hidden Damage of Landfills - https://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/2021/04/15/hidden-damage-landfills
• Live Science – What Happens Inside a Landfills https://www.livescience.com/32786-what-happens-inside-a-landfill.html
• Hazardous Waste Experts - A Brief Primer on Hazardous Waste https://www.hazardouswasteexperts.com/a-brief-primer-on-hazardous-waste-landfills

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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Minimalism is way weirder than Tiff and Kat thought. In this episode, dive into whether or not The Minimalists' recommendations are actually eco-friendly. Plus, compare the pros and cons to the Buy Nothing Project and Swedish Death Cleaning. Does following The Minimalists' rules automatically lead to more sustainable living? Listen to find out.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

Sources

• The Buy Nothing, Get Everything Plan: Discover the Joy of Spending Less, Sharing More, and Living Generously book
• The Minimalists Podcast, website, and "16 rules" e-book
• The Commodification of Minimalism, Mike Grindle on Medium
• The Pitfalls and Potential of New Minimalism, Jia Tolentino for the New Yorker
• International Journal of Cognitive Therapy study
• Environment and Behavior study on office clutter
• JStor Daily on hoarding disorder
• Plain Simple Life blog on eco-minimalism
• NIH study on hoarding disorder
• Shelbizleee on YouTube
• The Swedes know the secret to happiness: You are not your stuff in Washington Post on Swedish death cleaning

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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Join Tiff & Kat in patting yourself on the back for bulk food shopping like a good American. Learn the pros and cons of bulk shopping, what makes it eco-friendly or less so, what the Dunning-Kruger effect is, and how old Kat's dog is in your favorite green living podcast. 

Sources

• Green Foot Mama - https://greenfootmama.com/bulk-buying-eco-friendly/
• Attitude Living - https://attitudeliving.com/blogs/lifestyle/5-eco-friendly-reasons-to-start-bulk-shopping
• Her Money - https://hermoney.com/enjoy/food/foods-to-buy-in-bulk-to-save-money/
• Apartment Therapy - https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/how-to-buy-and-store-bulk-food-108248
• Investopedia - https://www.investopedia.com/articles/pf/07/bulk_buying.asp
• The Good Trade - https://www.thegoodtrade.com/features/bulk-shopping-tips/
• Supermarket Guru - https://www.supermarketguru.com/articles/benefits-of-bulk-buying/

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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Is the ugly food movement really saving wasted food from landfills, or is it literally stealing food from the mouths of the poor? Learn more in this week's episode of your favorite sustainability podcast. 

What we talked about:

• Imperfect Foods
• Hungry Harvest

Sources:

• The Atlantic - Expiration Dates Are Meaningless https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2022/11/expiration-dates-food-waste-safety/672311/
• Recycle Track Systems - Food Waste in America https://www.rts.com/resources/guides/food-waste-america/
• Feeding America - Hunger in America https://www.feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america
• Reuters - Harvard Study Finds Food Expiration Labels are Misleading https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-foodsafety-dates/harvard-study-finds-food-expiration-labels-are-misleading-idUSBRE98H15F20130918
• Green Biz - Why is composting so hard in the United States? https://www.greenbiz.com/article/why-composting-so-hard-united-states
• Project Drawdown - Reduced Food Waste https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/reduced-food-waste
• Solus Group - Restaurant Composting and the Shift Toward Zero-Waste Foodservice https://solusgrp.com/blog/post/restaurant-composting-and-the-shift-toward-zero-waste-foodservice.html
• Berkeley Economic Review - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Produce Movement https://econreview.berkeley.edu/the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly-produce-movement/
• The New Republic - Does Your Box of “Ugly” Produce Really Help the Planet? Or Hurt it? https://newrepublic.com/article/152596/hungry-harvest-box-ugly-produce-help-planet-or-hurt-it

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
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Email us with questions: [email protected]
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Have you been marketed the Mill kitchen bin on Instagram and found yourself wondering, "What is this thing? Is it sustainable?" Well, maybe it will be in the future, but right now it's basically a half-drawn horse (which you should look up for a laugh). In this sustainability podcast episode, two marketing writers Kat and Tiff give you the scoop on what's really going on with this "sustainable" startup.

As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are paid links.

What We Mentioned

• The Mill kitchen bin

What We Recommend

• Compost bin by GEOBIN
• ShareWaste
• Wastewell

Sources

• Honestly Modern review of kitchen composters and Mill
• The Slate review
• The EPA on food waste in landfills and Food Recovery Hierarchy
• The USDA on industrial composting facilities
• UCLA study on carbon sequestration
• The City of Tacoma food waste program site

Patreon: patreon.com/greeningupmyact
Instagram: @greeningupmyact
Facebook: Greening Up My Act
Email us with questions: [email protected]
YouTube: Greening Up My Act