40 Things To Give Up Forever & Help Make The World A Better Place

 

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Giving up these 40 things won’t just help you simplify your stuff and organize your life – it will make you a better person!

“Fast Fashion”

Bangladesh, India, and China are among the top sweatshop offenders. Do a little research on your favorite name brands. Know how your clothes are manufactured and support companies that support fair trade, human rights, and environmental sustainability. Patagonia and The Good Trade are two phenomenal resources to help bring a little consciousness to your consumerism. 

Plastic Food Storage Containers

Glass and stainless steel are more durable, more economical over time, and better for you and the environment.

Barbie Dolls

How about toys that promote gender equality, positive body-image, and collaborative, creative problem-solving? It’s not 1959, for Pete’s sake! 

Anything with GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms)

GMO safety is far from proven. In fact, evidence indicates GMO products are wreaking havoc on human digestion and require exponential amounts of known carcinogenic herbicides and pesticides as crops grow increasingly resistant. Organic food production is just better for us and more sustainable for the planet. 

Desktop Printers at Home

Go paperless at home. Reduce your impact on forests and landfills by printing infrequently at business centers and local printing stores. If you absolutely must use a printer at home, make sure to recycle your ink cartridges. 

Anything Sold on QVC after Bedtime

It’s bedtime. Go to sleep. Whatever it is – you don’t need it. 

Toxic & Animal-Tested Beauty Products

Look and feel radiant knowing your beauty products are cruelty-free and without known toxic chemicals. 

Gift Shop Tchotchkes

When you’re traveling, it’s great to support artists and local shop-keepers. But if there’s nothing of substantive cultural quality and value, consider donating to a local charity, school, or buying lunch for hard-working local artisans. You don’t need to bring stupid stuff home every time you travel. 

Bottled Water

The truth about bottled water may surprise you. Filter your water at home and take it with you in a re-usable container. You’ll be doing your part to end one of the biggest ecological disasters in human history.

Roundup (Glyphosate)

If you don’t know about Monsanto’s little secret, glyphosate, it’s time to get with the program. Seriously.

CDs

If you’re still trying to figure out what to do with your cassette tapes, you can add CDs to the list of things to purge and never buy again. Downloading and streaming music (and movies) has never been easier. 

Disposable Razors

Turns out, about 2 billion disposable razors end up in the landfill every year. That’s not good for anyone.

Learn to shave your mug (and more) the old fashioned way.

Antiperspirant

With so many reasonable alternatives, there’s just no reason to use your pits as a toxic waste dump. 

Air Freshener

The list of harmful stuff in air freshener is alarming. Take out the trash, open a window, and use essential oils instead. 

Plastic Silverware

Back in 1950, plastic silverware was invented. That was almost seventy years ago and the sustainable alternatives are many. In general, stop buying (and using) plastic. The stuff is toxic to the planet, carcinogenic for people, and cost-ineffective to recycle. The less of it – in every form – the better!

Paper Plates

Try these instead. 

Tissues

Hankies are back! Repurpose the softest fabrics you can find into unbelievably eco-friendly snot rags. 

Sticky Notes

Everything I write down either goes in my day planner or on a pad of recycled paper awaiting entry into Trello. Manage the details of your life in just one place with online project management or one of a jillion phone-friendly sticky-alternative apps. 

Wrapping Paper

Giving a gift? Less is more. Despite the cheerful intention, excess packaging and traditional gift wrapping is not friendly stuff. It’s made from known carcinogens and is responsible for horrific landfill waste. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle. 

Window Cleaner

Those harmful chemicals don’t get your windows any cleaner. A little lemon, vinegar and newspaper works the best. Instead of the costly name brands, make your own house cleaners for better results. 

Balloons

Brace yourself. This one is going to sting a little. Turns out, balloons are bad. Who knew. 

Plastic Shopping Bags

It’s time to re-think using plastic shopping bags. Among other things, sea turtles think they look like jelly fish. 

Plastic-Ringed Six Pack Containers

I’m not a beer-drinker, but if I were a sea turtle, these would look delicious. 

Nutella

Here’s the recipe. You’ll never touch the stuff again. 

Cable TV

The last time I cared about TV, President Bartlet was in the White House. Yes, we own a television, but we hardly ever watch it. From time to time, we put in a DVD from the library. Quite frankly, I don’t know how people have time for television. But if it’s your thing, think about one of these alternatives. 

Paper Napkins and Paper Towels

If you’re like most people, you probably have enough hiding under your kitchen counters to last three decades. Stop buying the stuff. You’re good. 

Styrofoam Anything

Seriously?

Non–Rechargeable Batteries

We now have the technology to reduce the amount of stuff we need to power the crap we buy. It’s better this way. You’re just going to have to trust me. These are the best of the best. 

Plastic Straws

There really is a dot org for everything. You’ll like this one. 

Artificial Colors, Sweeteners, Flavors

Food should be two things: delicious and nutritious. Brand name manufacturers are dropping artificial additives and you should, too. 

Non–Sustainable Fish

Here it is, the official list of what to eat, what to throw back and why.

Anything with Plastic Microbeads

What they are, why they’ve been banned, and why microfiber is next. 

Energy Drinks

Alright, it’s complicated. But here’s a few healthy alternatives, including a few that might surprise you. 

Cellulose in Food

Got wood? Cellulose is usually derived from wood pulp or sawdust. It’s an ingredient filler – and it’s not healthy.

Disposable Diapers

The number three item in landfills, poopy diapers represent 30% of non-biodegradable waste. My wife and I used cloth diapers for our one and only until she was three years old. 

Microwave Oven

My wife is a massage therapist, so we use our microwave oven for heating rice and lavender hot packs, but other than that, it never sees our food. Here’s why. 

Snack Pack

Three bites and a half-pound of excess packaging. No thanks. Eat an orange; it comes with its own wrapper.

Single-Use Anything (A case study in coffee)

Keurig is a great example of too much of a good thing. I love an exceptional cup of coffee, but without the guilt. Which is why I only drink coffee from www.filanthrope.org. 

Refined Sugar

Added sugar: One of the worst health epidemics of our time. Private profits blatantly put ahead of public health. 

Wal–Mart

In 2016, the Wal-Mart’s global net sales amassed approximately $478.61 billion. They can afford to do better.