Things You Can Do to Piss Off Big Polluters (that actually move the needle on helping the planet).

Welcome to Pissing Off Big Corporate Polluters And Helping the Planet! Here, we work like sleeper agents from within the bounds of capitalism and meaningfully change the game.

I’m in favor of every type of climate action– and I’m a very practical person. The quicker and more effective, the better! So here are several actions I’ve pulled together, all of which are easy to start right away, and all of which start making an impact immediately. 

🕵 First up, learn how to identify and opt out of fossil fuels inside your home.

There’s a great tool called Rewiring America, which helps you pinpoint all sources of fossil fuel usage in your home and make the switch to electric. BUT HAILEY–

Doesn’t electricity just come from fossil fuels, aka coal, too? 

Currently, 60% of our electricity does still come from coal. But it’s a diminishing percentage– despite certain government actions, renewable energy is growing and here to stay on the electric grid. 

 ✅Rewiring America also shows you how switching to electric from gas can not only help you cash in on government incentives in certain states, but can also help you lower your environmental impact. 

My only caveat is that it suggests you replace your appliances right away, while my personal mindset is to replace something when it dies. 

👀 Our next action, working from the inside: Don’t boycott ingredients, buy better ones. 

(This tactic comes from the recent research-based climate action book, Not The End of the World, which I’ve talked about before and highly recommend!)

We know that voting with our dollars is a winning strategy. But NOT buying isn’t always as strong a move as buying a better option. Here’s an example from our makeup ingredients:

We use palm oil in our beauty products. Shocking, right? Lots of companies boycott palm oil to prevent deforestation. BUT research shows that’s not effective. What is? Specifically buying RSPO palm oil, which is certified to be sustainably grown. 

This pushes the market to evolve more quickly to a sustainable product, by pointing to the right alternative instead of only refusing a terrible option. 

➡ So what other certifications can you look for?

• GOTS aka Global Organic Textile Standard certifies natural textiles for human rights and sustainability ethics, and they're something I always look for when shopping for new clothes/home goods. They're really strict, so you won’t find them on just any products. 

• Certified B Corp is still the premier certification you can find for all consumable goods. 

• 1% For the Planet is fantastic when it comes from small businesses. We’re a proud member.

…and one to avoid?? All carbon neutral certifications are BS. They're a pay-for-the-logo sort of transaction with very few actual checks.

There is no such thing as a perfect certification, though. All orgs have flaws and shortcomings, and criticism is valid, but they are LEAGUES better than the status quo. And, as you all know by now, I come from a mindset of progress over perfection. 

✅ So check for the best sustainable options you can buy at the moment– and make these corporations run in a better direction for your money. 

🕶️ An unexpected take: BUY PLASTIC made from recycled materials. 

Why on earth should you buy ANY plastic, even if it’s recycled?? Well, as we know, plastic lasts pretty much forever. It’s a far better option to *actually* reuse the plastic we’ve already got than to let it clog up landfills and the environment.

Recycled plastics actually do exist, but there are two problems: 

1. Eco-conscious consumers often do not want to buy any plastic, which makes perfect sense. We’re anti-plastic overall at Zerra!

2. Products made with recycled plastics usually cost more.

These two factors mean we’ve got a huge deficit in our plastic recycling system(as flawed as it is). When recycling is functional and successful, it serves us and our planet– and that helps make it profitable, which attracts corporations to do better. We manipulate them into good behavior! 

So, if you can afford to buy recycled, go ahead and do it: For example, I sat on and broke my 10-year old favorite sunglasses (RIP), so I ordered these as a replacement. 

✅ If you're buying something that is commonly made from plastic, search for a recycled option.

🥸 And lastly (for today), try this anti-consumerism mentality shift:

Make your brand labels go into hiding: remove the labels from home and personal products, cut branded tags from clothing. Why? 

It develops a mental shift where your ownership of the item is purely about having something that works, not a “coveted” brand to show off or want to buy more than you need. 

➡ Overconsumption is the number one contributor to ocean pollution and environmental plastic pollution. 

So this trick is useful and important for anyone who falls into the trap of overconsumption– even sometimes. I do, too! I got this idea originally from an ex beauty influencer who is removing all traces of brands on the products she buys to combat her consumerism. 

Definitely let us know if you decide to try this! I’m planning to do it in my home, too.

Thanks for joining us! 

We’ll be back with more tips to piss off the unscrupulous Big Polluters of this one and only earth. 

For now, we wish you the loveliest day full of everything you need, and nothing you don’t.