As times change, hip hop changes with it. As a culture that can find its footing in every topic, we are now turning our attention to the planet. At times, those evolutions come with a fair share of ups and downs, such as plastic waste and pollution, but we have a solution. REVOLT, adidas Originals, and hip hop comedian Druski’s new collaboration and series “Sneakin’ in With Druski” is headed to your favorite celebrity’s home to make sustainability funny. As we evolve with the times and gain more knowledge, it’s only right that we share the information to help you live a better life.
As a collective, BIPOC cultures have practiced sustainability often without credit or awareness that what they’re doing is in fact, healthy and innovative. Living below economical means meant reuse, repurpose, or get creative to find out how to make do with what you have. With advancements in the world, it’s now more important than ever to protect those same people as waste ultimately finds itself back in our hands. Best way to fight back, switch to sustainability. With REVOLT and adidas Originals, Dru will provide a good cause behind his antics, while sharing both new and old ways of going green. From home goods, beauty products, food options, and clothing fabrics every industry is attempting to make the switch and there’s tons of ways you too can help.
Doing his part, Dru rocks a pair of Stan Smith sneakers made of recycled materials as he hilariously teaches how to save the planet. Doing our part, we’ve created a list of ways you too could help stop plastic waste and live healthily.
1. Reusable Shopping Bags
With the running joke in the Black community being having a cabinet full of bags, maybe it’s time to rethink our usage and switch for a more sustainable solution. Plastic bags take up to 400 years to biodegrade and are one of the more common items found to cause pollution, sit in a landfill, and kill marine animals in large amounts. While recycling plastic bags is always an option, an even better option is using reusable cloth bags. Recommended product: World’s Strongest Grocery Bag.
2. Swapping Your Plastic Bottles to Reusable Water Bottles
Water is the key to life, however, plastic water bottles are not. Nearly 90 percent of plastic water bottles never make it to the recycling bin, leaving billions in landfills, on the streets, and in the ocean. Several Black-owned water bottle companies have found ways to make drinking single-use water bottles less harsh on the environment. Not only would buying water that comes from companies that care make a difference, but so would removing the single-use bottle by opting for washable ones. Recommended product: LARQ Bottle PureVis.
3. Swap Matches for Lighters
As if losing a lighter isn’t bad enough, how about the fact that it’s also harmful to the environment and animals. Disposable gas lighters are not recyclable and once emptied, end up in landfills or in the ocean to be mistaken for food. Alternatives to lighters are the classic match that can be thrown away and are fully biodegradable. Recommended product: Harlem Candle Company.
4. Reusable Straws and Cutlery
If you’ve been out to eat in a city that has removed plastic straws from restaurants, you’ve probably learned that paper straws do not work well either. On the other hand, plastic straws are found stuck to and in marine animals at alarming rates, and contribute tons of pollution. The best alternative is actually the reusable straw. Made to be easy to clean and durable, it can be found in bamboo, metal, stainless steel, and glass material. In addition to straws, swap plastic cutlery sets with bamboo options. Recommended product: Off The Grid With A Kid.
5. Switch to Plastic Free Gum
More than ever before, healthy and clean eating is being promoted from every angle. However, one thing people don’t discuss enough is chewing gum. Most gum has particles of plastic or rubber. Due to its unnatural ingredient, it does not biodegrade and can be dangerous for animals, resulting in another pollution issue. Over the past years, natural and healthier gum options have hit the market, making plastic-free chewing gum the way to go. Recommended product: Simply Gum.
6. Reusable Home Product
The bathroom is home to plastic and pollution-causing items. From our toothbrushes, razors, face and body washes, shower curtains and more, these objects contain an unhealthy amount of plastic that is harmful to the earth. To fight that, substituting plastic toothbrushes for bamboo brushes is a great start. Recommended product: Triggy Fresh.
7. Recycle, Recycle, Recycle
One of the easiest ways to reduce plastic waste is to simply recycle. Using a recycle bin consistently can decrease the amount of waste sent to landfills and incinerators, saves energy, and stops greenhouse gas emissions that can lead to air quality issues. As the whole purpose of recycling is to repurpose — much like the Stan Smith sneakers — many products can push us one step forward in the right sustainable direction. Recommended product: Rebin.