SUBSCRIBE
SUBSCRIBE
SLJ Blog Network +
  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal: A Mock Newbery Blog
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About TLT
  • Reviews
    • Book Reviews
    • A to Z Book Lists
    • Book Review Policy
  • Teen Issues
  • Middle Grade Mondays
  • Programs
    • TPiB
    • Tech Talk
  • Professional
    • Teen Services 101
    • Things We Didn’t Learn in Library School
  • MakerSpace
  • Projects
    • #SVYALit
    • #FSYALit
    • #MHYALit
    • #Poverty in YA Lit

July 15, 2020 by Karen Jensen, MLS

Morgan’s Mumbles: Sustainable and Ethical Switches by teen contributor Morgan Randall

July 15, 2020 by Karen Jensen, MLS   Leave a Comment

Like most teens today, teen contributor Morgan Randall is very much aware that climate change is real and is interested in making the world a better place with ethical consumption. Today, Morgan is sharing some resources for us all to use in our libraries or share with our teens who want to do their part to create a sustainable lifestyle.

Recently, I have really been looking further into ethical and sustainable swaps that we can make in everyday life that will have a positive impact on the world around us. An important note before I get into the list is that if you have items that aren’t sustainable make sure you get the full use out of them before you throw them away and buy new ones. The point of sustainable living is to produce as little (unnecessary) waste as possible and to limit our carbon footprint on the Earth.

SCROLL TO KEEP READING THIS POST

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

What to do with old clothes?

If you have clothes that you no longer wear, an ethical way to get rid of them (rather than throwing them in a landfill) is to donate them (be it to someone specific or a thrift store) or sell them. Normally, I would encourage a garage sale but due to the current state of the world, I recommend using apps like DePop or ThredUp which both act as online thrift stores.

Want to shop ethical brands?

 These are also great ways to shop when you are looking for clothes, buying from second-hand vendors is a great way to guarantee you are reducing your carbon footprint. If you have a little more money to splurge on brand new items, I recommend buying from brands that are opened about their impact on the environment and their labor sources. A great (and free app) that can help you determine how ethical brands are is called Good On You, it ranks brands on their environmental impact, animal use, and how they source/treat their laborers.

The best way for you to discover brands you like is to research, then support ones that you feel like are making a stride to create a cleaner planet and take good care of their workers.

Looking for ethical brands that go beyond clothing?

This goes further than just clothing, but also into daily products. MadeTrade is a website that sells multiple brands, all of which are ethical.

https://www.madetrade.com/

Know the Origin does this as well

https://knowtheorigin.com/

Do you know that lots of brands are trying to create a cleaner planet?

There are also brands that are making strides to create a cleaner planet through products you wouldn’t normally think about. Blueland ( https://www.blueland.com/ ) sells eco-friendly cleaning products. Pela ( https://pelacase.com/ ) sells eco-friendly phone cases, I have one and I love it.

A few more recommendations that are easy swaps are to begin to try and cut out excessive waste. This includes plastics (for example shampoo/conditioner bars are a great alternative to prevent plastic waste that comes from bottles) and also buying items that are typically one-time use. For example, cotton rounds can easily be replaced with reusable face wipes.

Try to replace paper/wood products with bamboo, because bamboo regrows really fast and often times isn’t as harsh on the environment. Glass and steel are both very sustainable, and can be recycled often. For paper products (especially loose-leaf papers or notebooks) try and buy ones made of recycled paper.

These are just a few resources that can be shared with tweens and teens to help promote sustainable living.

And for information on Zero Waste Programming, check out this older post:

https://www.teenlibrariantoolbox.com/2020/02/thinking-about-teen-programming-in-new-terms-zero-waste-programming-and-environmental-impact/

Morgan Randall, Teen Contributor

Morgan recently graduated high school and is currently enrolled to attend college in the fall getting her BA in Theatre and Dance with an emphasis on Design and Technology. She loves theatre, writing, reading, and learning. But something that has always been important to her is being a voice for those who feel like they don’t have one, and being a catalyst for change in any way possible.

Filed under: Climate Change, Ethical Consumerism

SHARE:

Read or Leave Comments

About Karen Jensen, MLS

Karen Jensen has been a Teen Services Librarian for almost 30 years. She created TLT in 2011 and is the co-editor of The Whole Library Handbook: Teen Services with Heather Booth (ALA Editions, 2014).

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

ADVERTISEMENT

SLJ Blog Network

100 Scope Notes

Notes on May 2023

by Travis Jonker

A Fuse #8 Production

That Time I Asked Chris Rufo a Question

by Betsy Bird

Good Comics for Kids

School-Live!: Letters | Review

by Renee Scott

Heavy Medal

And now there are 38: May Heavy Medal Mock Newbery Suggestions

by Emily Mroczek-Bayci

Teen Librarian Toolbox

Barbie Fun for Everyone!

by Karen Jensen, MLS

The Classroom Bookshelf

The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving

by Erika Thulin Dawes

The Yarn

Trying Something New: SPEED ROUND w/ Marla Frazee, Doug Salati, Dan Santat, and Amina Luqman-Dawson

by Travis Jonker

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Articles on SLJ

Grounded in Their Communities and Hands-on Learning Across Disciplines, Libraries Can Be Critical Partners in Climate Action

Native Narratives: A new chapter for children's publishing | The Year in SLJ Covers

12 Books for Young Readers That Center Mixed-Race Protagonists 

6 Multimedia Resources for Teaching ‘How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents’ | Refreshing the Canon

13 Hard-Hitting Nonfiction, Immersive Poetry, and Magnetic Thrillers for Teens | We Are Kid Lit Collective

Commenting for all posts is disabled after 30 days.

ADVERTISEMENT

Archives

Follow This Blog

Enter your email address below to receive notifications of new blog posts by email.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

This coverage is free for all visitors. Your support makes this possible.

Primary Sidebar

  • News & Features
  • Reviews+
  • Technology
  • School Libraries
  • Public Libraries
  • Age Level
  • Ideas
  • Blogs
  • Classroom
  • Diversity
  • People
  • Job Zone

Reviews+

  • Book Lists
  • Best Books
  • Media
  • Reference
  • Series Made Simple
  • Tech
  • Review for SLJ
  • Review Submissions

SLJ Blog Network

  • 100 Scope Notes
  • A Fuse #8 Production
  • Good Comics for Kids
  • Heavy Medal
  • Neverending Search
  • Teen Librarian Toolbox
  • The Classroom Bookshelf
  • The Yarn

Resources

  • 2022 Youth Media Awards
  • The Newbery at 100: SLJ Celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the Award
  • Special Report | School Libraries 2021
  • Summer Reading 2021
  • Series Made Simple Spring 2021
  • SLJ Diverse Books Survey
  • Summer Programming Survey
  • Research
  • White Papers / Case Studies
  • School Librarian of the Year
  • Mathical Book Prize Collection Development Awards
  • Librarian/Teacher Collaboration Award

Events & PD

  • In-Person Events
  • Online Courses
  • Virtual Events
  • Webcasts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Media Inquiries
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Content Submissions
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Terms of Sale
  • FAQs
  • Diversity Policy
  • Careers at MSI


COPYRIGHT © 2023


COPYRIGHT © 2023