With a heart of sustainability, who would Pierce Cedar Creek Institute be if we didn’t offer ways to reduce waste and have more environmentally friendly options in store for Barry County? 

We are committed to being environmentally friendly. We offer several ways to keep trash out of our landfills, starting with each home implementing more ways to reduce waste. Disposable packaging, from plastic bottles to plastic bags, is present in most daily-use items, but it doesn’t have to be that way. 

Reusable bags offer a great way to reduce our environmental footprint. With 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags used worldwide annually and taking up to 1,000 years to degrade, this creates a significant amount of excess waste. But with various styles and uses, we make reusable bags a far more environmentally conscious way to bring your groceries in without harm. Simply leaving them in a vehicle or personal bag always keeps them readily available and makes it easier to incorporate them into your daily routine. 

Plastic bottles are often brought up when discussing reusable materials, but what is not considered as often is the use of plastic beyond water bottles. Detergent bottles, for example, create another hazard in our landfills. The production of detergent sheets in cardboard packaging makes it a far more environmentally conscious way to do laundry. Detergent sheets are a more ecologically sustainable choice because they eliminate the need for bulky plastic packaging, reducing plastic waste and transportation emissions. Their lightweight, compact form also means lower carbon footprints during shipping. Additionally, many detergent sheets use biodegradable ingredients and are free from harsh chemicals, making them safer for both ecosystems and waterways.

Food is usually the leading source of landfill waste in developed countries, with numerous options to reduce not only food waste but also the waste generated by the tools used to prepare it. Taking advantage of options like reusable cutlery, beeswax food wraps instead of plastic food wraps, and avoiding single-use plastic bags or containers can be the first step in changing your habits and bringing more reusable/biodegradable options into your life, and promoting the ease of reusable possibilities for others. 

With numerous ways to reduce our use of single-use plastic, the Pierce Cedar Creek Institute gift shop offers innumerable opportunities to minimize your landfill contributions. From Bamboo Travel Cutlery Sets, to reusable plastic bag options for food, or even just replacing your usual toothbrush with a bamboo option, are ways new sustainable shoppers and those with a long-time commitment to shopping sustainably can find more earth-conscious options for your shopping essentials here at Pierce Cedar Creek Institute in the Visitor Center.

See you on the trail,

The Pierce Cedar Creek Institute Team