Even the little things can have a big impact.
At Outer, we’re on a mission to help people bring more of their lives outside. We design the world’s most innovative outdoor furniture, emphasizing comfort and durability. On top of that, sustainability is at the heart of every decision we make. As part of our ongoing effort to make the planet a more enjoyable place for generations to come, we pooled the Outer team to share some of the ways they’ve incorporated easy earth-friendly improvements into their daily lives.
- I'm working on more plastic-free grocery shopping. I make tortillas, bread, and vegetable broth (from veggie scraps) from scratch - all things always come in plastic. I’m always inspired by https://zerowastechef.com/ for everything food-related and zero waste.
- We need to refresh our living room and I'm committed to finding pieces for it second hand. https://www.oursimplesong.com/ has great resources for all things plastic-free and gently used for the home.
- My friends and I hold regular "swaps" to exchange things we would otherwise toss.
- I’m also headed to https://suayla.com/ in Los Angeles to test out their community dye bath soon! You can dye clothes that might have stains or need to be refreshed. They also do repairs, recycle old textiles, and sell remade clothing, home goods, and furniture all from scraps.
- I live and die for my hyper-local Buy Nothing Facebook group. I've given and received a ton of things from the group - all free. It’s a great community builder because you travel to neighbors' homes to pick up and drop off items. https://bnponfb.org/find-a-group/
- Ally Voye, Community Marketing Coordinator
- We switched to reusable baggies in my house, replacing wasteful Ziploc bags.
- I also save my used coffee grounds in a container to mix into the soil for my plants. It’s easy to compost and doesn't make your kitchen smell if you don't have a composter.
- I love the eco-friendly cleaning product line Blueland. Their waste-free dishwasher pods are the best.
- Danielle Nowak, Lifecycle Marketing Intern
- I switched to using biodegradable toothbrushes— a small switch with a big impact. It's estimated that 1 billion toothbrushes get thrown out every year.
- Composting at home! California has mandated organic waste collection - through the use of the Green Garbage Bins. You can now compost “organic waste” including food, green material, landscape, and pruning waste, organic textiles and carpets, lumber, wood, paper products, printing and writing paper, etc. It’s amazing to see how little trash you’ll go through in 1 week after recycling and composting organic waste.
- I also can’t recommend long walks on the beach enough, or in any natural area near you. Bring a bucket with you and collect some trash— you’ll feel so good after, I promise!
- Alyssa Eurell, Brand Marketing Coordinator
- I recently purchased a compost tumbler and have been turning my kitchen waste into nutrient-rich soil for my garden (rather than going straight to the landfill!).
- I try to wash all my clothes on "tap cold.” The difference between washing your clothes on cold and washing them on warm is a 70% increase in energy usage. The difference between washing them on cold and washing them on hot is 90%. It really adds up, given that Americans do 25 billion annual loads of laundry!
- I buy clothes mainly from second-hand consigners (e.g. TheRealReal, Poshmark).
- Austen Dake, Senior Communications Manager
- I was watching Shark Tank and was so excited to find these great, non-plastic, 100% biodegradable, dog-waste bags called: https://www.poochpaper.com/. On their website, they state that an estimated 500 million single-use plastic dog waste bags are thrown into landfills each year in the U.S. alone. such a simple change that could make a big difference!
- Denis Hunt, Finance Team
- I purchased a set of bombproof aluminum food containers from EcoVessel that may last me a lifetime. I’m excited to finally have found a food storage container that is not made from plastic, is BPA-free and makes my lunch look super slick!
- Colby Lapointe - Product Specialist Team
- Terry Lin, our Chief Design Officer / Co-Founder, is installing solar on his home, I am looking into this as well. It’s definitely a wise investment towards our future, plus with all of the tax benefits, it’s hopefully becoming an easier choice for homeowners.
- Jiake Liu, CEO