Written by: Riley Fouts

At Isla Luna Studio, we enjoy being kind to the planet in all sorts of ways. While we consider ourselves to be conscious consumers — thinking about the products we buy and purchasing with intention — we are always working towards incorporating more sustainable practices into our routine where our overall waste and carbon footprint are being improved. Below is a list of our favorite eco-friendly activities we’ve adopted overtime:

1. Thrifting

While this may be the most basic way to claim sustainability is ~important to you~, it truly is a great way to recycle in giving old items a new home. We especially enjoy visiting local vintage or consignment shops, scouring Facebook Marketplace for unique antiques and donating old clothes. A recent favorite thrifting method of ours is the For Days “Take Back Bag” where you can send in up to 15 pounds of used fashion items (to be diverted from landfills) and collect promotional credit in return. We also love Plato’s Closet and Poshmark for selling clothes and shoes, and the classic Goodwill donation never goes unnoticed.

2. Composting

Paige is our composting pro around here and has been doing so for over two years in the city of Chicago! She composts weekly through The Urban Canopy’s Compost Club where you can throw food scraps + other compostables into your personal bucket, leave it at a specific location on pickup days, then receive a fresh bucket in return later that same day. The contents of the used bucket are brought to a local composting facility where they are made into soil! This is a relatively easy way to give back to the community, not to mention a fun learning process as well.

3. Capsule Wardrobes

For all my fellow “jeans and a black top is my go-to” girlies, this one’s for you. If you haven’t heard of this newfound amazing curation, a capsule wardrobe is a small collection of basics that are all interchangeable with each other. Typically, capsule wardrobes consist of a lot of neutrals so that no matter which top you choose, it will look good with any bottom. This type of closet is sustainable because it forces you to only invest in a few high-quality + staple pieces, saving money, time, and resources in the long run. On a personal note, I have been building my capsule wardrobe for a minute now and am (hopefully!?) finally getting the hang of it. When our team meets IRL one of these days, I’ll have to update you on that.

4. Donating Empty Makeup Containers

While I’ve used the same makeup products since basically the beginning of high school (who’s with me 😅), when I do run out, I will be donating the empty containers through places like Credo, a natural beauty store with locations all across the U.S. The gist of the process is to bring your used makeup containers to a Credo store (or mail them in) where they will properly recycle or dispose of the empties in a way that isn’t detrimental to the planet. In return, you receive rewards points to use at the store. Doing good for the environment and getting $$$ off… what’s not to love? 

5. Walking and/or Biking 

This is by far the easiest and most straightforward way to “go green” — by eliminating the emission of harmful vapors and substances produced by cars and other motorized vehicles. While walking and biking (along with other modes of transportation that don’t rely on engines or fuel) probably aren’t reliable 100% of the time, we like to engage in these activities whenever possible. Not only are they protecting the environment, but they are protecting our physical and mental well-being as well. Another win-win situation 🙌

6. Shopping Local

Another fun way to introduce different items into your life is through shopping locally, whether it be a clothing store, a farmers market or anything in between. This is something we also like to partake in when traveling — although the European Zara may be amazing (with much better options than the States or even online), it brings us joy to support other small businesses. Mom-and-pop offerings may be a bit pricier, but we justify it in multiple ways: high quality + unique findings, learning more about the culture, personalized + faster customer service, stimulating the local economy, reducing our carbon footprint, the list goes on and on… 

Similar to how we try to adopt an environmentally conscious mindset a majority of the time, we seek out clients who do the same in their attempt to healthily impact the planet and others’ lifestyles. We also understand that sustainability is a journey — we don’t require clients to be zero-waste patrons, because it’s the small daily changes that leave a considerable impact over time. We’d love to hear your favorite ways to go green as well! Send us a DM us on Instagram to share them with us or to just say hello!