Teaching the kiddos! Hilary Duff shared how she is leading by example when it comes to educating her children about sustainability and protecting the Earth.
The 32-year-old Younger star, who shares son Luca, 7, with ex-husband Mike Comrie, and daughter Banks, 16 months, with husband Matthew Koma, is doing her part to embrace a greener lifestyle and pass down environmentally friendly habits to her kids. She now refills shampoo and soap bottles instead of throwing them away and even brings her own silicone straw and reusable cup to restaurants in an effort to eliminate plastic use and waste.
Duff, who is featured on the cover of Parents magazine’s ”Mother Earth Issue” for April, said she made these changes to her lifestyle not long after Luca saw a viral video of a turtle getting a straw pulled out of its nose, which had a big impact on the elementary school student.
Describing her firstborn as “such a sensitive guy,” the Lizzie McGuire alum noted the incident encouraged her to take other small steps to make sure she and her family are doing their part to protect the planet. She and Koma, 32, no longer use plastic bags to store snacks and leftovers at home and opt to bring reusable containers on grocery store runs instead of using plastic bags.
“We’re explaining to Luca why we do all this and he’s getting more involved,” she told the outlet. “And honestly, he gets a little heartbroken. It’s sad.”
Though Duff, who thinks 17-year-old Swedish climate-change activist Greta Thunberg is “amazing,” acknowledges that going greener can initially seem like an impossible task, she’s all about making small tweaks to gradually become more sustainable. “At first, saving the environment sounds scary and overwhelming, but as we implement new rules, it becomes easier and easier,” she explained.
The Texas native is one of several stars who now practice sustainable habits. In February, Kourtney Kardashian shared the many ways she keeps her home as eco-friendly as possible, including unplugging electronics when they’re not in use and using nontoxic cleaning supplies. The previous month, 40-year-old Kourtney’s sister, Kim Kardashian, revealed she got rid of all the plastic bottles in her home. The KKW Beauty founder, 39, now uses glass bottles instead.
Scroll down to see how Duff is making her family more environmentally friendly and teaching her kids some important lessons along the way!