december's sustainable superstar: Harvest Hosts
This month's pick is a little different than usual.
My partner and I just spent eight weeks traveling the US in our RV, and Harvest Hosts made it possible to do it sustainably.
You stay for free on the land of participating hosts and in return you support small farms, wineries, breweries, and local makers instead of corporate campgrounds. (And no, this isn't sponsored. It's just genuinely cool.)
In 2018, Harvest Host was purchased by a husband-wife team* from a husband-wife team.
For a yearly membership fee, self-contained RVers get unlimited overnight stays at 9,700+ unique Host locations across North America including farms, vineyards, museums, co-ops—with no camping fees.
Instead of paying for the spot, you support the host by making a purchase. Buy wine, shop the gift shop, pick up local produce, etc.
It’s such an incredible experience!
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We met a farmer in Wisconsin who specializes in ice wine.
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We stayed on a co-op where we bought handmade soap.
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We have enough maple syrup to feed our hungry boys 10x over
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And let me tell you about the local jam….so freaking good!!
Every stop connected us to people doing interesting work. The kind of sustainable, small-scale businesses we want to support.
It's a way to travel that feels good. Less corporate, more community-driven, and a chance to put money directly into the hands of people growing, making, and creating.
So if you have an RV or know someone who likes an RV getaway, check it out!
*For full transparency, Harvest Hosts is privately owned by a husband-wife team but received a $37M private equity investment in 2021 from Stripes (who also invest in brands like Monday, ON Running, and A24). Since then, they've grown from 600 hosts to 9,000+. We're including this because transparency matters, even when we love something.
Gotcha! It's the holiday season, so I wanted to feature one more business.
sustainable superstar #2: Nathan & Sons
If you're on TikTok, you've probably seen Nathan & Son (and a whole lotta dupes). If you haven't, that’s why they’re our sustainable superstar!
You may or may not know conventional chewing gum contains plastic. Or may contain plastic. The specifics are murky, but there's a bunch of questionable stuff in your gum.
If you’re like me some days I truly don’t care.
Buuut other days I start thinking about how I can reduce my exposure to plastics and microplastics. And you know I love supporting a small business.
The thing is natural gum alternatives usually don't hit the same.
That’s where Underbrush comes in.
I’ve personally tried it and I’m here for it!
Does it fully replace conventional chewing gum? No. But it works as a solid alternative. I chewed it for a full hour while working out. The flavor fades fast, but the gum itself doesn't deteriorate into mush. That's a win for me.
Plus, Nathan & Sons are super transparent about ingredients, sourcing from things that actually grow out of the ground—mastic gum, chicle gum, arabic gum. (you know I like my brands transparent).
And they're a small business.
If you're looking for a holiday gift or just want to try something that doesn't have mystery ingredients, this is a good one.
a note from Paulina:
My motto for 2025 was "multiple things can be true."
People love straight answers.
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Republican or Democrat.
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Seed oils are either poison or good for you
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Tencel is sustainable or greenwashing
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Recycling saves the world or it's completely useless
But the truth is usually somewhere in the middle, full of nuance that doesn't fit in a headline.
Right now, I'm holding two truths:
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Tariffs are making it really hard to keep (r e)x running.
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I just had the most incredible eight weeks driving through the US, meeting small farmers and makers who remind me why any of this matters.
The business I've spent five years building—insisting on transparency, creating fair-wage jobs for women in South Africa, delivering a well-designed product to you—isn't sustainable anymore if the new tariffs continue.
So I'm ending the year on a big question mark.
I’m selling through existing inventory (a couple months' worth). After that, we'll see where tariffs land. If nothing changes, I can't continue.
That's scary to admit.
But you've chosen to be part of this community, and you deserve honesty—not some fake fear-based clearance sale.
For December-Jan. 10th newsletter subscribers get 40% off. Consider it a thank you for five years.
I hope we're here for another five. But right now, these are my multiple truths.
december's blog: 21 easy sustainable swaps!
There used to be a time where we as a culture thought about reduce-reuse-recycle. But convenience culture (and you know, keeping people working and distracted) has made waste completely frictionless.
One-day shipping, disposable everything, and the constant churn of stuff we don't really need. It's exhausting and it's adding up. This month’s blog offers 21 sustainable swaps that help you break the cycle without the overwhelm. From reusable kitchen staples to mindful shopping habits, these are changes that actually make a difference.
what's new with us
As I mentioned in the intro, I’m feeling the effects of Tariffs.
I’m not surprised and I don’t think you’re surprised, especially since we wrote not one, but two blogs about the horrors of Project 2025.
So ( r e )x sits in limbo right now. I truly don’t know what the future looks like and that sucks. I’m sure you understand what it’s like to pour your heat and soul and values and years into something.
We do what we can and we move on, however that looks.
I promise to be as honest with you as I can in the moment. But I want to say thank you for a wonderful 5 years. For supporting however you have done so. It truly means the world to me and we’ve made an impact.
In the amount of plastic we’ve kept out of oceans.
In the jobs we’ve created for women in South Africa.
In showing the world that one small thing can truly make a difference.
december's earthly eco news
🚊 Solar panels on railroad tracks: Switzerland is piloting a new project that installs solar panels in ‘dead space’ — the space between the railroad tracks. A solar startup was given the greenlight to install 48 panels on 100 meters of railway. It’s expected to generate around 16,000 kilowatt-hours each year (remember, just for the 48 panels). The goal is to reinject the energy generated into the train’s electrical line. If successful, it can scale to cover all Swiss railways!
⛽︎ The first international conference to transition away from fossil fuels: The governments of Colombia and The Netherlands will co-host the First International Conference on the Just Transition Away from Fossil Fuels in April 2026 in Colombia. While it may feel like the U.S. is moving backwards there’s a global movement behind figuring out solutions to reduce dependence on Fossil Fuels. It sends an especially large message that Colombia is hosting this conference as they are the world’s fifth-largest coal producers.
👗 The resale fashion industry is growing (very quickly): This probably comes as no surprise but in the past 10 years the global market for secondhand clothing is worth around $177 billion today and is expected to double by 2027. One positive thing you can say for hyper-connectedness is that we’re able to see how fast fashion affects our neighbors in other countries and the environment. Gen Z in particular is leading the movement!
🌾 Fashion Reimagined: Released in 2022, this documentary follows fashion designer Amy Powney (Mother of Pearl) and her process to create a sustainable collection from field to finished garment. Raised in rural England off-the-grid, Amy decided to ‘do something about it’ after winning Vogue’s Best Young Designer of the Year. Stream it on Prime or Apple TV.