Terri Ramsey Beavers We’re currently experiencing a wave of environmental friendliness, and that’s great news for the planet.
While some of our swaps are as easy as using less electricity or reusing old items, there are some new things that you can purchase in order to save yourself from creating more waste in the future. Specialty stores such as zero waste shop by Last Object offer a variety of such products.
Environmentally-friendly products such as an eco friendly toothbrush are totally in, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding at least some of these things and doing your part to create an eco-friendly home. You won’t even notice the difference in your lifestyle once you make the switch, but the planet will.
If you’re looking to make some changes in your life and become just a little more green, you’re in the right place. Keep reading for 9 earth-friendly products that you can get to help treat the planet more kindly.
1. Food-Storage Bags
Storing leftover food at home can be a struggle. There’s only so much room in the fridge for containers, and sometimes plastic wraps and disposable plastic bags seem like the easiest option when we’re in a rush.
Those bags are generally “one and done”, though, and they’re doing harm to the environment. You have much better options out there that will save the oceans from more plastics and save you money over time.
How much money do you spend on those disposable freezer or sandwich bags per year? It might not seem like a lot every time, but it adds up.
Instead, you can buy silicone freezer bags. They’re easily washed, reusable, and come in many cute designs. Their upfront cost is going to be greater, but you can keep them forever.
2. Indoor Compost Bin
You don’t need a yard to be able to compost. Composting is a great way to reduce waste in your own home.
Scraps that are given to a compost bin at home break down organically and you can use them to give nutrients to a garden. In a landfill, they can end up just causing more harm to the environment with harmful gases.
Composting is fun, and it’s a great way to look at how nature takes its course.
3. Beeswax Wraps
Sometimes you just need plastic wrap to cover a dish in the fridge, or to bring something to a friend’s house or potluck, right?
Wrong.
Now there’s a creat cling-wrap alternative using something extraordinary: beeswax. The beeswax makes the wrap hold its shape around whatever it is that you’re trying to protect, making it even more effective than some cheaper cling films.
This is also a super cost-effective item.
While you might go through boxes of cling film per year, you need only buy a few of these. If you’re creative and resourceful, you can even make it yourself with scraps of fabric. Recycling is super eco-friendly.
4. Reusable Grocery Bags
Americans use about 100 billion plastic bags per year. That’s a massive number, and it’s entirely unnecessary.
Making the switch to reusable bags is easy, and it can make your trips to the grocery store easier as well.
Some of these bags are massive, easily fitting the same amount in them as 2 or 3 standard plastic shopping bags would. They can easily fit over the shoulder, which makes the weight easier to bear.
You can also get bags for your produce if you’re not comfortable leaving it free in carts or baskets. Mesh produce bags are more and more widely available so that you no longer have to use those tiny plastic film bags.
Many of these grocery bags have fun designs and hold up after hundreds of uses. They’re easy to keep in a purse or car, and they can help you make fewer trips when you’re bringing in supplies from your shopping trip.
Reusable grocery bags are a great alternative to single-use plastic bags.
5. Detergent Alternatives
Detergent pods aren’t wonderful for the environment, and you have other options.
If you’re looking to ditch the plastics and dangerous dyes, have you considered an eco-friendly detergent alternative that grows on trees?
Earthbits’ Soap Nuts are one of your many options for “natural” detergents, changing the laundry game. They don’t have the artificial perfumes or irritants of many commercial cleansers, meaning they’ll be better for you and the environment.
They’re great for sensitive skin and people with skin conditions. They also won’t bleach your clothes.
Products like these are cost-effective, and they last through a ton of washes before you have to consider replacing them. How long does your bottle of detergent last before it’s time for a refill?
Soap Nuts should last over 200 washes before you need to refill your bag, making it eco-friendly and wallet-friendly.
6. Compostable Dinnerware
It’s really easy to say “just use reusable plates and cutlery!” when you aren’t throwing a party or having a large event when the dishes would be everywhere.
Wouldn’t it be great if there were another option?
Luckily for you, there totally is.
Compostable plates and cutlery can be made from palm leaf, sugarcane, or any variety of other biodegradable materials. When they’re thrown away (or even accidentally left on the ground) they disappear into the earth.
This makes throwing parties a much easier experience, as you don’t have to prepare to wash dishes for all of your guests.
People who work in the restaurant industry can also take advantage of this by using some of these instead of their plastic single-use items.
While they’re more costly than their plastic alternatives, the prices will go down as more work is done and they’re more normalized. Hopefully, soon they’ll be an accessible option for everyone, and unfriendly single-use dinnerware will be a thing of the past.
7. Plastic-Free Shower Products
How quickly do you go through your shampoo, conditioner, and body wash? What about your toothpaste?
Are these things all stored in plastic containers?
While some people have made the swap towards refilling their single-use containers, there’s a whole host of environmentally friendly products made exclusively for the bath and shower.
You can ditch the plastic packaging, and go towards bars of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash.
Bars aren’t just for soap anymore, and this eco-friendly option will have you saving the world from lots of plastic, and freeing up space in your shower.
There are some great smelling options from popular shops like Lush, and they’re becoming more and more widely available. There might be a bit of a learning curve, but it’s worth it for a healthier planet.
You can also use dissolvable toothpaste tabs for a similar result! Instead of the plastic tubing, they often come in cardboard wrapping. You chew them up and then brush normally with your toothbrush. All of the clean with none of the waste or dyes.
8. Steel Waterbottles
Single-use plastic water bottles are totally unnecessary for the majority of people when there’s rarely a water fountain far from sight and there are so many other options.
While plastic water bottles have always been around, steel water bottles are the new in thing, and they’re popular for a reason. They’re great at keeping warm things warm and cold things cold, and they’re easy to take around with you anywhere.
They’re a great money saver. Any time you’re going to spend a dollar on a single-use water bottle, you’ll be saving that money by refilling your steel water bottle. They can help you drink more water during the day, helping you be a healthier and happier you.
9. Bamboo Dish Cloths
Everyone knows that it’s best to use reusable dish clothes, but did you know that the standard microfiber dish clothes can release microplastics?
Those microplastics are still causing harm to the ocean, even despite the best efforts to be eco friendly. That’s where bamboo comes in.
They’re long-lasting, they’re very safe to wash, and bamboo is incredibly renewable. It grows quickly and it’s a super abundant resource, making this a fairly guilt-free purchase.
Do You Own Any of These Environmentally Friendly Products?
If you’ve been working towards going green, you might already own one or several of these great products.
If not, what are you waiting for?
Eco-friendly is in, and it’s something great that you can do for the planet and for yourself. If you want a healthier world, switching to environmentally friendly products as an alternative to your normal one is one great way to start.
Some of these products are so great, you won’t even notice the difference between them and the eco-unfriendly products that you were using before. Making the change is a breeze.
For more information on wellness, health, and the world that we live in, check out the rest of the blog. There’s something for everyone.x