Sarahritchie17 Earth Day this year made me reflect on the sustainability switches I’ve been progressively making to my lifestyle. In today’s post, I wanted to share what’s worked for me… and what hasn’t.
1. Bar Shampoo
I used to go through shampoo, body wash, and conditioner so quickly as a swimmer. At the time, I wasn’t recycling the bottles. (Insert cringing emoji). When I found out about solid shampoo and conditioner, I was excited about the concept, but a little skeptical if they would work as well as the bottled brands I’d used in the past. I tried a shampoo bar from a local shop in St. Petersburg, FL (linked here), and I was sold! I’ve also tried one from LUSH and found it lasted me a few months longer. Both smelled great and made my hair feel great too. I still have a few bottles of products that I need to use up before I completely make the switch, but I plan to switch to bar shampoo, conditioner, and soap in the near future.
2. Wax Wraps
These are a replacement for plastic wrap. I’d been looking at wax wraps for a few years and finally bought some just a few weeks ago. So far, I love mine. My only complaint is that I don’t have more. I bought mine at my local farmer’s market, but you can also find them online. If you can’t find them local, check out Etsy and then Amazon to support small businesses. To clean them, just rinse with water. I use mine to wrap half avocados and other veggies and to cover bowls of leftovers. The lady that sold me mine said that if the wax ever wore off, I could bring them back to her to get dipped again.
3. Reusable Shopping Bags
The trickiest part of this switch is remembering to bring them with you! For a while I struggled to remember mine when I went to the store. I went through a phase where I stored them in my car to keep them on me, but now I just put them on the counter when I start making my grocery list, and that’s been working. My favorite bags come from Publix. Each one holds so much food, I can usually carry 2 weeks of groceries in 2-3 bags. This makes it so much easier to carry too! It’s a win for both you and the environment.
4. Reusable Water Bottle
Refilling your water bottle is one of the simplest ways to live more sustainably. Take it a step further and get a water bottle that will really last. I’d recommend investing in a nice glass or metal one. It was hard for me to fathom spending more than $15 on a water bottle, but I ended up getting a Yeti after I heard so many people rave about the brand. I spent about $40 for my 26 oz. bottle, but it was worth every cent. I’ve used it nearly every day for the past 3 years or so since I bought it. It keeps my water cold for full days, and it hasn’t lost any of its insulation capabilities despite dropping it several times. (Oops.)
5. Reusable Baking Foil
I actually found this one on a trip to Germany, so I don’t know what it’s called in the U.S. The direct translation is “baking foil.” Basically, I use it to line pans to go in the oven; it replaces both aluminum foil and wax paper for me. I’ve linked the one I have here, but if you can’t read German, you can find similar options on Etsy and Amazon by searching “reusable baking sheet.” I’ve been using mine for five years now, and they still work great!
More Ideas for Sustainable Switches:
- Cotton Rounds – My bathroom trash can used to be filled with single-use cotton rounds that I used for skincare application and make-up removal. I switched to reusable ones in 2019 and haven’t looked back. Get a set that comes with a delicates bag, so you don’t lose them in the wash. Here’s the set I have. My only complaint is that the ones I’ve used for make-up are stained permanently. If the discoloration bothers you, I recommend dividing the set in two and using half just for make-up removal and the other half for your skincare routine.
- Silicone Sponge – I haven’t bought a sponge in years, and I always get compliments from friends and family on my silicone sponge. This was another product I bought in Germany, but I’ve seen it a lot in the U.S. now too. You can find them almost everywhere sponges are sold.
- Laundry Detergent Strips – There are a few companies nowadays that are working to revolutionize the way we do our laundry. One of them is Tru Earth. I recently bought their laundry strips, and so far I’m happy with them!
- Cloth Napkins – Besides generating less waste, switching from paper to cloth napkins also makes you feel a little more fancy every time you eat. You can find casual linen napkins on Etsy and Amazon. Mine are homemade by my mom.
- Metal Straws – I have a set of metal straws from Sand Cloud which I loved because they came with straw cleaners. The problem is that I always forget to bring them with me. If you have any hacks to remember your metal straws, let me know in the comments! I’ve also seen collapsible straws now on keychains which may work better for me, but I haven’t tried them yet.
- Recycled Toilet Paper – Don’t worry, they don’t recycle used toilet paper. It actually comes from office paper. This is the company I buy from.
- Period Cup – When I was going through puberty, the only period products I learned about were pads and tampons—both which generate tons of waste month after month. Now, there a women-owned companies that are revolutionizing the feminine care product industry with new cup designs and practically magical underwear. Not only do you save the environment, you also save money in the long term. Here’s the one I buy from. It can be intimidating at first to try new products and concepts in this area, but I gave it a chance, and it was worth it for me.
- Swedish Dish Cloths – This is going to be my next switch, once I use up the paper towels I have on hand. I’ve done some research, but I haven’t decided where I’m going to buy from yet. Let me know if you have a recommendation!
Keep in mind that for sustainability switches to work, you have to choose things that will work for your lifestyle. For me, metal straws just haven’t worked out, but shampoo bars have. Think about what’s realistic for you. Don’t try to take on too many changes at the same time. A slower progressive approach will be more effective than buying all of these products at once and trying them all right away. Also remember to use up what you already have before making the switch. Otherwise, you’re wasting all the stuff you already have.
One last note: For me, it’s not realistic to go zero-waste yet. Even though I have my wax wraps to replace plastic wrap and containers to replace plastic sandwich bags, I still have plastic wrap and ziplocks in my apartment—I just use them a lot less than I did before. Don’t be hard on yourself if you can’t fully commit to switching. Less waste is still better, so don’t get caught up on zero waste, just start with less.
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Cheers!
Sarah
