Replacing single use items with reusable items is a great way to keep garbage out of landfills. By buying sustainable products, we are helping the environment by leaving a greener footprint. Reusable items my seem a bit expensive to purchase initially, but remember, you won’t have to constantly re-buy them!

 

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Making Sustainable Products Work for your Family

First of all, please don’t get overwhelmed! There are a lot of sustainable products and reusable items listed here and you absolutely don’t have to buy all these in a day, a week, a month, or even a year! Just take it one step at a time, until you are happy and feel good about your choices and products.

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Kitchen

• Beeswax Food Wrap – Replace your sandwich baggies with beeswax. They are easy to use and last a long time if taken care of properly!
• Silicone Food Savers – Easily wrap up various fruits and veggies.
• Reusable Produce Bags – These are great to take shopping to replace plastic produce bags, and great to use for at home storage.
• Reusable Produce Bags – They look way nicer than disposable napkins and you can use them over and over!
• Glass Jars – Great for storing your bulk items.
• Bamboo Dish Brush – Excellent scrubbing brush made with earth friendly materials.
• Bamboo Cooking Utensils – Durable and made from eco-friendly materials.
• Metal Straws – These are great for smoothies. I keep a couple in my purse too. Make sure your straws come with a cleaner, it makes it so much easier to wash them!
• Bamboo Cutting Board – This particular set comes with a lifetime warranty.

Bathroom

• Bamboo Bath Caddy – Keep your counter tidy. Bamboo makes excellent sustainable products.
• Bamboo Toothbrush – I love bamboo toothbrushes and I wrote all about them here! There are way too many plastic toothbrushes sitting in our landfills that will take hundreds of years to break down.
• Shampoo Bar – I highly recommend trying out a shampoo bar. There are so many varieties on the market now you are sure to find something you love.
• Conditioner Bar – If you are trying out a shampoo bar, you may as will try a conditioner bar too! 😉
• Toothpaste – There are so many brands and flavors on the market today that are eco-friendly and better for you. These brands make sure their ingredients are all natural and safe.
• Hemp Shower Curtain – It’s a bit pricey but it will last a long time and replaces a huge plastic curtain that would regularly be hanging in your shower.
• All Natural Loofah – Made from 100% biodegradable materials, unlike the typical mesh loofah!

Cleaning Supplies

• Bamboo Paper Towels – They aren’t just for cleaning… You can replace all the paper towels in your home with reusable paper towels instead. They are machine washable and replace up to 6months of paper towels with just one roll!
• Reusable Cleaning Cloths – Another great way to cut out the paper towels or moist towelettes when wiping down household items or dusting.
• Dryer Balls – Dryer balls reduce wrinkles just like regular fabric softener sheets, but they also save energy and time because they help clothes dry quicker.
• Laundry Detergent – There are tons of recipes you can find online to make your own laundry detergent. Making your own laundry detergent is more cost efficient and is better for the environment.
• Dishwasher Detergent – Dishwasher detergent can also be made at home.

Personal Care

• Reusable Pads – There are loads of options now a days for reusable pads. Many brands offer different sizes and colors, and you can even make your own.
• Diva Cup – While Diva Cup is the most recognizable name in the menstrual cup game, there are tons of options out there now. Even big names like Tampax have their own version now.
• Deodorant – There are a few different options for a more sustainable deodorant. You can get a bar deodorant, a zero waste, tube style deodorant, or if you aren’t ready to take the plunge to a zero waste deodorant yet, there are lots of better options for a tube style deodorant. (Kiss My Face, Native, Tom’s of Maine – to name a few)
• Reusable Makeup Remover Pads – I use these every morning with my toner. The pack that I bought also came with a bag to wash them in. So when I’m done using a pad, I throw it in the bag. Once the bag is full I toss it in the washing machine to wash them.
• Bamboo Cotton Swabs – These cotton swabs are completely biodegradable and are 100% zero waste product and packaging!

Bedroom

• Clothing – Be mindful of the items you have in your closet and be careful when buying new clothes. I talked about fast fashion a lot in this article, but basically, buying cheap clothing only to throw it away in a few months is bad for our environment.
• Footwear – Just like I said above. Keep tabs on what you have in your wardrobe, and what you really need. Consider buying shoes that will last a long time, they may be a bit more expensive but it will be worth it in the long run.
• Rugs – When decorating your bedroom, consider buying a recycled rug. There are a lot of colors and sizes out there, so there are many options.
• Bedding – When purchasing your bedding, look for fair trade bedding. Not only are they more earth friendly, but they are helping out people and villages in need.
• Furniture – Before you go to Ikea, consider shopping at your local second hand stores. Remember to keep an open mind when shopping and try to think creatively. You can easily give almost any item a makeover so the item will fit into your room.
• Plants – Try and keep a few plants in your room. Not only are they fabulous decorations, but they help purify the air.

Miscellaneous

• Compost Bin – Consider getting a small composting bin for your kitchen. You can use the compost in your vegetable garden or in your flower beds. Check out this list of items you can put in a compost bin for more details.
• Compostable Plates – If you are planning a picnic or family get together, instead of using styrofoam disposable plates, opt for compostable plates and cutlery instead.

Items to Keep on Hand

• Glass Jars – These are great for storage and also for bringing to bulk food stores, if your local bulk food store allows it. I know some stores even offer a discount if you bring in your own jars.
• Newspapers – Newspapers are great to keep around for those moments when you need to wrap a gift, or pack away dishes or ornaments. You can also use them to clean windows, start fires, line drawers, etc.
• Old clothes or Scrap Fabric – Keeping scraps of fabric or old tshirts around is a great idea in general. They are perfect if you need a rag for cleaning. You can reuse old tshirts for tons of projects, and they take up a minimal amount of space.

Reusable Items are not the Only Way

If there are some items you just cannot budge on – that is totally fine! Some women just can’t do a diva cup or a reusable pad. It’s important to remember we don’t have to do it all. We just have to keep making small changes. Replacing single use items with more sustainable products is a great way to help our environment.