10 Home Products to Reduce Waste and Save the Environment
It can feel overwhelming when you first take the dive to become self sufficient and reduce waste. When I first started, it felt like there was just too much and that it was impossible to make a difference. Breaking it down into smaller tasks, instead of looking at the bigger picture, can make the process of beginning feel less intimidating.
There are countless tiny changes we can make that can help the environment, many of which we wouldn’t normally think of. These are changes we can do daily that improve our lives, save money, and make positive impacts on the world around us.
Bees Wax Wraps
Most families use cling film in their kitchen. In fact, the average family uses up to 2,000 square feet of cling film a year. That’s the size of a house! Cling film does not break down naturally, so it accumulates in our landfills. How can we combat this?
Bees wax wraps are an excellent, organic alternative to plastic wrap. These wraps are usually small squares of fabric that have been coated in a bees wax mixture. The mixture allows them to shape around containers and stick to them until they are removed by hand.
Because they are typically made out of all natural ingredients like bees wax and cotton, they can be composted at the ends of their lifespans, reducing waste to nothing.
Toothpaste Tabs
Annually, around 1.5 billion tubes of toothpaste enter landfills. They are made with unnecessary amounts of plastic material, and we all usually end up wasting product inside of the tubes as well. What if there was a no waste alternative?
Toothpaste tabs normally come in glass containers. These tabs look like little pills, which you chew up and then use your toothbrush as normal. Most toothpaste tabs are also made of more natural ingredients than big-name toothpaste brands, making them healthier for you in the long run.
When you run out, you can order refills. Instead of receiving an all new jar of tabs, they come in little paper bags which can then be poured into the original container to avoid as much unnecessary packaging waste as possible.
Reusable Zip Top Containers
If you go into someone’s kitchen, chances are you will be able to find plastic zip top bags in their pantry. The average American family uses up to 500 zip top bags a year. This not only puts unnecessary plastic into landfills, it also costs excess money for families.
With reusable containers, not only are you removing plastic from waste centers, you’re also lowering the amount of money you would have to spend over your lifetime.
These bags come in sets of varying sizes, and sets of different amounts. Each bag lasts for years, reducing the amount of waste you put into the world annually.
Reusable Razors
On average, the US collectively throws out 2 billion disposable razors. But why? When there are options that not only can keep us from spending extra money, but also save the environment, why not take it?
There are many different types of reusable razors, the most common being metal and bamboo. With these, the only thing that’s required to be replaced and tossed out are the blades.
Disposable razors are expensive, while replacement blades are only a few cents each. It is a cost effective, environmentally friendly, no brained!
Wool Dryer Balls
This is a very small and easy change we can make, one that takes up little to none of our time to implement into our routines.
Dryer sheets are a single use item in which 1-2 are used per load of laundry. The average American family washes 300 loads of laundry annually, and the US Census Bureau says there are approximately 85 million familial households in America. That’s upwards of 51 billion dryer sheets used every year!
So how can we combat this staggering amount of waste being produced and piling up in our landfills?
Dryer balls!
A single dryer ball can be used over and over again for up to five years, and do all of the same things a dryer sheet can do.
Maybe you like the smell dryer sheets produce. Well, wool is very absorbent. Drop a few drops of essential oil onto them before drying your laundry and the smell will transfer into your clothes.
Not only are you keeping dryer sheets from drying entering our trash dumps, you’re also saving money.
Bioplastic Utensils
While actual silverware will always be the most eco friendly choice, many of us need disposable utensils for parties and events. 40 billion plastic utensils are discarded in the US each year.
So, what is the alternative? What can you use in place of single use plastic?
Bioplastic is an eco friendly form of single use items. Many bioplastics are made out of crops like corn and potatoes, but there are also ones made from organic waste. These are recyclable, and often times even compostable.
Where normal plastic utensils can take up to 1,000 years to break down, many bioplastics break down in less than a year.
Glass Spray Bottles
Have you ever thought of making your own at-home cleaning solutions? Most big brand cleaners have nasty, harmful chemicals in them that are harmful to people and pets, so why do we use them?
The average American family goes through about 12 plastic spray bottles annually. We can cut this number down to nothing if we create our own cleaning solutions and keep them in glass bottles.
Vinegar and lemon peel solutions work just as well as store bought cleaners, if not better, while also being more versatile. By making our own, not only are we keeping plastic bottles out of the trash, we’re also using up kitchen scraps that would otherwise be tossed out.
Reusable Grocery Bags
Just about any store you walk into all have shelves of reusable bags right up front. Have you ever thought about picking a couple up?
World wide, approximately 5 trillion plastic bags are used annually. This is a staggering and near incomprehensible number that can easily be lowered with a simple change in habits.
On top of removing single use plastic bags, reusable bags are also more convenient. They can typically hold more items than the average plastic bags. They’re also sturdier, can last forever if taken care of, and can be used for carrying more than just groceries.
You can also make your own. I’ve found many free crochet patterns on Pinterest for reusable produce bags. With leftover yarn I had no other uses for, I was able to create a couple of different sized bags. They’re small enough that they can be tucked in a purse or backpack to take shopping. They’re also a fun little activity to do in your spare time. You can have fun while saving the environment!
Reusable Makeup Pads
Not only are cotton rounds a single use item that are immediately thrown out after use, growing cotton takes up valuable farming space and water, both of which could instead be devoted to growing food.
Packs of reusable cloth makeup rounds can be bought for just a few dollars and last for years. You can use them for anything ranging from removing makeup and nail polish, applying toner, and washing your face.
After use, a good wash makes them like new again to continue to be used over and over again.
Metal Tea Strainers
Unless you are using teabags made from paper, they are usually made from a plastic mesh. This doesn’t just put more waste into landfills, it also puts waste in your body in the form of microplastics.
By using metal tea strainers, you’re protecting your body as well as the environment. They can be used forever, and allow you to make your own personal tea blends.
Don’t forget, when you finish your tea, throw the leaves into your garden for a natural fertilizer!
Summary
These may seem like small changes, but can you imagine how much waste kept out of landfills by making these switches? Not only that, but if enough of us make the changes, we can affect the amount of single use plastics manufactured. We have to change the supply and demand to make large scale changes. The way to start is by doing our own, individual parts. We all have to work together against large companies, both to save the earth and to reduce the need for plastics in our daily lives.
