Sustainable Swaps for more Eco-Friendly Living
Hi friends! Thanks for clicking! And for your interest in bettering our earth through making sustainable swaps for regularly used household items! I hope to inspire you no matter where you are on your sustainable living journey, to provide information that will make any changes simple and painless- as we all know change can be scary & feel overwhelming, my intention is to have the opposite effect. To take any intimidation out of change (after all, this is a positive change!) so you can easily adjust your already busy lifestyle and transition to less wasteful products for the benefit of our gorgeous planet and all it’s inhabitants!
Are you still with me? I hope so. Thank you in advance for allowing me to aid in guiding you through this process, whether you’re new to this idea or well-versed in all things Sustainability, I’m grateful to have you here!
Fun (but no-so-fun) fact: 150 tons of plastic is dumped in the ocean every 9 minutes.
Okay, now that you’re motivated, Let’s begin!
Disclaimer: This list will not include ALL possible sustainable swaps, but is simply a list I’ve compiled in my relatively new journey in this lifestyle that I’ve found super simple & easy to incorporate, and I always feel the need to share any value in positive lifestyle changes. I also recently read an article on sustainable living that talked about which products to stop using, but not how to replace them.
- Swap disposable paper towels for Reusable ones like these from amazon, made of bamboo & replacing 6 months of towels!
- This one is for the ladies- swap your tampons and/or pads for a Diva Cup- I’ve used mine for over a year now and have never had any issues! Very comfortable(make sure you get the proper size for your specific needs as the sizes vary) and no more worrying about making sure you have extra feminine products with you when you’re out and about!
- Swap aluminum foil for silpat sheets, they’re silicone baking mats. You don’t even need cooking spray when you use these and they’re oven safe up to 480 degrees Fahrenheit! You can find these on amazon as well. I’ve used them for a few years now and they’re awesome!
- Swap plastic grocery bags for some cloth tote bags and don’t forget your mesh produce bags! You can wash these in the laundry when necessary. For bulk stores- bring glass jars with you( you can even wash & re-use pasta sauce jars) Just be sure to weigh these before you fill them up so you aren’t paying for the extra weight!
- Swap regular trash bags for biodegradable ones!
- Instead of using tissues or cotton balls, use a hanky made from old t shirts or a cleaning rag!
- Swap disposable water bottles with reusable bottles such as a Hydroflask or Nalgene bottle!(These are also BPA-free)
- Swap conventional cleaners with distilled water, combined with essential oils-use ones that contain antibacterial properties(like oregano, cinnamon, lemon, peppermint & tea tree). Use white vinegar for odors and tough stains!(mix with water to dilute)
- Swap plastic straws for metal or glass straws. You can even buy little kits to keep in your car (for at work or when going to restaurants) that contain a metal straw + a bamboo fork, spoon & knife!
- Last but not least, reduce your animal product consumption. This can feel like a harder change to make but is without a doubt one of the best possible things you could do for the planet. The animals well-being aside, the effect that factory farms have on the environment is catastrophic. There’s so many ways to begin reducing your animal product consumption including #MeatlessMondays. You eat so many things that are meatless already if you think about it! Chips and guac, nut butters with fruit, stir fry’s, stews & soups can easily be made without meat, and so on. For some meatless inspo, check out some of my vegan recipes like this potato soup or these lasagna roll-ups!
I hope this helped & removed any hesitancy to furthering your sustainable living journey.
I do have affiliate links with amazon in this post.
Thanks for reading! I look forward to connecting with you in the comments.