7 Zero Waste Household Swaps to Make Today
Many people seem to be coming around to the idea of being more eco-friendly or zero waste. Here are 7 zero waste household swaps to get your started on this journey. Making zero waste swaps is not about doing every swap perfectly or right away but making the changes that you can. Start simple and start slow so you don’t become overwhelmed. I have slowly been incorporating more zero waste and eco-friendly things into my daily life over the years. If you start with some easy simple changes it will be easier to continue making changes and sticking with them.
1. Reusable Bottles
My upstairs neighbors and friends buy so many disposable plastic water bottles it is crazy. When the whole Coronavirus thing started she was panicking because they did not have enough water bottles. I told them we drink the water out of the tap all the time. My husband used to like to get bottles of Gatorade Zero but I finally convinced him to start using a reusable water bottle. He now buys little flavor packets that he adds to his water. This is huge progress for him.
One easy step to start being more eco-friendly and zero waste is to use a reusable bottle for your drinks.
Water Bottles
To start with get a reusable water bottle and fill it with water from your tap. You can get a filter to filter your water if you like.
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Reusable water bottles can be either plastic or stainless steel. There are even ones that have built in filter.
Reusable Thermal Coffee Mug
If you drink coffee or tea a reusable thermal coffee will come in handy. You can make coffee at home and skip the coffee from Starbucks or Dunkin or use your refillable cup instead of their disposable cups.
2. Paper Towels
Paper towels I believe have a place for some really gross clean up jobs. But for every day cleaning up and wiping down a cloth towel is perfect.
Again my upstairs neighbor insists on using paper towels and disposable Lysol or Clorox wipes instead of a cleaning spray and a cloth towel.
For those that still want something like a paper towel, bamboo towels are an option that is better than the traditional paper towel.
You can also make your own cloth “paper” towel roll with this tutorial- https://pin.it/7hiuauh
Bamboo Paper Towels
Or Organic Cotton Towels
3. Stasher Bags
Stasher Bags are thick food grade silicone bags that are reusable. They are used to replace plastic baggies and freezer baggies. They come in different sizes and colors and are dishwasher safe.
See Below
4. Reusable Straws
You might have seen the pictures of the turtles with the straw stuck in it or wondered what happened to your staw when you went to your favorite restaurant and they didn’t give you one.
This might be the easiest and most popular zero waste and eco-friendly swap you can make.
Check out these metal straw options to get you started not using disposable straws. There are regular metal straws, telescoptic metal straws and collapsible silicone straws.
5. Dryer Balls
Dryer Balls replace dryer sheets in your clothes dryer. I like to use 3 wool dryer balls in the dryer and add essential oils to them to make my clothes smell nice.
Dryer Balls reduce drying time, soften clothes, reduce wrinkles and static and can be used with whites and color loads are are reusable thousands of times.
Unlike dryer sheets that are full of chemicals and perfumes, dryer balls are just made of wool. It is a one time purchase that will last for years. Dryer balls are a simple and easy swap to make to start your zero waste or eco-friendly journey.
6. Bee’s Wrap Wax Food Sheets
Bee’s wrap wax sheets are a replacement for saran wrap or plastic wrap.
Bee’s wrap wax sheets can be reused and washed for up to a year.
They come in different sizes and designs. You can buy them or make your own with this tutorial-
7. Non Toxic cleaning supplies
My last suggestion is non toxic cleaning supplies.
Many cleaning supplies we use contain very strong chemicals and fragrances. More and more people are becoming sensitive to fragrances or developing breathing problems or unexplained headaches. Could this be due to all the chemicals and fragrances in the products we use to clean, to wash our clothes and that we put on our bodies.
If your looking for a simple diy cleaner you can try vinegar and lemon. I like to use lemon and salt to clean my cutting board.
There are also brands that sell products that are less toxic. For a completely scent free option I like Branch Basics. They sell a concentrate that is then diluted with water based on what you are using it for. So you buy one bottle of concentrate and then either use your own bottles or buy their bottles with measuring lines and dilute. The concentrate can be used to make a multi- surface cleaner, a glass cleaner, hand soap and laundry detergent. It is scent or fragrance free.
Click here to learn more about Branch Basics https://branchbasics.com/
The other brand I like is Thieves. This brand is made with essential oils and smells amazing. There is a household cleaner, foaming hand wash, laundry detergent, dish soap and dishwashing detergent.
Click here to get the Thieves Starter kit- https://theclassybrokegirls.lifestepseo.com/kits/thieves
I hope you find these 7 zero waste eco-friendly household swaps helpful.
If you are looking for zero waste, eco-friendly swaps to make for personal care items like how to stop using toilet paper click here http://www.theclassybrokegirls.com/4-easy-personal-care-changes-to-be-eco-friendly/
