Polyester is a synthetic, petroleum-based fiber, whereas Bamboo fabric is a natural fiber that is readily renewable and easy to grow sustainably. Thats why we focus on plastic waste in the bathroom with natural, vegan products in reusable, aluminum bottles. You can use as serviettes/table napkins or you can use them replace paper towel in the kitchen. Especially when there are enough of us doing better, every day, in some small way. The fiber is ideal for pillow stuffing and makes a great alternative to synthetic stuffing options like polyester microfiber and memory foam. I have hosted toy swaps in which participants brought toys, and our children decided which ones they would like to borrow. And they do make a difference! Conventionally, they are packaged in heavy plastics and contain many harsh chemicals. The plastic containers floss take hundreds of years to decompose. Going green and STAYING green can be two entirely different things. This approach speaks to first refusing single-use plastics and products with unnecessary packaging. And while in some cases you may be investing more in more sustainable alternatives, there are a lot of low waste swaps that will actually save you money (and time) in the long-run. I enjoy spearheading formal borrowing events with my friends. This means a 24-pack of 0.5L bottles would last you 6 days, and youd have to buy 60 of those packs for a year. The products you put onto your skin should be just as safe and natural as what you put into your body. The wax makes them waterproof so they keep the moisture in (or out) as needed. Simple Sustainable Swaps You Can Implement In Your Business, How to Recycle Stainless Steel and Aluminium, Zero-Waste Cooking & Recipes: The Complete Guide, Wild-Caught vs. Farm-Raised: Where is Your Fish Coming From? Consider swapping your mega brands for a clean-green routine is below! Zero Waste Shampoo and conditioner bars are packaged in eco-friendly packaging, which uses minimal or no plastic (usually recycled and recyclable), compostable and biodegradable materials. These chemicals are often responsible for water pollution, eutrophication, and the loss of aquatic life. You can find these in most retail stores, as well as online on from marketplaces like EcoSwap: Glass is an infinitely recyclable material, that is hardy and long-lasting. To help begin your journey to becoming more eco-friendly, weve gathered easy, eco-friendly swaps that you can implement this year. Where to Buy Reusable, Eco-friendly Razors. Switching to a sustainable brand of Bamboo toilet paper makes a huge difference. Beeswax Wraps2. But one step at a time. Bamboo Toothbrushes12. Theyre durable, can withstand heat and cold, and come in a wide range of sizes and shapes. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Many are made with minimal or no plastic, and use eco-friendly alternatives like plant-based bioplastics and natural rubber for the seals and lids. You can find Shampoo and Conditioner Bars in your local zero waste stores or online from stores on EcoSwap: Eco-friendly and zero-waste soaps are soaps made with natural ingredients, like essential oils and coconut oil, and fewer harmful chemicals, like surfactants and synthetic fragrances. Swap that average thermostat for a Smart Thermostat, like Google Nest. Traditional toilet paper is made from trees grown in commercially farmed timber plantations. Making this swap would not only impact the one purchase that you make but can start a major change. Disposable beverage cups and lids for all your drinks (and soups, noodles, milkshakes, etc.) Many new and exciting showerheads are engineered to use less than 2.5 GPM while providing a similar or better shower experience. Traditional cotton production requires a considerable amount of chemicals and water. Bamboo is also extremely durable and looks great. You can also make your own! Bamboo toothbrushes have become a popular option and are widely available in retail shops and drug stores. Silicone is not made from petroleum and oil like plastic (it is made from silica in sand) so the manufacturing process is much less damaging for the environment and climate. Each one of us needs to do our part. Check out this video by Lily Rose on how to make your own zero waste, reusable cotton pads: A reusable travel mug is an essential eco swap for anyone who drinks, well, anything on the go. Making sustainable swaps and supporting companies that care for the environment is a great way to put your weight behind the push for better environmental practices and reversing climate change. It bans harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde, pesticides, VOCs, and chlorinated phenols, for example, which are harmful to our health. You can find them online, from vendors on EcoSwap. They contain toxins, chemicals, and do not biodegrade. Every paper towel you use has been grown, harvested, processed, and manufactured for you to use just once that is a huge impact for a tiny payoff! Its important to use No-VOC paint in the following settings where air quality is imperative: You can identify the right paint by looking for Green Seal Certification it will be on all NO/Low VOC paints that meet their standards. The possibilities are endless when you think sustainably. But so many more of us live someplace in the middle, trying here and there to adopt sustainable habitsand then throwing up our hands when we forget our reusable shopping bags in the car. They come in a range of sizes and materials, with glass and stainless steel being the more popular options. Certain species of tiny red worms are the natural composters of nature and will be right at home in a bucket under your sink. Eliminating the bulk of the plastic from an item you use daily, for life, has a huge impact over time. Pillows stuffed with synthetic filling, like polyester microfiber and memory foam. Everyone is talking about sustainable living right now, but to be honest, it can get so overwhelming that it can seem easier to do nothing. Also, try to avoid shrink-wrapped or packaged fruits and veggies when you can buy them individually. It might be a little bit more expensive, or your favorite brand might not be available, but glass is much more sustainable for the environment than plastic. The absolute easiest zero-waste swaps are the following: Many consumers worry about GMOs and trace pesticides and herbicides in our meals, but few are concerned about food miles. They are great for removing your zero-waste makeup, applying toner or skin treatments, removing eye makeup, or wiping away excess product. You can even use them as a portable water bowl for your pet! Your email address will not be published. Once thats a habit, work on a natural sponge and reusable makeup removers in your bathroom routine. Many cafes now allow you to refill your coffee. Conventional detergents, such as dish soap, laundry soap, surface, and floor cleaners. This makes them safer for human health and safer for the natural environment, especially water quality and aquatic life. Theyre stretchy and flexible so you can get them around containers in a variety of shapes, while still getting a tight seal. Making changes to your everyday life and incorporating sustainable eco swaps is a great way to reduce your impact on the environment and climate change. Well look at eco swaps for the kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom, as well for when youre out and about and on the go. Conventional shampoos and conditioners, packaged in plastic. Now more than ever, people are making small changes to minimize their waste. If you have smart devices, OhmConnect will pair them and automatically turn off the device at the start of an OhmHour, then turn the device back on at the end of the OhmHour. Whats worse than the cups themselves is the plastic lids and optional plastic straws. Where to Buy Collapsible Silicone Food Containers. You can find a nice selection of high-quality mugs on from online stores on EcoSwap: A reusable cutlery set is another essential eco swap for anyone on the move. You can find these in local stores, zero waste stores, and many drug stores. Kapok Stuffed Pillows8. Find enjoyment in this swap by experimenting in the kitchen and making slow dinners the highlight of your days. Ive worked with a lot of brands that use recycled materials in their production, for example, WeAreNativ swimwear and Free Flow Active. Not only do LEDs last longer, but they are much healthier to be around. However, most are packaged using little to no plastic and using compostable and biodegradable materials like cardboard and paper. Bamboo, hemp, and cotton are popular options. Some people do everything they can to live a life that is as eco-friendly as possiblefrom the food they eat to the clothes they buy, from the cars they drive to the household products they use. Buy clothes and furniture second hand, or invest in high quality, sustainable items that will last for years. According to research, 8 million metric tons of plastic make their way into the oceans each year. Fabric Napkins3. Eco-friendly remodeling can be easy, inexpensive, and rewarding. You can buy LEDs at most retail stores and hardware and electronics stores, as well as online from Amazon: Zero Waste Shampoo and Conditioner Bars are a solid bar, which replaces your conventional, liquid shampoo and conditioner. Sustainable Fashion and Lifestyle Blogger | Founder of Conscious Life & Style. Bamboo toothbrushes are biodegradable and home compostable, making them a great zero waste option. You can find these easily in retail stores and online, from stores on EcoSwap: A reusable water bottle is a great eco swap to use in place of single-use plastic water bottles. Bamboo bed linen can replace all synthetic (such as polyester, nylon, and poly-blends) sheets, duvet covers, pillowcases, and mattress covers. Eco swaps or sustainable swaps are items that you can swap out for ones that are less environmentally friendly. If the certification isnt available, opting for more natural fabrics such as cotton and wool are almost always a better option than synthetic materials. And finally, you can compost them, which makes them a zero waste eco swap too! Our biggest tip is to pick one thing and master it. Related: The 10 Best Books on Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Living. Perhaps the most significant benefit to come out of the vegan beauty movement is that its pushing consumers to evaluate ingredients. In this guide, were covering the importance of eco swaps and 18 of the top eco swaps to make at home, and on the go. Host, The Sustainable Minimalists Podcast. They also dont discolor or absorb smells and flavors from their contents, which is another reason theyre superior to plastic. Silicone food covers are an alternative to aluminum and tin foil, plastic wrap, baking paper, and container lids. You can find Kapok stuffed pillows online, from the stores on EcoSwap or Etsy: Switching to energy-saving LED light bulbs will cut your electricity usage, your power bill, and your carbon footprint with one, super easy, eco swap. Single-use plastic water bottles and cups/glasses. I believe that every purchase you make is a vote, by purchasing a sustainable fashion garment, youre telling retailers that youre not willing to support unsustainable practices. Where to Buy Eco-friendly and Zero Waste Soap Bars. As consumers, we all yield a certain amount of power that we can leverage. You can use them to wrap food items to go in the fridge, cover and seal leftovers in a bowl or dish, or even wrap sandwiches and cut fruit. Reusable linen, Bamboo, or cotton napkins can be made at home, bought from zero waste stores, or bought online from vendors like Wild Minimalist on EcoSwap: Silicone food covers are a great eco swap to use instead of aluminum foil and plastic wrap to cover dishes of leftovers and open food containers. Half the population gets periods for half our lives, and in our lifetime, each woman uses enough synthetic, chemical-based plastic products to scale the Golden Gate bridge multiple times. Lots of cosmetics may be made from glass, but their lids are plastic. You can find safety razors and razors made from recycled and recyclable plastic in many retail stores, drug stores, zero waste stores, and specialist barbershops. Silicone vs Plastic, Which is Better for the Environment? Because Oi products are made from 100% certified organic cotton, with no chemicals, dyes or synthetics, these products will biodegrade within five years in the right environment. Next, its time to integrate more waste-free cosmetics. Think of how many disposable cups you have used in your lifetime a reusable cup eliminates them all! These inexpensive alternatives are typically packaged in reusable glass containers, so you dont have to worry about contributing to further plastic waste in oceans and landfills. Plastics are everywhere in our homes: shopping bags, food packaging, kitchen packaging, bathroom products. Energy Star LED light bulbs use 90 % less energy and last 15 times longer than regular bulbs. Smart thermostats monitor your energy use and behavior, and will automatically adjust its settings to make your home as energy-efficient as possible. Simply being aware of your everyday choices is the easiest way to start living more sustainably. ), Swap liquid soap for bar soap (which is especially prevalent amid Coronavirus concerns), Swap a drip coffee maker with a disposable filter or a single-serve coffee pod machine with a French press. The materials theyre made from only had to be grown and processed once, so the impact is significantly reduced than if every time you need to use one, youre using a whole new pad. Brands such as Bam and Komodo have some lovely sustainable options. The lifetime of an LED is about 50,000 hours, or over 10 years if youre lights are on 10 hours a day. It might take a bit more time to weigh-out all your produce, but you can really help the environment by avoiding excessive packaging at the grocery store. Even at $4 for a 24-pack (which is on the low end), youd be spending $1,200 over 5 years. When the user powers down during an OhmHour, theyre rewarded with cash and prizes (a resident can earn anywhere between $40-500/month). If the fabric manufacturer is transparent about the origins of the Bamboo and how it is processed, Bamboo fabric is one of the most sustainable fibers you can use. Collapsible silicone containers are great for use when youre on the move because they collapse down flat and take up very little space when theyre empty (and only as much as you need when theyre in use). The challenge to everyone for 2020 is to take small steps to break the plastic habit. It really can be overwhelming. Its worth noting that when making any purchase (fashion or otherwise), its essential to look out for greenwashing, which is becoming increasingly common across all categories of products. If you are looking for an easy way to be more eco-friendly, then people with periods should consider comfortable and soft 100% certified organic cotton, tampons or pads, or a form-fitting cup. Green Journal: Simple Sustainable Swaps You Can Implement In Your Business, SFGATE: How to Recycle Stainless Steel and Aluminium. Remember, progress not perfection and commitment over convenience. Food containers are often not recycled due to contamination, so reusable food containers are especially important.

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