The other day Brandon looked at me said "I wish there was a This Not That version for the environment". Well the very quick search I did didn't have the responses I wanted, so I decided to do it myself!
Over the past year, Brandon and I have been striving to make our household more environmentally friendly (specifically looking at cutting out as much plastic as possible). We could do an entire post on why this is important and why we all should be making strides to have a lighter footprint on the Earth...but we will save that for another day.
With the holidays approaching, we figured it was time to share some swaps that we have made over the past year. These could be great gifts ideas, or maybe you could "give back" to our planet with some household changes of your own.
So, without further ado let's crack into it...
Reusable Gift Bags 🎁
This is such an easy swap! Think back to Christmas morning after everyone has opened their gifts and both kids and adults are off playing with their new toys...what is left? A floor full of wrapping paper that needs to be cleaned up. The majority of wrapping paper isn't recyclable, so it just gets thrown away. Garage bags full of waste just after one morning.
Starting last year, we began using reusable cloth bags. I have found these in the dollar section at Target, Etsy, Amazon, or if you are crafty they seem very easy to make. I haven't tried it yet, but World Market also sells reusable gift wrap.
Compostable Phone Case 📱
My Pela case is by far what I tell the most people about. We all need a new phone case every couple years (at the least), so why not make the switch the one that is compostable! I know it seems crazy to not have a hard plastic shell protecting your phone, but trust me Pela has done the work to make it possible. I drop my phone often and have yet to have any issues or cracks.
This wasn't a swap that we had thought much about, but thanks to a trip to the Charleston Farmer's Market (pre-COVID) one that we decided to give a try. Earth Maiden is a local soap shop that sells hand, shampoo, and face bar soap. We bought our first shampoo bar from them and haven't looked back. It lathers nicely and smells great.
Plastic Free Conditioner 💆
To be totally honest, I wasn't sold on this. I love the way my hair felt with my liquid conditioner and I really hesitated to try something different. I bought my first bar conditioner while I still had my giant plastic bottle of conditioner left just in case I didn't like it. Well, I didn't like it. My hair felt waxy no matter how much or how little I used. That bar quickly became my replacement for shaving cream. So, I gave another company that sells conditioner bars a try. It was better, but still just not that same. I felt like I was really missing the benefits of a liquid conditioner. Thankfully I found Salon Solids. This is a woman owned company based out of Seattle that is focused on making zero-waste hair care. What's not to love! The conditioner comes in a powder that you mix with water and like magic you have liquid conditioner. I ordered a nice glass soap dispenser to keep it in.
Bar Shaving Cream 🪒
If you read the above about plastic free conditioners, you've already found out about how I switch to bar shaving cream. I am using Ethique bars now instead of shaving cream. This was my last swap to a totally plastic free shower. Woohoo!
Plastic Free Lip Balm 👄
No matter what time of year it is, I use lip balm daily. When the lip balm in my purse (not the one on my night stand, next to our bathroom sink, or in my office...did I mention I use it all the time) was finished I realized that I was carrying around unnecessary plastic. I only ordered one lip balm from Farmstead Apothecary just to give it a try and I am ready to order more.
Plastic Free Deodorant 🙋
Brandon gets props for being the first to take this step. He was on the hunt and after listening to so many podcasts recommend Native, he tried it out. He is very happy with Native and he ordered some for me a few weeks ago. Since making the switch, I haven't had any issues. Check back in again when summers in Charleston hit and I'll let you know how it is still going. Depending on when you order, you may get the option for a fun holiday themed scent (right now it is peppermint).
Vegetarian/Vegan Cookbooks 🍜
I like to say that I am "Full time vegetarian, part time vegan". My vegetarian journey started a little over a year ago and even though Brandon isn't vegetarian he is 100% on board with only eating vegetarian meals at home. We are 50/50 between vegetarian and vegan meals when we cook (which is most of the time). I promise it is easy and the meals can be just as delicious as those that feature meat. Now, I'm not going to go into why I made the switch (once again could be a whole other blog), but if you are interested in trying a meat-free Monday or just up for some new recipes here are two of our favorite brands to get you started:
- Bad Manners but specifically we like Thug Kitchen and Thug Kitchen Party Grub
- Oh She Glows, we are currently cooking from Oh She Glows Everyday
Plastic Free Laundry and Dish Detergent 👚
I was raised on Tide and did not want to give it up. It just cleans clothes so well...but that giant plastic bottle sitting in my laundry room finally broke me. We are now using Dropps for both our laundry and dish detergent. Our dishes come out clean and I really haven't seen much difference in my clothes after the switch from Tide.
Bamboo Toilet Paper 💩
Yet another brand name that I didn't want to give up. I did love Charmin. Emphasis on did. After learning about the mass deforestation that they are causing in Canada it was easy to move on. We have now tried many different bamboo toilet paper brands and there isn't much difference in them. So, if you want to make a switch be on the look out for coupons or specials from Who Gives A Crap, No. 2, or Reel. Even better, buy a bidet (we haven't done it yet, but it is on our list).
Reusable Plastic Kitchen Bags or Beeswax 🐝
This is another super easy swap. There are so many reusable "Ziploc" bag options now and the ability to use beeswax wraps as food storage. We use beeswax wraps often and they are so easy to clean and use over and over again.
Reusable Utensils 🍴
I ordered our "to go" utensils right before everything shut down for COVID, so we haven't been able to use them yet. The thing that I really like about the set we ordered is that they come in a kit that is easy to throw in a bag and go. So you are ready with utensils or straws whenever you are out. I am still really surprised (again pre-COVID) with how many restaurants were providing plastic straw and utensils.
Final Thoughts 👀
Congrats on making it this far! I figured we could close this out with just a few more of our favorite spots to get environmentally friendly items:
Your Own House
- If you have something use it, don't throw out your plasticware or other items just to buy something new. Use what you have, don't make waste trying to be less wasteful.
- Compost, most of us are throwing away food that could easily be put in a compost. If it comes from the earth, it can go back to the earth.
Thrift Stores
- Don't forget Reduce. REUSE. Recycle.
- They have so many great resources for downloading ebooks, watching movies and tv shows, and for those of you (like me) that like "real" books, safely checking out your next great read. It's nice to borrow and not always buy.
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