You can make a HUGE contribution to the environment by switching to just a few sustainable alternatives for your favorite products at home. Not only is this great for the environment, but it can also help lower the costs of running your home and save energy. There are many sustainable alternatives you can switch to in your daily life and here are just a few:
For the bathroom:
A bamboo toothbrush is
a great alternative to a plastic one. There are many places that sell them nowadays, including Protea Zero Waste Store
Bamboo q tips are another easy switch and are cheap to buy.
Bamboo toilet paper might sound new to you. Bamboo is great because it stops us from having to cut down millions of trees for paper. It’s sustainable and reduces deforestation! Some brands to try are Who Gives a Crap, Number two, or Pure Planet.
Using bar soaps/shampoo/conditioner is a great way to cut down on your plastic container soaps. There are so many good scents and they are perfect for traveling as well.
For the kitchen:
Beeswax wrap is a great and easy alternative to your usual plastic wrap to cover food. It sticks to itself and can be reused many times. I’ve seen so many in stores, but a few online stores that carry them are Wax Wrap and Bees Wrap. In Hawaii, there are a few great local suppliers as well including one of our favorites- Meli Wraps- based out of Kauai.
Stasher bags are an eco-friendly switch to plastic Ziploc bags and are great to store food in!
Buy in bulk when you can and bring your own reusable jars to fill the food in.
At zero-waste stores like Protea Zero Waste or Keep it Simple Honolulu, you can refill dish soap and hand soap in an old jar or bottle. They have many other refillable products as well!
Purchase a dish sponge that's plastic-free and can go in the washing machine!
Cleaning:
Reusable cloth towels instead of paper towels are very easy to switch to. They’re great for cleaning and come in so many cute designs. Marley Monsters has so many “unpaper” towels to choose from.
Eco-friendly detergents are a good switch. There are many out there that also come in plastic-free packaging!
Other sustainable tips for your home:
Some other tips to live more sustainably at home start off with using less energy.
Be conscious of how much energy you use in your home -turning off the lights or TV when you’re not using them. Hand wash and air dry clothes when you can, and go longer between loads in order to save water and energy. Only run your dishwasher when full and consider purchasing energy-efficient appliances. Also, remember to use up whatever you have in your home right now that is plastic before switching to more eco-friendly options because waste is the worst!
There are SO many switches to easily make your home more sustainable in small or big ways that all help the Earth in one way or another. So what’re you doing? Go out there and make a change with these few tips!
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