Sustainable Shopping Guide: 10 Easy Swaps

Sustainable Shopping Guide: 10 Easy Swaps

By: Mary Boyte

As climate change continues to make headlines and front pages, it can be overwhelming to try to figure out what you can do to help. It’s best to start small. There are plenty of things that you can change about your daily habits to make your lifestyle more earth-friendly. Keep reading for 10 simple swaps you can implement right now. And, all these swaps will save you money in the long run-- you can’t lose! 

For your beauty routine:

1. Reusable Makeup Cloth

If I asked you to think about the waste you produce during your beauty routine, the first thing that would come to mind would probably be makeup wipes. Makeup wipes go into your trash almost daily. That can add up. A great alternative to multiple packages of makeup wipes is a washable makeup remover cloth. You’ve probably seen the Original MakeUp Eraser all over Instagram. If you’re wanting a more economical choice, this one from Amazon costs less and works just as well. 

2. Reusable Cotton Rounds

I don’t know about you, but between micellar water and toners, I use a lot of cotton rounds during my skincare routine. My bathroom trash bin used to be filled with discarded cotton pads. It’s hard to ignore that level of waste. Switching to reusable cotton pads is super easy. All you have to do is toss them in the washer with the rest of your laundry when they get dirty. I’ve tried a couple of brands, but these from the Earthling Co. are my favorite. They’re made from sustainably harvested bamboo and have two sides, one gentle and one for exfoliating. 

3. Solid Shampoo and Conditioner

Solid shower products can be hard to get into at first if you’re used to your normal bottles of tried and true shampoo and conditioner. However, it’s worth it if you can find the right one. Plus, one bar of solid shampoo equals 2-3 bottles of liquid shampoo. Two brands I have tried and highly recommend are Ethique and Habitat Botanicals. 

(Pro Tip: Get a bamboo container from Ethique to make your products last longer.) 

For your kitchen:

4. Refillable Water Bottle

Single-use plastic water bottles make up more than two million tons of the contents of U.S. landfills. One of the most popular ways to reduce your waste is to use a refillable water bottle. Swell is a great company that is stylish and founded by women committed to a sustainable future. 

5. Reusable Paper Towels 

Paper towels make up a lot of the waste you produce in the kitchen. By using reusable paper towels, you can save countless rolls of single-use paper towels. These towels from Earth Hero come in a variety of patterns, are machine washable, and claim to replace your regular paper towels entirely.

6. Reusable Coffee Pods

If you’re anything like me, you start your day with a cup of coffee fresh from the Keurig….and then another… and maybe just one more. You probably don’t think about how much waste you contribute when you use K-cups or other coffee pods. Using a reusable pod like this one, with a few scoops of ground coffee, not only eliminates waste but also gives you the freedom to use your favorite brews. It’s a win-win! 

7. Refillable Cleaning Products

How can cleaning products not be clean, right? Well, if you think about how many plastic containers you’ve thrown away from dish soap to Windex, it might not seem so fresh anymore. An easy (and super Insta-worthy) alternative is Blueland. They have a variety of cleaning products from hand soap to spray cleaners for every room of the house. When you run out of products, you just order refill tablets and add them with water to your bottles. Get the starter kit here. 

For your bathroom:

8. Reusable Cotton Swabs

Ever since I binged Down to Earth with Zac Efron and realized how harmful cotton swabs are to the environment, I’ve been on the hunt for a more sustainable option. Reusable cotton swabs, like this one from Amazon, are an obvious and easy choice that reduces a tremendous amount of waste. 

9. Razors with Replaceable Heads 

You’ve probably come across a million ads lately promoting cute razors with replaceable heads. They’re not zero-waste, but they do keep you from tossing out a whole plastic razor every time you need a replacement. Billie, Joy + Glee, and Flamingo are all brands with raving reviews.

10. Toothbrush with Replaceable Heads

Along with tossing out entire plastic razors, tossing out entire plastic toothbrushes adds up quickly and seriously harms the earth. Why not switch to one with replaceable heads? With subscription services like Quip, you won’t ever have to think about going out to the store to pick one up again.

Now that you have some ideas on how to switch up your daily routine, get out there and make a difference! Change starts with you.

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Images belong to their respective owners.

Photo belongs to its respective owner.