Not buying anything that involves plastic is almost impossible. I try not to agonize when I do and choose eco-friendly alternatives when I can. To do otherwise would paralyze me. Perfection is the enemy of the good.
Easy ways to be eco-friendly and limit your plastic use.
Today bulldozers push and bury trash over what used to be a wetland gem where I loved to go birding. Now toothbrushes and plastic bottles live where herons, yellowlegs and snipe used to wade.
I read once that every toothbrush you’ve ever owned is still in a landfill. Yikes! That short sentence and that lost wetland pushed me to look into eco-friendly products and cut down on plastic.
I started slowly so I wouldn’t be overwhelmed. Here’s what I’ve found to use room-by-room. I’m not promoting specific brands (just grabbing images off the internet) but occasionally will share my favorites.
Bathroom
Tooth powder and toothpaste that comes in a glass jar are easy to find. I did not enjoy chewing up toothpaste tabs and having toothpaste stuck in my teeth like some bizarre candy. Take note: Most powders don’t have fluoride.
I discovered flossers that can be composted (if you have commercial composting through your city). I love these so much more than regular string floss - I even keep them in my car.
Bar soap in non-plastic packaging - perfect for the shower. I like foaming hand soap so I use tabs that I can dissolve in a glass or metal pump container.
“Baby” Wipes - they’re in every bathroom and my car. I love them. I found for biodegradable/compostable wipes (although they still use plastic packaging that isn’t recyclable in my area).
Never flush wipes if you value your plumbing and your bank account.
Q-tips without plastic are easy to find. The packaging often involves some type of plastic so I check that it can be recycled.
Bamboo toothbrushes biodegrade and can be composted with my city program. I also found some that already have toothpaste on them that I use for plane travel and I keep a few in my car.
Old style razors use no plastic. You have to be a little more careful than a safety razor but the shave is the same.
Shaving cream soap works great as does a nice creamy bar soap. I really want a shaving brush - looks fancy. Some cities accept aerosol shaving cream cans for recycling if you love your foam.
Bamboo or recycled toilet paper offers a great ecofriendly alternative. The company I use, Who Gives a Crap, delivers without plastic packaging.
Bar shampoo works just fine for me and I have a lot of hair.
I cannot say the same for bar conditioner at least for my hair type.
Items I’m still looking for…
Hair styling products
Make up
Sunscreen
Lotion
Antiperspirant
Do you have suggestions for the bathroom? Let me know
Kitchen
Cloth napkins have been a staple of mine for years.
Finding eco-friendly garbage bags that don’t rip if you put a Kleenex in them, took me a while. We use paper grocery bags for our recycling and these for garbage.
Say goodbye to those plastic sponge tube wands things (I call them bachelor wands). This eco-friendly scrubber sits in a ceramic bowl on top of a little spring thing. Add dish soap to the dish and push down to soap up the scrubber. Or just pump soap on it.
In the Kitchen, I opt for those Swedish cloths with cute bird prints (they can be tossed in my city compost, too).
Eco-friendly Dishwasher pods work great and also ship to my house without any plastic packaging. I use Dropps brand.
Try bamboo or recycled-paper paper towels. The company I use (Who Gives a Crap) delivers without plastic packaging.
Reuseable shopping bags are everywhere. I especially like the ones I’ve picked up when traveling. A handy souvenir.
Items I’m still looking for…
Dish soap - I love my Dawn
Do you have suggestions for the Kitchen? Let me know
Cleaning
Get your floor clean with a refillable spray mop filled with your eco-friendly cleaner of choice. I like these better than Swiffers which create a lot of waste. (Note, the mop is plastic and the microfiber pads aren’t eco-friendly. This is one of those moments I give myself some grace.)
There are a lot of Cleaning Sprays that come as concentrates or tabs that you mix with water in your own bottles. They seem fine. The exception is shower cleaner - I haven’t found anything that beats the scrubbing bubbles and occasional spray with bleach.
Got stinky laundry? Toss a cup of White vinegar in the wash. Then recycle that plastic jug.
Eco-friendly Toilet Cleaning Sheets prove easy peasy. Drop in a sheet, watch it dissolve and swish away. Pro tip: Spray some household cleaner on your toilet brush before putting back in its holder.
These eco-friendly laundry detergent pods clean just as well as traditional options. These ship to my house without any plastic packaging. I found a eco-friendly oxi-cleaner without plastic packaging, too.
Window Cleaning just needs water and a couple drops of dish soap. Voila. If you want a ready-made spray it is easy to find eco-friendly concentrates or tabs that dissolve in water. Cotton flour sack drying towels work great for drying.
Items I’m still looking for…
A cleaning spray I really love
Do you have suggestions for the bathroom? Let me know
Misc.
A note on reuseable versus eco-friendly versus your sanity. We must give ourselves some, okay a lot of, grace. For example: microfiber cloths are reusable but the material itself isn’t eco-friendly. Plastic milk jugs can be recycled… but are they? Electric cars are great… but electricity doesn’t just magically grow on trees. Microfleece jackets are cozy and vegan but the fabric uses petrochemicals.
Some people can go all in: 100% no-plastic and eco-friendly-green to the core. I am not that person. I do the best I can and try to do a little bit better every day, week or year. Every little bit helps.
“We all do better when we all do better". Paul Wellstone
Bird-friendly Coffee - this is levels above so-called shade grown coffee . Learn more about bird-friendly coffee here…..
Metal Water Bottles - yes, they have some plastic in the cap but they are way better than single-use bottles. Plus, they keep my water cold and I can decorate them with bird stickers.
I also opt for pop in cans not plastic bottles.