My Sustainable Essentials

Below is a list of the products that I have been trying out over the last few months to help reduce my waste.

Zero-Waste Products

Here is a  compiled a list of the products that I have been trying out over the last few months to help reduce my waste:

 

  1. Silicone Stretch Lids and Reusable Bowl Covers: I bought these as I found that trying to fit the beeswax wrap on items that were large didn’t work well and these came in a variety of sizes!
  2. Reusable Mesh Produce Bags: I purchased these bags on Amazon and have been trying to use them to keep produce in them, however I have noticed that the produce that I put in the bag (broccoli, kale, etc.) usually gets wilted after a couple days. Apparently if you get them a bit wet before putting your produce in them that helps, so I will give that a try.
  3. Full Circle Suds Up Soap Dispensing Dish Scrub: This scrub sponge is 100% biodegradable. The sponge is non-toxic and made out of plant plastic, cellulose and recycled plastic. I purchased mine a few months ago at Cook Culture and think it is great that once the sponge is done it can be composted, opposed to the one we had before which had to be thrown into the garbage.
  4. Stasher Bags: These bags are a good alternative to plastic bags. The bags are made out of pure platinum silicone that is made from natural resources, such as sand. The company is B-Corp certified and a member of 1% for the Planet, which is always great to see companies support. I usually use them for snacks, but they can be used for a variety of things!
  5. Abeego Wrap: Abeego is a local company (always good to support the local!) and I have been using it for about a year. It is an all-natural beeswax food warp and can be composted once finished (it usually lasts up to a year). I use it for wrapping over bowls, avocados, cheese and anything that I would have normally used plastic saran wrap on. I have noticed that when using it for cheese the cheese usually doesn’t last as long if comparing to putting it in saran wrap, but it is still a great alternative to plastic wrap. It also could be because the cheese I buy is vegan.
  6. Reusable Bamboo Cotton Swabs: I use these daily for face products and overall, I find them to be a good alternative to regular cotton swabs. Most cotton swabs can be composted, but in an effort to reduce any waste these are a good option. I have noticed that I have to use a bit more product in order for it to absorb properly, but I still believe I have reduced waste by using these! Once I have used them I just wash and dry them in a laundry bag in the washing machine!
  7. Swedish Dishcloths: These cloths are 100% natural cellulose (natural fiber) and can be used as an alternative to paper towels or dish cloths. They can also be washed in the washing machine and used again. Once they have reached their lifespan (approx. 1 year) they can be composted!
  8. Mason Jars: These are super handy for using when buying things in bulk! I don’t buy any bulk in plastic anymore. As I eat primarily a vegan diet, I am often purchasing bulk items.  I also use these for making salad dressings.

I originally thought it was somewhat ironic to post about products when my whole goal is to eliminate consumption and waste, but I realized that these products that I am now using will hopefully last for a long time or at the end of their life can be composted or recycled. I have overall been able to reduce my plastic consumption by a lot and that feels good!

Next blog post I will go over some products that I would like to try out to help switch out some of the products that I use regularly that could be potentially more sustainable!