Eco-conscious living is no longer a fringe movement. As more & more information comes to light we are realizing that reducing our carbon footprint & creating a better environment for our children is a worthy investment. Of course, it takes time to become a zero-waste-superstar, but every small substitution makes a big difference over time. Consider Irene’s simple starter swaps below for steps towards a greener lifestyle.
1. Food Storage Containers instead of Saran Wrap
There’s a big buzz over beeswax wraps at the moment (pun intended), but good old food storage containers are the original eco-friendly alternative to Saran Wrap. Choosing porcelain, bamboo or glass containers instead of plastic is ideal and there are so many cute options and patterns. Food containers are easy to wash and most can go on the top rack of the dishwasher.
2. Bar Soap instead of Liquid Soap
Liquid soap needs plastic containers for packaging. Even if you buy yours in bulk for your dedicated soap pump at home that is still a lot of plastic packaging to go through on a regular basis. Choosing simple, paper wrapped soap creates the least amount of waste, plus you have an excuse to discover incredible new essential oil scents not to mention cute soap dishes. There are many local soap makers in the Tri-City and buying soap from them would help not only the environment, but also your local small businesses.
3. Laundry Strips instead of Liquid Detergent
With lots of new laundry strip makers on the market they are starting to be a widely available alternative to liquid detergent. The brand Tru Earth makes switching extra easy by shipping theirs in cardboard envelopes at a subscription frequency of your choice, so you don’t have to lug around those big heavy detergent jugs and you don’t need to worry about running out of detergent. Laundry strips are excellent for the whole family and they are made with better ingredients than the standard chemical laden varieties.
4. Compostable Bags instead of Plastic
Whenever you need a plastic bag, ask yourself if a compostable bag would work just as well. For things like sandwiches, or dog poop or even groceries. Amazon has a great variety of compostable doggie bags for sale and Costco made the switch to compostable produce bags a while ago. I hope more grocery stores will follow suit.
5. Cloths instead of Paper Towels
Is your child growing out of their clothes at lightning speed? Often those clothes are too stained to hand down to someone else, but they make great rags for home use or you can purchase reusable cloths at retailers like Zero Waste Bulk or even Dollarama. They work very well for cleaning up spills and wiping the floor and can be washed and reused for years.
