Before starting down the zero waste path, I conducted a trash audit in my home. A trash audit is a great way to see what you are throwing away and I highly recommend everyone conduct one (watch my YouTube video of me doing this in my home here). Once I conducted my audit, I realized that I had mindlessly been using products that had waste biproducts. Upon doing some quick online searches, I discovered that I could avoid most of the waste I was discarding by swapping out the products I had been using for ones that were almost identical, but had no waste biproduct. These new zero waste products were reusable or compostable, and meant that I didn’t have to contribute to the landfill – a big win!
These are the five zero waste swaps that helped me reduce my waste drastically, and I’d recommend these products to anyone looking to live more sustainably.
Reusable produce bags
I discovered that most of my waste was from food packaging. I had been buying my carrots, apples, lettuce, etc. all in plastic bags that were not recyclable and ended up in my trash can. I realized that if I could shop package-free, I could reduce much of my waste. I started bringing reusable produce bags with me to shop, and found that I could easily get the same items I was purchasing before, but “naked”, and could simply put them in my own reusable bag to transport home. I utilized both mesh and non-mesh bags and also started shopping the bulk aisle for shelf stable items like beans, rice, coffee, etc.
Reusable facial rounds
My trash can was filled with single-use cotton rounds. It turns out using one a day, every day, generates a lot of trash. Switching over to a reusable cotton round was a very easy swap for me. I collect the dirty ones in and put them in the wash. I like these ones so much that I brought them into Tare Market – they are made of bamboo and so soft!
Refillable soaps
I have quite a few liquid soap containers throughout my home, including: dish soap, hand soap, laundry soap, dish washing soap, and shampoo and conditioner (in our guest bathroom). Instead of purchasing new plastic bottles of soap for all the various containers, I chose to refill the containers with bulk soap at my local Co-Op or at Tare Market. I am always surprised by the breadth of refillable options, and this has really helped cut down on my recycling.
If you don’t have a local Co-Op, I recommend checking out the brand Plaine Products. Plaine Products is a women-owned sister duo who wanted to reduce the amount of plastic in the world. Plaine Products has a unique subscription refill system where they mail you refills of your products in returnable containers. I love their mission, and I really like their shampoo. I find their conditioner to be a little dry. I know shipping has a large economic and environmental cost, so while I don’t love the fact that bottles are being shipped all over the USA, I think the avoidance of creating any waste and using all natural and organic ingredients is worth it.
Bar shampoo and conditioner
I had bottles of shampoo and conditioner in my bathroom, guest bathroom, and gym bag. To avoid the plastic bottles, I switched over to a bar shampoo and conditioner from HiBar. This brand is amazing – it is by far the best brand I have ever used (and I’ve tried lots of different kinds!). Its also made in Minnesota, biodegradable, and has a vegan option. Again, I loved this product so much that I brought it into Tare Market.
Compostable dental floss
I highly recommend Dental Lace. It’s an amazing dental floss (feels just like any other floss) that is completely compostable and is sold in GLASS. I mean, hell yes! I actually like to order just the refills, so that I don’t even use the glass container. But each glass container is refillable if that’s your style. I throw my used dental floss in my City of Minneapolis Organics bin, but you can add it to your own backyard composting system if you want.
What are your favorite zero waste swaps?