These 9 Easy Swaps to be more eco friendly will help make your life less wasteful! These are cheap + simple swaps you can make to reduce your waste daily.
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It’s no secret that we waste ALOT of things as humans. Our society is fast paced and we love anything that is convenient which often means we use cheap products that create a ton of trash and aren’t always the best for our environment.
As someone who tries their hardest to be (somewhat excessively) eco friendly, it actually pains me to see what we’re doing to our planet. I know most people aren’t as woo-woo as I am – and I totally don’t expect them to be… BUT I can say, that these Easy Swaps to be more eco friendly are ones that anyone can make.
Regardless if you’re the queen of recycling, or just starting to look into eco-friendly living… here are some of my favorite products that anyone can use to reduce their waste + be a little more environmentally friendly.
1) Buy a reusable water bottle/coffee cup.
I think Healthy Human steins + cruisers are simply the best. We have at least 5 cruisers and multiple steins. If you want one – use code CLEANEATING10 to save an extra 10%!
I use the cruiser tumblers for hot coffee/tea in the morning, and usually, wash them out and use them for water for the rest of the day because I like to drink out of a straw.
The steins (AKA bottles) are great for taking on the go. Both the cruisers + bottles keep your drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for up to 24 hours which is great if you want to make something in the AM + enjoy it later on.
At this point in time, I really believe there is no reason to be using disposable plastic water bottles. Sure.. emergencies happen, but if you’re going out and buying cases of water… you have to rethink it!
In addition to being more ecofriendly, having a refillable water bottle will save you $$. You can get one of these bottles for the cost of a case of water… and refill it basically forever! AND you will usually get a discount when you bring your own mug to a coffee shop. It’s a no brainer to me 🙂 Don’t forget to use our coupon code CLEANEATING15 to save $$! 🙂
2) Use Silpat Liners when baking/cooking.
I bought a few silpat liners 2 years ago when we moved into our apartment and they have held up so well!
I use them all the time for baking and roasting things like our Sheet Pan Crispy Roasted Potatoes. They’re a great alternative to using parchment paper + foil, and I find that I rarely need to use the disposable products because they work so well. These are the ones I have.
I would recommend getting two or three and then keeping them separate for things you bake (like cookies) vs roasted veggies… I find that sometimes they can take on the flavor of the spices you’re using (even if you clean them well!)
3) Skip Ziploc Bags + use StasherBags instead.
These are seriously THE BEST! Ziploc bags are super wasteful, and usually, leak/don’t hold up.
While more expensive, StasherBags can be re-used over + over again (I’ve had mine for over 3 years!) and are great for storing snacks, veggies, or really anything!
I love that I can just put them right in the dishwasher when they need to be cleaned + I don’t have to throw anything out. I have 3 of this size + they’re perfect!
4) Buy glass containers that will last longer than cheap plastic containers.
I bought this set forever ago and love them! They’re much more durable than plastic, don’t leak, and have no funky things like BPA in them.
I feel safe putting them in the microwave + they’re better than buying cheaply made plastic containers that you’ll ultimately need to throw out a few months down the line.
5) Sub Beeswrap for Plastic Wrap.
This is new to me, but I love it already! I just ordered Beeswrap which is a reusable, eco friendly alternative to plastic wrap.
We really don’t use a lot of plastic wrap to begin with, but this is awesome for when you need something quick to cover food!
6) Ditch disposable straws + use reusable stainless steel straws.
I once read a fact that we use 500 million straws a day in America, which is enough to fill up Yankee stadium 9x a year (CRAZY.)
When I bought my own reusable cup/water bottle it took away the need for a disposable cup/the straws that usually come with them.. but if for some reason I do need a straw, I use these instead. So much better for the environment!
7) Use reusable produce bags instead of plastic ones.
You know those little green bags at the produce isles of the grocery store? UGH, I cringe at them.
I think produce bags, in general, are silly, because why can’t you just put your 3 apples directly in the basket or cart.. but if you’re someone who is more organized than I am, get these reusable produce bags. They’re easy to just keep in your car + use at the store!
8) Bring your own reusable bag to the grocery store.
They sell them at the check out line in basically every major grocery store in the world…. so just buy one for $1, keep it in your car, and use that! I have one that rolls up similar to this one (which is so cute + cheap!) and I just keep it in my purse because it’s so light weight!
9) Get an ice cube tray so you can freeze leftovers from the kitchen!
I rarely can use all the herbs I buy, so I always try to chop them + freeze them in a little bit of olive oil. Then I can pop them out of the trays + use them at my leisure in the future. I also freeze tomato paste, bone broth (for adding to rice/dishes when I’m cooking!), and fruit for fruit infused ice cubes. This is the one I have.
Other things you can do to reduce waste in your kitchen
- Save Veggie Scraps for broth. I have a larger stasherbag that I keep in my freezer filled with odds and ends from the kitchen. Whenever I cut an onion, peel carrots, chop celery, etc.. I throw all the scraps in there. When I have enough leftover, I’ll make veggie stock with it!
- Save glass jars + containers from your food. We wash glass jars that artichoke hearts, olives + oils come in and use them to store bulk things like nuts/seeds in our pantry. The clear glass makes it easy to see!
- Recycle! It seems so silly that in 2018 I’m reminding people to recycle but it literally could not be any easier. Don’t just throw away plastic containers or cans.. put them in a recycling bin!
- Freeze it – I freeze basically anything I can. The second my berries are getting softer + I put them in the freezer.. then I’ll use them to make a sauce for pancakes. When you’re not going to eat leftover chili for the 3rd night in a row, just freeze it! You can defrost + enjoy at another time
- Use natural beauty + home products. Typically these products are better for you + for the Earth! Click here to read my blog post about our favorite Clean Beauty/Living Favorites
Want to take it a step further? Get an all natural mattress. We love Happsy!
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