In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would revisit my absolute all-time favorite Sustainable Swaps and Zero Waste Tips that are free or on the cheap, which means they are accessible to everyone.
1) Buy Only What You Need- this is free to everyone and the first rule of making positive progress toward sustainable living. If we all only bought what we needed, repaired what we already have, or upcycled and repurposed everything else there would be a lot less junk and a lot less pollution in the world plus we would all save money.
2) Compost - composting helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions being released into the atmosphere and is something you can do every day. If you live in Los Angeles and composting is difficult for you because you live in an apartment, check out LA Compost for free drop-off services or Compostable LA where they offer pick-up services at an affordable price. Read about my easy-peasy composting tips here.
3) Buy Nothing Groups - join your local Buy Nothing Facebook group and build your community around exchanging items with your neighbors instead of donating or throwing them away thus keeping these items out of a landfill. My Buy Nothing group is so strong that a woman started a Fighting Food Waste Buy Nothing group that focuses solely on giving or asking for food. I'm always amazed at how much stuff is out there!
4) Shop Second Hand - when you do need something, buy it secondhand. Good Wills have a lot of controversy around them but they are sometimes the only secondhand option for people. OfferUp, Craigslist and even eBay can be amazing places when looking for items secondhand. Keep these items out of landfills and save money.
5) Klean Kanteen Water Bottle - make the initial investment or if you're lucky, find secondhand, a Klean Kanteen Water Bottle and never need another water bottle again. Mine is over ten years old and still going on strong (even though I drop it relentlessly).
6) Reusable Grocery Bag - ditch plastic and paper bags at the grocery store and use your reusable grocery bag instead. Chico Bag is an excellent sustainable company and the design is fantastic (tiny so you can carry one in your purse or car at all times) plus they are in my hometown! Or, if you want to be extra sustainable, make one from an old t-shirt as shown here.
7) Shampoo Bars - one shampoo bar lasts me 2-6 months and comes plastic-free. My favorite one is this Rosemary Lavender one from Soap Kitchen (woman and BIPOC owned) and costs only $9. I also use the bar for shaving and regular body soap as well to keep things simple.
8) Dropps for Laundry and Dishwashing Detergent - Dropps has compostable packaging, carbon neutral shipping that is free for you, and each load of laundry can be as cheap as $.20 if you subscribe. They also work amazingly well! My favorite is the Clean & Crisp or Fresh Air for Sensitive Skin. Use my referral code to get $15 off your first order of $30 or more here.
9) DIY Toothpaste - mix baking soda, coconut oil, and peppermint oil into a mason jar and viola- Zero Waste, extremely cheap and non-toxic toothpaste. I break down the costs and explain the importance of plastic-free dental care in this video. Since making that video, I have replaced the water component with organic coconut oil to help keep my teeth whiter.
10) Use a French Press - and then compost your tea leaves or coffee grounds. I found my first French Press at a Good Will (I have to get the camping style kind because I'm clumsy and tend to drop the glass ones) so they can always be found secondhand.
11) Cloth Produce Bag - these can be purchased or made by upcycling cloth you already have.
12) Olive Oil - as I explain in this post, I use Olive Oil as a make-up remover, facial cleanser, hair conditioner, and of course, in salad dressing. Buy organic and at your Farmers' Market to support local if you can.
13) Cellulose Tape - this is kind of a random one but to me, it shows how much plastic we are surrounded by that we don't even notice. Conventional tape is, of course, made out of plastic and wasn't even something I was thinking about until I found cellulose tape on Life Without Plastic's website. It's just one more way to easily reduce the plastic in your life.
Happy Earth Day and Thanks for Reading!
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