We all know our planet is sick. I know if you are reading this, you understand the importance and urgency to act. If you are intimidated by the term zero waste, don’t worry so am I; progress not perfection is key. Small sustainable changes will make a big impact if we all continue to work together. I wanted to share with you some of my favourite simple swaps that will make your footprint a little more gentle. Here’s a list of 9 eco-friendly swaps you can make now!
Reusable Water Bottle vs. Disposable Plastic
This is a no brainer to me at this point. Get yourself a reusable water bottle and ditch single use plastic… get one you love! You will drink more water and we all know hydration is the real fountain of youth.
Single use water bottles are absolutely horrid for the environment and your health. Over 60 million single use plastic water bottles are tossed every day. That’s outta control! This swap will improve your life instantly because you will be more hydrated, reduce your plastic consumption, and be a role model for those around you.
Fabric Reusable Produce Bags vs. Plastic Store Option
These are fantastic, just make yourself a shop kit. It really doesn't have to be fancy, a bin or bags you reuse, plus your produce bags. Once you unpack, put the kit back in your car, closet, by your front door wherever you need it to be to remember to take it with you.
Paper Towel vs. Swedish Sponge Cloth
I am being completely honest when I say I never bought paper towels, I just didn't use them. I used kitchen rags of varying degrees of health and specialty, but I can assure you none were as absorbent as one of my favourite eco swaps: the Swedish sponge cloth. We love them so much, MYB created a line of Swedish sponge cloths to match some of our most popular wrap sets. These replace paper towels, rags, microfiber cleaning cloths, kitchen sponges and everything in between. They are made of 70% cellulose and 30% cotton, and they're durable (just wash them in your washing machine). Use them instead of paper towels, or dish cloths to blot up spills, polish stainless steel, dust, clean glass, wipe tables or counters -- they absorb 20x times their weight in water and dry out quicker than sponges. Best of all when they’re done they are compostable.
Plastic Wrap vs. Beeswax Food Wraps
I started this business because I truly loved the product! I was so impressed with the ability for beeswax food wraps to extend the life of foods and eliminate single use plastics in the kitchen. I am not a fan of unitaskers, I even have a problem with a container that fits one lid, really one…. see ya never! I truly love the ability beeswax food wraps have to mould around any leftovers, half a veg or half a casserole dish of lasagna. Wanna keep bugs off your cookout salads? Toss a wrap over them! Want to eat your greens fresh a week after you purchased them? No prob, wrap them with a beeswax food wrap and they will be fresh for up to 3 weeks. I’m talking fresh herbs, lettuce… they. stay. fresh!. Beeswax food wraps are a simple swap to cut down on food waste and plastic waste. We are so happy, thrilled to bring you MYB wraps for your kitchen. Check out one of our most popular patterns - The Doodles One.
Body Wash + Hand Soap vs. Just Good Bar Soap
A long time ago we switched from hand soap, face soap, body wash to a bar of all natural soap that can serve all of these purposes. Reduce single use plastic consumption, drastically reduce the chemicals you come into contact with, and support a small independent maker of high quality skin healthy soap! We have a few favourites, this is the Lemon Poppyseed from @corktownsoap. The poppy seeds work as a natural exfoliator, plus they won’t be found in the bellies of our fish friends like micro plastic; the poppy seeds would have been a fun snack for them!
Cotton Swab vs. Reusable Swab
I was never really a big user of cotton swabs but I really liked the idea of LastSwab and backed their Kickstarter a few years ago. I truly love the product! It makes me feel clean and refreshed. It’s washable, reusable, high quality and I think it will last me a very long time vs using 3-5 cotton swabs after a shower. Love this low waste swap!
Shower Pouf vs. Loofah
In the before times, I can remember a pouf that I got for Christmas. I opened it up to use and it immediately fell to pieces, dragging all over the shower floor. We know these things don't last and they are terrible for the environment. This is why I highly recommend a loofah.
Did you know that loofahs grow in the ocean and are a type of seaweed? I am totally kidding but that is what I thought for many years. They are actually related to cucumbers and gourds. I buy mine yearly in the fall from a local hobby farmer from Southern Ontario; loofahs are generally 10 -14” long which means they can be cut into 2-3 smaller sponges. Best of all it's a tough plant! Want to sanitize it? Toss it in the washing machine. I use mine until they are clearly ready to retire, then we swap out the old for a new! 3 loofahs = 9 smaller sponges which is way more than enough for my family of 3 for a whole year. Loofahs are also a natural exfoliator. Wash with a natural bar soap and follow with a body oil for summer-ready skin!
Toilet Paper vs. Bidet
My first experience with a bidet was the morning after sleeping over at a new friend’s house :) I was in my early 20s and this was an old Victorian Toronto home filled with 20-somethings. I poked around at the bidet out of curiosity and obviously sprayed myself. Many years later our neighbours turned us onto the attachable bidet and it was truly life changing! So much so that in 2018, our Christmas theme was “We care about your ass” and we gave our families Tushy for Christmas. It was a hit and dramatically reduced toilet paper consumption (even though it's no longer a hot pandemic commodity we are all for using way less). Just a bit to dry is all you need.
Tampons + Pads vs. Menstrual Cups
Okay, this was also life changing! I am not going to tell you the first time went smooth, me on a group chat with my girlfriends and husband on recon while we all tried to figure out why it was stuck. It was indeed located and I was brave, kept going and I can tell you my only regret is that I didn't make this swap sooner. UGH the teenage years of leaking, finding quarters for the pillow machine. I honestly never found tampons very comfortable and unless you are buying organic, they are full of chemicals and plastic. Plus menstrual cups are low waste, if you're curious, I highly recommend you check them out.
It really doesn't have to be complicated. These swaps will make your life better, save you money and be much gentler on Mother Earth. Thank you so much for joining us on this journey towards a more sustainable future.
1 comment
I like the simple tips! Swap out for what you’re already using. However theres a UK and Danish study that shows single use bags may be more environmentally friendly than others! Yes even cotton!
The heavy plastic reusable bags need to be used upwards for 50 times to offset a single use (thin bag). And cotton over 1000!! And that doesnt account for you reusing your grocery bag (for garbage or another grocery run)… double those other numbers!
Maybe you can get that much use on the reusable ones if you sew and repair your handles and holes… but I think most people dont.