Are you looking to kickstart your eco-friendly journey with eco friendly everyday products? Let’s talk about how to live more eco-friendly every day. Once you make the decision to make a more eco-conscious decision, it can be daunting to know where to begin. Having a list of eco friendly products is important because it helps you begin to try different products to understand what works best for you! Always remember that everyone is different and what may work for me and my family may not work for you and yours. These items will not only help to reduce your waste but are also less toxic than traditional products. While some products may have limited use, I try to use eco friendly everyday products that can be reused, recycled, or repurposed at the end of their life! When this is not the case I opt to choose materials that have been sustainably made or sourced from businesses with an eco-conscious mission.
I hope you enjoy this blog post all about eco friendly everyday products!
How does consumerism affect the climate crisis?
When talking about purchasing eco friendly everyday products there is a fine line. This is because we cannot buy ourselves into a more sustainable future. In fact, consumerism plays a large role in our climate crisis. Research has found a correlation between consumer habits and carbon emissions. According to a 2012 study on household consumption and CO2 levels in China, as income levels increase so do household energy consumption and CO2 emissions (source). The conclusion from this study revealed one of the best ways to tackle this problem is by shifting consumer patterns of China’s households from high fossil fuel and carbon-intensive behavior to low fossil fuel and carbon-extensive behavior over a long-term horizon (source).
Now I recognize we cannot buy our way into a more sustainable future, however, our consumer actions clearly have a significant impact on the economy and the environment. By purchasing eco friendly everyday products we are not only helping to drive brands to change their practices to be more considerate of the environment, but we are also choosing items that are more often better for our bodies and better for the planet.
Why is sustainable purchasing important?
- Reduces waste
- Reduces greenhouse gas emissions
- Raises awareness about the importance of ethical and sustainable purchasing
- Creates momentum for collective action
- Supports local communities
- Creates an opportunity for environmental education
- Encourages businesses/brands to continue sustainable practices
- Creates demand for sustainable products
- Supports water conservation
- Encourages creative solutions to reduce, reuse, recycle, repair, repurpose, etc.
- Often these items are better for our health
- Reduces pollution
- Sustainable purchasing is more earth-friendly
Oftentimes people ask me “how can I be eco-friendly every day?” I love this question because it takes into account that eco-conscious living is not about one day or one action, but continued lifestyle adjustments that lessen your impact on the Earth.
How can I be eco-friendly every day?
There are several ways you can be eco-friendly everyday:
- Clean up litter when you see it
- Limit plastic in your life
- Don’t buy things you don’t need
- Reuse and repurpose items when you can, instead of throwing them away
- Only recycle what is actually recyclable in your area
- Reduce your food waste
- Use sustainable products
Eco Friendly Everyday Products
Bamboo Toothbrush
I started using bamboo toothbrushes years months ago when I began to realize how wasteful plastic toothbrushes were. We use toothbrushes twice a day for six months and then toss them in the trash. Once the plastic toothbrushes make it to the landfill, they take hundreds of years to biodegrade. In fact, billions of toothbrushes are wasted each year in the United States.
I wanted to find a more eco-conscious product to use to decrease my plastic consumption. I decided to try Bamboo toothbrushes.
Here are some of the pros:
- They work similar to manual plastic toothbrushes – there is no learning curve
- Unlike plastic, bamboo is a non-toxic, sustainable product
- The bamboo handle can be reused/upcycled
- Activated charcoal bristles have anti-bacterial properties for a deeper clean
- Very affordable
- There are adult and kid sizes
Here are some cons:
- You have to remove the charcoal bristles with pliers before you can compost the bamboo handle
- There are not as many fun colors and varieties as traditional toothbrushes
- Bamboo toothbrushes should still be replaced every six months
- If you do not compost or reuse the bamboo toothbrush handle, it ends up in the trash (BUT it is biodegradable)
Overall, I LOVE my bamboo toothbrush. My husband and my son now use one as well. We make sure to properly compost or reuse/up-cycle the toothbrush after use to maintain its sustainability.
Thrifted/Sustainable Clothes
I used to be embarrassed to talk about how much I love thrifting. Now thrifting is all the rage! Not only does it make sense economically, but it makes sense environmentally. We a society we waste so many clothes! We often follow the trends and demands of the fast-fashion world and buy more than we need.
If you’re interested in thrifting try places like Goodwill, Clothes Mentor, Once Upon a Child, Plato’s Closet, Thread Up, Poshmark, or Poplinen Pre-Loved.
Recently, I’ve been shopping for sustainable clothes! Sustainable clothing is made with the environment in mind. This includes materials used, shipping, packaging, and even the working conditions of those making the clothes. My favorite sustainable clothing brand is Poplinen.
Poplinen uses certified organic cotton, compostable shipping mailers, compostable and recyclable packaging materials, and pays their manufacturers a fair wage. Poplinen believes clothing sizes should be inclusive and timeless.
Learn more about Poplinen here! Use Code TEACHGOGREEN10 or 10% off.
Natural Sunlight
There is truly nothing better than getting out in the sun and getting fresh air. Everyday I make sure our family gets to spend a couple of moments outside. If it is rainy and cloudy outside, I am sure to at least open the blinds or windows to bring the outdoors, indoors.
Nature has provided us with a beautiful, natural source of vitamin D! Embrace the sunlight!
Here are some benefits of natural sunlight (source):
- Exposure to sunlight increases serotonin, also known as the happy hormone.
- Sunlight causes your skin to create Vitamin D, essential for bone health.
- Sun exposure can actually lower your risk of some forms of cancer!
French Press
Coffee is life in my house! It is one of the first things that I prepare when I get downstairs in the morning. I love the smell, the taste, and the boost of artificial energy.
Instead of using single-use coffee pods, which waste millions of pounds of plastic, we use our french press!
Here are the pros of a french press:
- Easy to use
- Zero-waste
- Creates strong coffee
Here are some cons of the fresh press:
- Requires a few steps – it is not set it and forget it
- Takes a bit longer than a single-use coffee machine
With just a few freshly ground coffee beans and hot water, I’m able to get hot brewed coffee without all the plastic pollution. After I’m done with my coffee grounds they’re added to our compost!
Reusable Water Bottles
Of all the sustainable products I use everyday, I think this one is the most common among a variety of people. Reusable bottles are not only stylish and trendy, they’re affordable and incredibly beneficial to the environment.
Instead of using disposable cups at home, I opt to use reusable cups or upcycled pasta jars as cups. While I’m out, I make sure to even take a reusable bottle with me on the go to limit my need to buy a single-use drink.
Limiting single-use items in your home makes a tremendous difference for your wallet and for the health of the planet.
Bamboo Drying Rack
Who knew being an adult meant you were responsible for washing dishes three to five times a day!
About six months ago, I ditched my plastic drying rack for this beautiful bamboo drying rack! My plastic drying rack had reached the end of his useful life. It was molded and full of gunk. I knew that it was time to get a new one and I wanted to make a sustainable swap.
After some research, I decided on a bamboo drying rack.
Benefits of bamboo drying racks:
- They’re beautiful! Keep in mind you shouldn’t get rid of fully functioning items to buy new items, just because it is more attractive. That being said, if it is time for a replacement, this is definitely the time to make the switch to this aesthetically pleasing item.
- Unlike plastic, bamboo is a sustainable material
- Bamboo has bacterial-resistant properties. This decreases the chances of mold and gunk forming (unlike my old plastic drying rack!)
As I continue to dive more into eco-conscious living, I am continuing to make purchases that bring me joy and are functional for my lifestyle. I am incorporating products that will last for a long time, instead of “quick fixes” to get the job done. For me, the bamboo drying rack fits that criteria!
Reusable Napkins
To know me is to know I LOVE reusable napkins! They are cute and fun and in my opinion, still convenient. Switching to reusable napkins was one of the first eco-conscious switches I made, several years ago. I knew that paper towels were incredibly wasteful and honestly, I was tired of wasting money on them.
My husband and I used up the rest of our paper towel stash and did not purchase anymore. Instead, we began using old rags for cleaning and purchased a cheap pack of towels for our hands. Over time, we built a nice stash of rags, towels, and reusable napkins to serve various purposes throughout our home.
We keep a basket near our washing machine and simply toss the used napkins inside the basket when we’re done.
Cast Iron Skillet
I’ll be the first to admit, there are several areas of my life that I still need to make eco-conscious improvements to. The kitchen is one! I’ve recently found out about the harmful chemicals present in cookware and knew I needed to find more sustainable products immediately. For more information on toxic chemicals found in cookware, check out this article.
As I’ve mentioned previously, maintaining an eco-conscious lifestyle is all about slow, intentional steps. Upgrading my kitchenware to non-toxic pots and pans was not something I could afford immediately. So, to limit my exposure to these chemicals until I am ready to purchase the non-toxic items I really want, I’ve been using my cast iron skillet as much as possible!
Benefits of Cast Iron:
- Inexpensive
- Can be used for a variety of cooking
- Cast iron skillets are “seasoned“
I love using our cast iron skillet! What I love most is the peace of mind that I limiting the number of toxic chemicals I am exposing to my family. Although cast iron skillets are heavy and require TLC to maintain their quality, they are inexpensive, non-toxic, and incredibly functional.
Cloth Diapers
With two kids under two, cloth diapers are a staple in my household! We love the fact that they are eco-friendly, affordable, versatile, and much better for our kids’ skin.
I have several blog posts all about cloth diapers! To learn more about cloth diapering your baby, check these posts out!
Cloth Diapering Posts
- Ultimate Guide to Cloth Diapering
- The Best Way to Deal with Poop in Cloth Diapers
- Step by Step Pocket Cloth Diaper Tutorial
- Overcoming the Stigma of Cloth Diapering
- Tips for Cloth Diapering Beginners
Soy Candles
I use candles everyday. Not only for the smell, but for the ambiance it creates. I have a few candles in each room of the house and usually light the candles when I’m in that room or before a good deep clean of the house.
Once I learned that most candles are made with paraffin wax, a type of petroleum-based wax that releases harmful chemicals, I knew I had to find an eco-conscious alternative. According to research, a person who lights this type of candle often (LIKE ME) expenses themselves to unwanted chemicals which contribute to the development of cancers, asthma, and allergies.
As an alternative, I’ve been using soy candles and my natural diffuser. Soy wax candles and other vegetable-based candles, do not release these types of chemicals. In addition, soy wax is more eco-friendly and biodegradable.
Refillable Planner
There are hundreds of electronic ways to plan your life, but for some reason, I still love my paper planner. In order to make my paper planner addiction a bit more eco-friendly, I’ve opted for the refillable planner.
I have a refillable planner for work and one for personal/blog life. Refillable planners are perfect because you can remove each of the pages easily after use and recycle them. Instead of buying a whole new planner, you simply buy new sheets to refill the cover you’ve already purchased.
Although I know electronic planners are much more eco-friendly, this refillable planner works for my lifestyle and learning style.
I hope you enjoyed this post all about eco friendly everyday products!
What sustainable products do you use everyday? Will you give any of these products a try?
Remember, eco-conscious living does not have to be all or nothing. As you noticed, I’ve made some of these swaps very recently! I did not start using all of these times all at once. With careful research over time, I’ve slowly been adding more into my lifestyle. My hope is that this is helpful and provides some guidance for you. Even if you’re a busy working mom, you can still incorporate sustainability into your life everyday!
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