From the moment we wake up, throughout the day, to the moment we go back to sleep we make a certain impact through our actions. It is up to us to decide what kind of impact we are going to have.
These simple swaps are not going to do miracles for you or end the climate crisis overnight but in the long run they can have a huge impact in reducing pollution, waste and chemical intake.
Before you jump and run to shop for any of these, try to use the things you already have because they are the most sustainable ones. And remember, one small step at a time, swap things gradually starting with ones that feel the most natural to you.
In the Bathroom
Most of us probably don’t even realize just how much plastic we have in that one small part of our homes. Most commercial bathroom products are made from plastic or come packaged in some kind of plastic.
This is not the only issue too. All these products are filled with chemicals and some of them can even be harmful for our health.
The first thing you do when you wake up is to brush your teeth.
Did you know that every year a billion toothbrushes are thrown away in the US only and most of them are plastic? Switching to sustainable oral care is a big step forward in reducing your footprint.
Bamboo Toothbrush is made with sustainably sourced bamboo and USDA Certified bio-based bristles, and it’s a great alternative that will give you effective dental care while being kind to Earth.
Only a toothbrush won’t get you far with your dental hygiene though, you still need a toothpaste and choosing one that fits the criteria is equally important. If you want to stick to toothpaste in its traditional form then Davids Toothpaste is your best option. For something a little different you can go for Georganics Toothpaste Tablets, but either way you will get a fresh breath the sustainable way!
Traditional personal hygiene products are packaged in plastic bottles and usually get discarded after they serve the purpose with only 9% being recycled. There is another issue here. These products are usually filled with tons of chemicals which are poisoning the environment and possibly being harmful for your health.
Switching to Shampoo and Conditioner Bars with clean ingredients is one of the best things that you can do both for yourself and the environment. They are plastic-free, free of toxins, chemicals and synthetics and will give you healthier, silkier and softer hair. Plus, they will save you money since they usually last 2 to 3 times longer than their liquid counterparts.
Try pairing them with our gorgeous Bamboo Hair Brush which helps improve the health of your scalp, reduce frizz, improve circulation, and increases shine.
While you are in the shower there is one more thing that you can change which can have a great positive impact and it’s switching to a Safety Razor for your shaving routine.
The average person that shaves regularly can go through 40-50 disposable razors a year and up to 2400 in a lifetime. Considering that most of these razors are made with a combination of plastic and steel and can not be recycled that means a lot of added waste in our landfills.
Safety razor was forgotten for quite a while, but now it’s coming back. It’s a great plastic-free alternative that will give you the same or even better shaving experience all while being kind to Earth. It is a great investment as well because it is designed to last a lifetime.
There are many more things that we can swap in the bathroom but like I said, gradually implementing changes will get you further. Bonus points for switching to Menstrual Cups and Reusable Period Pads. I will cover them in depth in one of my future blogs.
In the Kitchen
I am a foodie and I love spending time in the kitchen. There are so many things in that little corner of our home that we can do better. An average US household produces 200lbs of kitchen waste a year which is a huge amount. Simple changes can help significantly reduce that.
Almost half of the waste we produce in the kitchen comes from food waste. This is one of the big sources of greenhouse emissions and the first thing that you should address when making your changes. A great way of preserving food is by using Stasher Silicone Bags to freeze it.
These versatile reusable bags are freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe and can be used for many different things. They are plastic-free, made with the highest quality pure platinum food grade silicone. Use them for marinating and cooking food, for your on the go meals, or even as an accessory bag.
However you decide to use them you will be reducing both food and plastic waste, so this is a no brainer one.
One of my superheroes when it comes to making my kitchen clean and shiny the sustainable way is a Swedish Dishcloth. It will make a huge difference in reducing your waste.
This Earth friendly little thing is made with 70% cellulose and 30% organic cotton and it’s 100% compostable. You can use it to replace paper towels, microfiber clothes, sponges and clean your kitchen with ease!
Doing dishes is probably not one of the favorite things on your to-do list. This daily routine of ours can have a bad impact on the environment and potentially be harmful to our health as well. Most of the dishwasher detergents and pads come in huge plastic containers and most of the time contain not so great ingredients.
Switching to a Solid Dish Soap is a great alternative that we go a long way for you. It is plastic-free, vegan, cruelty-free with no parabens, sulfates or any artificial colors or fragrances. What it does have is the power to easily cut through grease!
I have met some people through my life that don’t drink coffee at all and I’ve always admired them. Not me, tho! I can’t function before I have my first cup. I am sure there are many of you just like me.
Our habit can have a big environmental impact. Many of us use disposable paper filters which get discarded after one use and end up in landfills. In addition to that, these filters are bleached with chlorine.
Switching to a Reusable Coffee Filter can have many benefits like reducing waste and exposure to chemicals, better taste of your coffee and saving money in the long run.
Our coffee filters are handmade with GOTS certified organic cotton and can be reused for a whole year giving your coffee a perfect rich flavor!
When Doing Laundry
Doing laundry is something that doesn’t really bring us too much joy or excitement but it’s something we must do and we try to do it the best way we can.
Making a switch to a more Earth-friendly detergent is something that is good both for you and the environment. Most of the conventional detergents come packaged in big ugly plastic containers, while its eco-friendly alternatives usually come in recycled, recyclable and/or compostable packaging. So, it’s a great chance to reduce your waste here!
With that, conventional detergents are filled with all kinds of chemicals that pollute our waterways and some of them can even be harmful for our health. There are some great eco-friendly detergents that do an amazing job for our clothes.
True Earth Strips are ultra-concentrated, hypoallergenic, cleaning power packed into tiny, pre-measured strips of detergent that you just toss in the wash. It works in all types of washing machines including HE.
Meliora Laundry Powder is another great option that will keep your clothes perfectly clean. It has no parabens, sulfates, preservatives, artificial colors or fragrances. It is also palm oil-free, vegan and cruelty-free.
When it comes to commercial fabric softeners, it’s pretty much the same story as with its cousins-laundry detergents. They come packaged in plastic containers, filled with tons of chemicals. A great way to eliminate these from your routine is to switch to Wool Dryer Balls.
These ethically hand-felted dryer balls made with 100% organic and cruelty-free certified New Zealand wool will naturally soften and fluff your laundry while helping you reduce drying time by 20% to 40% depending on load size. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil and you will have a perfect natural softener!
If you really want to upgrade your sustainable laundry routine then adding Cora Ball to the above mentioned changes is the way to do it!
It is the first-ever microfiber catching laundry ball designed to prevent microfibers from breaking off our clothes and collecting them into fuzz we can see, so we can dispose of them in the right way.
The Cora Ball is effective at reducing 31% of the microfibers that would otherwise flow out of the washing machine from an entire load of wash.
On The Go
All these changes that I’ve mentioned above are related to the time we spend in our home. But our journey doesn’t stop there. With the lifestyle that we have these days, a big portion of the day we spend outside our home and there we can also implement some very important changes.
Probably the first and easiest change to do is to switch to a Reusable Water Bottle and the importance of it is huge. Disposable plastic water bottles are terrible for the environment. They take oil - a finite resource, to be produced, are not biodegradable and only about 9% gets recycled. The rest ends up in oceans and landfills endangering wildlife and marine life.
I said it before that reusable water bottle is probably the first switch on your sustainable journey. We can definitely put reusable shopping bags in that same category. I am sure you have seen a picture somewhere where a plastic bag is swimming in the ocean, strangling a poor turtle or something similar.
Disposable plastic bags are a huge problem, polluting the oceans and the environment and endangering wildlife.
That is why switching to a Reusable Shopping Bag is imperial. I am sure you have a bag or two lying somewhere in your home. You can even upcycle some of your old t-shirts and turn them into one.
If these are not the best options for you then these reusable produce bags made with GOTS certified organic cotton is your best green alternative!
If you are the type of person that likes to carry its own lunch then this is definitely the swap for you! Probably you have some of the plastic containers that you are already using. It’s ok to continue using those until they wear out. When that happens, try to recycle them and get one of the Earth friendly alternatives.
Here are some of the great options from conscious brands like: Stasher which I mentioned earlier in the post, EcoLunchBox and U-Konserve. When taking your lunch with you don’t forget to bring reusable cutlery. This beautiful Bamboo Cutlery Set is a great option. Another great thing to carry with you and comes very handy is this amazing Reusable Tissue Pack.
All of these swaps are important and in which order you would like to implement them is up to you. What is more important than that is the right mindset and the belief that you can change! The rest will follow! Browse our wide collection of eco-friendly and sustainable home goods!
Love, Snow! 
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It’s good that you mentioned that using a Swedish dishcloth can significantly reduce our waste since it is made with 70% cellulose and 30% organic cotton, and it’s 100% compostable, which makes it easier for us to clean our kitchen. I just moved to a new apartment recently, so I have to shop for dishcloths and rugs first before I can start using my kitchen to prepare my meals. I’ll keep this in mind while I look for where I can find Swedish dishcloths for sale to use for my home soon. https://wettexusa.com/swedish-dischloth-the-utlimate-2021-guide/