The holidays are coming fast. Each year, I like to come up with a holiday guide of sorts (here is last years guide). This year, my goal is to only buy either eco-friendly products/gifts or from local small businesses for my loved ones. So, here are 10 eco-friendly products that I not only love, but also use daily!
Shampoo Bars
Shampoo bars are amazing because they take the place of 2-3 plastic bottles of shampoo. If that alone is not enough to get you on the shampoo bar train immediately, buying from companies like Lush insures ethical buying, is handmade, 100% vegetarian, fights animal testing AND offered naked packaging (aka LESS WASTE). This is my favorite Shampoo Bar from Lush.
Yeti Water Bottle
Really just any reusable water bottle. Did you know that humans buy about 1,000,000 plastic bottles per minute? Or that out of the 50 million bottles of water being bought each year, 80% end up in a landfill, even though recycling programs exist? WHAT!? Reusable water bottles take less oil to produce, replaces all of the plastic you would’ve used, therefore reduces your carbon footprint. This is my favorite reusable water bottle from Yeti.
Yeti Coffee Mug
All of the above. Read it again. And again. Also, it is SO MUCH CHEAPER to make your own coffee at home and bring it to work. Let’s say your normal order at Starbucks cost $4. Buying coffee 5 times a week, every week, costs $1,040. Do the right thing, save the planet and buy my favorite reusable coffee mug from Yeti.
Stainless Steel Reusable Straws
For some reason, straws has become the symbol of our reliance/overuse of plastic. Restaurants, and even some cities, across the world have placed a ban on plastic straws. For good reason! If plastic straws are disposed improperly, they can end up in our lakes and oceans doing irreversible harm to marine wildlife and ecosystems. A friend bought me this set of engraved stainless steel reusable straws that I use daily.
Reusable Zip Lock Bags
This was a game changer for me. The one plastic item I had such a hard time of finding a replacement for was my zip lock bags. I mean, you can literally use zip lock bags for EVERYTHING. Then, while browsing online one day, I found these. I use them for food storage, to bring snacks to work, for traveling. They are so versatile.
Mesh Produce Bags
Using reusable shopping bags for your food shopping is an excellent first step. To go one step further, buy these reusable mesh produce bags. They are zero waste, easy to clean, and the cashier will have no issues seeing through the bags to scan your items.
Blueland Cleaning Products
I could gush about how much Blueland has changed my life until the day I die. Essentially, you buy a bottle once, and can refill it for life with a tablet that dissolves in water. They have a ton of different products, all of which I use daily in my apartment: multi-surface cleaner, glass cleaner, bathroom cleaner, hand soap, dish soap, tablets for the dishwasher and tablets for laundry! Refills come in compostable packaging and are so tiny that I can store tablets to last a year in a glass jar under my sink. You can buy the full bundle here.
Almond Cow
Okay. This one is expensive. Also, only applicable if you, like me, are lactose intolerant, vegan, or chose plant based milk. The Almond Cow transforms any nut, seed, or grain into milk at the touch of a button. Here is the starter bundle. It really is the easiest, fastest process to get fresh plant based milk within minutes. Bonus: Almond Cow prevents more than 1,500,000 single use cartons from ever being made. Double bonus: all of their ingredients are certified gluten free, USDA Certified Organic, and non-gmo.
Dryer Balls
First, did you know that fabric softener and dryer sheets are full of chemicals and perfumes? Wool dryer balls not only cut down on drying time, but they also won’t affect the absorbency of linens or workout wear. They are natural, economical and so easy to use. I use these dryer balls and as an added bonus, I put a few drops of these essential oils on the dyer balls before using to make my laundry smell extra yummy.
Locally made Body Soap
Supporting local businesses is so important, especially in today’s world. Living in Phoenix, we are lucky to being able to have year round Farmers Markets that sell all kinds of foods and goods. I will buy handmade soap bars to use as body soap from any local business. You’ll reduce the amount of plastic waste you have, while supporting local. Win-win.
Do you have an eco-friendly products you swear by? Let me know in the comments!
Yours,
Gabrielle
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