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This post is all about affordable zero waste swaps and shares the best ways to practice sustainability on a budget.
“Do we really want to be remembered as the generation that buried its head in the sand?” António Guterres asked world leaders in his UN Climate Conference address on December 2nd, 2019. He continues – “By the end of the coming decade we will be on one of two paths, one path is the path of surrender, where we have sleep walked past the point of no return, jeopardizing the health and safety of everyone on this planet. The other option is the path of hope. A path of resolve, of sustainable solutions. We need a rapid and deep change in the way we do business, how we generate power, how we build cities, how we move, how we feed the world. If we don’t urgently change our way of life, we jeopardize life itself.”
Listening to this speech from United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, inspired me to write this article as not all of us are world leaders or CEOs of big corporations. What changes can you make on a daily basis to live more sustainably and contribute to the health of our planet? This post covers 20 easy and affordable zero waste swaps you can make today.
1. Try a Bamboo Toothbrush
This is the easiest on the list of zero waste swaps! Dentists recommend a new toothbrush to be used every 3 months to maintain good oral hygiene. Approximately 1 BILLION toothbrushes are thrown away each year in the USA alone! An easy way to stop this waste is to convert to a toothbrush that can be put in your compost bin and is made of a renewable resource. Bamboo toothbrushes are the perfect alternative!
2. Shop Second Hand/Vintage
I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase “fast fashion” – but what does this mean? Fast fashion is inexpensive clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends. The way to avoid fast fashion is to stop supporting brands that practice fast fashion – shop second hand or vintage or support sustainable small businesses with ethical practices. The best way to decrease your footprint is to actually slow down your buying all together. Ask yourself – Do I really need this item? Can I find it used? What impact will this purchase have on the environment?
3. Shop in Bulk
Talk about an amazing way to save money and to decrease your carbon footprint! Stop buying items packaged in plastic, bring your containers to the bulk store and shop. In Canada, Bulk Barn Foods is a great place to take your containers, have them weighed and have your choice of so many food options. From sweet treats to protein powder – they’ve got it all!
4. Always Carry a Container
Speaking of containers – I recommend you always leave a container in your car or bag because you never know when you might need it! I bring my own container to restaurants to take home leftovers. When I pick up a burrito for lunch I ask them to put it in my container instead of wrapping it up. When I’m craving a Tim Hortons donut I use the container that I keep in my car instead of the paper bag. No waste necessary when you always have a container! You can still eat out and do all of the things you love – just plan ahead to eliminate unnecessary waste!
5. Switch to a Safety Razor
This is another easy swap that will save you money! A safety razor allows you to just change out the razor blades which are recyclable. Therefore, very minimal waste and cost savings as there is no need to purchase a new plastic razor or new plastic razor heads. Safety razors also provide a very close shave so not only are they better for the environment but they work better overall.
6. Pack a Lunch at Home
Let’s be honest – eating out is not only expensive but wasteful. Although carrying a container is a great option it’s a lot more sustainable to purchase food from your local market and make lunch at home on a daily basis!
7. Replace your Loofah
Did you know that you’re supposed to change your loofah as often as your toothbrush? Every 3 months! I’ve always loved my loofah and when I started to eliminate waste from my life, I was sad to see my loofah go. Fortunately I’ve found some awesome low waste alternatives! My three favourites: (1) a sea sponge (pictured) – when sustainably sourced, a sea sponge is an awesome loofah replacement, after 3 months of use just place in your compost bin! (2) A shower brush – a brush made with sustainably sourced bamboo and compostable bristles is an awesome option as well. Again, place in the compost bin when it can no longer be used. (3) A wash cloth – yes, I was surprised too but it works wonders for removing dead skin, just make sure to wash it at least once a week!
8. Always Carry a Water Bottle
This is such an easy one – I carry a water bottle everywhere! Not only is it good for your health but it’s great for the environment as it eliminates your need to purchase plastic water bottles or other beverages. Although the staff at restaurants might give you a funny look – they have always filled up my water bottle every time I’ve asked, so I’m never without water and I’ve eliminated the need for plastic – it’s a win, win!
9. Never Go Without your Travel Cutlery
I bring my travel cutlery everywhere because – well, you never know when you might need a fork! You can simply store spare cutlery from home in reusable bag or wrap in a small towel held together with an elastic. If you prefer, pick up a travel cutlery set. Just ensure you purchase from a sustainable brand.
10. Buy Local Products
Is there a soap store or candle shop in your town? Do you have the choice between purchasing something locally made or something made overseas? Purchasing local not only supports small businesses in your community, but it eliminates a significant amount of emissions that are the direct result of your purchase being shipped to you. I understand this is not always possible but if it is, put your money somewhere that matters and eliminate the additional emissions of purchasing a product from an overseas company.
11. Make Some Makeup Swaps
For those makeup lovers out there, think about how much plastic packaging your products come in. This is a lot of waste and something that I really struggled with when I first started to work towards living zero waste because I LOVE makeup! For those of you who are worried about finding amazing sustainable makeup products – I promise you there are great options. Check out these companies with great zero waste swaps: (1) Elate Cosmetics, (2) Cocoon Apothecary, (3) RMS Beauty
12. Compost, Compost, Compost!
Instead of throwing out food scraps purchase a composter or participate in your city’s compost system. If you don’t have compost in your city there are many options available to eliminate compostable items being sent to the landfill. Putting food into the garbage significantly increases greenhouse gases as food is a source of methane gas, which has 21 times the global warming potential of CO2! Diverting all food waste from landfills is the equivalent of removing 2 million cars from the road. Invest in a compost system – it is probably the most expensive thing on this list but it will be worth it for the difference you can make!
13. The Menstrual Cup
Let’s talk about periods! The good news is, there is a way to get rid of all the plastic packaging from tampons and pads. Using a menstrual cup or reusable pads are a great alternative. Personally I always thought using a menstrual cup would be gross but it’s really not! The cup is also a game changer because you can leave it in for 12 hours – how amazing is that! I’ve been telling everyone I know to make the switch and you should too! The brand I use is @thedivacup but there are lots of other options as well. I recommend looking into which cup is best for your body type and age.
14. Swap Out your Toothpaste
Toothpaste is so tricky especially when you have sensitive gums like I do. I found these two options amazing but there are so many more out there for you to try! (1) Toothpaste Tabs, (2) Green Beaver Natural Toothpaste, – try refilling both of these options at your local bulk store if available!
15. Try Conditioner and Shampoo Bars
How many shampoo and conditioner bottles do you think you have you thrown out? Even if you put them in the recycling bin less than 11 percent of all plastics are recycled in Canada. So what do we do to eliminate this waste? There are so many options! Personally, I love shampoo and condition bars – I think they’re amazing and work so well for travel. You can also refill your shampoo and conditioner bottles at a bulk store. Another option is to try the Plaine Products – they will take back their bottles and sanitize them for future use therefore eliminating as much waste as possible with their closed loop system.
16. There’s Nothing Better Than a Bar of Soap
Buy locally made unwrapped soap to use as body wash and hand wash. No need for plastic bottles, pumps or refill bags. A bar of soap is the way to go! For my fellow Ontarians, here are some of my favourite local soap companies: LUSH, Buck Naked Soap Company, and The Sage Soap Company.
17. Switch to Loose Leaf Tea
Did you know that a majority of tea bags are not compostable? Eliminate the need for waste altogether and purchase your tea in the loose leaf form. Purchase a tea ball and you’ll never have to use a tea bag again! I purchase my teas from Bulk Barn Foods and Davids Tea. You are able to buy a tea container at both locations or bring your own to fill up with the loose leaf tea of your choice!
18. Say Goodbye to Plastic Wrap
One of my favourite alternatives is beeswax wrap! While initially more expensive, each sheet will last up to a year and preserves your food so much better than plastic wrap. You can buy beeswax wrap in a variety of shapes and sizes so you’ll never need plastic wrap again. The best part? Once they’ve reached the end of their life you can compost them! My favourite brand is Abeego.
19. Say Hello to Reusable Bags
Hello reusable grocery bags, sandwich bags, and produce bags – there are so many great alternatives instead of using disposable bags! Keep a reusable bag in your car, backpack or purse so whenever you need one unexpectedly, it’s there! My favourite sandwich/freezer/storage bag alternative is Stasher Bags. This is a female led company and they make reusable, sustainably sourced silicone bags in all shapes and sizes. These bags are not only great for food, freezer safe and dishwasher safe – they can be used for anything from carrying your cutlery to storing your wet swimsuit! Fabric produce bags are also an amazing option – no need for the plastic ones in the grocery store. These alternatives will save you money in the long run and help eliminate a SIGNIFICANT amount of our daily waste!
20. Get Creative with your Transportation
There are so many alternatives to driving a car – if you have another option go with that! A few weeks ago I took the train into Toronto instead of driving. There were so many pros I decided I would do it any time that I had that option available!
The most important on the list of zero waste swaps: Use what you already have
All of the swaps above are great options but if you already have something in your house that will suffice – use that! The most important thing you can do to eliminate waste is buy less. Give the items that you have in your house a new life. For example – no need to buy a fancy soap container for the bulk dishwashing soap you pick up at your local bulk store, bring the old Dawn bottle you’ve emptied – give that bottle a new life until it can no longer be used. Recently I needed to purchase a new tea mug. Instead of buying one new, I cut the top off of one of my old Roots socks and used it as a tea cozy on an mason jar. It’s the perfect mug, it cost nothing, and I get compliments on it all the time. Give your old items new life – it’s the best way to eliminate waste!
What are your favourite zero waste swaps on this list? Share this post with a friend to help them make easy zero waste swaps today!
