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Making changes to low waste living doesn’t have to be complicated. This post is all about making budget-friendly sustainable swaps!
First things first, the most important sustainable swaps you can make are to use the items you already have! The biggest way to eliminate waste is to buy less (which is also great for your budget). Give the items that you have in your house a new life! I’ll give some examples of this below.
Secondly, I want you to remember to focus on progress over perfection. This topic is something I’ve been thinking a lot about lately. The truth is we all know the detrimental impacts of climate change (see why you NEED to start living sustainably), and it’s an overwhelming feeling when you read the climate statistics. How are we ever going to make a big enough change to reverse the damage? I have had many conversations with friends about this and a common theme has come through – how big a change can one person really make?
But as we’ve seen many times – one person can make a huge impact which is why I’m sharing these 21 sustainable swaps with you today. Once you start making changes, your actions will influence those around you. Together we will all start demanding change from big corporations and governments. We will demand that they do better or they won’t get our support and that is our power as the people.
This post is for those of you who are new to low waste living, if you’re someone who doesn’t know where to start – start here! These are 21 sustainable swaps that save the planet and save you money.
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”
— Anne-Marie Bonneau
You can introduce these swaps one at a time, no need to overhaul your whole life. Just make one small change at a time towards a more sustainable lifestyle.
#1 – Wool Dryer Balls
- This is one of the best sustainable swaps! Dryer balls are an affordable and easy way to replace dryer sheets and fabric softeners. Goodbye plastic bottles and hello savings! Dryer balls soften laundry naturally, eliminate static and shorten drying time which saves energy.
#2 – Laundry Detergent Strips
- These are awesome sustainable swaps for laundry detergent sold in jugs. Plus they aren’t nearly as heavy, are much easier to store and there is no plastic waste. Would recommend trying these out or taking one of your old laundry jugs to be refilled at a bulk store or bulk soap store (if it’s available in your area). To my GTA friends – check out Molloy’s Bulk Refill and Soap Supply.
#3 – Menstrual Cup & Leak Proof Underwear
- I am not going to lie to you, switching to both of these items will be an adjustment but oh my goodness are they ever life changing. Not only are menstrual cups and leak proof underwear a much better alternative for the environment, they are AMAZING for your budget. Just think about never having to buy tampons or pads again! Personally, it took me about 4 cycles to get used to using the menstrual cup so give yourself some time to see if it’s right for you. Leak proof underwear is something I think everyone with a cycle should have and if you’re only a pad user, these underwear are SO much more comfortable than pads and hold up a lot better! Would definitely recommend looking into this as an option to give you more comfort, reduce waste and save money!
#4 – Plant-Based Diet
- The science has never been clearer, animal-based food products have a greater environmental impact than plant-based ones. So making the change to a plant-based diet is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. This doesn’t mean you have to make a drastic change to your diet all at once. Start slowly, even with one meal per week – do what works best for you. I think you will also find your grocery bill to be significantly less expensive as meat products tend to run at a higher price compared to plant protein alternatives. Decreasing your meat consumption comes with many other health benefits – read more here from Harvard Medical School. Before you make any changes to your diet please consult your health care provider to ensure you are meeting your daily nutrient requirements.
#5 – Compostable Phone Case
- Plastic phone cases used to be the only options, but now companies have created amazing sustainable swaps that can be composted which will significantly reduce plastic waste in the tech industry! I have used a compostable phone case for the last year on two different phones and they work so well! There are awesome Canadian brands such as Pela Case in tech stores now. It’s showing that consumers are demanding others options.
#6 – Microfiber Cloths
- Use these great sustainable swaps as an affordable alternative to disposable dust buster cloths or Swiffer Sweeper pads. I use these to clean my entire house and use the different colours for different areas of my home. My favourite use is the floor. I no longer buy Swiffer pads (wet or dry) – I simply hook one of these cloths onto the bottom of my Swiffer Sweeper and clean away! I have to say, these are seriously amazing for pet hair! When I want to do a wet mop, I will hook on a cloth, spray it down and spray down the floor with my favourite all-purpose cleaner. It works so well and saves so much money and packaging from buying both wet and dry cleaning pads.
#7 – Silicone Storage Bags
- These silicone storage bags are amazing and the perfect plastic-free alternative to plastic zip bags. Not only will you save money, these bags are so much more durable compared to plastic ones. I use these for food storage, to pack lunches, to freeze food, to store bar soap and glass bottles when I travel and so much more!
#8 – Beeswax Wrap
- Beeswax wrap is the perfect reusable and compostable alternative to plastic wrap. I seriously love this swap! It makes my life in the kitchen so much easier and completely eliminates unnecessary plastic waste. When they are not taking shape as easily, simply compost them!
#9 – Reusable Paper Towels
- I love my reusable paper towels. I recommend keeping them in a drawer or basket in the kitchen. Then have a small basket in your laundry room or under the sink for used ones. You can do a load once a week with your other cleaning cloths and tea towels. I have not bought paper towels in over a year which has saved me so much money and unnecessary waste. I guarantee you will love these, and so will your wallet!
#10 – Tea Ball
- Tea balls are used for loose leaf tea. Personally, I opt for loose leaf tea purchased at the bulk store over tea bags as many tea bags are not compostable, even though the tea is. This swap is also a money saver, as loose leaf tea is significantly less expensive than tea bags.
#11 – Silicone Lids
- These lids also help eliminate plastic waste from plastic wrap. Use them to cover bowls of different sizes, cups, or directly cover up half of a fruit or vegetable.
#12- Reusable Produce Bags
- Instead of grabbing a plastic produce bag at the grocery store, bring your own fabric produce bags! This helps eliminate a significant amount of unnecessary plastic waste from those thin plastic produce bags that are used once and thrown out.
#13 – Reuse Food Containers
- Instead of purchasing more plastic tupperware containers start to reuse empty food containers to give them a second life. You can use them to store food that you’ve shopped for in bulk or just some leftovers from dinner. The jar in this photo used to be a mayonnaise jar. I’ve used it for overnight oats, smoothies and packing fruit for lunch as you see here. There is no need to buy fancy new tupperware if you can use what you already have! This will save you money and will significantly reduce your waste.
#14 – Rechargeable Lighter
- A rechargeable lighter is much easier to use than a plastic lighter and it will last forever. Just recharge and light those candles!
#15 – Silicone Baking Mats
- These were the best addition to my kitchen! Silicone baking mats replace the need for parchment paper. They are so easy to wash and reuse regularly and they help protect your pans. Another money saver!
#16 – Silicone Baking Cups
- Another great addition to the kitchen! Silicone baking cups replace the foil or paper muffin cups. I love these because they are so easy to wash and you never have any trouble trying to peel the muffin out of the cup unlike some paper options.
#17 – Reusable Grocery Bags
- I think most of us know about this sustainable swap but yet I constantly see people buying plastic bags at the grocery store. I find this is because people often forget their bags and then have to opt for plastic ones. An easy tip for remembering your bags is to leave them in your car! I always leave about 3-5 reusable bags in my car incase I need to make a last minute trip to the grocery store. When I was in university and took the bus to the store, I brought a backpack along with reusable bags. I found it was so much easier to carry my groceries in a backpack when using public transport so I recommend giving that a try! Many bags actually fold up very small, so try to bring one everywhere you go in case you need it! Why stop with just grocery shopping? Bring reusable bags to the mall as well to eliminate any waste from shopping bags.
#18 – Reduce Food Waste
- In Canada alone, “2.2 million tonnes of edible food is wasted each year, costing Canadians in excess of $17 billion.” Food waste is a significant problem worldwide and not only does it have a significant economic cost, food waste as a huge environmental impact. Food waste in the home is often caused by buying too much, cooking too much or storing food incorrectly. I highly recommend you read more into this topic in this great article by the City of Toronto. Here are a few quick tips you can take away to reduce your food waste:
- Meal plan and check your kitchen BEFORE you do. Incorporate items you currently have in your fridge, freezer and cupboards into your meals for the week. Don’t buy more than you need.
- Freeze items that may go bad soon such as bread, soft bananas, spinach and other fruits or vegetables. I will often freeze half of a can of beans to use for nachos or in a stir fry later on. Fruits can be used in smoothies or baking. Vegetables can be used in smoothies, soups or a stir fry.
- Measurements matter when meal planning so ensure you write on your grocery list the actual amount you need for your meal. For example, don’t purchase a 400ml can of beans if the recipe calls for 250ml OR plan to incorporate these beans into at least two meals that week. Ensure you check the serving sizes of each recipe and if it’s too much you can always 1/2 the recipe or plan ahead to freeze 1/2 of the meal.
#19 – Safety Razor
- A safety razor is a great replacement for disposable plastic razors. It allows you to keep the base of the razor and to replace and recycle the blade when needed. Not only does this save a significant amount of plastic waste and money, safety razors give a closer shave and are an all-around better tool. They do take some time to get used to using, if you’ve only used plastic razors so I recommend watching some tutorials online before you use a safety razor for the first time.
#20 – Compostable Floss
- Did you know a majority of the dental floss sold today is made from plastic? Switching to compostable floss is an easy way to make your oral care routine plastic free. The cost is the same and is much better for the environment. A win-win!
#21 – Bamboo Toothbrush
- Last but not least – switch to a bamboo toothbrush in 2021! Dentists recommend changing your toothbrush every 3 months to maintain good oral hygiene. Approximately 50 million pounds of waste is added to landfills each year just from plastic toothbrushes. This is in the USA alone. An easy way to stop contributing to this waste is to make the switch to a toothbrush that can be put in your compost bin and is made of a renewable resource – a bamboo toothbrush!
What is the first swap you will make this year? Let me know in the comments below and feel free to share your favourite sustainable swaps!
