10 Environmentally Friendly, Plastic Free Products You’ve Never Thought to Try
When I started my blog, the biggest tip everyone shared was create a theme, a niche, focus on one thing. Well obviously, I’m not a good listener as my site has already become a melting pot of things to do, places to go, travel tips and even stories about my childhood.
However, there is a common theme – the beauty of life and this incredible planet!
I’ve decided to not only use this platform for sharing travel adventures but to bring issues to light that are important to me. One of those is our overuse of plastics and the detrimental effect it’s having on our planet.
[Note: This article may contain affiliate links.]
The Dangers of Plastics
Plastics and their ingredients are pervading our oceans and land, filling up our landfills at astronomical rates and contributing to health problems in both humans and wildlife.
Since 1960, the amount of plastic found in landfills has grown from less than 1% of our waste stream to 12% despite all of the well-intended campaigns at recycling. Although I’m a strong advocate of recycling, the truth is the plastics industry rarely uses recycled plastics in the vast majority of products, something that is atypical of the glass and metal industries. Just because you dump all your plastics into the recycle bin on trash day doesn’t mean non-recyclable plastics don’t just get separated out and sent to live their long hearty lives in our landfills.
Many plastics are also toxic to humans. They contain thousands of additives which manufacturers are not required to disclose. Even BPA-free plastic water bottles can leach chemicals into water, especially if exposed to heat like sitting in a hot car all day in the summer (guilty as charged). Some of those chemicals even include endocrine disrupters that interfere with hormone levels.
Now, I am not going to pretend to be an expert in the field and perhaps you think it’s all an exaggeration, but even so, why take a chance? Why not simply take extra care to avoid plastics when it comes to food and drinks, or toys for young children who often put them in their mouths? Alternatives exist. Why not use them? It’s that simple.
The Solution – Stop Using Plastics
The only real solution to the plastic epidemic is to stop using plastics whenever possible. Here are some unique products that can help us on our journey to leave plastics far behind us in the rear-view mirror like the bad, toxic boyfriend they’ve become.
Note: This post may contain affiliate links.
1. Toothpaste Bits & Bamboo Toothbrushes
Bite even makes mouthwash bits in addition to floss, toothpaste bits and bamboo brushes.
More than 1 billion toothpaste tubes are thrown in the trash every year with harsh chemical residues that end up in landfills and oceans. That’s enough to fill the Empire State Building 50 times.
The company Bite has come up with a unique, plastic free alternative to replace these conventional tubes we grew up with called Toothpaste Bits. They are bite-size pods so-to-speak that you simply bite into causing them to turn into toothpaste then brush as usual. They’re packaged in plastic-free glass bottles and refills are sent in compostable wrap.
Along with toothpaste bits, replace your plastic toothbrushes with sustainable bamboo toothbrushes. These are becoming more and more common and the ones made by Eco Roots include bristles made of recyclable bristles and 100% compostable bamboo handles. Think of how many plastic toothbrushes we waste especially when you consider we’re told to replace them every 3 months! Annually, that equates to about a billion in the U.S. alone.
2. Laundry Detergent Sheets & Stain Sticks
Earth Breeze partners with We are Neutral to offset carbon emissions so deliveries are carbon neutral.
Over 700 million plastic laundry jugs end up in landfills each year. A great alternative to these plastic bottles full of liquid are zero-waste laundry strips. You just throw the pre-measured strip of detergent into the wash and it dissolves into soap. Most companies package the strips in biodegradable recycled paper envelopes, using zero plastic. It’s an ingenious alternative to shipping plastic bottles full of non-concentrated detergent that are over 60-90% water all over the country!
There are several companies that sell these laundry strips including Earth Breeze which donates 10 loads of detergent to nonprofits and charities for each package purchased.
SoulShine Soap laundry sticks don’t contain any of the harsh chemicals found in conventional products yet they still tackle stains and come packed in 100% recyclable paper. No plastic is ever used.
For tough to remove stains, consider also switching to all-natural stain remover sticks. You simply wet the bar and apply to the stains then wash as usual (preferably with detergent sticks).
3. Biodegradable Shampoo & Conditioner Bars
Eco Roots shampoo and conditioner bars come in a variety of bright colors and scents.
For most of us, we’ve been trained to think shampoos and conditioners only come in plastic bottles which we’ve been tossing into the trash can once empty our entire lives. Most of us have probably never even considered the possibility that other options exist. But why is that? Did you know you can actually buy shampoo bars that work just as good, smell just as nice and use zero plastic? Well, it’s true. Simply rub the bar into wet hair and rinse just like you would with any other shampoo. One 2.25 oz. shampoo bar can actually be used for 50-75 washes! Follow this with the same steps for the conditioner bars.
Eco Roots is a great brand that sells a variety of bars in great scents like fresh mint and lavender.
Note: Just like bottled shampoo, not all brands work the same for everyone. If you try one you don’t like, don’t just give up on bars altogether. Simply try another until you find the one that works for you.
4. Bamboo Straws
1 billion plastic, petroleum-based straws are used every single day worldwide. Over 500 million are used daily in the U.S. alone, enough to fill over 46,000 school buses with straws each year. What’s worse is many end up in our oceans posing a real danger to their fragile habitats and marine life.
My first thought when I hear these statistics is don’t use a straw. Super easy fix as they really are not a necessity. However, I realize some of us won’t give up that easy and sometimes health reasons actually do necessitate them. For example, some neurological diseases cause an inability to hold a cup or drink out of one without spilling.
Reusable straws are a great alternative and you can easily find metal ones. However, this isn’t always practical and they are aren’t always convenient to carry around.
Luckily, there’s another option. Biodegradable bamboo straws are slowly starting to gain popularity at restaurants and bars. They’re made of sustainable materials, chemical free, and 100% biodegradable unlike alternatives. They also don’t transfer heat making them great for both hot and cold beverages.
5. Reusable Beeswax Food Wrap
Made from organic cotton, beeswax, organic joboba oil and tree resin, reusable beeswax food wrap is a revolutionary alternative to the cling wrap of our mother’s generation. It is quite literally changing the world of food storage for the better. You can even wash it and reuse, not to mention it’s compostable.
I truly think this is one of the most exciting alternatives I’ve found to the every day environmental deviants I grew up using.
6. Reusable Silicone Food Storage Bags
Stasher reusable silicone storage bags are plastic-free reusable storage bags that put traditional Ziplocs to shame. You can bake, microwave, boil and freeze them. They have airtight seal locks to store food without accidents, are extremely heat resistant and can even be safely washed in your dishwasher. They can be used over and over again but if you do ever reach a point you have to toss them, they are 100% recyclable at select locations. They even come in a large variety of sizes.
Interestingly, the inventor of these bags, Kat Nouri, went on ABC’s Shark Tank where she accepted an investment that allowed her business to go full scale, and Inc. named Stasher one of the seven most “brilliant” product designs of 2016.
It’s truly another revolutionary product that’s sold at several locations including REI.
7. Refillable Shopping Jars
Many local stores are starting to develop reusable container programs where you simply have the jar weighed then fill it up with whatever you are purchasing, return and pay. These are great for bulk foods that come in large bins at the store like grains, dried trial mix, nuts, and candies. They also work great for things you might not even think about like deli items, fruits and vegetables which would otherwise be put in disposable bags that end up in landfills.
If your local stores don’t have reusable container programs, encourage them to adopt them. In the meantime, use reusable produce bags or recycle old bags when shopping.
8. Plastic Free Deodorant
Bai-Li is a perfect alternative to plastic free deodorant. Their deodorants come in biodegradable push tubes with zero plastic, are aluminum free and handmade in small batches in Los Angeles.
Conventional deodorant tubes are not only plastic, they are usually a combination of different types of plastics making proper recycling almost impossible. Try a plastic-free natural deodorant cream in a glass jar or natural deodorant sticks packaged in cardboard instead like those you can find at Bai-Li, Meow Meow Tweet or Native.
9. Ethical Makeup Products
There are quite a few ethical make up brands to choose from these days. However, not all of them are truly sustainable and eco-friendly. Some brands and sites to look toward are Dab Herb, Clean-Faced Cosmetics and Dirty Hippie. Many come packaged in containers made from cardboard, recycled tin and/or bamboo. They use silicone brushes with wooden handles and other non-plastic alternatives.
10. Bamboo Cutlery
Bamboo utensils and cutlery are extremely strong and durable. Not only is bamboo heat and water resistant, it is completely eco-friendly. Bamboo is 100% biodegradable as long as it is not chemically processed and can easily be regenerated. It is estimated that over 40 billion plastic utensils are used and thrown out by Americans every single year. A switch to bamboo has a huge impact.
Small daily actions have a profound overall impact on the future of this planet. Making the commitment to use plastic-free products is the first step toward a more sustainable future.
This article was inspired by “PETE The Water Bottle,” a creative idea my brother-in-law came up with to bring awareness to the over use and dangers of plastic in this country. PETE is a polyethylene terephthalate (PETE or PET for short) “disposable” water bottle that he’s been carrying around for years as a social experiment on just how insanely long PETE will last. His plight can be followed on Instagram @pete_my_water_bottle_buddy.
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