Here are my 5 top reusable products for those new in their eco friendly journeys.
These 5 items will easily replace single-use items in your life that typically just go into the trash. Some are obvious, some not so much, but these items are a great starting point for anyone looking to live more sustainably.
I also recommend checking out my Beginner’s Guide to Eco Living blog post. It’s another great resource for anyone newer in their eco journeys!
I’m all about making positive lifestyle changes and developing healthy habits. These five reusable products are all very easy to start using today into your life, and they alone will get a ton of single-use items OUT of your home. It’s a win-win too: because it also saves you money over time as you’re not buying those single-use items over & over again. For example, I personally haven’t bought ziploc bags in over a year, so the $8 I initially spent to buy reusable ones has paid for itself several times over.
These are 5 pretty basic reusable products. Remember, it’s a starter-guide! If you’re already a master of these five products, you’re amazing! Go check out my more in-depth blog post that covers these five items in even more detail and has other tips for reducing your single-use plastic use: Eco-Friendly Living Guide
Let's get started!
01. Reusable Shopping Bags
Replaces: grocery bags, produce bags, all single-use shopping bags
I know it’s obvious. But you guys, this is the one of the easiest eco friendly products ever.
Cue rant…
There really is no excuse for you to not be using reusable bags.
It’s no big deal if you forget them once, ask if they have paper bags available. And if not, save them & be sure to reuse them as doggie bags or something.
But there is zero excuse for all of us to not to use reusable bags the majority of the time. The average American takes home almost 1,500 plastic shopping bags in ONE year. That’s CRAZY! Reusable bags are less than a dollar. Don’t get that Starbucks this week and buy 5 reusable bags instead.
End rant.
02. Wool Dryer Balls
Replaces: dryer sheets
Why didn’t I discover these sooner? Dryer sheets can’t be recycled, nor do they decompose. They’re permanent waste on our planet. Plus, most dryer sheets (even including the ones labelled “organic” and “natural”) are covered in fragrances & toxic chemicals that are horrible for you and can irritate sensitive skin.
Dryer balls solve those problems, plus they cut down my dry time by at least 30%, so it also saves electricity. Plus you can reuse them so it’s way cheaper than buying several packs of dryer sheets. Mine have been going strong for well over a year now. They’re an amazing reusable product!
03. Reusable Straws
Replaces: single-use plastic straws
It’s 2019 y’all, we don’t use plastic straws anymore. Get yourself a nice big pack of cute stainless steel straws on Amazon for a few dollars. Use them around your home, and carry them in your handbag to use while you’re out. This is a little harder to develop into a habit than other reusable products, but it catches on quick, I promise.
04. Beeswax Reusable Wraps
Replaces: plastic wrap and plastic (ziploc) bags
These food wraps are awesome. They take a bit of getting used to; admittedly my husband isn’t quite there yet. But they’re one of my new favorite kitchen products.
I use them for food storage and in replace of storage bags. I wrap things like cheese and leftover pizza to put in the fridge. I also use it for the tops of dishes instead using plastic wrap. It’s so cool, and it’s super easy to wipe clean.
(Tip: After using it in the fridge it gets bit stiff, so leave it out for a few minutes to get back to room temperature and then it’s easier to wipe clean and fold up and store away for next time.)
Same as the dryer balls, these reusable products save you money over time.. mine have been going strong for over a year and show no signs of slowing down.
05. Reusable Bottles
Replaces: plastic water bottles, soda bottles, coffee cups etc.
Pretty obvious, I know. But it has to be mentioned because not enough people use them.
Carry that reusable water bottle absolutely everywhere and refill it in drinking fountains. It saves you a lot of money over time; those bottled drinks at gas stations, vending machines, etc. really add up. Plus it’s healthier for you to just get used to drinking water throughout the day instead of sodas and juices.
Like I said, I’m all about developing healthier habits, and this is a huge one. We haven’t bought bottled water in our home for years (except for our emergency hurricane supply… #floridalife)
Final Thoughts
When you think one person can’t make a difference, think about if just 1,000 new people started using reusable shopping bags, that would cut out approximately 1.5 MILLION single-use plastic bags from ending up in our oceans every single year. Small changes make huge impacts.
There are 7.5 billion people on this planet, and our the effects our overuse of plastics like shopping bags have on our planet is detrimental.
No one is perfectly zero-waste. And that’s okay. I still would like to encourage you to inspire your loved ones to make these positive changes with you. Buy your friends and family these environmentally friendly products for their next birthday or holiday.
Join me in being our planet’s ambassador.
Thank you for reading.
Meet the Writer
Hi, I'm Teresa!
Thank you for taking the time to read my little space on the internet. I’m a digital creator, blogger & environmental advocate.
