Living a zero-waste lifestyle looks different for every person, and that is what makes this lifestyle so fun! I personally know I still have a lot to learn, but I also appreciate how far I have come on my own zero-waste journey. I enjoy learning and sharing zero-waste lifestyle tips + tricks with others in hopes I can be an inspiration for those on their own zero-waste journey!
One of the fun things to experience while living a zero-waste lifestyle is finding sustainable products that just make sense. These are items I wish I would have known about years or decades ago, that are better quality than single-use versions, and save time + money. Here are my top 3 zero-waste lifestyle products that make my life a bit easier:
My favorite zero-waste item for the bathroom are these washable make-up pads. I use these to replace disposable cotton rounds, which I used to need daily to remove my make-up. Now I use the reusable pads daily and only go through one or two pads a week. I simply toss them in the washing machine with my regular towels and they come out clean as new! Simply apply your favorite make-up remover liquid to the cloth and use anywhere on your face. Now I no longer buy disposable cotton rounds, which is great for the environment and better for my wallet.
My favorite zero-waste cleaning item is the washable floor mop from O-Cedar. This floor mop is sold almost everywhere (Target, large grocery stores, Amazon) and is much stronger than the Swiffer mop with disposable pads. The handle is extremely sturdy, and the liquid container is large enough where I only need to fill every 2 to 3 weeks. The mop pads are double-sided, machine washable, and prevent disposable pads from ending up in the landfill. I have found owning 3 washable pads works well for our family, as I simply wash them with my regular cleaning towels. My floor mop has lasted 2 years so far and has paid for itself by cutting out Swiffer pad purchases.
An easy way to continue my zero-waste lifestyle outside my home is by being prepared for anything the day has in store for me. This means keeping items in my car for the “what-ifs”: what if I need to run an errand, what if I meet a friend for lunch, or what if I have an unexpected long day. The items I keep in my car to be prepared include reusable grocery & produce bags, an extra filled reusable water bottle, and my to-go utensil kit. This kit is a fun way to share my zero-waste lifestyle with others. I often use mine when eating at a restaurant that provides plastic utensils. Not to sound like a broken record, but I’m all about any opportunity to reduce how much I send to the landfill. Typical plastic utensils take hundreds of years to decompose in the landfill, and although compostable utensils are available, these are only compostable at industrial compost factories, not at-home composts (which I have personally tried in my own backyard compost bin). Meals taste better on a metal fork rather than a plastic fork anyways!
I store my to-go utensils in a small washable tie-up pouch that I can clean when needed. Other zero waste utensil kits come with collapsible utensils, keychain versions, bamboo material, and the list goes on.
I hope this inspires you to find your own zero-waste lifestyle items that make your life easier, the environment cleaner, and your wallet fuller. Living a zero-waste lifestyle looks different for every single person, but by making small sustainable choices every day we can all make the world a little greener!
A big shout out to the following websites where I found these great sustainable products: Target, Amazon, & Etsy.