Eco-friendly Alternatives

[xSuperMario64x]

most obvious thing to me is: PLEASE do not eat with paper plates/plastic silverware on a regular basis like my dad does!! I've come to loathe using disposable dishes, even at a social gathering where they're called for. it's an absolute waste. please just get ceramic/glass dishes, they're re-usable practically forever and they're really easy to clean (and in case you're wondering about wasting water, all I do is fill up one half of a tub in my sink with hot water and soap and that's all I use to wash dishes. using a bit of water to wash dishes every day is way better than throwing away thousands of paper plates and plastic forks and spoons over the course of a year). refusing to wash dishes, especially if you're physically capable like my dad is, is pure laziness.

other things I do to be environmentally conscious are:
- I use re-usable shopping bags, and if I forgot mine then I usually try to put everything in 1-2 bags. I also re-use and recycle all plastic bags, including ziplocs.
- I ALWAYS recycle stuff if I can. plastic, paper, aluminum, glass, you name it. always make sure that you wash any and all food particles out of plastic, aluminum and glass before recycling!
- I refuse to buy brand new clothes. I always get my clothes from thrift stores now, particularly because it's easier to find stuff that comfortably fits me, it's more my style (I like the 80s-90s clothes style), and it's WAY cheaper (I usually can buy jeans for $3-6 per, meanwhile my grandma over here spending $45 on one pair of jeans for me ).
- I haven't actually done this yet but I'm considering buying re-usable menstrual pads (please do not judge, I can't use cups/tampons) because I'm really tired of the waste that comes with using disposable pads, not to mention the outrageous cost.
- Im very conscious of lights being off and only using ad much water as needed. I know LEDs don't use as much power as incandescent lights used to, but I still hate when people leave lights on that aren't being used (people in my house do this a lottttt). same goes for water usage.

when I get my own house I'm hoping to do more to help the environment, like hanging clothes out to dry on a line and having a compost bin. until then I do what I can.

 

[mermaidshelf]

I made the switch to bar soaps for washing my hands and replacing my body soap (but not completely because I developed a stress rash so sometimes I use Aveeno). It's more economical too! I've tried Lush's shampoo bars but I have a very oily scalp with curly hair and they left my hair so hard and dry but I'm willing to try again. Probably another brand haha. I use this Korean super thin cotton pad. It's basically as thin as a tissue but sturdier. I've looked into reusable facial pads/wipes and I may make the switch. I don't use q-tips. I buy 1ply but it's harder to find these days so I'll buy thin 2 ply.

Spoiler: warning: feminine products

I use a cup and I'm looking into Thinx.

I use reusable shopping bags and produce bags when they let me. I have a water bottle that I take to work everyday and when I go out. I don't use napkins, tissues or paper towels. I'll use towels or handkerchiefs or 1 sheet of toilet paper if necessary.

I'm pescaterian. I do vegetarian and vegan days. I'll choose oatmilk over milk or almond milk (although almonds don't use as much water as milk) but mostly I just drink water. I try to eat whole foods over processed foods. I'll choose to eat in over take out or ask if they'll let me use my own containers. When COVID hit, I asked to at least not include napkins and utensils.

I let my hair air dry 99% of the time and I use natural sunlight as much as I can. I've had to same hair dryer for 20 years. I try to get as much use out of my phones to reduce electronic waste. I tend to use phones for 4 to 5 years.

An update: I just bought bar shampoo and conditioner from Ethique! I had tried Lush before but it left my hair somehow both dry AND greasy??? I'm hoping they work better because I really want to make this switch. I got a silicone soap drainer to store them as well. I know silicone isn't perfect but it doesn't degrade like plastic does (microparticles). I'm on the look out for a good bar dish detergent now. I have heard Dr Bronner's bar soap can be used for dishes as well so I'll try that out. I also got a pair of period panties from Modibodi to use together with my cup. I'm also learning that perfect is the enemy of the good. Even though I'm not being 100% zero waste, I'm still trying and if everyone tries (moreso big corporations than people), we can make a huge impact.

 

[ChocoPie22]

• Reusable shopping bags

My whole family uses reusable shopping bags, like those cloth ones, we do have a bunch of plastic bags, but we tend to use them for trash bags for the restroom trash cans since those trash cans are smaller than the main trash can.

• Cloth towels

I'm not really sure if this is eco-friendly, but instead of paper towels we use cloth towels to dry our hands, or wipe down counters, etc.

What I want to try

• Beeswax Cling Wrap

There are these reusable cling wrap things, that are made of beeswax and cloth, and they never rip. You can wash them, and if they're no longer sticky you just rub them and heat them up with your hands to melt some of the beeswax and make it sticky again.

• Composting

We have a composting bin, but don't always throw all of the food waste into it, our gardeners just put the leaves and grass clippings into it, I want to try to put more of our banana peels, apple cores, etc. into that bin instead of the trash can.

• Eco-friendly packaging

We have so, so much trash, but we are also a four people household, so it kind of makes sense, but when I move out, I want to try to reduce my trash to nothing, I know its more expensive, but recyclable packaging with meat, and stuff you can't grow at home would be nice.

• Growing your fruits and veggies at home

I would like to build a greenhouse one day and have all my fruits and veggies grown at home, not only do you not have to worry about the packaging, but it's cheaper, and you know what is going into your produce, and that it is fresh.

 

[Autumn247]

Reusable shopping bags and my backpack. I have to take the bus to grocery shop so I try to bring as many reusable bags in my backpack as I can reasonably carry so I can put groceries in those and in my backpack for the bus ride home.

I use steel straws for my smoothies, bought a set off Amazon for like $12-$14, don't know if it's eco friendly but it's probably a lot better than single use plastic straws

I use a reusable Swiffer wetjet mop pad, so instead of the single use plastic ones I have two cloth ones I bought and they connect to it and when you're done using them you can just throw them in the washer. I also bought a big pack of reusable cleaning cloths. So instead of cleaning with paper towels I do my cleaning with those and just put them in the washer when I'm done. And I have enough so I can use different ones for different jobs around the house.

Another thing I do is have a water bottle. I have a 32oz camelbak water bottle (it's plastic so not great for the environment, but it means I always have water and never have to buy single use plastic bottles of water from the stores) I use a pitcher and fill it with tap water, put it in the fridge, then fill my water bottle up whenever I need to. I've had it for a few years now.

I'm considering getting cloth reusable produce bags, those little plastic produce bags at the grocery store are ridiculous, they're such a waste, not to mention flimsy and I've had them rip open and my produce fall out before.

 

[Millysaurusrexjr]

I could do way better on cutting down on plastics and whatnot. For a couple years now I've been using re-usable grocery bags that fold up.. And I have made my own cloth face masks so I don't have to use the disposable ones.

Also, I hang my clothes out to dry on a line rather then using a dryer (only blankets and towels go in the dryer).

Sometimes I use plastic containers from the grocery store (like a sour cream cup) as a cup for my paint water, and recently I've started painting on cardboard occasionally.

I'd love to do more thrifty shopping to avoid fast fashion!

 

[Corrie]

I currently am doing:

-Reusable water bottle
-Reusable bags (when I remember rip)
-Menstrual cup
-Safety razor
-Reusable containers for leftover food/lunch storage
-Paperless mail
-Pay attention to the food I'm buying and avoid buying stuff in wasteful packaging as much as possible
-Cloths instead of disposable wipes/paper towel (except for cleaning toilets)
-Reusable straws

 

[skarmoury]

Nice thread! I'd really like to try some of these one day. c: As for the stuff I do, here are a few:

- Bring my own water container: I always have a water jug when I go out so I don't have to be buying plastic water bottles when I get thirsty. I also bring my own cup when I go to coffee shops. (I mainly just love the Starbucks cup I got a while back, it's kind of old but it works so I'm not complaining at all!)
- Composting: Not me, but my Dad has been into composting since we moved houses! It's mainly bc the garbage collectors don't come to our side of the town often, but it's still eco-friendly so it counts.
- Going paperless: I used to print so much a few years ago because I was used to studying on paper, and a lot of the resources I got were digital so I had to print all of them. Now that I've gotten an iPad, i feel it's a really good investment; my room is less cluttered now because I no longer have stacks upon stacks of paper, and I can spend less on notebooks or other stuff I can just do in my tablet. Plus, I now do commissions on my tablet, so it's a little extra earning too.

 

[nightglow]

A little bit of vinegar in your clothing will soften your clothing. It doesn't make it smell but if you are concerned I guess you can do an extra rinse on it. I also use vinegar to clean with in the shower, windows, counters. It is really good for pet messes on carpet too if you have a wet vac.

I've seen a couple of books that talk about the home uses of baking soda and vinegar (separately). Could be worth looking into.

I do wish public transportation and biking was more realistic in US. Everything is so far apart to where I think that is one of the reasons why we don't have it implemented outside of huge cities.

I've heard you can wash to reuse foil but I have never done so. I guess the story is that it was intended to be reused a few times before pitching. I have also seen adds for this cloth soaked in beeswax that is suppose to replace plastic wrap. All you do is rinse it off and reuse it. I don't know anything more about it beyond what the ads say so I don't know how helpful it is realistically. To some people that may not be a good choice. I have heard things about how cloth is often bad for the environment because it takes forever to break down and its production is messy even without the dye industry involved or how we shouldn't use beeswax because of our dropping bee rates or how paper towels are bad for the environment because it chops a tree down. I do wish hemp products were more popular in US. You can make so much stuff with hemp including strong structures and it doesn't take much time to grow hemp like it does a tree and it takes less time to break down than plastic.

 

[Bluebellie]

Personally I’m a big believer of thrifting and buying used furniture. Not only does it help you save money, but you are essentially helping the environment. One less tree that needs to be cut down.

I have been able to get things that look completely brand new at no cost. Many people throw out really good things for no particular reason. This past month I’ve been lurking through sites that have FREE sections, and I’ve found treasures!
Now I try to see if something I need is available at little to no cost before I have to resort to buying it from stores. Many people think that people throw out only junk or old looking furniture but that is not completely true. My furniture taste is modern chic. I like things very squared, studded, and mostly white and silver color palette. Everything that I have been picking up fits my theme.


Another thing I like to do is using natural echo friendly cleaners, to clean around the house and to clean myself. I’ve been using Hello products for my toothpaste for years. I use the activated charcoal toothpaste. They are eco friendly, vegan, cruelty-free, and the taste is very fresh and minty. You might want to hide from people while washing your teeth, though.

I also like to use echo friendly artisan soaps. I buy mine from a local vendor who uses natural and organic ingredients on her soaps from her own garden. I used to get a lot of acne, and after I have stopped using makeup, and facial scrubs/ products, my skin has never been this good. I used to spend a lot of money before on makeup and skin clearing products, and medication. Resorting to natural soap has been the best thing I have ever done. When my local vendor doesn’t have any soap to sell, I also love to use Dr. Squatch. It’s a men soap, but it works for women as well? I bought it by mistake the first time. My vendor was away on vacation once and I needed soap right away. I tried to find something similar to what I was currently using, ans I came across these. I didn’t notice it said it was for men. Anyways I would buy from them again. They were great! Even if their products say it’s for men, which I am not.

Another great product that is eco friendly is baking soda! I use it for everything. If you want shiny teeth, scrub with baking soda. If you spilled something on fabric, use baking soda. If something stinks, spray some baking soda. If you have indigestion, use baking soda. If your cabinets are greasy, use baking soda. Baking soda IS the magical solution for everything.


Last but not least, paperless is the way to go. I still receive a bunch of junk mail everyday and wish it would just stop. I barely ever even read them. Paperless plates and cups are also the way to go.

Post automatically merged: Feb 14, 2022

I've seen a couple of books that talk about the home uses of baking soda and vinegar (separately). Could be worth looking into.

I really liked how you underline “separately”. Last week I was trying to clean a tiny juice stain from and upholstered chair. I forgot the spray bottle I was using had a little bit of baking soda residue at the bottom. Anyways, when I added vinegar I had a small explosion.

 

[visibleghost]

i don't shop much except for food but i try to be eco friendly when it comes to food. it's not always easy to buy local produce when you're in sweden in february (aside from carrots and other roots, those are great here!!), but during the summer i always try to get local produce as much as possible. i don't ever buy meat products or cook meat myself (i'm not a vegetarian because i do eat meat at my parents' house) and i avoid dairy a lot. i'm sure i could change my food habits a lot more to be more eco friendly but i do try to be more eco friendly.

one big thing i could and definitely should work on is not buying cans or bottles of beverages, because even though i recycle all bottles (yay for pant) it's a waste of money, energy resources and plastic/aluminium as well as being pretty unhealthy probably with all the artificial sweeteners i drink... i used to only drink tap water, idk what happened but now i drink sooo much crap. i know transport of drinks is pretty bad because of the weight and stuff but yeahhhhhh. i'm not perfect.

i rarely buy clothes but i do try to thrift when possible, i do still shop at fast fashion stores occasionally though because it is so convenient and i honestly haven't put in the effort to know where to shop instead. i don't really have any excuse other than laziness because i could spend more money than i do on individual pieces.

i find it hard to know what is best for the environment (aside from the easy formula of reduce, reuse, recycle) because i know products marketed as "eco friendly" can be very eco washed (see H&M's "we're soooo eco friendly guys!!!! ethical company right here!!!" ads lol).

anyway, rambling aside i haven't tried many eco friendly alternatives other than the obvious reusable bags and stuff. i mostly work on my carbon footprint by eating more sustainably and using what i already have

 

[Neb]

I try to reuse jeans and shirts as long as they’re still clean and leave the lights off unless it’s absolutely necessary.

The main thing I do to be sustainable is walk everywhere. Not only do I avoid using car gas, but I also get to burn some calories. It’s also a great way to keep your brain clear.