Five Easy Ways To go Reusable
I’ve been going on a reusable journey lately and I am here to take you with me fueled by the hope we will come out of this with more awareness on how much trash we are producing. Around the globe we are producing trash like nobody’s business, 300 million tons of plastic is produced and only a small amount of that is actually being recycled. When thinking of switching to reusable products we automatically think of straws, store bags, and cups which is a great start. Let’s talk about the products we use everyday that may not come to mind at first when we think about our single plastic use. Single use plastic makes up 50% of the plastic consumed in the U.S. Listed below are five products we can switch out with reusable products to cut down on plastic in the home.
Razor
In the U.S it is estimated by the Environmental Protection Agency that 2 billion razors and refill blades get thrown out each year. Although this statistic is actually from the early 90’s that only means we can assume the number has only grown. In 2018, Statista, reported that in the U.S 163 million consumers used disposable razors. It’s safe to say that those razors were eventually tossed out and very little of them were recycled. Since razors are made of multiple materials it is really rare to find a municipality that will recycle them meaning, all of these disposable razors are ending up in landfills. Safety razors are the perfect answer to this problem. Since these razors are made of either stainless steel or chrome they are essentially indestructible and can last for years on end. The upfront cost of the razor ranges from $15-$200 which depending on the razor can be an investment. When it comes to the replacement blades it where you save your money. Blades are averaging around 25 cents per blade, so packs only costing a few dollars. To get rid of your old blades just collect them in a metal can and once it’s full just take it to your closest metal recycling facility. Some razor companies have the option of sending your old blades to them and they will take care of it for you. Ladies out there with sensitive skin who may think they can’t make the switch to a safety razor I have some good news for you. Safety razors are better for your skin causing less irritation and razor bumps. Although the razor companies show off their fancy 4 or 5 blade new razor making it seem more blades the better that’s actually far from the truth. Those blades may be what’s causing irritation to your skin after shaving. This is a lesson I learned from my Gynecologist when she saw all of my razor bums around my bikini line.
Storage Bags
Each person throws out about 540 plastic sandwich baggies in one year. That is 540 little baggies that we use once and toss in the trash. I am just as bad as the next person when it comes to my sandwich bag usage. I didn’t want to be bothered to find better alternatives but, it is actually much easier than I thought. Reusable baggies are taking the sustainable market by storm. Reusable bags are made usually of cloth or silicone. Depending on the brand these bags can even be microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe. This is an item I recommend doing some research in before picking a brand since they all have their own special features. Some have Velcro seals making them great for kids. Others are even shaped to stand up making them easy to eat out of. All of them come in a large array of sizes perfect for when you just need a little snack bag or if you need a gallon sized bag. A lot of these brands sell sets that contain a mix of sizes making it super easy to get a bunch in one purchase. If you want to take this a step further pick up bento boxes for taking your lunch to work. Ditch the cling wrap and get reusable food wraps made of beeswax. There are also silicone lids that come in different sizes that can fit right on top of bowls and even the produce itself.
Skin Care
We’ve heard of bottomless fries and drinks but, what about bottleless skin care products. If you are familiar with Lush’s naked products you know exactly what I am talking about. The first time I ever saw a body oil in solid form and packageless I thought it was cool but not life changing. Know I fully understand the importance behind the zero-waste concept. According to Euronmonitor International in 2018 the beauty and skin care industry in the U.S produced 7.9 billion units of plastic. Where does that bottle go when we finish that last drop of lotion or shampoo, 86% of plastic bottles end up going to landfills or are incinerated. Shampoo, conditioner, shaving, and lotion bars are starting to make a wave in the skin care industry and are a lot easier to find for sale than you think. A lot of companies that sell reusable and ecofriendly products have bars to try. I’ve switched to a face wash bar that is made for my oil acne prone skin and I absolutely love it. It is super easy to use and cost just the same as my usual morning cleanser.
Utensils
In college my roommates and I would stock up on plastic utensils and stash them in our kitchen drawers so we would have less dishes to do. Now looking back on that memory, I see the environmental issues with our plan to get out of washing forks and spoons. Every year 40 billion plastic utensils are used once and thrown away, we have gotten in the habit of bringing our own straws when we go places but, what about bringing our own utensils. Most sit-down places with have regular metal utensils but when we go fast food or we are in the breakroom the reusable fork or spoon will come in handy. The most common materials I have seen sets out of are stainless steel, silicone, and bamboo. Most come in a bag or warp to keep the set in, easy for travel. If you want something that is more compact Final makes reusable forks and sporks that are collapsible and fit in a little container that can fit on your key ring. Staying eco-friendly on the go never looked so cute before.
Laundry
Laundry detergent and fabric softer jugs may not be used once and immediately thrown out they are still a single use plastic. When the average household is doing about 7 loads of laundry a week all of those bottles start to add up. Add that up with everyone else in the U.S, 35 billion loads of laundry are ran a year. Leading to the 700 million plastic jugs and containers of detergent that are thrown away yearly in the U.S. All of those bottles have to go somewhere once they are tossed out and sadly their final resting place are landfills. The EPA estimates that 30% of these single use plastic jugs and containers are actually being recycled. If you are a powder detergent user who gets their detergent in a box you’re not excluded either. The boxes are usually lined with plastic, have a plastic pour spout, or come with plastic spoons. We haven’t even talked about chemicals that are now in laundry products. Laundry products are being filled with dyes, perfumes, bleaches, and other junk. All of these chemicals can lead to skin irritation, breathing problems, and even cancer. Eco-friendly alternatives will be free from the added junk that just simply isn’t needed in our detergent and softeners. As well as containing plastic free packaging and most companies sent their products in eco-friendly shipping materials. Most of these options will come in forms of powders, sheets, pods, bars, liquid, and even nuts. This is another product I recommend doing your research before picking a brand to try. Take it a step further and ditch the single use dyer sheets that contain chemicals and grab a pack of wool dryer balls instead.
As individuals we may feel we are not making a lot of trash but when you added up every person in the world’s trash production there is a large impact on the environment. As one person you might feel like you are taking on the world when seeing these big statistics. At the end of the day the best we can do is making small steps and change our plastic use one product at a time. Pick one of these items to replace with reusable options to start or continue your sustainable lifestyle.
Related Links:
Zoetica
Huff Post
USA Today
One Green Plant
Allure
Lochtree