More Sustainable Practices We Use and Some I'd Like to Implement

In this post a while back, I talked about some of our favorite low-waste practices. I’ve kept trying to add more sustainable habits into our everyday lives, especially now that there are three of us (well, four, including our firstborn cat!). None of these practices are going to singlehandedly save the planet, but our small steps add up. We want to make sure we are doing what we can to be better stewards of the Earth God has given us. 

Cloth Diapering

I plan to talk more about our cloth diapering journey, but honestly, this has been a great practice for our family. There are billions of disposable diapers taking up space in landfills and while it may seem that our contribution of approximately 1500+ diapers a year doesn’t help, I think if we all take steps we can make great strides of progress. And if you are concerned about the water and electricity usage when cloth diapering, doing it full-time, we only added 2 loads a week to our usual load and since our washers are very efficient you could compare it to the times a potty-trained person would flush the toilet! The math has been done.

We used the Esembly brand system, if you are interested (try it for 15% off by using this referral link)

Making Food

Trying to avoid foods that come in a lot of packaging really makes us make a lot of our own food. Honestly, though, foods that don’t come with nutrition labels are the best, so we know we are getting the nutrients we need this way too! 

One of my favorite sustainable food practices is saving my veggie scraps and making vegetable broth. It’s sooooo easy, tastes better than the store-bought stuff, and does not take much extra time at all. 

Cooking our own food comes with the necessity to plan properly, of course, so that there are no good excuses to eat out. 

Shopping Less

We shop as little as possible. Groceries and otherwise. This requires planning ahead so we aren’t running to the grocery store, but it’s worth it. Freezing things helps a lot with this, as does keeping stock of everything we have. It’s better for the earth, but saves our wallet as well! (Pssst: purchasing food you normally buy when it’s on sale and then shopping your pantry when you meal plan is a great money-saving strategy)

Related: Eating Cleaner on a Budget

Reusable Dinnerware 

We love camping, beach days, and picnics and we love that we’ve ditched disposable dinnerware and can keep enjoying these things sustainably. The Alps to my Maple got me the cutest picnic basket when we got married with, yes, ceramic and glass dishes, and we love busting that out. Otherwise, we have sets of washable dishes that we use when doing outdoor activities. With some planning ahead, it really is worth it!

Also, I started carrying around this great reusable utensil set with me! If we ever get takeout, or we need to eat out, it’s easy to opt out of the single-use plastic and to whip these babies out!

Period Underwear

I’ve talked about using a menstrual cup in full detail here, but period underwear is also a fan favorite! With the cup, it replaces pantyliners, and without, they are great alternatives to pads. I prefer the Thinx brand (you can get them on Amazon too!) but there are many out there. Bonus, they also have come out with really high-waisted ones too that were fantastic postpartum.

Plastic-Free Shaving

Get rid of those disposable razors and choose a plastic-free version. I haven’t found my favorite completely plastic-free shaver yet, but I love the Venus Deluxe (purchase on Amazon here). It has a heavy metal handle that seriously feels indestructible and works great. 

Some things I would like to incorporate

I’m far from being a zero-waste person, but I’m taking steps to get there. I just want to be transparent and maybe some of you can offer some advice in the following areas I would like to start doing! Some things I would like to start doing:

Get rid of paper towels

It’s going to be hard to convince everyone in my household to go for this one, but we already use reusable paper towel cloths (you know, those Swedish dish cloths). It’s just a matter of replacing them all in a way that makes sense for us!

Cut back on toilet paper

Postpartum, I realized how easy it would be to use a bidet (the TUSHY looks good), and honestly, I used that peri bottle much longer than needed (TMI?). It would really cut back on TP to go full-on bidet. 

Compost

Because we don’t have much of a garden, composting was not very practical for us. We do have a compost bin that gets picked up, it’s really just a matter of finding our flow and creating habits that work.

Sustainable Fashion

Fast fashion is so convenient for those of us in the western world. Even though I’ve started to, I would like to choose more sustainable pieces in the future! 

---

What are some sustainable practices in your life? In what areas would you like to improve?

---

10 [Easy] Things You Can Do Today to Reduce Waste

Reducing waste is not a new topic. Throughout elementary school I heard the phrase, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle" often. Recycling bins were set up right by the trash cans and compost piles were always encouraged. At home, we had a small bucket for compost, and it was my responsibility to empty it out in the backyard composting bin every day. We collected empty cans and bottles to take to the bottle depot, and paper products were never thrown in the trash.

Somehow, this changed over the years.

When we first got married and moved, I was shocked at the amount of trash that was being taken out of our home. I'll admit that a big part of it was being new to the state (and country!) and not really knowing how the recycling program works here. I was completely lost. 

I came across this article claiming that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish! Whether this is true or not, I decided that we produced way too much waste as it was. After figuring a few things out, we started implementing simple ways to reduce the amount we throw away, and it has made a noticeable difference for us. 

Besides the obvious (reduce, reuse and recycle), here are 10 things you can do today to reduce the amount of waste you may produce. 

A note: Everyone is different and has different needs. It's important you sit down and find out what your main source of waste is, and what you can do about it. The list below was a direct result of looking into our trash bin and seeing what was in there. We then decided what we could do to get rid of, or at least reduce it.

Affiliate links are used in this post.

---

Stop Using Plastic Grocery Bags

I know, I know, they just bag them up automatically, but opt for reusable bags for groceries. This takes a bit of practice (I know I've forgotten many times), but it's worth it in the end - even just to have a sturdier bag to take the groceries in with. Some stores, like Target, even offer a few cents if you bring in your own bag!

Skip Produce Bags 

Try using mesh laundry bags for produce, or just skip them altogether! I tend to do the latter if I forget, but I also do enjoy using my own produce bags (these ones are great from Amazon).

Ditch Ziplock Baggies

Or wash and reuse them! Replace them with reusable glass storage containers (I like these ones). Or even reusable baggies! I love using these ones from Amazon. Mason jars are also great for leftovers or storage of bulk bin items. Speaking of which...

Buy in Bulk

Bulk bins are just so much fun! You can get everything from spices to banana chips in a bulk bin. Take it a step further and skip the plastic baggies they provide and use a recyclable paper bag instead. Most stores are even jar-friendly!

Use Cloth Towels Instead of Paper Towels

We use these cloth towels that I purchased from Amazon. We've also opted for cloth napkins at the dinner table!

Make Your Own Products

A lot of packaged goods are not only unhealthy for us, but also create a lot of garbage! a Most are really easy to make with ingredients already in your home. Try making your own bread to start! We've even started making our own toothpaste (More on that here)! **Update: hand soap, body wash, face cream, and body butter have now been introduced to our bathroom, and I've ditched disposable hygiene products for a menstrual cup. 

Say Goodbye to Disposable Water Bottles

Not only is bottled water packaging a potential health hazard, it is overpriced, and many of the bottles are found in landfills. Instead, carry your own water bottle with you. We use glass bottles (I like this one) - they can get a bit heavy, so stainless steel is a good alternative.

Opt for Paying Bills Online Instead of Getting them in the Mail

Who wants that kind of mail anyway? Bonus: if you sign up for automatic payments, if you forget one month, it won't be terribly tragic because it will be on time!

Read the Newspaper and Magazines Online

I'll admit, having magazines around can be a lot of fun, but with everything online these days, it's almost unnecessary. Save yourself the clutter and the waste that is created when people don't recycle! I have bought very few physical magazines since getting my iPad a couple of years ago.

Forget About Dryer Sheets

Dryer sheets are filled with toxins that we should probably avoid! Make your own wool dryer balls (or purchase them on Amazon), or just forget about them altogether. I'd rather have some static in my clothes than harmful chemicals.

---

These are, of course, only some of the ways we can start reducing our negative impact on the environment. As I write, even more are coming to my mind - but that will have to wait for another day :)

Until that day comes, what are some of the ways you reduce waste in your home? Comment below to share some ideas!

---