Maple Alps

sustainability

Twenty-Five Things I Don't Buy Anymore

Natural Living, Lifestyle, MoneyAmanda Walter | Maple AlpsComment

Over the years, I have simplified many things in our household. We work on having a minimal-ish home where we are content and not overwhelmed with things. We also try hard to eliminate waste, and while we are not at zero-waste, we practice a near-o-waste policy. There are definitely more than 25 items that I do not purchase anymore due to different reasons, but twenty-five seemed like a good number for today’s blog post. Maybe I’ll expand it to fifty or one hundred at some point! The following list of random items I don’t purchase anymore is either due to finding an alternative that works better or is more eco-friendly, it is cheaper not to purchase it, or I have zero use for the item(s).


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In the Bathroom


1 | Makeup

I have my selection of favorite nail polish shades, but other than that, makeup is on the non-purchase list. I stopped buying it years ago, opting for a better skincare routine, and have not looked back. 



Related Post: What Happened When I Quit Makeup


2 | Makeup Wipes

I don’t wear makeup anymore, so I wouldn’t need these anyway. A good facial cleanser, and argon oil (and maybe some reusable cotton rounds) are all one needs to remove makeup, though!



3 | Shaving Cream

Instead, I use the same soap I already use in the shower. I’ve not noticed any difference in the shave since I stopped buying shaving cream, and honestly, it saves me a step in the shower, saves me time, and saves me money (wow, that stuff got expensive when I looked last!). You can always make your own if you feel you can’t live without it. 



4 | Single-Use Feminine Hygiene Products

All for the menstrual cup and period panties! It feels amazing not to throw feminine hygiene in the trash. The only exception is postpartum when cups are not usable.



Related Post: I Switched to a Menstrual Cup. Here’s What Happened.


5 | Hand Soap

Seven years later, I still make my own! It’s so easy and saves on single-use plastic (and money!), not to mention we are better able to avoid fragrances and other harsh ingredients that are commonly found in cheap hand soap. 



In the Office



6 | Wall Calendars

Unnecessary, in my humble opinion. I choose to use a digital calendar (and planner!)



7 + 8 | Pens and Pencils

I have so many of these, especially from conferences and from my teaching days. I’m pretty sure I can go a very, very long time without buying another pen or pencil. So I won’t! I’ll also mention that I’ve transitioned quite a bit to digital planning, so I haven’t used pens and pencils in quite some time. My husband is relieved, I’m sure. 



9 | Physical Books (with a few exceptions)

If I want to read a new physical book, the library is right around the corner from me. Everything else is a digital ebook or audiobook! The only exceptions to purchasing books are books that will be reread or referenced. If we don’t reread it, we pass it on to someone we think will enjoy it. 



10 | Notebooks

Another thing I have an overabundance of from my teaching days. I don’t need to purchase a notebook for a long time, and I’ve honestly been making the switch to digital notebooks, so I don’t think more will be much needed!



In the Kitchen 



11 | Vegetable Broth

Once I started making vegetable broth from collected scraps. I have not looked back. Not only is the price tag worth it, but it also does not take much time to make it - especially when I’m using my Instant Pot. The flavor is richer, and even my husband can tell when the homemade stuff is used. 



12 | Bottled Water

We choose reusable water bottles. And we may have a slight obsession with them - especially glass water bottles (I love this one from Amazon!)! We do have non-glass water bottles that are more practical for activities like camping, hiking, and going to the beach, though.



13 | Sparkling Water

We decided to get a SodaStream (check it out on Amazon here) because I am obsessed with sparkling water. I was tired of all the plastic bottles involved in satisfying my craving, and the SodaStream has been a fantastic tool to have in our kitchen.



14 | Plastic Tupperware

Instead, I reuse glass jars or purchase glass containers. They’re heavy but so worth it, and I’ve had no problems freezing or storing them. It’s gotten to a point where I can tell just by the taste that something was stored in old Tupperware. If you can’t use glass, there are other alternatives, like tin containers, that are great (and light) for activities that aren’t glass-safe! You can always upcycle any current plastic Tupperware you own for all kinds of uses!




In the Closet



15 | Scarves

I used to have an obsession with scarves. Obsession. I had boxes of scarves when I went through them all, and it was becoming a problem! My husband even recently remarked that I constantly wore scarves when we first met and started dating over a decade ago. I finally downsized to a few favorites (and I’m talking, a maximum of three scarves) a few years ago, and I have not purchased a scarf since. It does help that it’s not overly cold in Maryland, but even so, I’ve realized that having just a few in a cold place will do the trick for me.



16 | Disposable lint roller

With a cuddly cat, lint rollers are necessary for us. Reusable lint rollers work great (like this one), are less flimsy, and don’t fill up landfills so quickly.



In the  Supply Closet



17 | Fabric Softener

Aside from the plastic containers that add up from buying it, fabric softener is not good for your clothes. I stick with a sustainable laundry detergent (please, not a homemade one) to keep our laundry clean.



18 | Dryer Sheets

These are essentially fabric softener sheets for the dryer. I have some, but they were gifted, and I’ve never used them! They are not compostable or recyclable, so they need to be disposed of. I’ve also researched and found that they contain potentially harmful chemicals and the fewer chemicals I can have on our bodies, the better. Instead, I use reusable dryer balls made of wool (like these ones). They work well, catch lint, and are compostable. I find that a set lasts me years!



19 + 20 | Disposable Swiffer Duster/Broom 

Instead, I have a washable duster (similar to this) that goes right into the wash when full and I use a normal broom and mop (this is my favorite mop, by the way). A microfiber cloth and cleaning solution also works fantastic for dust. 



21 | Disposable furnace filters

We have a washable furnace filter that we switch out every couple of months (here’s a similar one). It works great, and there are no more trips to the hardware store to buy new disposable ones. 



22 | Scent boosters for the laundry

Why add more chemicals when not necessary? I’m sensitive to perfumy smells, anyway, so this has never been a product for me.



23 + 24 | Plug-ins or Air Fresheners

Again, more unecessary chemicals.



In the Nursery



25 | Disposable cloth diaper liners

I never understood what the point of disposable liners was, though I understand why parents would want to use them! When I found out about reusable fleece liners (I use these), I was here for it. They work great for us!





Are there things you don’t buy anymore? Let me know about it in the comments!


 

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

LifestyleAmanda Walter | Maple AlpsComment

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. 

sustainable bag being used to store oranges. Hands putting oranges into sustainable produce bag.


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?