10 Easy Reusable Product Swaps
I love reusable products for 3 main reasons:
saves us money
reduces waste
reduces clutter (usually!)
Over the past couple of years we’ve tried to ‘green-ify’ our home little by little.
We focus on small manageable swaps that don’t cost a lot and make our life simpler - we want to make life easier, not harder!
Here’s my Top 10 Faves:
1) Beeswax Food Covers
How did I not switch this 10 years ago?!?
I started using beeswax food wraps about a year ago and slowly, month-by-month, they have become a staple in our home.
We don’t use plastic wrap at all anymore - say whaaat?! I was an AVID plastic wrap-user so this was big for me. I don’t miss it at all and looove these wraps.
I’ve also seen ones with a built-in elastic which look so handy! On my wish list ;)
2) Rags
Our second big switch was getting rid of paper towel. Technicallyyyy we still have a roll with our cleaning supplies - but for day-to-day use in the kitchen we now just use cloths and rags that we can throw in the wash.
I have my eye on a couple of ADORABLE biodegradable kitchen cloths….but for now I am using rags and dish cloths that we already own and cutting up old towels and rags when they start to ware out.
BONUS: I LOVE never having to add paper towel to my grocery list anymore :)
3) Stasher Bags
There are a ton of awesome reusable food storage bags out there - but the one I’ve tried (and adore!) is the Stasher Bag.
These bags are like HEAVEN to use. The seal is SO strong and they keep items fresh for so long - plus they clean up amazingly, can be used in the microwave and freezer - and they’re super cute!
I store everything in ours - from frozen bananas to meatballs to yogurt bites (shown here).
Full Disclosure: These bags are pricey so if they’re out of your budget skip right over.
I have no affiliation with Stasher Bags, just a big fan :)
4) Cloth Snack Bags
Close second to Stasher Bags are cloth snack bags. We use these regularly for kid snacks and lunches, in place of ziplock bags.
I also use these cloth bags in other parts of the house; as pencil cases, for hair accessories, for small toys and in my purse.
I’ve purchased a couple of ours at our local bulk store and others were handmade by a local crafter :)
5) Glass Jars
What are glass jars NOT good for?! I love love LOVE glass jars and use them for countless uses.
Here are a few of my favourite uses:
storing chopped produce
storing oat balls (shown here)
decanting pantry items (sugar, coffee, rice, raisins, nuts - ALL OF IT)
vase for flowers
hair accessories
nail polish kit
to hold gifts
homemade salad dresssings
shampoo (see #6)
Food looks great in glass, they don’t stain like plastic and I normally get all of mine free (old pickle jars are perfect!).
6) Bottle Pump:
Re-filling stations are popping up everywhereeeee. Including our little city :)
Having a pump to attach to a glass jar makes it easy to use refill stations for shampoo and liquid hand soap.
They are available in standard sizes that screw right on to old mason jars (no need to buy any fancy jars).
Bonus: they give the bathroom major spa vibes.
*If you are interested in refilling, you don’t necessarily need a pump to get started. Most refilleries accept any old bottles :)
7) Cloth Napkins
I grew up with cloth napkins so this one was an easy switch for me. Plus I find having cloth napkins, makes dinner with toddlers feel a little more…civilized ;)
Thrift shops often have a ton of options so you don’t necessarily need to spend a lot.
If you’re crafty this would be a super fun DIY!
Keep in mind that not all cloth napkins are created equal - it took me a while to find ones that we love. Ours our grey (I love neutrals) and they are the perfect texture for messy kids - they wipe up messes and wash well.
For special occasions they are fun to dress-up with homemade napkin rings decorated by the kids :)
8) Tablecloths
Instead of buying paper tablecloths for special occasions we have two large cloth tablecloths that we pull out whenever we have company. Or for fancy Valentine’s Day breakfasts (see picture above).
It doesn’t need to be expensive - my go-to white tablecloth is actually an old shower curtain that I found second-hand for $1 :))
I have one grey one and one white one so they can be used for any occasion - but if you love colour, go for it! Make it fun!
Tip: We store ours in our linen closet so they don’t take up space in the kitchen when not in use.
“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.”
9) Produce Shopping Bags
Another one that I can’t believe I didn’t swap earlier!
Instead of using the plastic produce bags at the store, these reusable ones are way stronger, can be tossed in the washing machine and NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS.
I received a few as a gift and then found a couple more at the thrift store.
Tip: Having a drawstring at the top is key so you don’t have apples rolling around in your cart.
10) Straws
Our reusable straws were actually a gift from gramma - but the kids love them! They ask for them allll the time and they’re thick enough that they work great for smoothies.
If you’re straw-loving family then finding some nice reusable ones is such an easy switch. There are about ONE MILLION options!
These are soft flexible silicone ones which are perfect for small hands :)
There’s my Top 10 !
I hope this inspires you to look around for potential product swaps or small routine changes that make your wallet, your earth and your family happier :))
And as always, remember that buying and having less is the easiest way to be green….
Happy Green-i-fying :)
Mary Ann K. xo
