5 plastic free essentials
one of my few gripes with the sustainability movement is that it can sometimes feel like you can/need/should *buy* yourself a sustainable lifestyle. first and foremost, the most sustainable product is the one you already own. use what you have. wear what you own. repair what you can. you don’t need to buy anything to life a more sustainable life.
however, there are a few products that I have found very helpful in reducing my plastic use and waste. these are all things that I use on a weekly, if not daily, basis. you can read more about why single use plastics are the worst here.
reusable water bottle. I have two favorite that serve different purposes. Bink water bottle. this is my absolute favorite and I can confidently say this has helped me not only avoid buying plastic but has also helped me actually drink water each day. Bink is my at home water bottle, but when I’m on the go, in the office, going on hikes, etc. I love hydroflask.
reusable coffee mug. coffee cups are trash! literally. they are no recyclable. a coffee date with a friend is one of my favorite weekend activities and to keep it sustainable I bring my stojo mug with me. this my go to for office days and traveling as well. it doesn’t keep your coffee super hot but it is cute and collapsible :)
beeswax wraps. to be honest, I kinda though these were a hoax at first and wouldn’t actually work but I love them for wrapping bits and end of food (half an avocado, half a lemon, etc.) instead of using plastic wrap. these are my favorite.
produce bags. as my grocery runs include a lot of fruits and veggies, these have been an awesome way to reduce getting a zillion of those thin plastic baggies just to transport my produce from the store to the fridge. they are easy to clean - when they get dirty I just toss them in the laundry — and come in multiple sizes for whatever produce you’re buying.
bar of soap. ok, admittedly this is not a * sexy * plastic free essential but i promise it’s a good one. whether it’s hand soap or body soap, a plastic pump bottle is just not necessary. a nice bar of soap can be a small joy, especially handmade ones that both look and smell beautiful. I love to get ones from the farmers market, travels, or local stores.
as noted above, you do not need to buy any of these to live a more sustainable life. there are plenty of lifestyle changes (eating a more plant based diet, walking or biking, washing your clothes in cold water, not buying fast fashion and shopping your own closet, etc. etc.) that do not require buying anything. but if you are looking for a few things to help on your sustainability journey, these would be my recommendations.
