Top 5 Everyday Sustainable Substitutes

 

It may seem daunting to begin your sustainable lifestyle change. Many products on the market are being questioned for their sustainability and ethical practices - so where do we begin? Starting small and reflecting on your daily life can make a big difference! Try swapping some of your everyday items with sustainable substitutes. We’ve put together a list of our TOP 5 favourite sustainable substitutes for everyday living!

1. Reusable Make-up Remover Pads

The Body Shop Reusable Bamboo and Cotton Make-Up Remover Pads

Image by The Body Shop via Reusable Make-Up Remover Pads

As individuals who love wearing makeup, we found ourselves constantly purchasing cotton pads to use for removing our make-up. After some research, we found so many sustainable options to replace single use cotton pads. Check out these organic bamboo and cotton ones by The Body Shop. The next time you run out of your single use cotton pads, reach for this reusable option to help eliminate unnecessary waste. The Body Shop reusable cotton pads are made with bamboo and organic cotton, and have the greatest addition: each day of the week printed on the tags! After all 7 are used, throw them in the wash by popping them in their 100% organic cotton laundry bag (that’s included!) to make cleaning the make-up remover pads easy.

2. Natural Loofah

Indigo Konjac Loofah Sponge

Image by Indigo - The Everist via Compostable Konjac Sponge

Everybody knows classic plastic loofahs begin to fall apart and become old and worn out after a while of using them. They’re also made of plastic fibers that end up in landfills after being thrown away. Indigo currently sells a great sustainable option - The Everist Konjac Sponge made from 100% natural konjac plant fibre. This means they’re also fully biodegradable in a home compost! 

3. Bamboo Toothbrush

Life Without Plastic Plastic-Free Bamboo Toothbrush

Image by Life Without Plastic via Plastic-Free Compostable Bamboo Toothbrushes

There are many options for ‘sustainable’ toothbrushes in the industry. It can be hard to select the best one. We recently discovered Life Without Plastic’s Plastic-Free Wooden ToothbrushesHaving to replace your toothbrush every 3-4 months not only means the plastic toothbrush market is massive, but also that most of these brushes end up in landfills or the oceans. Bamboo toothbrushes are a great sustainable alternative, but are usually still made with nylon bristles that are not Earth-friendly. Life Without Plastic’s Plastic-Free Wooden Toothbrushes are made of sustainably harvested wood, preserved with linseed oil, and its bristles are all natural - made of boar hair! Of course, this may sound odd at first, but since boar hair is a byproduct of the meat industry in China, rather than discarding the hairs, they clean and thoroughly disinfect the hairs to then be used as bristles for the brushes. This means that this particular toothbrush is one of few on the market that is 100% compostable, as it contains no nylon bristles like most alternative brushes. Not only is the brush compostable, but the packaging is also eco-friendly - they use a compostable wrap over the bristles as well as recyclable twist ties! 

4. Beeswax Food Wrap

Earthology Beeswax Food Wraps

Image by Earthology via Makers Choice Beeswax 3 Pack

Plastic wraps are often used so mindlessly without thinking of their harm to the planet. Beeswax food wraps are a great reusable and vegan alternative to these one time use plastic wraps. Women owned Canadian business, Earthology, creates beeswax food wraps using only 100% GOTS certified organic cotton and local, unprocessed beeswax! All of their wraps are handmade using only 100% GOTS certified organic cotton, organic jojoba oil, and coniferous tree resin. The beeswax is locally sourced and sustainably harvested from small independent beekeepers on organic lands. Earthology only deals with ethical and sustainable beekeepers who allow their bees to winter.

5. Mason Jars

Reusable Mason Jars

Something you probably already own and don’t need to purchase - mason and candle jars! A great reusable glass container that can be used for many things around a household. Store bought pasta sauces are contained in mason jars with lids. Wash them out with some soap and water and reuse them as a flower vase, container for fruits, a smoothie cup, or holding hair ties, pens, makeup brushes, and so much more! The options are truly endless for reusing glass mason jars!


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