We use a staggering amount of throw away, single-use products in our homes. Many of us want to do a better job of reducing our dependence on these items, but we're not quite sure where to start.
As it happens, becoming a true environmental crusader isn't as hard as you may think. There are plenty of ways to update our homeliving to be more eco-friendly. Every day there are more and more products available designed to replace the single-use ones we're using now. Here are 10 reusable household Items to switch to in your home that will help you and your family start living a greener lifestyle today and reduce your overall carbon footprint.
It’s never been easier to live a green lifestyle. New products are becoming available every day. In this section, we start with a look at some reusable household items you might not be familiar with that are easy to integrate into your daily routine.
According to RecycleNation, the average American family uses 500 Ziploc bags each year and most of those end up in the landfill. We use them for convenience and to keep our food fresh in our lunchbox. As it happens there’s a better, green alternative.
Bees Wrap paper is a cotton sandwich wrap that’s coated with beeswax. It clings almost as well as shrink-wrap and it’s entirely biodegradable. It’s great for sandwiches, vegetables, fruits and most other single-serving food items you can think of.
Another great reusable item for your home is Stainless Steel Straws. Many fast-food chains are switching to paper straws, but if you’ve ever had the misfortune to try one, you already know that they kind of leave a bad taste in your mouth. Stainless steel straws are a better alternative and they’re reusable household items you can keep in your home to use whenever needed.
Another stainless steel reusable household item is a stainless steel coffee filter. These metal filters can be reused, they won’t rust and they make a great cup of coffee. Best of all one single coffee filter will last a long time. Instead of using a different disposable paper filter every day, you can make one more small contribution to a greener home.
There are probably some reusable household items in your home right now, it’s just that many of us don’t use them as much as we could. Next, we’re going to take a look at some items that are probably already in your home that you could use more as you switch to a greener lifestyle.
Major grocery chains are slowly phasing out the use of plastic shopping bags. Customers are encouraged to bring their own reusable bags and if they don’t they’re charged for plastic bags to encourage the switch to the greener alternative. If you find yourself sometimes forgetting your reusable shopping bags, why not leave some extras in the trunk of your car so you’re always prepared?
We often buy reusable household items for one reason, without realizing that they can be used for other purposes as well. Microfiber cleaning cloths are a great example. These cloths can be used to clean just about any surface you might typically use paper towels for and they're fully reusable.
Empty single-use plastic bottled water containers are one of the biggest problems in our landfills today. They're also completely unnecessary. Most of us have reusable water bottles in our homes right now, but we continue to use throw-away bottles anyway. By simply using the Refillable Water bottle already in our homes, we can make a major contribution to environmental sustainability.
Once you’ve truly committed to a more eco-friendly lifestyle, how do you make that transition so that you are using reusable household items everywhere you can. In this final section, we’re going to take a look at reusable items for your home that will take your new green lifestyle to the next level.
When we head to the grocery store for produce we usually use the throw-away plastic produce bags provided by the grocery store without a second thought. There is a better option. Reusable produce bags made from mesh or cotton fabrics are widely available — you just have to remember to bring them to the store with you, like you do with your reusable shopping bags.
If we told you that there was an alternative to those throw-away dryer sheets and that you could reuse this product for up to 1000 loads would you? We're guessing the answer is yes. Well, it's true, there is a reusable household item that can replace your dryer sheets — wool dryer balls. They work just as well as conventional dryer sheets and they're made from 100% wool so when you do have to dispose of them, they don't pose any major risk to the environment.
While technically not a true reusable household item, dish soap blocks will last a long time and you can do away with those plastic bottles of liquid dish soap. When it’s time to tackle the dishes you simply take your wet dish cloth, scrub a little soap off the block and start cleaning. It’s no harder than using liquid dish soap and that makes it a great green alternative for your home.
We all like convenience and that’s one of the main attractions of paper towels — you just drop a roll on the rack and peel off a towel whenever you need one for quick cleaning duties. What if you could have the same convenience with a reusable product? That’s where unpaper towels come in.
They’re made from a reusable fabric, but they slide onto your paper towel rack just like you’re used to. The main difference is they’re actually reusable. There are small snaps on each sheet that connect them to the next one and they’re prerolled when you buy them. After you use them, they can be washed and used again — you just have to reroll the roll once you’ve used the last towel.
