7 Earth Friendly Swaps We’ve Made

Today is Earth Day and over the last few years we’ve made a conscious effort to swap some of the not so Earth friendly products we had grown accustomed to using and I wanted to share the items that have made these swaps easier and sustainable for us. We still have a really long way to go but every swap we make is a better choice for the environment overall.

1. Our city now mandates that we compost our food waste and provided every household with a compost bin but it’s pretty small and pretty ugly so this one from OXO is a nice alternative for countertop composting. Do you have any experience with composting?
2. I bought a huge pack of microfiber cloths for all our cleaning needs instead of using single use paper towels. We still use paper towels for hand drying / napkins (I cringe just saying this) because certain members of my family are reluctant to switch completely to the microfiber towels but I’m trying to make that swap too!
3. We have a big collection of these reusable bento boxes that everyone uses when taking lunch to work or school – or even just for an afternoon picnic in the park. Using these completely eliminated the need for ziplock baggies and paper lunch bags.
4. We pretty much never buy bottled water and instead use varying reusable water cups – this one is the one I reach for every day because it fits in a standard size up holder and keep your drink extra cold!
5. I’m so happy to see that restaurants are switching over to compostable or biodegradable straws but when we’re at home, these are the ones we use.
6. Our state now charges for plastic bags anywhere you go which is enough to keep me from reaching for them at checkout. As an alternative to schlepping reusable grocery bags everywhere, I keep these collapsible crates in the back of my trunk and unload the groceries straight from the cart and directly into the crates.
7. We use these reusable silicone zip bags for everything from storing leftovers or packing snacks – they wash up great, freeze well, and can even be boiled! Never ever going back to single use plastic bags again!