Living with a lighter footprint doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing proposition, at least not in my book. The way I look at it, we can all probably edit the way we do a few things here and there to live a little more gently and it doesn’t have to disrupt our lives.
Yes, I shop online and have things delivered (including my weekly groceries) because this saves me time and money. I don’t currently have a hybrid or electric car although maybe someday I will. I do make little adjustments to everyday routines and products so that I can put less waste into landfills and leave a lighter footprint when it works for the way I live. Here are a few changes that I’ve made.
Replace Paper Towels
I only buy paper towels twice a year. Yep. That’s not a typo. I buy them for our big family trip to the Jersey Shore because we have about 20 people in the house and there is a ton of clean-up and paper towels are just plain easier for everything for that week. The second purchase is to stock up for my college kids’ move-in.
Instead of paper towels, I use these microfiber cleaning cloths for everything from wiping down the countertops to drying hands to dusting. I have tried the rolls of re-usable paper towels but these just work better for me.
These are my all-time favorite dish towels. They are inexpensive, soft, don’t leave fluff on anything, and hold up well with lots of use.
I keep a cute basket similar to this one on my countertop so they are just as easy to grab as a roll of paper towels but look a lot nicer. I store my dish soap and scrub brush in there too so everything is contained and within reach.
Since I’m not throwing out paper towels after each use I do accumulate some kitchen laundry (but not as much as you would expect). I keep another little basket under my kitchen desk where we toss the various kitchen clothes to go down with the laundry. This system has worked for my family for years.
Update Your Food Storage
Fridge storage is another place where you can save money and tread lightly. I use mason jars for everything. You know how you buy strawberries that look delicious on Monday and need to toss them by Thursday? Not anymore. Pop them into a tall mason jar right away, and they will last at least a week… often longer. The key is not to wash them first. They will start to break down once you wash them so just give them a good rinse before eating. Same thing with all other berries. Blueberries have lasted more than a month in my fridge. Sliced lemons and limes hold up well too but not quite as long as the unwashed berries. Mason jars are great for overnight oats or even prepping salads (without dressing) for a work week of lunches. Once you have a fridge full of colorful foods stored in mason jars you may be pleasantly surprised at how much more appealing the healthy options look than they did in the plastic baskets stored in the crisper drawer that never gets opened.
If there is one thing that you buy this week, make it this. They last forever, and I use them for everything from food storage to flower arrangements. If you are going for more of an upscale aesthetic, I like these as well. Don’t be put off by the price, you will use these every day. The glass containers also won’t leak any yucky chemicals into your food.
For cooked foods and leftovers, this is my favorite system. It’s glass, so it’s microwave and dishwasher-safe, and the lids are easy to use. Don’t worry, it comes in 6 colors, so you don’t have to love pink as much as I do.
Try Zero Waste Shampoo Bars
Moving on to personal care, I recently switched to shampoo bars. I decided to give Kitsch bars a try, and I fell in love. It’s only been a few weeks and I have already had friends ask me about what I’m doing differently!
I have longer hair than I have in a while, and I’m in my 50s which means I am playing the game of whack-a-mole that is menopause. Every time you figure out one weird symptom, another pops up. If you see more hair on the shower drain, don’t panic; it’s part of the hormonal roller coaster. Because I wanted to address this new feature of my current life stage, I am using the Castor Oil Shampoo and Shea Butter Conditioner bars. I really really love the scent of the castor oil bar (I wasn’t sure when I ordered, but it’s lovely and reminds me of Aveda).
The Rice Water bars get rave reviews, so that’s a good place to start too.
I also recommend ordering the shower holder. I don’t usually go in for the full starter package when I try something new (just in case I don’t love it) BUT so many people recommended it so I tried it and I consider it a must-have to keep the bars lasting as long as possible.
Fizzy Toilet Bowl Cleaner
My friend Deihdra told me about this and she’s not one to rave about cleaning toilets so I figured if she loved it enough to tell me about it, I should give it a try.
Blueland offers a range of earth-friendly cleaners but the fizzy toilet tablet is the one for me. You just drop this peppy little tablet in the bowl, watch it fizz, give it a swish, flush, and you’re done. It smells nice and clean and comes in a storage tin that is cute enough to display.
Zero Waste and Almost Zero Waste Laundry Detergent
Last but certainly not least is my laundry situation. Does your laundry room look like a Red Cross staging area, too? My kids play travel sports, and after a weekend away at a tournament, it’s easy to walk into a pile that’s 4 or 5 loads. Did I mention the stink? So, the volume of laundry is large, and the cleaning power required is high. I have tried just about every detergent on planet Earth, and these are my favorites.
I love Earth Breeze. I use the fresh scent because I do like a scent on my clean laundry. I wash a lot of the everyday loads on cold, and these break down just fine and don’t leave residue on the clothes. Use just half a sheet for a small load, 1 for a medium load, and 2 for a super-sized smelly tournament weekend load. I use the subscribe and save option, which works great for me. They always email me before sending it out, so if I don’t need it, I can postpone or skip an order. There is no packaging waste; I store them in a zip-lock bag (the laundry room sink area can get wet), and everyone in my family easily adjusted to using them. They also donate 10 loads for every package you buy.
Did I mention free shipping?
This last one isn’t completely zero waste, and it isn’t inexpensive, but a little goes a long way, so it’s something that will last a long time. I have been using Persil for years. I have always used the pods because that’s what I could find in stores, and it does an amazing job on the heavy-duty hockey and baseball laundry. We recently had to replace a washer (one service call after another), and I asked the service tech what detergent is best to prevent build-up in the machine, and he said Persil powder.
I didn’t know they made one! After some digging, I found a competitive price on Amazon (always free shipping with my Prime). I haven’t used this one yet, but it’s in my cart right now, and I plan to order it for when I need to pull out the big guns. Let me know what you think if you try it!
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