Hi friends! It’s been…awhile. I honestly meant to keep up with posting, but university got really busy, really fast. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed my first year and I learned so much from the experience. I’m thinking of writing a post about all of the lessons I learned during my first year, if any of you out there that are still reading would be interested in that sort of post (?).
Now, you may be thinking that it’s too expensive or time-consuming to start using more sustainable products. Trust me, for someone on a student budget, it’s really not too expensive if you switch one product at a time and do your research. It’s also super easy to find these products, you just have to know where to look. When you do make a change, even to one product, you will feel so empowered because that simple change that you made is truly making a difference in the world (yes, one person can make a difference!) So, without further ado, here are some of the products I have grown to love this past year!
Below I’ve provided a list of the twelve products I will be reviewing; you can read about them all, or maybe just a few that peak your interest.
- Flosspot Zero Waste Floss
- The Green Root Bamboo toothbrushes
- Reusable produce bags
- Silicon baking mats
- Metal double-edged razor
- Wool dryer balls
- Abeego beeswax food wraps
- Reusable makeup pads
- Pela phone cases
- LUSH cosmetics toothy tabs, shampoo/conditioner bars
- LUSH solid perfume bars
- Portable metal cutlery
The Flosspot Zero Waste Floss was on the pricier side of the items I am recommending, but I honestly think it’s a great investment. This floss comes in a cute little mason jar, which means you can refill it, and it also comes with two extra spools of floss; you’re given about 1.5-2 years supply with this package. When you order, it also comes with an adorable travel case with a mirror to protect your mason jar as you take it with you everywhere. The floss is made of the silk from silkworms so it is not vegan, BUT it is biodegradable and can be thrown right in the compost! The packaging is plant-based, the inks are toxin-free, and all of the stickers are biodegradable, making all of the packaging safe for disposal.There are some other great companies out there – I’ve heard a lot about Dental Lace – but I wanted to keep things as local as possible. The Flosspot is Canadian-made and actually shipped from Cambridge; I was living in Waterloo at the time, so I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to find such a great company so close by.
Brushing your teeth is another every day task, and you typically throw out your used toothbrush every 3-4 months. Where do these toothbrushes, made of polypropylene and nylon (ie. synthetic materials) go? Our landfills. And since they do not break down, they typically find their way into our waters (just like floss!). A study in the United States alone found that toothbrushes made up 50 million POUNDS of waste! That fact is mind-blowing to me.
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| Image source: Amazon |
Bamboo toothbrushes like these ones are biodegradable, so when you’re done with them you can throw them right into the compost! They come in a pack of four, and you can buy them in various sizes/bristles. They have a slight angle at the head so they are great for getting into the tricky corners of your mouth. My only complaint is that the bristles are made of nylon, which is not biodegradable despite the packaging saying 100% biodegradable. My suggestion is to keep the brush after the 3-4 months and use it for household cleaning (they’re great for scrubbing counter surfaces!). If you’re not into that, cut out the bristles before you compost the handle. They also come in a compostable paper box instead of plastic, which I love.
I had a hard time finding toothbrushes that were affordable but environmentally friendly, so until I do find a miracle toothbrush I will stick with these ones.
3. Reusable Produce Bags
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| Image source: Amazon |
You know when you go to the grocery store, pick up your weekly produce and have to use a whole bunch of those flimsy plastic bags? Just like other plastics, they do not break down in landfills. Animals get caught in them, ingest them and suffocate, and chemicals from the bags that end up in our waters leach out and poison the area. Solution? Reusable produce bags!
These ones are colour-coded, so you can use the same bag for the same type of produce every week if you like. They are super light so when the cashier is weighing your produce you won’t be paying extra for the weight of the bag, but are very strong despite their light-weightedness. The holes in the mesh are very small, too, so you could even use them for things like loose leaf tea. Also, if you spill something in them, no reason to worry; they are machine-washable!
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| Image source: Amazon |
4. Silicon baking mats
If you’re like me and love to bake and cook, you go through parchment paper a lot. These mats fit seamlessly onto your baking trays, they don’t burn or melt, and they are really easy to wash and store. This pack that I bought came with three large mats and one small one, but there are so many different sizes you can get. Think of all the money you will be saving on parchment paper, not to mention all of the time you spend trying to scrub stains off of your baking trays when something leaks through the corners of the parchment paper (this happens to me ALL the time).
5. Double-edged metal razor
This product is awesome because it feels to old-fashioned but it actually great for the environment! Ladies (and gents), we use razors on the daily (especially with summer coming up…curse you, shorts!) and those disposable razors are big contributors to landfill waste. This metal razor will last you a lifetime, and the blades are recyclable, the metal easy to melt down and repurpose unlike plastic. Some people are afraid that they will cut themselves a lot with this product, but if you use a light hand and practice, it’s really easy to use! The one I bought came with a protective sleeve for travelling, and five extra blades. It also looks really classy!
6. Wool dryer balls
I don’t know about you, but I hate static. Living in Canada and with our winters, we get A LOT of static. Dryer sheets are our best friends. But those dryer sheets have SO many chemicals that not only harm the environment but our own bodies; young children and those with sensitive skin are even more susceptible to reactions from these chemicals.
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| Image Source: Amazon |
Wool dryer balls are a fun and eco-friendly way to replace your dryer sheets. Made of (you guessed it) wool, you simply pop a few into your dryer with a load of laundry. They are believed to reduce drying time by 20-45%, prevent static build-up and can make your laundry smell amazing if you add a few drops of essential oils onto their surface before you put them in the dryer. Since they are so light, they hardly make any sound in the dryer. They also can last you for more than a year, depending on how frequently you use them. They often come in different colours: white for light-coloured loads, grey or black for darks – I find that they all do the same thing, it’s just a matter of your colour preference. You can easily get Canadian-made wool dryer balls (this brand is really well known), but these are the ones I bought. Make sure you read reviews on the ones you want before you purchase because some aren’t very good quality!
7. Abeego food wraps
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| Images source: Amazon |
I LOVE this product. In my house, we used to use a lot of plastic wrap for cut fruits, microwaving dishes to prevent splattering and other miscellaneous things. These wraps are made of beeswax and do just as good of a job at sealing in freshness as plastic wrap. Honestly, I think they are even better at it. All you do is fold it over the surface of whatever it is you need to cover, and it keeps that shape until you take it off! I use them a lot for covering bowls, lemons and avocado halves, and haven’t had any problems with them. They come with cute little vegetables printed all over them, and have a nice smell because of the beeswax. They are not microwavable, though, but you can also buy reusable microwave covers. To wash, simply use soap and warm water and let them dry. They also come in a compostable paper box and can last you for over a year (and can then be composted).
8. Reusable makeup pads
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| Image source: Etsy |
I haven’t gotten to use these yet as I just ordered them, but I’ve heard a lot of good things about them online and from friends. If you wear makeup regularly, chances are you also use cotton pads a lot to remove it. Cotton farming uses more pesticides than any other crop, impacting nearby ecosystems and causing eutrophication (those green algae blooms you see in lakes sometimes) which cuts out oxygen from the affected aquatic ecosystems. These cute pads are made of organic cotton, hemp and bamboo; the ones I bought are from an Ontario local that I found on Etsy. She also makes reusable cloth menstrual products, which are really growing in popularity nowadays. You can wash the makeup pads when they get dirty, and they will last you anywhere from 3-5 years! Think about all of the money you will save on cotton pads and the waste you will be diverting. In addition, purchasing local products supports your community’s economy and companies. Buying local also produces fewer greenhouse gas emissions because of the shorter transportation it requires. And, of course, the prints are so fun!
9. Pela phone cases
This was another splurge in my opinion, but a great one. Pela phone cases are now popular all over the world and are proudly a Canadian invention. Originating from Saskatchewan, these cases are made of an innovative biodegradable bioplastic that creates less greenhouse gases during production than regular plastic as well as recycled materials and flax straw. The case comes in a compostable envelope made of recycled papers and a handwritten thank-you note. If you wanted to, you could put your phone case in the compost and it would naturally decompose! I don’t know why you would, though, because the designs are so nice…
10. Reusable hot/cold drink cups
I don’t have a specific brand for this, but any reusable mug or cup is a great investment economically and environmentally. Canadians buy about 2.4 billion litres of bottled water every year; only about 70% of these bottles are recycled in the country; this shrinks to only 14% in Ontario (read this article to learn more). Did you know that a lot of paper coffee cups can’t even be recycled because they’re considered “contaminated products“? One of the things that frustrates me the most are plastic water bottles and coffee cups; they are completely unnecessary! You may think they are convenient and inexpensive, but really, it is no harder to carry around a reusable bottle (that is safe to refill, unlike plastic bottles) and in the end you will save so much money because you’ll no longer have to buy these disposable bottles. I always carry around my Swell water bottle, and most public places have refilling stations now. If you’re like me and go to Starbucks a lot, I also have a reusable Starbucks cup that I bring in for cold drinks. When you order a drink and bring your own cup, you get 10 cents off your purchase, too! Even if you forget your cup one day, if you’re sitting in the store to enjoy your drink you can ask for it in a mug. Most places (including Tim Hortons) do this but a lost of customers are unaware of this perk.
11. LUSH toothy tabs and shampoo/conditioner bars
I was very skeptical to try out this product, but I am so glad that I did! We brush our teeth every day (hopefully more than once), so we go through toothpaste a lot. The plastic tubes are not recyclable because of the toothpaste that is stuck inside of them. In addition, a lot of toothpastes contain microbeads, or plastic, which have recently been proven to cause tremendous environmental damage. They are ingested by fish and marine life as they end up in our water systems and absorb toxins. Not only that, but brushing your teeth with these dangerous little beads can lead to trouble in your own body. A report discusses the concerns that these microbeads can trap bacteria if they get stuck in between your teeth or gums, wreaking havoc on your dental health and other systems in your body.
LUSH toothy tabs are vegan, made without the use of any plastics and flavoured with peppermint oils (if you get the mint one). They have a few different flavours, including a charcoal one that supposedly helps whiten your teeth. The bottle is made of recycled plastic, and can once again be recycled when empty. All you do is take one of the tablets between your teeth, crunch it up and start brushing. The tabs foam up really well and leave your teeth feeling squeaky clean. It takes a few brushes to get used to the baking soda taste, but after using them for a couple of weeks now I hardly notice it. Each bottle contains 100 tablets, but I break them in half so I get double the use (and half a tablet does more than enough foaming to effectively clean my teeth). Some people are concerned about not getting fluoride from toothpaste by switching over to these, but as long as you drink fluorinated water or get fluorine wash treatment at the dentist you should be fine. Definitely a staple product for me from now on!
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| Image source: LUSH |
Their shampoo and conditioner bars are also stars in my books. Without any packaging at all, this truly are zero-waste products. They have many different types for different hair; I use the Seanik shampoo bar and Jungle conditioner for my curly, dry hair. All you do is get your hair wet, rub some of the product into your hands, or run it through your hair like a brush. They lather really well and do a great shop at moisturizing my hair. I have very sensitive skin and haven’t had any problems with their hair care products like I have with other products that touch my scalp. My hair is always suuuuper curly after I wash it with LUSH’s products, and I haven’t had to deal with frizz or tangles since I started using them over a year ago. They’re great for travelling, too; since they’re solid, you don’t have to abide by the whole 100mL max rule. LUSH even sells tins that you can store them in. Each bar lasts about 3-4 months.
12. LUSH fragrance pot
I love perfume, especially ones that smell like vanilla or baked goods (is that weird?) But perfumes are VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, which react with other particles in the air to form harmful secondary compounds that contribute to air pollution. Other examples of VOCs include things like air fresheners and hairsprays, paints, dry cleaned clothing as well as naturally-occurring processes like benzene released from forest fires or volcanoes. They are organic compounds (no, not “pesticide-free” organic, but chemist organic which means they contain carbon) that easily vaporize at room temperature. This means that they readily form ground level ozone, a main factor in smog production that pollutes our atmosphere. Air pollution has been linked to health issues including allergic reactions, immune system dysfunction and even lung disease and cancer. Many of the perfumes and colognes on the market are also made of synthetic materials derived from petroleum and other “secret” chemicals that are undisclosed on the labels, which studies are suggesting can be linked to birth defects and are known hormone disruptors.
LUSH is very transparent about the ingredients that they use, and even have a section on their website where you can research all of the different ingredients in their products. Like I said, I love perfume, so when I found LUSH’s new solid perfume bars I had to give them a try. You simply dap a bit of the creamy, delicious smell mix on the skin, and you’re good to go! They do sell them in spray bottles, but I opted for the solid bar (1) because I lose less product than sprays that go everywhere, (2) it’s portable and (3) I tend to somehow get a leak in all of my perfume bottles so I lose like half of the product…Anyway, the one I got is called I’m Home and smells like chocolatey-vanalla-y baked goodness.
I want to take more time to discuss LUSH, one of my favourite brands out there. They really understand the sustainability movement. Their products are made without any crazy ingredients, are vegan and against animal testing. They are FRESH products, all with a sticker on their packaging that says when they were made, who they were made by, and when they should be used by. I also love that they encourage recycling; you can bring in five of their empty black pots and get a free face mask. They send these pots to their production facilities, which repurpose them into new containers (you can see the process here). Every LUSH employee I have met has been helpful and passionate about the company’s mission, making the shopping experience with them all the better. I have tried many other products from LUSH, including their body lotions, face serums and moisturizers, hair treatments, lip scrubs, face masks, soaps, bath bombs and pretty much everything else in the store, so if you want to hear about a product that I didn’t review, just ask and I’ll tell you all about it!
12. Portable metal cutlery
The last product I want to review is probably something that is so underrated you don’t even notice it. If you’re a busy student or work long hours, chances are you eat out a lot. This means that you use a lot of plastic cutlery. Did you know that 50% of the plastic produced is used only once? I have stopped all of my use of plastic cutlery by making one super cheap investment: reusable travelling cutlery! I got mine from Walmart, and mine are actually for kids, but that makes them perfectly portable. They’re metal, just like real cutlery, and I keep them in a little cloth bag to keep them clean while I’m out and about. I haven’t had to use plastic cutlery since I purchased them and I feel so great about it. Honestly, I forget I even have them with me because they take up so little space! For only about two dollars, I am now always ready to eat out responsibly.
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Well, there you have it! Those were some of my favourite eco-friendly products I would really recommend you try out. You won’t be disappointed!
I know that this is a rather lengthy post, but I thought it was important to share all of these ideas with you. Going more eco-friendly and following the Zero Waste movement is honestly a lot simpler than people make it out to be. Even if it means changing one thing in your life, like using a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic one or buying body care products with ingredients you can actually pronounce, one thing makes all the difference.
Whether you read about one or all of the products I reviewed, thank you so much for taking the time to do so, and I hope I’ve inspired you to make a change in your daily life. If you have any questions about a product, or wish for me to do a more in-depth review, please leave a comment below! If you have your own products that you think deserve to be mentioned, also do so in the comments!
I still have a long way to go in the Zero Waste movement, and I have many more ideas of things I want to replace. Little by little I’ll work at it. I hope you will, too 🙂
3 comments
Loved the tips! I am also transitioning into the Zero Waste lifestyle but, it is more the less waste lifestyle, if I am being realistic. You should check out Brush Naked, they have the ones with the nylon bristles but, they offer a 100% biodegradable toothbrush as well. Now, it does only last a month, but it is a step in the right direction. Also, you should check out Ecosia! It is a search engine that basically plants tree for every search you do, it works out to be about 45 searches to pay for one tree. Oh and if you're still up for it, it would be really interesting to read about what you learned throughout your first year, as I am starting uni this upcoming fall. Thanks 🙂
Hi Ecolife17, thanks for your comment! I will definitely check out Brush Naked, thank you for the suggestion! Ecosia is a great initiative and I've used it pretty often, I've also seen a lot of people in public using it so it's great to know how popular it's getting! I also just published a post about my lessons learned in first year, so be sure to check that out 🙂 Thanks for reading the blog!
I agree with your points, good post.