Simple Eco Swaps to Cut Waste Daily

Although these changes are small and requiring daily, they will allow making life greener without facing a drawback to convenience. You can begin by substituting single-use with reusable long-life goods and opting for low-toxic products, as well as emphasize energy and water conservation. Concentrate on those where it will have most impact initially food, transport, home energy and personal care to save money and reduce waste and emissions.

Kitchen and food swaps

• Use reusable bottle, mug and lunchbox in place of plastic bottles, and takeout containers.
• Silicone covers or beeswax wraps used instead of cling film and foil.
• Linen and dish scrubs made of compostable material to minimize use of paper and plastic.
• Prepare 2-3 plant-based meals a week and keep food in glass or steel to reduce food waste.

Home and cleaning swaps

• Replaces all cleaners with concentrated or refillable cleaners and apply vinegar, baking soda, and castile soap to multipurpose cleaning.
• Use microfiber or cotton cloths instead of the paper towels; wash and reuse.
• Install LED bulbs, smart power strips, and wash cold water clothes, line-dry, where possible.
• Install an aerator to the faucet and low flow showerhead to reduce water consumption without sacrificing comfort.

Personal care and laundry swaps

• Bar soaps, shampoo bars or refill stations to minimize plastic packaging.
• Refillable floss, toothbrush made of bamboo, and long-lasting, safety toileting razor.
• Biodegradable fragrance-free detergents, microfibre-catching laundry bag to decrease microplastic release.

On-the-go and travel swaps

• As long as you have a tote bag, cutlery set and metal straw in your bag or car.
• Use buses, bikes or carpools when traveling short distances; combine your errands so as to reduce fuel consumption.
• Bring a small recycling and composting schedule to home to ensure that when you are out of town the habits are maintained.

Low-effort habit wins

• Unsubscribe to newsletters without reading and reduce visual streaming resolution on phones to reduce digital energy consumption.
• Shop second-hand, fix and sell, or reuse; sell or donate locally.
• To avoid burnout, set a monthly goal of one new swap only.