My Favorite Zero Waste Essentials

Thinking about the environment is easy when it involves single stream recycling right? Taking it to the next level and trying not to throw anything away is downright scary not to mention that many people believe it's more expensive too. Below are my favorite items for taking baby steps into reducing what gets thrown away. Better yet, they can actually save you money in the long run. Try some of these out and maybe it won't be so bad after all.

1. Reusable baking paper

Forget using one use wax paper on your baking sheets. This reusable baking paper has a teflon coating which acts just like wax paper and can be washed and reused hundreds of times. This is a game changer for me since I hate cleaning baking sheets every time a use one and this baking paper is much easier to wipe clean and reuse.

2.Bamboo Toothbrush

According to the Plastic Coalition, Each of us will throw away about 12 pounds of plastic toothbrushes in our lifetime. There are 6.8 billion people on the planet. Plastic toothbrush waste generated during our lifetime = 80 billion pounds. YIKES! It's so easy to make a switch to a bamboo toothbrush without making any difference to your dental hygiene and yet it makes a HUGE different to our environment. Grab a few back ups for you and your family and make the switch next time you are changing your toothbrush.

3. Agreena food wrap

This stuff is a 3 in one dream. According to the website it's the first re-usable, non-toxic & recyclable eco wrap that replaces cling film, aluminium foil & baking paper. The only eco film that wraps, seals & bakes! It's awesome. I use it in place of food storage too. I'll wrap sandwiches in this stuff or freeze any leftover cookie dough that I want to bake later. If you need more inspiration as to how versatile this product is, check out Agreenas Instagram

4. Dryer Balls

My friends usually laugh when I first tell them about dryer balls because they think they are a joke. But then they ask if I can make more or where to buy them because they want to gift them to others. These small wool wonders replace fabric softener or dryer sheets. They help remove static cling, soften, and shorten the drying time. My favorite is to add a few drops of essential oils onto the balls before starting the dryer so the clothes (and bathroom) smell super nice. Check out my previous blog post here for more info on dryer balls and how to make them yourself if you want a craft instead of buying pre-made.

5. Mason Jar Lids

Everyone should know by now the awesome functionalities that mason jars have. Nowadays you can make them even more awesome with different functional lids. There is a lid with a soap pump for you to add to your bathroom or kitchen, a straining lid for baking or sprouting, and even a super fun solar lid with string lights attached to turn your jars into a lantern. These lids will make it easy to use Mason Jars.

6. Tekla dish towels

These dish towels are unbelievably inexpensive and have become my replacement to paper towels, rags, napkins, nail polish and makeup remover pads. I bought about 20 to have on hand for any mess or job. One always sits in my bathroom cabinet for makeup removal and the rest in the kitchen. I don't mind if they get stained because thats what they are used for!

7. Reusable Straws

It's not only great for the environment but it a serious trend. Many states, cities and countries have already banned pesky plastic straws but we know that sometimes we still need them. Secure some basic reusable ones for those emergency straw moments. There are metal, thick reusable plastic, and even silicon straws nowadays. The best part of the sets mentioned is that all come with a cleaning brush to clean the insides of the straws (a personal fear of mine that was immediately at ease when I discovered the brushes included).