Last year I started a little cleanse of some of the products I’ve been using. I like things natural, and with as little waste as possible. There are SO many businesses out there with awesome waste free products to help you reduce your footprint! I had a little round up of some of my faves at home, and also took your suggestions from Instagram and Facebook. One of my favourite items in this blog post are my hand knitted dish cloths. They’re available for pre order now!
In the kitchen:
The kitchen is an area that can produce SO MUCH WASTE. I wrote a blog post last year on some of the things I do to reduce my waste in this area. I make sure I recycle as much as possible, including my soft plastics, and I compost paper and food scraps! I also have a few favourite waste free products that make life easier too!
My faves:
-Any product that helps food to last longer is a winner from me! I got the potato sack from a Kate Meads workshop last year and really rate it. Check out her site for lots of waste reducing tips.
-Beeswax Wrap is an awesome alternative to plastic wrap. I like to use it to cover things in the fridge, or to wrap food in for lunches. You can get it at Honeywrap and Lilly Bee Wrap.
-Stainless steel straws are an easy and cheap addition to your kitchen! Get the Haakaa ones on their site.
-I scrub all my root veggies with a natural veggie brush from Shut the Front Door. It means no wasted peels, plus the brush is decomposable!
Your suggestions:
–These Ever Eco snack boxes and food containers look awesome.
-Replay dinnerware is something I’ve been keeping in the back of my mind since I first heard about it! It’s a range of dinnerware for kiddies made from recycled milk bottles. Get yours at All Things Lunch.
-The Planetbox stainless steel lunch boxes are designed to last a life time! See the range at Little and Loved.
At the supermarket:
We’ve all been encouraged to use our own bags at the supermarket right? Even the supermarkets are encouraging us which is awesome! Using your own reusable bags at the supermarket is a great step in reducing plastic waste. Also take a look at what you’re buying from the supermarket, can you reduce your packaging waste? Or buy bulk?
My faves:
–Cotton On tote bags! These bags are only $2 are are made from calico which is a natural fabric. These bags are really strong, washable and the money from them goes to the Cotton On Foundation.
-I have a few Pouch Products reusable produce bags. I definitely need to stock up on some more though!
Your suggestions:
–Bulk bin bags are awesome for taking to the bulk food store! These fab ones are from Indie Rose!
-You guys love the Green Collective for reusable bags.
-These Rethink produce bags are a must.
In the bathroom:
Admittedly, this isn’t an area that I’ve done a whole lot of diving into. I do however have a few waste free products I love, and also a few things on my wish list! I’ve started with reusable menstrual products (not weird, I promise) but still need to revamp the products I use.
My faves:
-I got a reusable sanitary pad in a goodie bag once and wasn’t too sure of it. I decided to give it a whirl and actually really love it. I NEED MORE! The one above is from Charlie Banana.
-I bought a cheap menstrual cup and have used it a wee bit! It definitely takes some practice, and I would recommend getting a better one than what I did. I’ve heard both Haakaa and Lunette are really great.
Your suggestions:
-A plastic free tooth brush is high on my priority list. These Grin brushes from Bundles for Bumps look awesome!
-Reusable make up wipe? These Take it Off cloths look fabity fab!
-Shampoo bars are such an awesome idea! They last for ages and have NO waste. Your faves include Lush and Ethique.
–Fine Shave have a lot of stainless steel razors to pick from.
–MamaCloth have a super range of reusable menstrual products.
–Tree Free toilet paper from Smart Ass is a great initiative! You can even get it as a subscription so you never have to worry about running short again!
In the cleaning caddy:
The past year or so, I’ve done a real big detox of the cleaning supplies I use in our house. Cleaning products can be major hormone disrupters! Nasty. I found that as I switched to more natural alternatives, my waste was also reduced.. win win!
My faves:
-My EcoStore dish brush is definitely a fave. When the head wears out, you can buy a new one. Did you know you can also refill your cleaning products at bulk food stores with Eco Store?
-Another fave is most definitely my hand knitted dishcloths. They are AWESOME. I use it for a few days, then throw it through the washing machine and it’s good to go again. You can get yours here. Pre orders are open now!
-One bottle of On Guard cleaner concentrate can make up to 25 500ml bottles of all purpose cleaner. How cool is that? A little goes a looooong way.
-I’m also a big fan of baking soda and vinegar for cleaning!
Your suggestions:
-Ya’ll really like Figgy and Co. They sell a range of natural cleaning supplies that you can use to make your own bench spray, glass cleaner, cleaning paste, laundry powder and more!
In the nursery:
As I’m preparing for baby, I want to make good choices that are economical, natural, safe and environmentally friendly. The first place to start is with nappies! Did you know if every kiwi baby had just one cloth nappy change per day, this would prevent 1 million disposables from going to land fill every week in New Zealand? CRAZY. I intend to cloth nappy my babes, as well as using a few other products to reduce my waste.
My faves:
-There are so many brands of cloth nappies out there! At the moment I have a small selection from both Baby Factory and Tots Bots.
-I impulse bought a bunch of Kai Carriers a while back and put them in my baby stash! These are a great way to carry around home made puree and more!
– I got given a set of reusable breast pads from Ever Sweet Baby. They’re super pretty and I’m sure will work great!
-I’ve been repurposing Aaron’s old flannel shirts and making nappy wipes with them. A quick rinse off then they can go in the laundry after nappy changes.
Your suggestions:
-A freezer tray for baby food and breastmilk is an awesome idea! Get yours at Global Baby!
–Pea Pods, and Real Nappies were also suggested.
Hand Knitted Dish Cloths available for pre order now! Click here to get yours.
Hi Brittney,
Wow, what a complete list you have here. Very helpful, indeed. I started my own little ways to help reduce waste. I bring my own shopping bag all the time with my reusable stainless steel straw and I am loving it! :) Looking forward to reducing more waste. Thank you for sharing!
Cheers,
Jessica