Well, it’s been five months since my last blog post! I admit I seem to have an awful habit of setting my blog aside during the summer, and I am so sorry for that! I will be making an honest effort to break that habit when next summer comes around.
Now, back to business! In this blog post I will be giving you a list of my new favorite products from Amazon that help me live more sustainably. These may be small steps towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle, but they are steps in the right direction. Whether it be plastic-free, vegan, or reusable, all of these items help reduce the environmental impacts of some of my daily routines.
All quotes and images of products included in this post come directly from the product information listed on Amazon. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn a small commission from purchases made of the products included in this post.
To date we saved our planet from over 5 million plastic bottles!
Vegan – Plastic Free – Cruelty Free – Palm Oil Free
The first items on my list are the Ethique shampoo and conditioner bars. I was skeptical at first, but that all changed once I tried them. I absolutely love these bars and can’t see myself ever going back to shampoo and conditioner from plastic bottles again. I would really like to try their lotions and deodorants next.
Each Ethique shampoo bar takes the place of 3 bottles of liquid shampoo, and each conditioner bar replaces 5 bottles of liquid conditioner. They are also packaged in cardboard and are free of palm oil, vegan, and cruelty-free. Therefore, not only are you having to buy shampoo and conditioner less often, but you are also using significantly less plastic.
Plastic Free – Petroleum Free – No Animal Testing
After discovering the Ethique shampoo and conditioner, I became obsessed with bar products! This lotion bar works so well. I live in a very dry climate and was having to apply liquid lotion at least twice a day. This lotion bar keeps my skin moisturized all day long, so I only have to use it once a day!
This lotion bar comes in a reusable metal tin, and includes all natural ingredients. They are also petroleum-free and never tested on animals. With daily use, the small bar lasts approximately 8 weeks and the large bar lasts 4-6 months.
“Not only do you save money, you also make your environment cleaner by reducing your own waste with your washable makeup remover pads.”
Reusable – Plastic Free – Bamboo Velour
For the longest time I have been buying cotton pads from the grocery store, but no longer! If you think about it, the amount of water and energy that goes into growing the cotton and manufacturing it into little round pads can add up. It may seem like a strange concept at first, but these reusable pads can save a lot of money and resources!
There are lots of different brands of reusable pads on Amazon, but these are the ones I purchased. The pack comes with 16 pads made of bamboo velour. They are machine washable and include a small cotton bag to keep them protected in the wash. They are also packaged in cardboard rather than plastic.
Reusable – BPA Free – Plastic Free
Every time I go to the grocery store, I feel so bad if I have to get a lot of produce because I hate the pesky plastic produce bags! In many cases, if I don’t eat the skin of the produce I’m getting, then I won’t get a bag because there’s no need for it. Plastic bags also tend to hold too much moisture, which is good for produce in some cases but very bad in others.
These reusable produce bags are such a great solution to all of these problems. They are a great alternative to plastic, as they are reusable. These bags are also made of mesh, meaning they release moisture from within rather than trapping it as plastic typically does. They also have a draw string, which makes life much easier!
“Compostable Bags are made from the starches of plants, and contains NO polyethylene. They can be naturally decomposed in the natural environment.”
Compostable – Corn starch-based – Toxin-free
For years I have been using old shopping bags as trash bags. As of recently I’ve started bringing my shopping bags in for recycling, and figured I needed a better alternative for trash bags. That’s when I stumbled upon this amazing find. These trash bags are made of corn starch and listed as fully compostable.
Unfortunately, I do not compost, so I don’t know how compostable these bags really are. Being made from corn starch, these compostable trash bags are likely pretty strong, but should break down over time better than plastic. These bags come in large packs of many different sizes so they should last a long time.
Reusable – BPA Free – Toxin Free
Having a reusable water bottle is pretty much an everyday necessity for me, as I’m in class or on-the-go most of the time. After using reusable bottles, I find myself never buying bottled water. For awhile I had been using reusable bottles that were plastic, and my water was always warm! I kept seeing these water bottles everywhere I went, and finally had to see what all the hype was about.
After getting a Hydro Flask, I was absolutely amazed at how well it worked at keeping water cool and insulated. These water bottles are great, and it’s all I use now when leaving the house. They are especially great for hot summer days outdoors, as water will stay cool in them all day long. Hydro flasks come in an array of colors and sizes, it almost makes it hard to choose!
“Just one person switching to a Hummingbird Glass Straw can keep about 38,000 nasty plastic straws out of the environment forever.”
Reusable – Plastic Free – BPA Free – Toxin Free – Made in USA
I have never been much of a straw person, so getting rid of them from our house was an easy change for me. Still, some guests like to have straws, and I do admit that some drinks just go better with a straw (like smoothies!).
These reusable glass straws are such a great alternative to plastic straws. They are incredibly easy to clean, and it’s nice that they have a bend to them. While they are glass, they are incredibly sturdy and well-made.
seeminglysophie.com 