50 Easy Low-Waste Switches

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1	Please note: this list is just a start. I've linked to a lot of brands/items I've personally used and/or heard rave reviews about, but there are TONS of other options out there!
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3	Low-Waste Retailers:
4	Package Free Shop
5	Plastic Free Pursuit
6	Zero Waste Store
7	Protea Zero Waste
8	Public Goods (Some items have a lot of packaging, some don't)
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10	Category	Item / Issue	Sustainable Alternative	Links
11	Sanitation	DIY Hand Sanitizer	This one is probably very top-of-mind for all of us right now. There are loads of natural ways to make sanitizers, but you can also make your own alcohol-based sanitizer (which is what I'm personally using these days). Recipe in link, but all you need is some 70%+ rubbing alcohol, aloe vera gel, and tea tree oil (though I think you could use whatever oil you want, or none at all honestly).	DIY Hand Sanitizer (2 ways)
12	Sanitation	DIY Face Mask	Please, please save the single-use masks for medical professionals and first responders who need them. To keep yourself protected, you can sew you own face mask. I've even seen versions that don't require any sewing (but hey, we're all social distancing, why not try your hand at a new skill?)	DIY Face Mask	NO SEWING Face Mask (Sorry for the super cheesy music)
13	Plastics	Disposable Cups	Reusable cups! Preferably something with a lid so you can use it on the go in any situation. They even have collapsible cups these days that are easy to store in your bags! Don't be afraid to ask businesses, i.e. coffee shops, if you can use your own; most places don't mind, and some will even give you a discount!	Collapsible cups	Keep Cup
14	Plastics	Water Bottles	Similar to the cups - just have one on hand that is easy to bring on the go. Have a few in all of your various bags so you never find yourself without one!	Collapsible water bottle
15	Plastics	Cutlery	Bamboo or metal cutlery. Have multiple travel-size sporks in all of your bags/purses/totes/jacket pockets you use	Bamboo cutlery	Camping cutlery is a great place to start too
16	Plastics	Straws	Metal. Glass. Bamboo. Koffie Straw (made from pressed coffee grounds!). Lots of options (even collapsible ones!)	Fancy Collapsible Straw	Straws from pressed coffee!
17	Plastics	Plastic Wrap	Use beeswax cloths instead. They're pieces of cloth, coated in beeswax and usually some other kind of oil. You just put them over whatever food or container you want, and use the heat from your hand to make a seal. Apparently they're also very easy to make on your own, but I've always bought mine cuz I'm a busy person.	Abeego	Or, make your own!
18	Plastics	Ziploc Bags	Use either beeswax to wrap the item directly, or use Stasher bags! They come in a ton of colors and sizes. They're so amazing. They're my favorite thing ever. You can boil them, throw them in the dishwasher, freeze them, whatever.	Stasher Bags
19	Plastics	Containers from parties / bars	If it's a house party, BYOC. Or, ask to borrow one! At a bar you're typically stuck using one of their cups for sanitary reasons, but you can ask your bartender to hold the straw or extra napkins or stirrers.	You could even bring a reusable solo cup if you wanna fit in
20	Plastics	Bags	Bring a reusable tote. Or, if it's only a few items, just carry them by hand. Learn to get comfortable saying "no" even if your cashier has started to reach for a bag. These are pretty easy to find at most stores, but you can also learn to make your own from an old t-shirt, no sewing required!	Really bougie but cute bags	DIY tshirt tote
21	Food Waste	To-go containers & leftovers	BYO tupperware to the restaurant. They really don't care. I personally save pretty much ever jar I buy (salsa, pasta sauce, etc.) and then just use those for various things	Metal airtight sealing containers	Small silicone snack containers
22	Food Waste	Dry Goods Grocery Shopping	Buy what you can in bulk. Most stores have some sort of bulk section. Consider what items you buy now that might have a bulk alternative (beans, rice, flour, snacks, pasta). Bring a set of reusable grocery bags. Load them up with your bulk items, and when you get home transfer them to storage containers.	Buy Reusable Produce Bags or...	Make Your Own!!
23	Food Waste	Produce Grocery Shopping	Buy produce without containers where you can (I see big plastic containers of leafy greens right next to package-free ones all the time :( ). For loose items, like mushrooms or green beans, bring a few reusable grocery bags to store them. As always, make sure you wash your produce well before consuming.	see links above!
24	Food Waste	Ordering Delivery	Avoid where you can. Call up your favorite restaurants and ask them to choose greener materials. Restraunts live and breathe by consumer demand!
25	Food Waste	Vegetable Scraps	Don't throw away your veggie scraps!! Keep them in a container (like a Stasher bag hehe) and store them in the freezer until you have a good batch. When you're ready, toss them into a pot, fill the pot with water until it juuuust covers the scraps, and boil for at least 30 minutes. Optionally add salt. Boom, DIY vegetable stock. If you can, compost the scraps afterward to completely divert all waste.	Zero Waste Veggie Stock
26	Food Waste	Tea Bags	It was a sad day when I learned that most tea bags are made with plastic, not paper or cloth as they might seem :(. So, I made the switch to exlcusively buying loose-leaf tea. Just get yourself a cute little infuser (or two, one for home and one for work) and you're good to go.	Quirky and fun tea infusers
27	Personal Care	Soap	Bar soaps for body, shampoo, and conditioner. I use a refillable conditioner that comes in an aluminum bottle.	Best size-to-value shampoo bar
28	Personal Care	Razors	Using a metal butterfly razor with replaceable blades. Albatross will take back used blades and make them into new ones.	Albatross Razors
29	Personal Care	Face Wash	Replacing liquid soap with bar soap. Avoid sheet masks, and opt for a mask that comes in bulk in a jar. Buy moisturizer that comes in a plastic-free container. Recycle difficult items with TerraCycle.	Amazing bar and non-bar soaps	Refillables	Lush also has some cheaper options
30	Personal Care	Face and body oils	Look for items that are made with responsibly sourced, plant-based ingredients. And, as always, in a plastic-minimal package.	Lots of good oils here!
31	Personal Care	Acne treatment (topical)	I used to be a die-hard benzoyl peroxide kind of gal. However, as I've started switching to less chemical-based products, I've actually found one that works just as well for my skin. Fat and the Moon's Pimple Mud is effective, minus all the harshness on your skin. Everyone's skin is a little different, so it's important you pay attention to what works for you.	Pimples-B-Gone
32	Personal Care	Moisturizer	My personal rule here is the fewer ingredients, the better. I've only found one option for large, refillable moisturizer, but have found a few smaller ones that come in either glass or aluminum containers.	Refillable, large, and in charge	Fat and the Moon All Cream	Lovett Sundried Rosewater Face Cream
33	Personal Care	Sunscreen	Wear your damn sunscreen. Make sure what you're buying is certified "reef safe" to keep our oceans clean. See links for options for cosmetic-grade and regular suncreens.	Multi-purpose	Cosmetic Grade
34	Personal Care	Hair Styling	There are lots of plastic-free hair creams that come in aluminum jars. I've also seen companies that do refillable containers. Personally, I have really curly hair that is super super picky about what goes in it. By far the best thing I've ever used (low-waste or otherwise) is this recipe I found for DIY flaxseed hair gel. It's ridiculously cheap, and takes less than 10 minutes to make.	DIY Flax seed hair gel	Lovett Sundries sells a lot of low-waste options	Refillable hair gels / creams
35	Personal Care	Hair Brushes / Combs	A plain wooden or bamboo brush will do the trick!	Big bamboo brush
36	Personal Care	Hair ties / scrunchies	Kooshoo is a company that makes really cute scrunchies and hair ties made with bamboo, so they're biodegradable! A lot of hair ties use elastic, which is traditionally made with plastic fibers and very difficult to recycle	Kooshoo
37	Personal Care	Cotton pads/balls	Use reusable pads! Just toss em in the laundry when you need to clean them. Also I recommend getting them in black if you wear makeup.	Facial rounds (they have sooo many colors)
38	Personal Care	Cosmetics	Look for organic brands such as Elate, Fat and the Moon, and Kjaer Weiss. Elate has refillable palettes and containers packed in bamboo. I've seen Etsy shops that also have refillable mascara that comes in glass containers! Fat and the Moon sells all of their products in aluminum containers!	Elate	Fat and the Moon
39	Personal Care	Glitter	Traditionally, glitter is made from petroleum, making it essentially a wearable microplastic. Try to find options that are biodegradable and plant-based.	Festival and earth friendly
40	Personal Care	Lip Balm	Go for balm from a glass jar or metal tin instead of a plastic tube.	Use this for literally everything
41	Personal Care	Deodorant	Lots of options here! You can choose a deodorant cream that comes in a glass jar, a deodorant stick that comes in a compostable tube, or even make your own using a few simple ingredients. I personally prefer the sticks, but choose whatever works best for you!	Deodorant Stick	Deodorant Cream	Make your own!
42	Dental	Toothpaste	Toothpaste tablets or powders. Or, paste in a metal tube. The tablets are particularly great for travel!	Tooth tablets
43	Dental	Toothbrush	Bamboo toothbrush. Remove bristles before composting!	Bamboozled
44	Dental	Mouthwash	Mouthwash tablets!!	Multiple flavors available
45	Dental	Floss	Floss made from mulberry silk. Sad fact: a lot of the commerical flosses we're used to are made with some variety of plastic - ew	It's refillable, too!
46	Personal Care	Menstrual Care	Using a menstrual cup will save you hella $$$. For the nighttime, you can use period-proof underwear (it actually works!) or cloth panty liners.	Thinx period underwear	Lunette Menstrual Cup
47	Personal Care	Toilet Paper	Get a bidet attachment for your toilet. It's the greenest and cheapest option! If that's not an option, get toilet paper made from bamboo or from recycled materials. Unbleached, too.	Bidet Attachment	Eco-friendly tp
48	Fashion	New Clothes	Buy secondhand whenever possible. If you need a new item, do your due diligence and ensure that the company is environmentally responsible. Look for environmental certifications. Companies that are actually green (not just greenwashing) will usually have something on their site about the suppliers they work with and what materials they use throughout their manufacturing cycle.	Online thrifting works too
49	Fashion	Old Clothes	Pass down to someone you love! Before donating, check that your donation center won't just toss extra clothes into landfill (which unfortunately happens a lot). Consider donating your clothes to a company that will recycle them into new fibers and clothes (Marine Layer, Madewell, Eddy's Brand, Girlfriend Collective)	Recycle at Marine Layer	Eddy's Brand for kids clothing!
50	Travel	Travel-size bottles	Rather than a plastic miniature for your toiletries, use a silicone-based option. They're the perfect size for carry ons, or for backpacking.	Go go gadget travel bottles
51	Household	Household Cleaner	Make your own! Make it with vinegar and citrus scraps. Or, castile soap and baking soda. You can also buy refillable cleaners that come in tablet form. Just soak the tablets in some tablets and you're good to go.	All you need is some oranges and some vinegar		Refillable cleaner tablets
52	Household	Dish scrubbers	Rather than using a wand or scrubber made with plastic, consider a wooden version. When looking for sponges, try to find ones without artificial dyes that have been responsibly sourced. Use a metal wool for the really tough jobs (copper is a really powerful antibacterial/antiviral material)	Small wooden scrubber	Copper wool	Large brush
53	Household	Dish soap	Use a solid bar! If you're really tied to liquid soap, you can take shavings from a soap bar and soak them in some water until they're your desired consistency.	Solid dish soap
54	Household	Dishwasher detergent	Make your own with salt, baking soda, and dish soap	Wow, so easy!
55	Household	Rags	Cut up old clothes into rags! T-shirts work well
56	Household	Paper Towels Alternatives	Rather than buying single-use paper towels, you can buy a resuable set of towels. The ones linked here from Marleys Monsters are clingy and designed to roll up together if you want to use them dispenser-style. You can also cut up an old bathroom towel to create smaller towerls to use	Un-paper towels
57	Household	Spray bottles & wipe containers	If you're making your own soaps, you might want something to store them in. Consider using a glass spray bottle, or a large jar to store your soap and DIY rags.	Spray bottles	Wipe container
58	Household	Laundry Soap	Make your own, or buy in a bulk powder form	Powder soap	DIY detergent and dryer sheets
59	Household	Microplastics from laundry	If you own your laundry machine, add a microplastic filter. Otherwise, you can use a Cora ball or a Guppy Bag to catch plastics in your laundry loads.	Cora Ball	Guppy Bag
60	Medical Care	Bandaids	A lot of adhesives can make bandages non-biodegradable, and the bandage itself could be made using a soft plastic (the least recyclable kind). Choose ones that are made with bamboo or some other natural fibers.	Plastic and boo boo free
61	Misc	Candles	Who doesn't love a cozy, hygge-inducing candle? A lot of commerically-produced candles are made of paraffin, which is NOT good to be breathing in. A cleaner alternative is soy wax or beeswax. I make all of my own candles from bulk soy wax, essential oils, and repurposed old food jars (salsa jars, condiments, spices). Just heat up a few cups of wax, add a few drops of essential oils to your container, place a wick, pour the wax, and let it dry. Once you're done, you can just refill the same container over and over!	Natural soy wax kit	Candle DIY tutorial
62	Misc	Gift Wrapping	A lot of the really snazzy wrapping papers with prints are actually non-recyclable because of the dyes used to create those patterns. See if you have any bags or containers from gifts past that you can reuse! If you're buying new wrapping paper, see if you can find a pattern made with natural dyes. Or, use plain brown paper and twine (which is compostable) for a more rustic look (I decorate mine with plants and flowers I find around!).	Brown wrapping paper
63	Misc	Tape	Adhesives can be really problematic and render a lot of tapes unrecyclable (even the things with tape ON them can be deemed unrecyclable!). Washi tape is a plant-based alternative that comes in endless patterns.	Wishy Washi
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