Conscious Consumption
As individual consumers, we each have the power to purchase goods that make our lives healthier and simpler. As a collective, we can use our purchasing power to send a message to big corporations that greener products are not only good for the planet but also incredibly profitable.
In this way, every purchase is a vote for a better world. Read on for some ideas on products that can help you reduce your environmental impact without breaking the bank.
Groceries
The #1 rule of zero waste grocery shopping is B.Y.O.B. – Bring Your Own Bags. If you still have plastic or paper bags from previous trips to the store, use those until they’re no longer usable. Plastic bags cannot be recycled curbside (although many stores are starting to offer bins for you to recycle plastic bags and film), so every bag you can reuse keeps another bag out of the landfills.
I keep a few reusable grocery bags and produce bags in my car so they’re always handy for a spontaneous trip to the store. I’ve found that the canvas bags (and produce bags) I use actually hold more than their plastic or paper counterparts too because they’re stronger, which makes carrying your haul into the house that much easier.
When choosing products at the store, favor glass or paper packaging over plastic or styrofoam. And if the only options are plastic, prefer #1 or #2 plastics, which are at least accepted at most recycling facilities across the U.S.
I am working on a zero waste shopping list, identifying the products in each category that you can buy without plastic packaging in conventional (not bulk) grocery stores and will publish that soon.
I also shop online for pantry items, household goods and personal care items at Hive Brands. While you can’t buy all of your grocery staples on Hive, I love that they allow you to filter products by your dietary need , environmental and social values (i.e. BIPOC-owned, zero waste), and many other ways.
Restaurants & Bars
One of the easiest ways you can avoid creating waste when dining out is by refusing straws, which are single-use by nature. The most effective way to do this is to ask for “no straw, please” when you order, since the default of many establishments is to give you a straw.
You can also request tap water instead of bottled water if the local tap water is safe to drink (which is the case for most of the United States).
When I visit a coffee shop, I try to bring my own tumbler. This isn’t as easy for me to remember as bringing reusable bags, but most coffee places (including Starbucks) will happily fill a customer’s mug/tumbler and even offer a discount.
Food Storage
There are some great zero waste options for food storage.
Plastic Ziploc bags can be replaced by silicone bags (most popular brand is Stasher), which are not only endlessly reusable but also non-toxic and safe for use in freezers, microwaves, ovens (up to 425F) and dishwashers.
Plastic food storage containers with lids can be replaced by glass containers (like Pyrex) or stainless steel containers.
And plastic wrap can be replaced by beeswax wraps, which are washable, reusable and compostable.
Cleaning
There are some great companies offering cleaning products that are safer for humans, pets and the environment. Blueland, CleanCult, Dropps, Grove Collective and Meliora Cleaning Products all make low or zero waste cleaning products that are as effective (if not more so) than their conventional counterparts, without all of the toxic chemicals.
I haven’t tried them all yet but can personally recommend Dropps laundry detergent pods, and Blueland’s foaming hand soap, multi-surface cleaner, glass + mirror cleaner and bathroom cleaner. More in-depth reviews of these products and more coming soon!
Paper Products
Bamboo is often used to make more environmentally friendly toilet paper, paper towels and tissue paper because it can grow up to 3 feet in 24 hours. I love buying bamboo toilet paper from Who Gives a Crap because not only is it soft and priced similarly to conventional toilet paper, I also love how the cute wrappers for each role look on the open shelving in my bathroom. But way more importantly, the company donates 50% of their profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation for the two billion (with a B!) people who don’t have access to a toilet (and therefore are at risk of all sorts of preventable diseases).
Beauty Products
There are some great, affordable brands in the “clean beauty” space, and I’m very encouraged by the work Ulta has done to highlight its “conscious beauty” products, which have clean ingredients, are cruelty free, vegan and/or have sustainable packaging. That said, most of the “clean” or “conscious” beauty products you’ll find at Ulta, Sephora or other major cosmetics retailers are still packaged in plastic instead of glass or other more easily recyclable products.
I have found, as someone who doesn’t wear much makeup or have a multi-step beauty routine, that the most sustainable option for me is to only buy products that I will actually use, buy the smallest size, and use it all up before buying more. I also buy products on YouFromMe, which sells pre-owned beauty products at affordable prices (relax germaphobes, 70% of the products on the site have never even been opened).
If buying used isn’t your jam but you’re in the position to replace some of your beauty necessities, I’d recommend checking out Credo Beauty, the largest clean beauty retailer on the planet, Bare Minerals for foundation (they recycle your empties), ILIA’s Limitless Lash Mascara and eyeshadows, Trestique for plastic-free lip color, and pretty much any pencil eyeliner.
For skin products and moisturizers, I really like Aveda, which recently became a B Corporation, does not use any animal products (100% vegan) or test on animals (Leaping Bunny certified), and uses 100% post-consumer recycled material for nearly all its products. I’m also a huge fan of Kiehl’s and OSEA, which are two other brands really leading the way in terms of environmental sustainability, as well as clean ingredients.
Personal Hygiene
The rule of thumb when it comes to zero waste personal hygiene products is bars over bottles. You probably know you can buy hand soap and body soap as bars (look for products wrapped in paper instead of plastic). But did you know you can also find shampoo, conditioner and shaving soap in bar form? And with so many amazing bar products out there (superzero being my absolute favorite), I personally have left plastic bottles behind and will not be looking back.
There are, however, some products that don’t come in bar form. For instance, you might try swapping out your plastic razors for a metal safety razor. They take some getting used to but, if taken care of, can be used forever. The Leaf razor has a cult following. Reusable makeup remover pads are also a great swap for disposable makeup removal wipes and will likely save you money in the long-term.
Clothing
I find that buying used clothing is so easy and affordable, with so many options, that I’m rarely even tempted to buy new. I love to browse the racks of clothing consignment shops, particularly in big cities, but I find most of my clothing on ThredUp.
ThredUP is not technically the only game in town, with some other big online resale markets like TheRealReal and dozens of online platforms that allow individual users to photograph, price and post their items. That being said, no other site has the search and filter options of ThredUP. I can look for designer jeans and filter by the inseam, rise and fit and save my search. Surprisingly, I haven’t found any other sites with such a good filtering capability.
There is, however, one brand that I love to support by buying new. Girlfriend Collective makes the most flattering, comfortable athleisure from recycled water bottles. I love their inclusive sizing, their transparency about what’s in their products and how they’re made, and the fact they’ll take back worn items and upcycle them into new pieces.
Furniture
High-quality new furniture is hard to find these days, especially at an affordable price. That’s probably why IKEA has become so popular. Before running out to IKEA to buy whatever homewares you need, I highly recommend looking for furniture on Facebook Marketplace, in local furniture consignment stores and even at the Habitat for Humanity Restore, where you’re likely to find higher quality (real wood!) items built to last the test of time. In the long run, you’ll save money and avoid having to throw out junky products that can’t survive disassembly and reassembly.
Appliances
The most important considerations for me when it comes to purchasing an appliance are longevity and energy usage. When my dryer broke recently and could not be repaired, I consulted Consumer Reports to find the best new dryer in my price range. And I made sure that the dryer was Energy STAR certified (most of the top-rated appliances will be).