Did you ever think snacking on your favorite candy could somehow effect the rain forests?

It sounds crazy, but it is true. More and more candy brands, from chocolates to Haribo bears, are using Palm Oil. This seems like a healthier alternative to corn syrup, but it comes at a huge environmental cost.

Palm oil can only be grown in very specific environments. Sadly, these are mostly the spaces that rainforests need, so as demand for palm oil rises, more rain forests are cleared for palm oil plantations. Rain forests are precious to our eco-system, and they are a major cooling force in the face of climate crisis. They also house a huge percentage of our biodiversity, and we need to stop mass extinction to save our planet. If that wasn't enough, indigenous people are also being forced out to make room for these plantations.

Yes, it is that bad. Palm oil is a big deal, and if you aren't paying attention to it, at least a third of your home's food and products contain it (yep, it's that common).

This is all terrible. What can I do about it?

First, write your favorite company and ask them to stop using unethical palm oil. Encourage them to only use RSPO certified sources OR to give up palm oil completely. They will only know we care if we tell them so. If you need a template on how to do this, we have an easy one for you.

Second, tell your friends about it. Palm oil is one of those huge issues that no one is talking about yet. Just tell them about how you are trying to give up palm oil, and if they ask, explain more about why. When you find something great that isn't made with palm oil, pass that link on on Facebook. We are most influenced by the people we love. The best thing you can do for spreading the word is start with the people in your life. No one knows until you tell them.

Last, switch out these palm oil candy sources for something more ethical. This sounds tough. I mean, palm oil is in EVERYTHING. But I have ideas to share with you! It may not be as hopeless as you think!

Now, here is the bad news. And take a deep breath, because I have a lot of bad news about just how much candy has palm oil in it. Here is a partial list of the candy with palm oil:

100 Grand
Almond Joy
Butterfinger
Crunch Bars
Haribo Bears
Kit Kats (also, I know of Kit Kats with maggots in them. Just don't eat Kit Kats)
M and M's
Milk Duds
Milky Way
Most Nestle Products (they are the worst, as we have mentioned many times before)
Nerds
All Reese's Products
Skittles
Smarties
Snickers
Starburst
Sweettarts
TicTacs
Twizzlers

Even worse news? This is the tip of the iceberg. Some candies (like Hershey's) make lists of candy with palm oil as an ingredient, but their approach has actually improved over time (you can read about their RSPO, completely traceable palm oil here). In other cases some candies (like smarties) have palm oil in some countries and not in others.  It goes to show these things can be tricky (and change over time for better or for worse). My advice is to always, always check.

Ok, now before you give up completely, know this is a problem we can solve! If we start switching away from products that use palm oil, companies will have to take a more responsible approach.  I have a sweet tooth too, so I am not going to say no more candy, but a change in approach can make a big difference.

How do you spot a candy with palm oil?

First off, it is super helpful to get familiar with the many names for this ingredient. This post has a pretty extensive list of names to look out for.

It's important to look for yourself. When researching this, it kind of blew my mind how different sources list different candies as bad. In one, Hershey's is one the good list. On the next, not so much. Palm oil's use is exploding so much that it may have just changed between the times lists are published. Certifications are expanding too. You just have to look.

From there, I have a few ideas for how to find switches and specific recommendations for your favorites on that epically long list.

First, Learn to Love Local Candy

When we go on roadtrips, we tend to go all out on snacks. We used to get everything we needed at a gas station along the way, but with the help of the internet and a little creativity, we haven't taken a great tradition and made it even better. We find local candy shops and grab a bunch of stuff to try on the road.

I know you are thinking- that sounds so expensive! It isn't! Our favorite on our last roadtrip was chocolate-covered graham crackers at Len Libby's Candies in Maine. We got them wrapped in paper, so no plastic either. I think each one was about a dollar, and it was about the size of a candy bar.

We have done the research- every state in America has it's own local candy gems. I think starting with buying things made near you (wherever you are) does the most good.

Local candy has so many benefits- you are keeping your money where you live, helping your neighbors maintain jobs, you can find things without any packaging at a good candy counter, and Palm Oil is often used in food with a lot of chemicals meant to preserve the candy longer, so the shorter distances your food travels, the less likely it is to have palm oil in it.

Second, Embrace Palm Oil-Free Switches

Ok, that's all well and good, but what if you just really love a Reese's peanut butter cup OR you need M and M's to bribe your child not to pee on your floor (this is my actual situation).

Some of these have perfectly ethical substitutes. Almost all of these have substitutes with corn syrup instead, which is not healthier (definitely not), but it is weirdly better for the environment. And really, you are eating candy, so let's not get too excited about health here.

Instead of Most Candy Bars...

There are lots of chocolate companies out there trying to take a more ethical approach to the chocolate and palm oil. The first couple of these I can find easily in grocery stores in the PNW. If you are in another part of the country, it might be other spots. There are lots of good choices out there, the key is to just start looking.

Alter Eco has a pretty amazing (and tasty) collection of truffles and candy bears, all fair trade.

Theo Chocolates also have extremely high standards and ethics around their chocolate. A lot of their bars are on the fussy end, but milk chocolate is pretty delicious.

Endangered Species chocolate bars are fair trade, palm oil free, and the profits go toward supporting endangered animals.

Nibmor is another chocolate company with ethical practices and lots of choices.

If the real issue is you are at a very basic gas station and need the best of the worst, I would probably say a Hershey's bar. But that is a low bar.  Better would be something that isn't wrapped in plastic and had the RSPO certification (though Hershey's is transparent about their supply chain). Lindt and Ghiradelli rank higher on their RSPO usage. Godiva doesn't have any palm oil, and you can find it at drugstores or Hudson News. But you should even check around the gas station! The more local the treat, the better.

Instead of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups... 

Justin's Peanut Butter Cups are your easiest option- they have the sustainable palm oil certification, and they are actually getting mainstream enough that we have spotted them at gas stations and airport shops (thanks Hudson News!).

UnReal has peanut butter cups AND a pretty excellent M and M replacement. Bulk candy sections in natural food stores tend to have an m and m equivalent too.

Newman's Own has a peanut butter cup too, and they have the Rainforest Alliance Certification.

Instead of Haribo Bears...

Ok, this is a weird one, because only the higher end gummi bears have palm oil. The cheaper and store brand bears don't tend to have it. So if avoiding palm oil is the goal, you can simply be cheap and head back to the corn syrup bears.

If you are looking for something with that quality without the palm oil, Black Forest Gummi Bears are made with organic ingredients, and they do not contain palm oil.

Yum Earth also makes organic gummy bears that are palm oil free (they also sell licorice and a few other items with RSPO palm oil).

Instead of Sweet Treats (Like Sweettarts and Skittles)... 

These can be a bit of a toss up- some mainstream sweets have a lot of palm oil (looking at you, Jolly Ranchers), and some have good old-fashioned corn syrup.

For the record, if you want to be eco-friendly but are in a mainstream store, dum dums are a solid bet. They don't have palm oil, don't have any individual plastic packaging, and are made in the US from US made components. Dum dums are a gem.

Yum Earth also makes lolipops, licorice, and other sweet treats without palm oil or using RSPO palm oil.

Other options are blow pops, air heads, some ring pops (check!) and hot tamales.




Ok, your mission is to start looking on your candy packaging! Is palm oil listed? If it is, can you find the little frog with the rainforest alliance seal? If not, it's time to move on to another bar. Even our candy choices have big environmental, ethical, and humanitarian implications, so it's worth rethinking what you are eating!

from The Vinyl Visionary

If I have learned one thing from the blog's September Mission to Cut Out Plastic Straws, it is that people really love their straws. LOVE their straws. And that there are lots of times where a straw makes a whole lot more sense than not. Though I can dream of a perfect world where no one uses straws, that would also have to be a world without toddlers, hospital patients, and people with super sensitive teeth, among many things. And this blog advocates for a lot of things, but eliminating toddlers is not one of them.

from weddingfavours.ca and because Sarah and John are jerks who spoiled the ending of this party. Seriously, this napkin would be consumed in the same room as the cake, right? Couldn't you just look at the actual cake?

We remember every wedding we go to for different things. Melissa and Alan had such a cool cake and the most beautiful and original cake topper. Amanda and Brandon's was pretty in every detail, and her grandpa was an unruly hoot. Bry and Thomas's had the most spectacular seating chart in the history of time.

But we all know, when it comes down to it, that the make it or break it for every wedding is the napkins.

Amiright? Napkins, man. That's the big show. You can really see the love and commitment of the couple in the napkins they choose.

Ok, so not true.

No one, in the history of this green Earth, has ever remembered an event for it's napkins.

So why do so many fiances get suckered into the "fred and ginger- June 8th, 2002" napkins? They aren't fun. They aren't memorable. They have absolutely no bearing on anyone's good time. No one's night has ever been made or ruined by whether a napkin is properly monogrammed.

You want to know how forgettable the wedding napkin is? I am worried this might offend a friend, but I have no idea which one, because I have absolutely no memory of any of your napkins. And we both know I am the kind of person who would remember if there was something to remember. I loved your wedding, dear friend, but your napkin did not stick.

Also, why do I need a reminder of who's wedding I'm at on my cocktail napkin? If I drank enough to forget, I think we can safely assume I am not looking for reading material either.

So, why do it?

here's to you, Jennie and Phil. Happy anniversary. All you need is love and to finally use up these napkins.

One, because people have been buying these napkins for a while now, so it just feels like something you do.

Two, because it feels on theme and personal, even if it actually mostly isn't. If your guest has made it through your ceremony and on to the reception, we can safely assume they know your name and the date.

Last because it isn't all that expensive. On the Knot store (pretty mainstream), 100 cocktail napkins is about 16 dollars. Not much, until you consider it is a fancy pile of nothing.

Even worse, this classy looking instagarbage is nearly never made on recycled paper .  Meaning a tree came down so you could remind people of the party they are already at (I found one etsy store- littlechicklets which has both hilarious and recycled napkins- 14 dollars for 50, so steeper). Your wedding is supposed to be a beautiful day where you, as a new committed unit, step into the future. Wouldn't you like the air to be clean when you get there?

Buying a simple 200 pack of recycled and made in America Susty Party cocktail napkins is 8 bucks.

So, if you get  200 napkins, you save like 25 bucks. If you get 400, you save 50.

Now, I know, when you are shelling out for a wedding, this isn't exactly a game changer. But I say buy the plain napkins and put that money toward one of these instead:

Just go out to dinner. Doesn't have to be fancy and expensive. Go sit at a restaurant and plot which friends you want to get together at the wedding or which family members should be on opposite sides of the room.

Get more lights. Buy a few more strands of white lights or a spotlight or something. Napkins don't have impact, but good lighting transforms any space from the mundane to really special. They don't have to be expensive to make the space feel expensive. Skip the napkins, buy more lights.

from KaBloomz

Buy plantable confetti. Turn your one nature-loving gesture into two, and use that money for your send-off. These confetti papers have wildflower seeds inside, so you are planting and celebrating. Instead of bubbles or sparklers, use this confetti to make the world a little more beautiful. Obviously, depends on where you are getting hitched, but you could even offer it as a favor or decoration too. They are pretty cool.

Put it toward something actually personal- Make a cool photo wall or a guest book with pictures of you over the year. Splurge on that thing on Etsy that seems a little over the top, but it makes you happy every time. Make it something about who you actually are as a couple, not just that your name contains letters. Sorry friend, that is true for everyone.

Buy eco-friendly wood cutlery or paper straws- Those straws are so cute (tranquilo's are about 9 dollars for 100), and anything that isn't plastic at your wedding will lessen its environmental impact. Check out my list of all of the party disposables done right, and you can put green savings somewhere toward a more positive impact elsewhere.

Save it- You can always use that money later for something other than your wedding. With interest, it might be 26 bucks!



The options are probably not endless, but that money has to have better uses in its future. If you want more wedding inspiration, check out the page with all of the Green Wedding and Anniversaries ideas!

from Dinosaur Circus

Hey, remember the good old days of tupperware parties, where ladies gathered for crazy times and leftover storage? Yeah, me either, though I do know of other lady shindigs where you can buy other stuff which I will not make fun of, because friendship. But tupperware started it all, ingeniously pairing love and loyalty with shopping.

Anyhoo, in it's heyday, tupperware was supposedly interesting enough to warrant its own get togethers. Tupperware is less popular now, but plastic food storage is still unavoidable in most kitchens. All adults have to grapple with the mysteries of why the tubs and lids never seem to match. It's a rite of passage to have a bunch of mismatched plastic tubs and lids.

But here is the thing about tupperware. It's plastic. And like most plastic, it isn't particularly food safe (even when it says it is) and it will add to the epic pile of plastic that is taking over our earth. There is over a ton of plastic for every living human being on Earth, and less than 10% is ever recycled. More and more bad news comes out about plastic, and we don't want to add to the giant hoard of plastic cluttering our world everyday. Plastic is a blight on our world and horrible for us, so why do we wrap our food in it?

If you decide you are done with your plastic food storage- give it away to someone who will use it. If you just want to phase it out, be sure to keep using and replace as it is done. Are there ways to reuse it that don't involve food like craft or tool storage?  Just tossing plastic in the trash is no solution either, but as you replace it you can do so with better options.

Lucky for all of us, better options exist for our families and our earth.

1. Reuse Containers You are Already Bringing Home

If you are going to buy food in packaging, make that packaging work for you! If it is good enough for your yogurt or cream cheese, it's good enough for your leftovers too. About 60% of our leftovers and freezer meals go into old yogurt containers. It helps assuage my guilt to get a few more uses out of one time plastic packaging. They are all the same size (no lid drama). Obviously, this is not a permanent solution, and you have to decide for yourself how many runs through the dishwasher feel safe. Even foodsafe plastic does start leeching chemicals after a while. So those yogurt containers need a new use after a while, but they can be good for food at first.

Also! If you start buying more of your groceries in glass (pasta sauce is a great example), you can reuse those containers forever. Worth remembering when you are choosing in the store!

Ball Jars on Amazon

2. Mason Jars

Glass jars are cheap, useful, and a perfect longterm investment. You don't have to keep buying them over and over again, they have so many uses (you can also use them for coffee or water bottles with a silicon lid), and you can use them to store leftovers and freezer food. The classic Ball Jar comes in so many shapes and sizes (even colors) that you can find what works for you. Often for about a dollar a jar. It really makes you wonder how these perfect jars got upstaged by Tupperware (darn parties).

Anchor Hocking from Amazon

3. Anchor Hocking

The two big glass makers in the US have growing lines of food storage/ leftover/ mean planning containers. Anchor Hocking has two lines, and more consistent sizes we like a little better. Glass is always a safer and healthier choice (though these still have plastic lids), and their True Seal line is especially awesome for food storage. So many of the sizes you actually want.

Pyrex on Amazon

4. Pyrex

Pyrex also has Tupperware alternatives that are safer, cleaner, and made in America. I feel like they are less on point for this market, because they have some good variety sets, but fewer that are just the right size for freezer meals. Did you know that the Kardashians refuse to put their food in plastic? I didn't, some lady told me. But that means glass food storage is fancy and instagram-worthy, and clearly plastic makes you look like a non-famous peon.

Also, check your local thrift shops for old Pyrex containers. They last forever (as long as you aren't clumsy), so you can find tons of good stuff secondhand.

5. Preserve and Replay

Want something lighter that can stand up to kids (or just you- I know I break as much as anyone)? Preserve has brightly colored leftover containers and our family functions on our Replay snack containers.

6. Stainless Steel

This isn't as much of a thing in our house, but it might be perfect for yours. I can't find any sets that are made in America, but I did find some sets that might be what lasts for you.


Other simple switches? Cut out some plastic wrap by using beeswax wrap. Cut out ziplocks with reusable sandwich bags. Plastic is a blight on our waters, our world, and our health. So why wrap your food in it? Especially when so many other options are out there! If you want more shopping ideas and inspiration for getting plastic OUT of your kitchens, check out the Giant List of Shopping Lists.

Want to make your home greener? No matter the size or location, you can limit your waste and make your house have a more positive impact on the environment. Check out the Green Home Page for thousands of ideas on how to do it.

Before I even start this blog, can we all note that this particular set of napkins is made of "imported components?" Exactly what part of paper can you not find in the United States? How could this possibly be cheaper?

Ok, rant over. Next rant, begi

Much like Angel Soft toilet paper, Vanity Fair comes with a lot of ethical and environmental baggage. Where you buy your napkins might seem low stakes (or even irrelevant, as lots of people just skip them completely), but napkin sets at the grocery stores have more behind them then you think.

First, these packs of napkins often come in small sets wrapped in lots of plastic.

This is a problem, because our oceans and all creatures on Earth (including humans) are drowning in plastic. Buying small sets of plastic-packaged stuff is a big part of the problem.

Also, let's all take a second to question why something to wipe food off our hands needs sterile plastic overpackaging. "No, don't use that napkin, it has a stain on it!"

Second, they are made by Georgia Pacific, which is owned by the Koch Brothers.

 It doesn't mmatter what political party you are in, the Koch Brothers are not your allies. They spend millions on millions to protect the richests' interests and to sway our leaders to do their bidding. They want an oligarchy, not a democracy, and if you have a problem with that, you shouldn't give them your money.

Last and most importantly, they aren't recycled.

Beyond the fact that the Koch brothers definitely don't need any more of our money in their pockets, Vanity Fair also suffers from being made 100% of virgin trees (meaning many trees came down), packaged in petrochemical plastic, and soaked in whitening chemicals. Yuck. These little squares of paper are terrible for the environment, and think about it-

There is literally NO REASON that exists that a tree should come down because you have schmutz on you.

Trees keep our planet cooler, our air cleaner, our world more beautiful. Whatever nonsense is dripped on your hand doesn't justify ridding our world of one of these miracles. Especially because better options Are. So. Damn. Easy. This one is so easy that we can all do it with little cost or hassle at all. So just stop it, and check out these greater, greener options instead:

1. Cloth Napkins

In the good old fancypants days, you pulled out the good cloth napkins when company came over. At our house, we do the opposite. If lots of people are coming over, we will use paper napkins, otherwise we use cloth.

It's such a simple switch (just throw them in with the rest of your laundry), and it won't take that long before their multiple uses save you money. Plus, there are so many cute ones out there now. Here are a few of my favorite stores on Etsy-

ohlittlerabbit

moocowmomma

JAQSstudio

TheHighFiber

112JamesStreet

Have some basic sewing skills? Then you can make napkins yourself with minimal trouble and barely any money. You could even make them for housewarming or holiday gifts!

If that feels to crafty to you, you can even get low key cotton and linen napkins on Amazon. I hope this is a sign this is becoming more mainstream everyday!

2. Seventh Generation

Seventh Generation 2 Pack of 500 unbleached napkins- 90% post-consumer waste- 15.57 (or about 3 cents a napkin). Probably enough napkins to be set for life. If you like the white ones, you can get these instead.

3. Green Forest

'
Another one of the more common recycled brands that you can find in a good chunk of grocery stores. They have a bulk set of 3000 napkins (so a lifetime supply or great for businesses, schools, etc.) for 45.48 (about 2 cents a napkin).

4. Whatever you Can Find Recycled 

I may have mentioned this already, but fresh paper napkins are an abomination. There is just no reason for them to exist, and if you can't get them recycled at your store, buy them online and tell your grocery store owner why they won't be getting that money. You can find so many brands- Marcal, Natural Value, and more so don't settle on this one.

No matter what, it is easy to avoid Vanity Fair napkins and all of the Super PAC shistiness that comes with them. If we want big corporations out of our government, we have to stop giving them our money. Every dollar we spend says "this is ok with me," and even seemingly meaningless choices like napkins add up.



Want more shopping inspiration? Check out my Giant List of Shopping Lists for tons of ideas and simple switches!

Oh politics, they are everywhere, right? Sometimes, we just want to escape them, but our shopping is ALWAYS loaded with politics.

For example, you run out of toilet paper and head to the grocery store to pick some up before things get gross. The aisle is FILLED with paper products, wrapped in plastic with showy labels. You pick Angel Soft, maybe because of the cute baby picture or it is on sale or because that is just what you buy, and we all are weirdly loyal to brands for no real reason.

So you bought toilet paper, no big deal. But Angel Soft (among a bunch of paper products- Brawny, Sparkle, and Dixie to start, but you can read a better list here) is owned by Georgia Pacific, which is owned by the Koch Brothers.

Yes, the Koch Brothers who...

Hold political "reterats" with senators and representatives, setting the agenda and controlling them with their massive amounts of money. Are behind so much of the nonsense going on right now. Are fighting for all of the environmental deregulation. The list goes on and on.

So whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, you probably feel a little uneasy about your representative being more invested in these billionaire's interests than the welfare of their constituents and the country. Our government should work for us, not big businesses who buy them, because we live in a democracy, not an oligarchy.

But every time you buy Angel Soft, you are investing in big money's ever growing pull on American politics.

If that isn't bad enough, this product is made of 100% virgin tree and pulp (nothing recycled) so they are terrible for the environment. Not enough? They have actively fought the EPA to allow their factories to remain dirty and polluting, feeling that the rules should not apply to them (can you imagine? From the Koch Brothers?).

Lastly, though they definitely have offices in the Atlanta area, it's unclear how much of Georgia Pacific's products are still made in the United States. It looks like at least some chunk is made in China.

So, there has to be a better way, right? Can't we make our toilet paper a little less evil?

Yes, I've got you. Let's do this-

1. Bulk Bulk Bulk

You want to rock at this? Be more eco-friendly, stop funding Un-American billionaires, save money? Stop buying your toilet paper at the grocery store all together. You can save a lot of money (and often side step all that plastic-wrapped packaging) by just switching to bulk.

You can buy bulk online or somewhere like Costco (though they often aren't as great about packaging as you would hope).

 Don't have the space? Team up with some friends and buy this stuff bulk together. Perfect way to save money.

Bamboo TP is Best, Recycled TP is a Mixed Bag

If I had to give you advice, I would say get recycled paper towels and bamboo toilet paper. Here's why:

Though recycled toilet paper is better for the environment, it could be potentially problematic to your body. Recycled paper has traces of plastic in it, because of shiny, plastic-covered magazine pages. For that reason, it may not be the best thing to put close to a major orifice. It puts (a small amount of) toxic chemials known to cause hormonal changes, endocrine problems, and cancers to your most delicate and susceptible places. Plastic is harmful where it is, and there is plastic in recycled paper.

THAT SAID, let's all take a minute to remember these are the same nasty plastic chemicals that we buy our food and drink wrapped in. So if you drink pop from a bottle or buy a frozen pizza, you are just sending the same chemicals through another vulnerable orifice. So, if you are still ok with those things, than this toilet paper is relatively tame compared to your food.

If you are concerned about the chemicals in plastic, bamboo is the best option for your health and the Earth. I will recommend companies for both bamboo and recycled paper, but this is the twist that doesn't always get said (but it worth knowing).

4. When in Doubt, Go Big

Our toilet paper is a good decision we make about once a year. We buy in BULK. This cuts down on the plastic, but it also keeps the switch very affordable. If you are still buying 8 or 12 rolls at a time, switching to bulk options will still be cheaper by the roll. Costco or even Amazon has bulk options.

We don't all have the space to house a year's supply of toilet paper. Check in with friends and see if they would like to split a huge order with you. I am calling this "Bulk Sharing" and I think this method of pooling resources and splitting huge orders can help people who live in small spaces access these items without living in a toilet paper hoard.

There is another benefit from this. When we buy the things we know we will need with longer term thinking (we can assume if we are living, we are also using the toilet), we stop having emergencies. Having to make urgent decisions (like the ones you make when running to the grocery store for something that has run out) leads to worse choices and more harm done. In terms of the environment, we are our worst selves in emergency mode. This can be a great way to break that habit.

5. We Can Do Better... Pretty Easily this Time

Ok, let's start with a regular toilet company, perhaps one with the most pointless bears as spokespeople. Worst, most condescending, and weirdest ads of all time. So let's start there. Charmin Ultra Strong comes in a pack of 9 for 16.95, so that is about 1.88 a roll.

So these are our best suggestions for shopping instead. Notice they are all cheaper, and most come wrapped in (recycled) paper instead of plastic as well.

Tushy toilet paper is made in America out of bamboo using eco-friendly practices. You would think it would be the most expensive, but it is 33 dollars for 36 rolls of toilet paper, so if you buy it in bulk it is under a dollar a roll. Ridiculously great. Thank me later.

The other pretty awesome new company is Who Gives a Crap that has recycled (48 for 48, so a dollar a roll) and bamboo (56 for 48 , so 1.16 a roll) toilet paper options. Equally cool, they donate half of their proceeds to building toilets around the world (did you know 2.3 BILLION people don't have access to a toilet?). So much awesomeness for wiping your butt!

Last year, we used Seventh Generation, and we bought 60 rolls for about 68 dollars (about 1.14 a roll). It serves its purpose and we generally like it. The Boy would tell you it is too thin. It also comes in all recyclable packaging

Marcal Small Steps sells 40 rolls, 1000 sheets each, is 50.66, so about 1.20 a roll.

Green 2 Tree Free- This company is pretty awesome (and lady-owned!), but the product is a little more fancy. It is made out of bamboo and sugar cane bi-products, both of which are quick-growing and sustainable, and you don't have to worry about BPA at all. If you buy in bulk (96 rolls at 114 dollars, so basically all you need forever, right?), you can get it for 1.16 a roll, which is even cheaper than the other options. Also has great reviews and comes in recyclable, plastic-free packaging.

6. Other Options Exist

If you are trying to go fully zero waste, you still have options!

First, you could do a bidet (or a bidet attachment like this one from Tushy). Not only do you get to be fancy and European, but you would save money with only a few years of use. If I had to guess, I would expect these to be way more mainstream in not much time.

The other option is family cloths, which is essentially toilet paper you wash and reuse. It has the worst name ever- it just sounds like you are spreading unspeakable things on your family members. I know a few zero waste people who use family cloths when they pee. Saves money and cuts way down on the paper product you are wasting.

Want more shopping tips and ideas for avoiding unethical companies? I have got you covered- check out my Giant List of Shopping Lists.

Want to make your home greener? No matter the size or location, you can limit your waste and make your house have a more positive impact on the environment. Check out the Green Home Page for thousands of ideas on how to do it.

This blog series "Don't Buy... Instead Try..." intends to point out some of the most egregiously unethical, wasteful, and environmentally ridiculous companies out there. Instead of dwelling on their considerable awfulness, the series will focus on the other options you have for purchasing.

Every purchase we make is a vote for the kind of world we want. 
Every single purchase is political.
 Every single purchase has ethical ramifications, and 
every single purchase should be approached with a spirit of stewardship. 

We can change the world by refusing to fund extreme greed, the mistreatment of other human beings, and the trashing of the environment. We need to stay aware of the many choices available to us. Will we get it right every time? No. But if we all make little changes, we can send companies a new message, that consumers will show up if they do the right thing. 

from affilliate dentists.com

Oh toothbrushes- we need them, we use them daily (hopefully), and we are gifted them by medical professionals. Most are also tremendously awful for the environment and for our country.

All mainstream (and most the drug store generic) toothbrushes are made of fresh plastic from China. This may not seem like a big deal, but think about the controversies about lead in plastic toys from years ago- toys have more regulations going for them than toothbrushes. So you put tons of hormone-shifting chemical into your mouth daily. Gross.

 This also means we waste tons of fossil fuels moving these tiny plastic brushes halfway around the world AND they come wrapped in plastic, so double the waste. It's something we all buy, and it sucks. The toothbrush themselves are often found in beach clean ups and other plastic messes, because we all create so much waste with them.

You can recycle or terracycle some (read more here), but that doesn't solve the problem that those little plastic sticks are traveling an awful long way. Plus, they aren't good for America.

Colgate is a mega company, selling tons of products in 200 countries, that started in New York City in 1806. Despite it's long connection to the city (and its headquarters still there), the company has not remained particularly loyal to the American worker, and the majority of the products are made overseas. It also has done a number of mass layoffs, like one in 2012 where 2,000+ workers were given the cut. The company has a mixed record in terms of ethics and the environment- their toothpaste has been cited for polluting water and poisoning wildlife. They are known for being good employers in the United States, but take that with a grain of salt since that is a small percentage of their employees.

Oral-B is much younger, started in 1950, and it is owned by the Gillette group. None of their brushes are made in the States anymore either.

It's recommended that you replace your toothbrush every 3 to 4 months. If you are on the conservative end, that is 3 a year. For 75 years, that is 225 toothbrushes. Per person. If you have a family of four, that is 900 big pieces of plastic headed to landfills and the water. Put another way- 4.7 billion plastic toothbrushes go into landfills per year. Why? There have to be better options.

If you don't care about the environment, care about yourself. Toothbrushes don't have much regulation at ALL in what chemicals go with him. BPA and other toxic chemicals go into these things you put in your mouth everyday.

So what do you buy instead? Good news! You have so many great options!

from Tiny Yellow Bungalow

1. Bamboo toothbrushes- Tiny Yellow Bungalow (one of my favorite online stores) sells bamboo toothbrushes, but you can also get them from Amazon in bulk to save money (bmbu is another option, but they are made in China). These materials are most certainly better for your mouth (and the Earth), and often come in biodegradable packaging. It's a big investment, but like a healthier diet, it could reap some seriously positive results.

Preserve from Amazon

2. Preserve Recycled Toothbrushes- Preserve makes body care products (including razors and toothbrushes) out of recycled plastic in the USA.  Their toothbrushes are made out of recycled yogurt cups (so foodsafe plastic and way better than a regular toothbrush). Bought in bulk, they are also actually cheaper than the overly fussy ones they sell in drug stores. We use Preserve toothbrushes in our house, and they have worked out perfectly. I don't understand why every toothbrush at the bare minimum isn't recycled.

from Radius Toothbrushes

3. Radius Toothbrushes- Again, not perfect, but these Radius toothbrushes have recycled handles and then you buy new heads. This cuts down on 90% of the waste created by tossing away all those toothbrushes. This at least cuts things down by making the majority of the brush reusable for probably the rest of your life. They have a travel brush also made in the USA as well, so this might be a perfect option for your family.

4. Dr. Du-More's Toothbrush- These Dr. Dumore brushes are made out of partially biodegradable pieces in the United States. They also have recycled plastic packaging. Looks great to me, and one of the reviews is from a dental hygienist.



Want more shopping ideas? Check out the Giant List of Shopping Lists for more ideas of how you can improve the world with some small switches!