When we think of going green, we mostly think of huge purchases like Teslas and solar panels, but the most eco-friendly purchases you can make don't necessarily cost tons of money and they don't come once in a blue moon.

Some of the best changes we can make are with the things we buy all the time and every day. We walk in the grocery store to pick up toilet paper, and we end up buying something that cuts down trees and is wrapped in plastic. For what?

There are good options for the basics we buy all the time- toilet paper, tissues, napkins, paper plates, we just have to change our approach. Because there is NO REASON to buy these the way we do.  If you can buy the bad option, I want to show you that you can afford to make the better choice for the earth (and often yourself).

Every dollar we spend and every item we buy is a statement to companies about what we are willing to tolerate and what kind of world we want. This may seem overdramatic, but it's absolutely true, and the things we buy often send even stronger messages than what we buy that one time for a baby shower or a new car. If we want to make the world a better place than how we got it and be good stewards of the beautiful place God gave us, our regular choices are the first and best place to make those important little changes!

Some of the most important things anyone and everyone can buy a greener version of are the things we buy at our grocery store weekly- paper goods, trash bags, food, and water. Some of these have pretty easy (and surprisingly affordable when bought in bulk) options to make more Earth-friendly choices that send a clear message to companies- use more post-consumer recycled product! Stop making so much plastic packaging! Here is a list of a few things you can trade out:

I do have affiliate links with Amazon and Etsy, but I HIGHLY recommend that you see what options are available local to you. Even shopping at a local Costco helps keep your neighbors employed. 

1. Paper Towels

 We all use them to clean up spills or our kitchen after cooking, but if everyone who read this switched to post-consumer paper, we could save THOUSANDS of trees. And this question will come up a lot, but do you really think killing a tree is worth wiping up that spill? Also, this is one where the reviews remain very positive for the recycled versions.

To Compare: A 6 Pack of Bounty Paper Towels at our Safeway is 11.59 (just under 2 dollars a roll)

Our Pick: Seventh Generation Unbleached Paper Towels- 4 packs of 6 rolls= 24 rolls- 41.76 (1.74 a roll- CHEAPER than buying rolls in smaller numbers at the grocery store).

Seventh Generation White Recycled Paper Towels- 24 rolls- 37.96 (1.58 per roll)

Marcal Small Steps Recycled Paper- Pack of 12 rolls- 28.99 (2.41 a roll)

Boardwalk Recycled Paper Towels (these are the kind you get at restaurants and come on ginormous 800 ft rolls)- 6 rolls- is 35.20 or 5.86 for every 800 foot roll.

And if you want to go big: 

The biggest step you can take is to use reusable clothes, like washclothes or unpaper towels for most, if not all, of your clean up. The fewer rolls of paper towels you use a year, the better.

Bamboo Paper Towels- They also have lots of paper towel substitutes available if you want a more dramatic change. This bamboo towel set is supposed to last 6 months.

Unpaper towels- You can get washclothes that even roll up like paper towels and snap together. Or you can get big packs like these ones, which can help your kitchen. We just got these for Christmas, and I actually like them more than I thought I would. It's easier to change the habit then you would think.

from Clear Sky Home

2. Napkins

 Same story! We use them daily to wipe the schmutz off our face, but is this (admittedly noble) mission worth the life of a tree? We stopped using napkins when we were feeding our baby, because the job was just epically large. But once we switched, and saw it made no difference in our lives to throw the napkins in with our other laundry, we gave up paper napkins almost completely.

To Compare: Vanity Fair Napkins are about 5 dollars for a 300 count pack (and straight to the Koch Brothers Super PACs no less). Bounty is about 8 dollars for 400. So about 2 cents a piece on either.

Our Pick- Green Forest generally has great reviews for their products. 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).

We went with Seventh Generation (though they were bought by Unilever last year, so I am keeping my eye on them). Their 2 packs of 500 (a thousand napkins) made 90% + post-consumer materials is 15.57 (or about 3 cents a napkin). I think if we buy a pack this big, we can basically be set for life. I also see a single pack of 500 for 7.45 which is slightly cheaper, but you have to pay for shipping. They also have white ones for 5.39 for 250 napkins.

Natural Value Napkins (100% recycled/ 80% post-consumer)- 200 Count napkins- 6.37 (3 cents a napkin.

Marcal 100% Recycled Napkins- 400 for 10.69 (about 3 cents a napkin). They are also made in the US and have great reviews. Why buy mainstream brands? They also have a 2400 set for 32.86, which is a steal and basically sets you up for life if you have the room.

And if you want to go big: 

Cloth napkins are the way to go. In our house, we use them for all our meals and only get paper out for big parties. It's so easy, adds nothing to your laundry, and can actually be really pretty. If you just switch cloth out for simple nights at home and buy recycled for the rest of the time, that makes a HUGE impact! Also, if you get a couple of sets, you could do fun seasonal ones to add to holiday decor.

You can get simple napkins (mostly made in India) from Aunt Martha's on Amazon. Or you can get amazing, American-made napkins off Etsy, with the added bonus that basically no matter what you pick, I will be jealous of you. My three favorite Etsy stores for cloth napkins are
:

from Oh Little Rabbit

Oh Little Rabbit- We have two sets from here, both of which still look great. I might recommend darker solid colors for people with little ones, but these have style.

from JAQ Studio

JAQStudio- There are so many adorable patterns here, and I think they would add a little bit of style to any spread on top of avoiding the waste of paper towels. Totally adorable.

from ClearSkyHome

Clear Sky Home- This store also boasts tons of cool patterns, and these ones feel a little more whimsical and grown-up? Strange combination, but true. Plus, they organize the designs by color, so you can find what best matches your style.

3. Tissues

 Now, I don't know about you, but I don't find boogers all that precious. This is a perfect place to replace brand new paper products with something recycled. And in recent years, companies using recycled products have stepped up their game, which is great for when you have a hardcore cold, not just the sniffles.

To Compare: I hate to turn against Kleenex, because I have dreams of designing their boxes, but come on! They can start putting that magic nose lotion in some post-consumer paper! The prices vary quite a bit (at Target I saw a 4 pack of boxes for 6 dollars), but they mostly average around this set- 4 boxes of 50 tissues for 11.49 (about 5 cents a tissue! Pretty steep).

Our Pick: Green Forest Facial Tissues- 24 boxes of 175 (about 1 cent a tissue). Not only is this way cheaper, they also have great reviews for being soft (my favorite quote "I am not a major hippy, but if I could do something good for the environment, why not?") Preach it!

Marcal Fluff Out Facial Tissue- 30 100 count boxes-24.99 (not great reviews, but really cost effective if you have a less sensitive nose.

Seventh Generation- Just to compare, their single box of 175 tissues is 2.84. In case you don't have the room to buy in bulk, there are still eco-friendly options for you!

Green2 Tree Free Facial Tissues- 30 boxes of 90 tissues is 48.71 (So 1.62 a box and a little under 2 cents a tissue). This isn't recycled paper, it doesn't use tree product at all. It is made in the US, owned by women, and a percentage of the proceeds go to replanting trees. So pretty awesome. We bought these in bulk for 2017, and we still have 5 boxes to get us started in 2018.

Kimberly Clark Surpass Recycled Tissues- Kimberly Clark manufactures Kleenex and most of the other brands you use, but this product is 100% post-consumer product. 36 boxes of 110 tissues is 59.24.

Natural Value- 100% recycled/ 80% post-consumer product. Made in the US. 30 tissue boxes with 100 tissues- 45.90 (so about 2 cents a tissue).

And if you want to go big: 

I don't know anyone who uses a hanky, but you could be that person. And get a monocle? Most of the ones on Etsy are embroidered keepsakes, but I think you could get plain ones easily enough. If you want to be green, lazy, and just a little bit gross, you could also use your sleeve (I kid!).

from youtube.com

4. Toilet Paper

 Ok, this issue is slightly more complex than the others, so you might read up a little before you make your choice as a family. It also has made the most progress out there since I started writing about this in 2015- so the options are good.

But the first thing you have to know is that your toilet paper may seem like the most banal decision in the world, but traditional toilet paper is reponsible for 15 million trees coming down every year- almost 15% of deforestation. It's not ok, and it honestly makes no sense.

So make a change! But an informed one. Recycled paper has small amounts of BPA because of magazine paper which gets that glossy finish from plastic. Scientists aren't too crazy about this, and they have been pushing back on BPA in things people eat out of for quite a while, because it can mess up your digestive system. They are worried that too much recycled toliet paper might be putting a little BPA near the exit as well (I might also point out that normal roll you use is covered in bleach and other chemicals, so it's not exactly all natural either). So you might think twice, or only use recycled part of the time.  It's something to think about for sure, but we are using it now, though we will probably switch.

The other great option is bamboo, which is much more sustainable than regular paper and safer than recycled, and you will be surprised how affordable it can be when bought in bulk. Seriously, think about it.

To Compare: The Boy hates the Charmin bears. Hates them. 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.

Our Pick: 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. It also comes in all recyclable packaging

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

Green 2 Tree Free- This company is pretty awesome, 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.

And if you want to go big: 

They have a thing out there called the family cloth, which is basically cloth wipes rather than paper. I actually think the title makes it sound grosser, and for us, this lands past our limit. We are going with recycled toilet paper for now, but respect to you and yours if you figure out how to make the family cloth work. Or just do the Tree Free toilet paper!

5. Paper Plates

 Paper plates have so many uses, and they can make life so much easier.  No one can deny, a big meal with no dishes is basically the bomb. If you are going on a picnic, or camping, you don't necessarily want to take your dish set with you. That being said, they are another one time use paper product that sucks down trees and then gets thrown away immediately. We can do better and our picnics can do better!

To Compare: Dixie plates are made in the USA, but there are fresh tree product coated in plastic- not great (plus, once again owned by the Koch Brothers)! They are also super cheap- 220 plates cost 17.99 (or about 7 cents a plate). Still, let's see how we can do.

Our Pick: When I have bought paper plates, it honestly has mostly been for art projects, so we have a strange assortment of Chinet bowls and plates from that. Chinet's eco option is Made in the USA, made out of recycled materials, and is fully compostable. So like 1000 times better for the Earth than those Dixie or Vanity Fair plates. A Value Pack of 32 costs about 5 dollars, so it is about 15 cents a plate.

Earth's Natural- Compostable plates made out of sugar cane instead of trees (but they are made in China). Great option if you want to go tree-free! 9.24 for 50, so about 18 cents a plate.

Stalkmarket- If you are looking for a lot of paper plates, Stalkmarket has a similar product- 420 plates for about 11 cents a plate. Totally compostable, able to handle hot, cold, and the microwave. It looks like you can even get it open box!

And if you want to go big: 

Go buy some plates from Goodwill! Corelle is particularly great for this. You would still have to clean them, but it might be perfect to use for a huge party and then just donate back. Or have a supply of plates for special occasions!

Preserve is one of my favorite brands, because it makes light and easy picnic-ware that is awesomely eco-friendly. The plates (and cups and silverware) are made of 100% post consumer plastic and are 100% recyclable. And if you decide you are done with them, you can mail them back to the company, and they will recycle them for you. The plates are 8 for 8.76, so about a dollar a plate, but you would only have to use them a couple of times a summer before  you recouped the cost. This won't solve every paper plate problem, but the fewer one time uses you have, the better for our world.

So Get to It! 

It is so easy and affordable to switch these common purchases to tree-saving, eco-friendly options by buying in bulk  and leaving food to the grocery store.

I hope I have shown you that switching out some of these common items is totally doable, affordable, and worth it! I know when I started this, it felt overwhelming, but my goal is to share my research with you, so you can start treating recycled and recyclable materials as real options!

 I want to leave the world a better place than when I got here, and I know you do too, and seemingly little decisions like these, when made by lots of us, can make a huge difference!



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. 

So you have a family member or friend who is starting to really think about the environment. Maybe they are outraged by the unlawful shrinking of national monuments for the sake of fossil fuels. Maybe they had a baby and are thinking more seriously about the future. Maybe they saw the video of the sea turtle or the photos of the gigantic garbage patches. Maybe they don't even realize they give a shit yet, but they are just starting to notice how off things are.

There are a million reasons people start to care, and they are all good. We need everyone to care.

If you know and love someone interested in making some changes, it might be hard to know what they want or how you can support them. Are they cutting down on meat? Becoming minimalists? Do you have a baby zero-waster on your hands?

 There are lots of helpful gifts you can give them to get moving in the right direction. And can you think of anything better to celebrate than someone brave enough to step out of the mainstream and help save the world!? Even if they are just starting to think about it, that's pretty awesome.

Ok, so approaching green gifting takes three steps:

1. Buy Less

 No one buy everything on the list! One thoughtful gift is plenty, especially because almost everything on the list can be kept for a long, long time.

2. Buy Used

 Want to gift cloth napkins and have some sewing skills? Head to Goodwill for cloth and make them yourself. Buying secondhand (or finding things through community sharing groups like the Buy Nothing Project) is one of the greenest things you can do, because it prevents things needlessly being sent to the landfill.

3. Buy Local or Fair Trade

 Yes, you can find reusable bags anywhere, but there is a pretty wide spectrum of responsibility and ethics behind those bags. Look for things that use ethical materials (always steer away from synthetics), ethical labor (fair trade or made in a country with high labor standards), and ethical use of fossil fuels (have you ever though how much is wasted by shipping water bottles or straws across the world?) Local is better for the environment and better for your world. It's always worth it.

Some of this seems banal or almost too practical to be gifts, but wouldn't you rather spend your money on something that gets used instead of something that gathers dust?

This blog does have affiliate links for Amazon and Etsy, but I strongly recommend you see if you can find the same stuff locally. Amazon is the Walmart of the internet, and you can keep your money in your own community, doing way more good, if you shop local. 

Last but not least, someone is going to read this list and say "but where is the family cloth?" No friend, this list is for rookies, for people who don't have the simple basics you need to shift away from plastics and disposables. We want people to start with what they can keep up with and move from there. Don't get mad everyone isn't diving in; let's all just be psyched that they are even sticking a big toe in the pool. Maybe they will get to a family cloth, but just switching to paper-wrapped recycled or bamboo toilet paper is still a huge and important step.

This blog firmly believes that no one can get it 100% "right", but we all can do something, and we all can do more. Let's focus on changes we can make and attitudes we can shift.

Ok, preaching done- who wants some gift ideas?

1. Reusable Water Bottle

People who care about the environment tend to be deeply committed to their reusable water bottles. Americans used 50 billion water bottles last year (38 billion of those were not recycled). So even if the person only cares a little, they probably care enough to use a great reusable water bottle. Plus, you can save them SO MUCH money!

Two tips- focus on what is easy to clean, because the easy to clean ones are the ones that last. Secondly, steer away from plastic bodies if you can. Even the best plastic has proven to leech nasty chemicals after time, and we want this to last.

Here are a few of my favorite water bottle options (and if you see them secondhand, snatch them up)- Lifefactory (we use them AND our kids use them) and  Liberty Bottleworks (Made in Washington, aluminum, and you can get replacement parts). I know a lot of people are big Yeti fans, though most aren't made in the US- I would recommend Laken instead, as their manufacturing is more transparent,

If you are going plastic, I recommend Nalgene's simple bottles (not Contigo or Camelback). These are easy to clean, BPA-free, and still made in the US.

2. Recycled Paper Goods

Have you ever bought someone toilet paper for a gift? How about paper towels? They may not be the most glamorous gifts, but getting someone started on recycled paper basics can be a big help that saves them money! I mean, if you buy them bulk toilet paper, they can save that money for something fun or unexpected. Why don't we all buy each other basics for holidays?

If you want to see my best options for basics, check out this blog.

In fact, you can get any and all paper products recycled. Everything from gift wrap to printer paper to tissues. If you want paper inspiration, check out this blog.

3. Cloth Napkins

What nasty trickster convinced us all that we needed to use a disposable napkin everyday? They are so small that they never cost an extra load of laundry, and they are such a simple switch any novice can pull them off. Plus, they can be really pretty and fun.

We have the impression cloth napkins are for fancy events, but they are actually best for low key everyday use. You can break someone's habit and help them switch over.

You can find thousands (15,000 to be exact) of cloth napkins on Etsy. My favorites are ClearSkyHome, GreenLittleNest, and ohlittlerabbit. If you just want to gift something simple to start a collection, check out moocowmomma's collections. CHOWwithMe, KitchStudios, and foxyandwinston are worth checking out too.

I received napkins as a gift once, and I absolutely loved it. We still use them ALL the time. Seriously, cloth napkins are the best.

4. Seeds

So simple, so perfect for someone you know who is really thinking about where their food is really coming from. Gardening can provide food, but it also promotes real moments of calm. And it is hard not to feel damn proud of making the food you eat.

Not everyone has room for a garden- maybe gift a few potted plants? They are proven to make people happier AND filter the air! Indoor herbs can also be a big winner.

Go to a local nursery and hear their recommendations, look for classes (if your person would like that), or pair this gift with something from the Gardener Wish List.

5. Unsponge and Dish Brushes

Those ScotchBrite sponges are usually made with plastic and wrapped in plastic. They don't have a long use life, but they don't decompose either.  Not great. You can get a recycled version, but the best option we use are these unsponges, which are made of cloth, can be washed in the laundry, and reused again and again. We got our first ones last year, and they still look and work as good as new. I LOVE the unsponges from marley'smonsters. These are the best- but there are plenty on Etsy so feel free to browse the 400 available.

Unsponges can't do all the work alone, so gift them with a great scrub brush. I like dishbrushes with wood or bamboo handles- no reason to use plastic when a healthier material will do. This one is so cute. Tiny yellow bungalow has zero-waste and stylish brushes and scrubbers too.

Another cool thing for cleaning- these hemp eco-clothes. Reusable cleaning clothes, that I think are supposed to remind you of Norwex or microfiber clothes, but they use hemp instead of microfibers (that shed uncleanable plastic into the ocean). Want more eco-friendly cleaning ideas that might make great gifts? Try something from this blog.

6. Bar Soap

Bar soap is a simple gift that can perfectly fit their taste, support a local business, AND cuts down on plastic waste! Skip Bath and Bodyworks (the gift that says "I don't know you") and get your loved one something made nearby that smells amazing and saves the world. Bar soap beats liquid hands down, so your budding environmentalist might be all about the saved plastic. If you want something you can get online, Kiss my Face's olive oil soap (wrapped in paper) is my favorite face soap.

Bar soap yields over 100,000 finds on Etsy, so narrow it down by geography and see what is being made near you. Or ask at local shops and grocery stores. I would LOVE this gift, as I love trying new soaps.

7. Toothbrushes

Ok, toothbrushes could be the lamest and most amazing gift ever. We all get enough gifts that we never use, so why not buy something that is guaranteed to get use? Buy your loved one an ethical brush and a few more self-care tools.

Plastic toothbrushes put all sorts of nonsense chemicals in your mouth (and it isn't regulated particularly, so it is worth it to be wary), you have two better options- bamboo or Preserve's recycled foodsafe plastic. toothbrushes.

One BIG tip- If you are trying to gift without plastic (GO YOU!), really look at the reviews of the bamboo toothbrush you choose. LOTS of people complain of buying a bamboo toothbrush only to have it arrive in plastic. If you shop somewhere mainstream like Amazon, you can find that information, so take the time to do so (but try a shop like The Refill Revolution or Tiny Yellow Bungalow instead- it takes hutspah to run a small business and even more to serve the Earth at the same time).

8. Reusable Grocery and Produce Bags

Really, how are we all not using reusable bags by now? Still, produce bags aren't as common and might be a great choice for your loved one. If nothing else, a reusable tote makes great, zero-waste wrapping for gifts.

I have a few favorites, but mostly I have a few simple tips (me? be bossy?? Unimaginable). Try to steer away from synthetic fabrics, as you are still spreading plastic around.  If you are going to use them, go recycled!

 For grocery and produce bags, I recommend keeping it simple; a cotton tote- you can get thousands of them (21,000 just on Etsy), so you can gift a sassy one or support one of their favorite businesses or organizations. These extra large ones make a lot of sense, These mesh ones are pretty cool too. Produce bags have tons of mesh and natural fiber (from OrganicCottonMart and ohlittlerabbit) options too.

from inhabitat.com

Want to give the absolute coolest reusable bag? I am obsessed with these embroidered taffeta bags from Lauren DiCioccio. Come on! Tell me this isn't the coolest gift for an eco-nut? I saw one in the Seattle Art Museum shop years ago, and I still want one.

9. Dryer Balls

Those dryer sheets are instant garbage. They basically have nothing going for them, so instead, try these laundry balls, which you can use for hundreds of loads. I got these a few years ago as a Christmas gift and LOVED it.  You can see my list of dryer balls here. Don't want to poke around? Ok, buy these.

10. Reusable Straws

Giving up straws is one of the easiest things many of us can do to cut down on our plastic use. Seriously, all you have to say is "no straw please" but some people need to use straws or just really like them. Luckily, you can gift them glass straws (like these ones from Hummingbird glass) or steel straws that they can reuse again and again.

11. A Co-op Box Subscription

So many places have farm subscription boxes or co-op boxes now. Our small town we grew up in even has one. If a person you love wants to live a greener life, this is an awesome way to hook them up with local food. Plus, the boxes can be really inspiring when there are new foods to try! The more a diet hinges on plants instead of animals, the better it is for the environment, so you can help to shift that focus.

You can't go wrong with consumables, and the more local, the better. Think about what local goodies are available and maybe you will get inspired too!

12. Reusable Coffee Cup

Have a coffee lover in your life? Get them a reusable cup. You can find all sorts of great designs and ideas out there, but the most important thing is that it helps them get disposable cups (one of the big 4 sources of plastic pollution) out of their life.

I am not a coffee drinker (it tastes like dirty water!?), so I am not an expert at this, but here are a few Etsy cups I thought seemed really special. I also think these mason jar lids could make life simpler (great for kids too!).  Or, help a Keurig-loving baby environmentalist by getting them a reusable pod.

Think they are covered on cups? Why not gift them fair trade coffee! You can even buy it in bulk some places. The ethics of coffee can be very sketchy, so getting them something they can feel good about would be a simple and perfect present.

13. Laundry Soap

Laundry soap from grocery stores are almost guaranteed to have plastic packaging and sketchy ingredients. You may not have ever thought of laundry soap as a gift, but getting a nice laundry soap and avoiding plastic can be a huge gift for someone trying to be eco-friendly!

You could make them laundry soap yourself (what a neat gift!!), you could find homemade soaps on Etsy, or you could set them up for refillable laundry soap from The Refill Revolution. No matter what, this is a thoughtful, practical, and memorable gift!

14. Epicurean Spoons

I love Epicurean. Such a great brand where you can find cutting boards made of recycled materials and spoons and turners made of wood composite, resin, and recycled paper. We have used these turners for years, and they still feel smooth and work like new. A perfect option that isn't too expensive but will be useful for a very long time.

15. To Go Utensil Kits

Being environmentally-conscious in practice means living slowly and being prepared. So often we end up using things like plasticware because we don't have another option. A small set of bamboo utensils, like these from RePEat, can be a perfect gift to avoid that much more plastic.

16. A Donation to an Environmentalist Group

If the person you love is trying to be a minimalist or already has these things (because the beauty is you mostly only have to buy them once), why not support what they care about by making a donation to fight for biodiversity, or ending plastics, or planting more trees. So many options and really, if they care about this stuff, this will please them to no end. If you want a list of possible options, check here. 

17. Sign Up to Help the Earth Together

If you know that this is really pressing on a loved one's heart lately, the best thing you can do is commit to being part of the solution with them. Are there groups near you planting trees or taking care of native plants? Sign up for a work day. How about beach clean-ups or even adopting a highway to clean up litter?

It doesn't have to be something huge. Just commit to doing something with them. You will probably make amazing memories and get to feel that warm fuzzy feeling from helping someone!









Ok, I hope this helps! Be sure to poke around for tons of ideas for holiday gifts that can help the world!

1. Naked Food is Happy Food

In most produce aisles, there are bags of salad. A few feet away, there is lettuce, just sitting, not wrapped in plastic. Often, that head of lettuce (or spinach or kale) is cheaper. So why do we do it? We don't want to have to rinse? How much time does it actually save?

So let's just not anymore. Time to buy our spinach naked, peeps.

The less packaging your food has, the better it is for you and the environment. Want to be healthier? Want a cleaner world? Want to make less waste? Stop supporting Big Oil? It all comes down to buying things with less packaging.

Plastic packaging is a major culprit in the pollution of our Earth and our bodies. More and more studies tell us that plastic leeches chemicals into food, including BPA, which definitely messes with our hormones and could be a major cause of endocrine problems and even cancer. That same plastic doesn't break down, so after it leeches into our food, it heads to our landfills or our water, and it will be there for centuries after we are gone, slowly leeching more of its nastiness into the Earth.

So you can buy things with less packaging. You can check out the bulk section in your store (or try a store that has one). You can buy your meat from the counter and skip the piece of styrofoam that comes with the pre-packaged ones.

2. Shop the Outside Edge of the Store

Nutritionists set this simple rule to help people eat healthier; shop around the outside edge of your grocery store. In most cases, this is where the fresh produce, meats, and dairy live. The food that will go bad, some of which needs refrigeration, is what is actually good for you. Things that live in those center aisles are general packaged to last and have little nutritional value (think about it- cookies, chips, pop, freezer food all live in the center of the store). Want to eat healthier but don't want to buy all in for a diet? Limit the stuff you buy from the center and you will be slimmed down in no time.

Guess what? What is good for you (not cheap and easy... GOOD) is also good for the Earth! All of those super packaged and unhealthy foods create a ton of waste- A pack of Oreos has two pieces of plastic packaging. Cereal, pop tarts, and other boxed foods still have plastic inside. More on the awfulness of all that packaging later, but eating healthy foods that will go bad will do your body and the earth all kinds of good.

So, why not just shop the outside edge? I figure our bakery is still there too, so this is really all just a ploy to eat more doughnuts and cake. As is everything I do.

3. Just Buy Less Meat

We should all eat more plants. We all know it will make us healthier, we have been hearing it since we were kids ("eat your broccoli!"), but we don't necessarily actually do it. Here's another reason to bite the bullet (or the broccoli).

Meat production causes exponentially more waste than other foods. Want to save trees? Check out this chart.



Beef is especially bad, using more water and energy than most other proteins combined. You can save more water by cutting your beef intake by half than you will by cutting showers shorter. You can use fewer fossil fuels without shortening your commute. Beef is also infamously bad for your heart, and Americans have a huge problem with heart disease. The cause is obvious and the change is important. Just by making beef less of a staple in your diet, you can get major environmental and healthful bang for your buck.

If you want to become a vegetarian, that's awesome, go you! We are not vegetarians. We will never be vegetarians, or I am not sure The Boy would stay with me.  You don't have to give up everything to give up something (and make a big impact!). If you eat beef a few times a week, switch turkey in for most of those meals and turn beef into a once a week meal. Decide to make it a treat for eating out and special occasions. Eat it in smaller portions. Commit to more vegetarian meals (hello, Meatless Mondays or veggie lunches). Do what works for you, but start at the grocery store.

4. Let your Produce Mingle

Sometime, many years ago, some dastardly fiend convinced us that all of our produce needed their own little plastic bags.

Why?

 Why do we need these? What are we protecting our produce from? We are going to wash it all anyway!

Why not just leave your reusable bag open and put them all in there. Want certain things (like peppers) to get their own space? You would only need a few reusable produce bags. Does it take a minute longer at checkout? Yes. But a minute. And that minute is nothing compared to the hundreds of years that plastic bag will sit in a landfill.

5. Learn to Love the Local (and Seasonal)

The trick to this is learning where you live- what are people making nearby? What can be grown in your area each season?

Best place to start? Your locally-owned grocery stores. They will often carry more local products, ship things from shorter distances, and it keeps money in your community! Yes, Walmart is cheaper. Walmart is also terrible for your community, for its workers, and for the environment. Even if you don't buy everything from local grocers, you can start planning menus around it or stock your pantry with local items. I guarantee you don't know all of the great stuff being made or grown nearby.

Another good option? Farmers markets. As more organic and local diets gain popularity, you can find more farmers markets popping up all over the country. Pick one as part of your regular routine or just go explore one and see what is out there.

We go to a farmer's market every other Saturday or so. We get lots of our produce, the world's best bacon, and we usually get something delicious and fresh for lunch. I love it.

The last key? Know what is growable in your area in every season. Keeping food that aren't in season fresh or shipping them from far distances uses way more energy. Instead, check out seasonal calendars like this one  (just search for "seasonal calendar + your home state). Some seasons are easier than others, especially depending on what region you live in, but the more you can do this, the better food you will eat and the more good you will do.

6. Buy in Bulk

Lots of what we buy at the grocery store, from toilet paper to produce to meat to toothpaste to potato chips could be bought in bulk to cut way down on packaging. If you buy an 8 pack of toilet paper in a grocery store, they usually come wrapped in plastic. By the time you have bought as many as come in these bulk packs, wrapped in paper, from Seventh Generation, you have added so much plastic to a landfill.

Maybe go check out a Costco or another local bulk store. Even Amazon has more ethical options that you can buy in bulk.The money you save is great. You can read more about what you can save and find in my Greening the Basics posts. The packaging you cut down on is also awesome. If you have the room, it just makes sense.

7. Check the Labels

Is it organic or fair-trade?

Where was it made? Look for "manufactured by"- "manufactured for" probably means they don't want to tell you where they made it. Notice this can of frosting was "distributed by" a company in Ohio, but they avoid saying where it is made. That is a bad sign. Would you eat something left on your doorstep if you didn't know where it came from? So why are you paying money for something like that?

How many ingredients does it have? More ingredients, in most cases, means more chemicals. We looked at frosting before. Frosting made at home has 4 ingredients. The frosting in those cans has 20+.

At first, checking the labels seems like an annoying slow down of an already tedious chore. Some of us might check for nutritional information, but hardly anyone checks for the ethics of its making. But it is so worth it, and once you find products that are not so sketchy, you start to appreciate this little effort.

8. Use your Grocery Store as a Recycling Resource

Did you know about plastic film recycling? Lots of the plastic packaging you get at grocery stores can actually be recycled too! Plastic film is the plastic wrapping used on your bread bag and around paper towels. You can save so much plastic, and it costs you nothing! I didn't know about this until a friend told me, and it has cut down the waste in our household so much.

Want to see which grocery stores near you accept plastic film recycling? Check out this website.

9. Bring Your Own Grocery Bags

We believe here at this blog that any step is a good step, and that the eco-friendly step that makes sense for one person might not be the one that you can really sustain. Any effort you are making is great, and continuing to make little changes is even better.

If you haven't switched over to reusable bags yet, let me suggest that is the next step you take. Here is a Ten Step Plan to break your single use plastic bag habit forever, because at this point, we all know it is wrong. Don't keep doing it just because it's easier or because your local government hasn't banned it yet (the plastic bag lobby exists and it is ruthless). You know it is wrong. So stop.

10. Use What You Buy

Food waste is one of the defining tragedies of our (and our parents') generation. In an average American household, 400 dollars of food is just thrown away per person per year. We waste so much that what we throw away per year could feed us for another month and a half. Think of how many people out there need food, and we throw things away like they are nothing.

We have to do better at buying the right amount and using what we buy. An empty (or nearly empty) fridge come grocery day should be the goal.

I know this is one I am continually working on. I have so much trouble getting myself to finish off leftovers or eat the good half of an older piece of fruit. It just never feels like much fun to eat. But I am working on it, because it is so important.


The coolest thing about this is that we all grocery shop so much that we can multiply even the smallest good decisions into something huge. All we have to do is reset our habits. It's like putting one dollar in a jar once a week- at first, it won't feel like much. But a year in, you have fifty bucks! 10 years in, 500! Little changes do add up and if we all choose to keep doing better, we can change the world from our grocery stores!

How do you make your grocery shopping more eco-friendly?

from Jenny GG Photos

This month is all about the basic things many of us buy, and often on a regular basis, that makes up the majority of our shopping. In other words, it won't address the appliance or furniture purchase you might make once or twice in a lifetime- it's going to be the tissues and other stuff you buy pretty often without putting too much thought into it.

If you only have 3 rooms in your space, it's a living space, a bedroom, and a bathroom. The bedroom gets its own space because many of us need some privacy and quiet to sleep. Unlike a kitchen or bathroom, you don't need too many basics for it, and you may not shop for the room that often, but there are a couple of things you probably buy for the room pretty regularly.

You can read over and over again advice to keep the bedroom simple and not have much in there. Honestly, that isn't us, but I do see the wisdom. If you need storage, check out my closet organization blog. But also consider donating more of what is in the room. In most of our cases, we don't need more storage, we need WAY less stuff.

So what do you need in a bedroom? A few ideas, but if I am missing something, someone let me know! If you are looking for more bedroom info, also check out this post from the wedding registry!

1. Facial Tissues

Hankies might be a little gross for you (I agree), but you can still green this simple item by only buying recycled tissues! It's so easy, and honestly your snot is not that precious.

Our Pick: Green2 Tree Free Facial Tissues- 30 boxes of 90 tissues is 48.71 (So 1.62 a box and a little under 2 cents a tissue). We use these in our house right now. They may not be quite as soft as a kleenex, but they are close enough to get us through lots of colds. This isn't recycled paper, it doesn't use tree product at all. The company is owned by women, and a percentage of the proceeds go to replanting trees. So pretty awesome.

Other Options- Green Forest Facial Tissues (24 boxes of 175-about 1 cent a tissue). Not only is this way cheaper, they also have great reviews for being soft (my favorite quote "I am not a major hippy, but if I could do something good for the environment, why not?") Preach it

Seventh Generation- Just to compare, their single box of 175 tissues is 2.84. In case you don't have the room to buy in bulk, there are still eco-friendly options for you!

Kimberly Clark Surpass Recycled Tissues- Kimberly Clark manufactures Kleenex and most of the other brands you use, but this product is 100% post-consumer product. 36 boxes of 110 tissues is 59.24.

2. Sheets

 Ok, not an everyday purchase, but definitely something you will buy more than a few times in your lifetime (unless you have really amazing and long-lasting sheets, in which case, we need to talk). The greenest thing you can do for these is avoid the cheap, Made in Elsewhere sheets we would usually buy at Target and find something that has traveled a shorter distance and will last longer. It's worth it to get good sheets.

My pick-American Dorm sells a line of Dreamfit, made in America sheets that look well-made and still come in a wide variety of colors. I would start with them.

Other options-  Linoto if you are being fancy. You can also look at AB Lifestyles and Cozy Pure.

3. Moisturizer

In my house, most of my lotion, make-up, and chapstick live in our bedroom so I can get ready while The Boy is in the shower. At the very least, I always have moisturizer/ sunscreen combo in the bedroom so I can put it on right before I do my makeup.

Like all lotions, makeup, and cosmetics, moisturizers can legally dodge many questions of where it is made and the ethics behind it. It's a tricky topic, so let me know if I am missing something you love.

Our Pick- I use Andalou Naturals, based out of California, for shampoo, so I know this company sounds great.

Other Options- Just listing here! ApothOtopIa, Herbal Moon Apothecary, Gaia Body Works, Nabbies Handmade, Hippy Lab, Raw Love Sunscreen, Rootdown Organics, Calm Natural Skin Care, Christina Moss, and Block Island.


Alright! Another list down, but we can add more if there are things you often buy for your bedroom.Be sure to check the Giant List of Shopping Lists for more Eco-Friendly, Ethical, and Made in America shopping ideas!

Laundry. If you are an adult, you do it. If you are anything like me, you hate it. If you are a lot like me... Some of us go to a laundromat, a place on campus, our parents' house, or our own basement, but laundry is something we all do and put money into.

Even if laundry is the devil's game, it turns out to be a goldmine for bourgeois environmentalists like me. We make the same purchases over and over again to do laundry, and if we all switched even half of those buys, we could cut out a tremendous amount of waste.

Forget Drying Sheets; Dryer Balls are the Business

First, hang drying is so much more eco-friendly than using the dryer. I get that it isn't always possible, and it doesn't always make sense for life. On the other hand, if you can get away with some hang-drying, DO IT! You don't have to do it all this way but even a load or two a week can cut your energy bills and your impact. Need a cord? Try Great White, Xcords, or use American-made Paracord.

Dryer Sheets are another one time use item that is basically instant garbage. They are also often covered in chemicals (read the box), and those chemicals (some potential carcinogens) get all over your clothes and you. It's cheap, but it comes at a high environmental price. The good news is that this is one of the easiest environmental changes we can all make!

1. Dryer Balls- You can buy these sets of dryer balls everywhere from Amazon to Etsy and they will last hundreds or thousands of trips through the dryer. So if you are the kind of person who throws a sheet in every time, a six pack of these balls will keep a whole row of boxes in the stores. That's less garbage for the dump and more money for you.

This one is a no-brainer, and I bet most people will have switched over before we know it. be ahead of the trends and do it now. I love mine (as much as I can love any laundry implement, and I would never go back. Here is a list of them:

A Little Green Bee- 19.99 for 6 balls, Made in America, Handmade, Natural, and Well-Reviewed
Pure Homemaker (Wow, I hate that name)- 12.95 for 6. Wool from New Zealand, Made in USA
Wonderful Wool Balls (Much better name)- 15.95 for 6 Extra large balls- about 9 inches diameter. Mine are less than 6, so these balls must last forever.
Ovella- 3 for 18- Made in Michigan in cute swirly colors. Part of Amazon's response to Etsy.Would make great wedding or baby shower gift.
Feeling Fluffy Balls- 17.96 They say each ball will last at least a thousand loads. That's 6 thousand loads for 18 dollars. I hate to think I will even do that much laundry in my life.
Kitchow- 15.97 for 8. Not as forthcoming about where they are made, but otherwise look good.
LooHoo- 3 Pack for 27.99. Why so much more? The wool is from the US and they are made in Maine. They also come in pretty colors.
Unvert- 6 for 14.99- Uses New Zealand wool and says it is organic, but maybe not the best option.
Thirsty Sheep- 6 and a storage bag for 19.99- These ones are rather small, but might be great with the storage bag if you are taking your laundry somewhere to do it.
Woolzies- 6 for 18.95- I think these are the ones I got for a gift (MIL, correct me if I am wrong). Made of New Zealand wool in Nepal (I found a couple others Nepal-made. No sign it is fair trade though, so I am not sure how the vulnerable people there are treated as employees).

from Bog Berry Handicraft

Want to buy them on Etsy instead? A Little Green Bee is on there (and slightly cheaper if you go for the larger sets), You can also try Bog Berry Handicraft, Redhead and Blue, Flatland Alpacas, and Pasta Quilts for balls that make for adorable gifts.

Plastic dryer balls are also reusable, but aren't nearly as eco-friendly. When in doubt, choose the thing that isn't plastic.

As a side note, I know my mother-in-law mostly likes the balls, but every so often she misses a drier sheet. If you have a particularly static-prone set of clothes, maybe keeping one box just for such occasions will help? If you only use it once in a very blue moon, I bet that one box can last forever.

As a second side note, watch out for toddlers if you have these. They see them as very fun toys and will steal them from you.

A Change in Tides- Switch your Laundry Detergent

You remember when the little detergent packs came out, and how they felt like such a step up? Why can't we pour our own detergent again? The packs are kind of cute (I like the swirl on the tide) but they turn out to be somewhat dangerous for little ones and pretty wasteful fir all of us. They also come (like almost everything in the laundry aisle) in plastic jugs that create a ton of waste. How many do you throw away in a year? Now multiply that by everyone you know. That's all landfill and our water. So basically, laundry soap leaves a lot of room for improvement.

1. Make your Own- Making your own detergent is a relatively common practice, you can find tons of organic and low-cost recipes online. Thank goodness for Pinterest. You could make enough to last you a year or start with a small batch and see how you like it. Another awesome way to be eco-friendly and save money all at once!

2. The Simply Co- This zero-waste company is one of my favorite finds this year. The formula they use is simple, the packaging is all glass and recycled paper, and our first jar was enough for 4 months of laundry in a house of three people (one of which is a slobby toddler). It didn't handle every stain, but we will just put dawn dish soap on the stuff that looks really rough, and that does the trick. We save money and I would never go back.

3. Other Clean and Homemade Detergent Companies- Etsy has tons of options for handmade laundry soap, so I will go through some with the most responsible packaging and lots of good reviews- Brighton Wool and Honey (Ohio), Green Bubbles Home (Nebraska), Shadelily Home Arts (North Carolina), The Bubbly Kettle (Kentucky), JMC Handmade (Connecticut), My Manoa (Hawaii), SOL Powder (Ohio) and Autumn Moon Soap Company (Pennsylvania). We have used this last soap (I was sure I was going to make my own, but started here to see how homemade worked) and it was really great as well.

4. Eco-Friendly Cleaners (in as large a size as possible)- Ecos sells a detergent with minimal chemicals (though where they do this and the materials of the packaging are unclear. Seventh Generation makes highly concentrated non-toxic detergent that you can buy in bulk as well. Biokleen is non-toxic, 3x concentrated, as well and its the only one that is proudly made in the US.

5. Buying in BULK- Love your Tide but want to do a little bit better? I still have got you. Buy it in the bulkiest bulk you can find. Natural Homelogic sells my favorite of these options (though their biggest bottle is 50 oz)- it's made in America, toxin-free, organic, and highly concentrated. The biggest Tide I could find on Amazon was 150 oz, but I bet larger ones are available at Costco. Powder is almost always more efficient if your machine can use it.


I have written about laundry baskets, organization, and bags before, so if you need that information, be sure to check it out here. Here are a few other things you might be looking for-

For an ironing board, you can find them made nearby! Check Homz Durabilt or Homz T Leg.
Need a steamer? Jiffy Steamers have been made in America for decades! We have one, and it is awesome.

Want to green some other basics? Check the list of all of our shopping lists!