America is facing Great Depression-level unemployment right now, and now more than ever, people are looking to support American businesses.

This interest in buying local is a ray of light in a very dark situation.

We are long time supporters of shopping local, especially in the US. I love when people keep their money in their communities, but what I love is that shopping local is so much better for the environment. When our things travel shorter distances, they use less fossil fuels. If we buy less and we buy local, we can change our relationship with consumerism and help prevent climate change.

Whether you are buying American for patriotic or environmental reasons, the first step is actually shopping secondhand. If you want to help the environment, secondhand purchases have the least impact, the least packaging, and usually travel the shortest distances.

Also, if you want to buy things that were made ethically and locally, they are going to be more expensive. You can easily offset that cost if you buy things you can get secondhand first.

For example, All-Clad pots are excellent, made in America, and freaking expensive. If you can't afford a full set, check Ebay first! Right now, they have tons of All Clad on the site. You could get most of what you need there, and then buy anything you can't find new. No one will be able to tell the difference.

I will link to the brands websites themselves, and to where you can also find them on Amazon, Etsy, etc. Some things are also available on Lehman's, which is a great spot. I am an Amazon and Etsy affiliate, so I get a tiny bit of money if you shop from those links; that said, don't buy on Amazon if you can find it from a smaller business, especially if it is local. The more we shop small businesses, the more we can help our neighbors survive.

As a second warning, not everything from these companies is manufactured in America. Always check, because things do change.

Ok, looking for great American-made kitchen stuff? Let's do this-

from Amazon

Pyrex

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon

We use our pyrex mixing bowls , bakeware, and measuring cups every day. This American company is based in Illinois and manufactured in Pennsylvania. Some of its sibling companies were long made in America too, but you need check before you buy (Corelle is now often manufactured in China). Also, check out secondhand spaces for these! They last a long time.

Best Manufacturers

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon

We went through multiple whisks before we found this Made in America company. They have an excellent collection of whisks, and they are so well-made. Ours is still doing great! Get this once and you won't ever have to buy one again.

Anchor Hocking

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon

Anchor Hocking has been making glassware in Ohio since 1905. You can find all the best kitchen storage and drinking glasses from them. They also make commercial glassware- we bought cups from them that have survived three boys, so you know it is serious stuff!

from Etsy

Marley's Monsters

Their Website
Buy it on Etsy

We absolutely love this Oregon-based shop- it offers all sorts of zero waste staples like unpaper towels, cloth sponges, snack bags, and (our favorite) bowl covers. We can reuse these items hundreds of times, so they save us money in the end as well.

Epicurean

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon

Epicurean, based in Wisconsin, is known for their cutting boards, but they also make amazing spatulas and turners out of their eco-friendly and long lasting material. Our boards have lasted us for years- well worth the investment.

For more wood spoons and turners, try Allegheny Treeware, Whetstone Woodenware,

Rada Cutlery

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon

Rada Cutlery, based out of Iowa, makes shockingly affordable knives, knife blocks, peelers, and other kitchen goods. Their catalog is available online, but I have noticed them at tons of smaller grocery stores as well. We have their knife sharpener, and we like it so much that we have been giving it as gifts as well.

For other Made in America knives- R. Murphy Knives, Warther Cutlery, Lamson Knives

J K Adams

The Website
Buy it on Amazon

J K Adams is based in Vermont, and their cutting board won America's Test Kitchen's award for best cutting board. They also make the kind of beautiful rolling pins that look like they belong in a fancy French bakery.

KitchenAid

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon (or any kitchen store anywhere)

Kitchenaid has a wide variety of products, some are still made in the US and some are made in China, so be sure to really check before you buy. Their stand mixers, a staple of every wedding registry, are still made in Ohio. And you can find them at most kitchen stores in person and online.

Lodge

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon

Lodge Cast Iron is an American gem. Pans, dutch ovens, and skillets have so many uses and will likely last a lifetime. We especially use the dutch oven for a lot of our cooking.

Vitamix

Their Website
Buy it on Crate and Barrel or Amazon

Vitamix blenders are still made in Ohio, though be sure to check, because they are a little less forthcoming about their Made in America-ness than they used to be (which is usually a good sign some things are being imported). These blenders are freaking expensive, but they still outlast many of their owners because they are so well-made.

If you are looking for something a little cheaper or a lot more eco-friendly, you can buy refurbished and tested Vitamix blenders Which begs the question- Why don't all appliance companies do this?

from Amazon

USA Pan

Their Website
Buy them on Williams Sonoma or Amazon

USA Pan continues to be one of my favorite finds writing this blog. They are made in Pittsburgh, right near where I grew up, and I had never heard of them- do you know what is manufactured near you? Their baking sheets and cookie pans have served us perfectly for years, and they haven't started to warp like our other pans. Everyone should get these pans. If you are feeling fancier, USA Pan also makes the fancy line at Williams Sonoma.

They also tend to be staples at smaller kitchen stores if you want to support a small business!

All-Clad

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon or Williams Sonoma

All-Clad makes top of the line pots and pans in Pennsylvania. These are the pots and pans that chefs love, and they are built to last (so much so that there are lots of used pots available as well). If you love to cook, this high-end cookware might be worth it.

Fletcher's Mill

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon

Fletcher's Mill makes salt and pepper grinders that we love. This may seem like a strange addition to your kitchen, but you can buy salt and pepper in bulk to save money and packaging. This company also makes spatulas and other kitchen tools too!

Zeroll

Their Website
Buy it on Amazon

This company is great at one thing- ice cream scoops! They are all manufactured in Florida, and they could be a perfect gift.

I hate cleaning. I am not a naturally neat person. But trying to live a more Earth-conscious lifestyle has made me appreciate our choices about how we clean. I mean, I still hate to clean, but now I get to feel a little better about doing it.

When you are ready to live a more eco-friendly life, it can be so hard to know where to start. Since it is all about choices, start with the choices you make every day- what you eat, how you get from place to place, what you wear, how you keep your home.

It's tempting to start with big ticket items because capitalism has conditioned us to think the more you spend, the more impact it has. For most of us, that isn't true. In fact, it's all of our little decisions, and the waste that make and carbon they cost, that have significant impact. Not only on the world, but on our own perspective and lives.

This is especially true for the things we put in, on, and near our bodies. Switching out the chemicals in your house can actually extend your life significantly. Cutting out the clutter makes your home happier and less anxiety-inducing (not to mention makes less cleaning). Washing your clothes in cold water will make them last way longer (therefore saving you money). These things all do help the Earth, but they also make your life better, safer, and happier. And you matter, so the mere positive effect green choices have on your life still matters. If it's better for the Earth, it's better for you too.

Changing our cleaning habits may not single-handedly change the world, but it has certainly changed our lives for the better. Here are ten ways that our clean house is improving life:

10. We Cut Off the Chemicals

This seems so obvious, but if we don't recognize what is on the bottle, we probably aren't going to buy it. This is just as true for our outside spaces as well- weed killers like Round Up have been proven to cause cancer and to damage children's brain development (now let's all take a moment to reflect on the stores in our lives that still sell that stuff... why?). When you realize just how harmful chemicals can be, you want more natural options in your own space. I mean, who thinks a clean bathroom floor is worth getting cancer?

Giving up on high chemical cleaners is also good for the planet, because that means less chemicals are being washed down the drain after we are done cleaning. It just benefits everyone.

So how do we do it? It's a combination of buying cleaner products and making our own. Certain brands may seem more trustworthy, but be sure to check the bottle. There is a lot of greenwashing out there and some of the more recognizable clean brands are actually owned by a pretty huge (and maybe a bit sketchy) larger company. For example, Seventh Generation is now owned by Unilever. If you are buying something bottled (we still do for carpet cleaner, for example), bulk is better. The smaller the bottle, the more waste it makes.

It can actually be easier to just make it yourself. This one is such a no-brainer it gets its own spot in a bit. For example, diluted vinegar with some orange peels in the bottle makes a perfectly excellent all purpose cleaner. It's actually mind-boggling when you think about how much money people have made replacing a product you can basically find for free in your own kitchen. Check out this post on the easiest cleaners to make yourself.

9. We Compost (and Weirdly Love it)

Did you know a banana will decompose in a few weeks? Do you know that in a plastic garbage bag, and surrounded by plastic garbage, it may never decompose?

By simple splitting our food and yard waste from our plastic waste, we can dramatically decrease the volume of garbage in landfills. A few lucky American cities already offer some sort of green waste/composting for its residents. If you don't live in one of those places, there are also tons of choices for composting yourself. We have a simple compost turner like this one. We fill it up in the fall, and in the spring when it is time to plant, we have some healthy soil to add to the mix.

It's not much work at all, and it feels good that we create very little actual garbage a week.

8. We Save Trees and Only Use Recycled Paper

This one is SO SIMPLE to do. We don't use a ton of paper towels or napkins (more on this later), but the ones we do buy are all of recycled paper. To fight climate crisis and have clean air, we desperately need every tree to stay standing, so it's pretty devastating when you consider hundreds of thousands of trees come down every year so people can clean their spills and wipe their butts. Is it worth it?

So we get everything recycled and unbleached. Our kids saw white paper towels in a family member's home and thought it was so weird. We buy all of these things in bulk and we SAVE money. Like, a lot of money.

This is another one of those things you can feel really good about without spending much money or effort at all. Check out this post for 5 of the simplest basics to switch to greener products.

7. We Don't Move our Piles, We Give Things Away

For most of my life, my cleaning was more like moving things around than actually eliminating clutter. I honestly don't remember doing much of that at all, and I was particularly infamous for not throwing anything away . Now, as a parent, I can see that I was absolutely insane.

Every time you clean up, every object you "put away" is a commitment to keep putting it away. Over and over again. If there are more objects than places, that means it's time to give things away. If you spend more time putting things away than actually using them, it means there is too much. Handing objects off is cathartic, because it means that I do not have to clean up that object ever again. Every year, we try to give away about 2,000 objects. It always feels good to say goodbye, like a weight has been lifted.

This simple shift in perspective about cleaning costs us nothing, but it keeps us SANE. And that really, really matters. The other nice thing is that we give things away when they are still plenty useful, so we are helping others and keeping objects out of landfills.

6. We Embraced the Refill

One of our local grocery stores has bulk dish soap, dishwasher detergent, and laundry detergent. We take our empty containers and refill them, rather than buying a new container filled with soap. This has been a perfect compromise too, because we haven't had to shift to all powders and hard soaps, which are outside of my partner's comfort zone.

If you don't have any resources like that where you are, this is still an option for you! The Refill Revolution is an extremely cool online space where you can have pouches of cleaning supply refills sent to you, and then you just send the pouch back.

Refilling instead of rebuying will keep hundred of plastic bottles out of landfills in a lifetime. So simple, and if it became the norm, we could really change the world! Ask your local grocery store why they don't do this yet- as we fight for a new normal in our stores, we really change the world.

5. We Switch Out our Cleaning Tools (As the Old Ones Really Bite the Dust)

I did a ton of research on which cleaning supplies from sponges to vaccuum cleaners were the best for the environment (you can read all of my research here). As our first round of stuff has run out, we have been replacing with things on this list. We use Marley's Monsters unsponges, reusable pads for our swiffer, and have committed to a HUGE supply of bulk recycled garbage bags.

That said, we still have some plastic items we use to clean, from dish brushes to our basket for cleaning supplies. Why? Because they still work! I love the look and functionality of those Redecker dish brushes, but I will not switch until we have ABSOLUTELY used our current brush up.

I know it is tempting to switch everything over immediately, but the best thing for the environment is almost always to not buy anything at all. It can be so tempting to switch over to all the beautiful zero-waste stuff immediately, but that is just another consumer impulse you have to shake off.

4. Making our Own All Purpose Cleaner

Diluted vinegar with some orange peels in the bottle makes a perfectly excellent all purpose cleaner. It's actually mind-boggling when you think about how much money people have made replacing a product you can basically find for free in your own kitchen. Check out this post which has a good ratio to use. She uses essential oils as well, but it's really up to you.

 When your current bottle runs out, you can use this recipe for the basic recipe, and throw in some citrus or oils or Dr. Bronner soap for a better smell. Even if it only saves you a bit of money a year, it will add up over time. And less plastic waste!

3. Overhauling our Laundry Routine

One of the most dramatic ways we have changed (that you wouldn't even notice at first) is how we do our laundry. You can take a lot of steps to eliminate energy and plastic waste in how you do your laundry. Here are a few we do-

- wash on cold. Better for our clothes, saves us money on our energy bill.
- use a dryer ball. Can be used thousands of times instead of once like a dryer sheet. Everyone can do this and save money.
- use a cora ball. You can use a Cora Ball or My Guppy Friend in your washing machine to slow the flow of plastic microfibers into our water sources.

There are so many options (you can read more here), but laundry switches can be low impact on your life and maybe even make life better. Every time you hang dry instead of using the dryer, you save money. Every time you wash on cold, you save money! We love all of these little changes, which doesn't slow down our endless flow of laundry, but makes our impact more positive.

2. We Joined Buy Nothing (and Saved our Mental Health)

I love the Buy Nothing Project. Have I mentioned that? About a billion times? Well, here is why.

Buy Nothing makes minimizing a treat. It's much easier to say good bye to things when I know I am helping someone else. It was paradigm shifting, because I stopped thinking that the best place for my stuff was absolutely with me. And as stuff goes out of our house, the clutter and chaos goes down too. We know that clutter in our space adds to stress and unhappiness, so just by cleaning out our spaces, we can make our life happier.

I am not saying our house is a minimalist dream (definitely not), but it feels like we are taking care of our mental health and the planet when we hand out things we are just done with to our neighbors. We have gifted at least 3,000 things since we joined, so it has definitely been effective in our decluttering.  We also went from totally anonymous to seeing people we know all over the place because we have met so many people through this project.

But you know my favorite part? Every day I get on Facebook, and instead of just seeing doom and gloom stories or political nastiness, I see kindness every day. Someone asks for help and gets it nearly immediately every day. People share what they have every day. I get to feel a little bit better about the state of the universe while simultaneously reducing clutter. Buy Nothing is the best.

Not in a Buy Nothing group yet? Check out the website here and look for the group near you!

1. Thinking Reusable, Not Disposable

We love disposable tools for cleaning, because let's face it, cleaning is gross. Once you have seen what that paper towel has been through, it is hard to not want to part ways forever. All disposable things seem essentially easier- saving time and making domestic work easier. Because of this, cleaning can be one of the most waste-producing activities of our daily life.

So one of the best and easiest switches we have made is to use reusable cleaning supplies instead. Those cleaning wipes we totally loved at the beginning of living together are just terrible for the environment, but they also have tons of unknown chemicals in them, and they aren't actually that effective. We have swapped out most disposable options with reusable ones (mostly bought as stocking stuffers) so we spend very little money on cleaning supplies.

There are tons of options out there, and you have to find what works for you, but this is what has worked for us:

We use reusable sponges (our favorites are in this post)
Reusable paper towels (instead of wipes)
Cloth napkins (you can read about our favorites here)
Bowl covers instead of plastic wrap (we love these from Marley's Monsters)
Reusable sandwich bags (like these from Full Circle)
Reusable Cleaning Gloves
Wool Dryer Balls
Reusable Swiffer Wipes

Instead of buying cleaning rags, we mostly reuse old clothes from tshirts to underwear to socks to do our dusting and cleaning up. It's not super dignified, but not much of cleaning is. You can also cut up old towels and such, but even our ten year old towels are mostly holding up pretty well.

This is such a positive step, saves money in the end, and it cuts way down on the waste we make. Three or four years in, we don't miss the "normal" stuff at all. What green changes have you made in your cleaning? What works best for you?

LG, Whirpool, Kenmore, Samsung, AEG, Bosch, Electrolux, and Maytag,

You are at the center of a growing and disastrous environmental crisis, and you have the power to solve this problem. Not many industries have the ability to quickly and easily end an environmental disaster, but you do.

You can end the microfiber crisis.

Our ocean is being overtaken by tiny, microscopic pieces of plastic by the trillions. These plastic pieces are shed off of plastic-based synthetic fabrics in our washing machines. Washing machine filters do not currently stop these microfibers, so these tiny fibers exit our homes and head to water treatment plants. Some settle into sewage sludge, but most head out with the treated water into our water sources.

You can now find microplastics in samples taken from most bodies of water, rivers, and streams. Researchers from The Ocean Conservancy have found over 100 microplastics in one fish. Other researchers have found that these microplastics have reached the most remote corners of the ocean.

This kind of pollution is particularly disturbing because there is no real way to clean it up once it reaches our water sources. It is like filling a bathtub with glitter; you will never be able to clean up every single piece. Until a method for cleaning arrives, all of our water becomes more and more overwhelmed with plastic.

This has a significant effect on humans. Microplastics have become part of our food chain, being found in everything from our table salt to our drinking water to most of the animals we eat. We are now eating plastic with enough frequency that it could have a significant negative effect on our health; we know that plastics can effect hormones, disrupt our endocrine system, and has even been connected to cancer.

You have the power to solve this problem.

Small companies have already developed filters to stop these microfibers from ever leaving the washing machine. The technology and research is out there to filter these microfibers, leading to products like the Cora Ball and others. Some people are starting to use these products, but most are not.

These products wouldn't be necessary if it was standard to have a microplastic filter in every new washing machine sold. You have the power to stop this problem completely by shifting your product to serve this need.

No washing machine manufacturer is doing this yet, so if you did it first, you could get all the positive press from blazing a trail that could save our water and save lives. We can assume that with a little time and common sense, microfiber filters will be common practice, but you can make that day come sooner, and you can keep trillions of pieces of plastic out of our oceans.

Your company has the chance to do something heroic here, to help save our water and our people. Please develop microplastic filters for your washing machines and make it standard that they be included.

Our planet is hurting. We are seeing destruction everywhere, but the damage to certain regions are especially fatal to our planet. Our rainforests are incredibly precious- they house a huge amount of biodiversity and are central to the fight against Climate Crisis (they absorb so uch CO2). Despite how important these spaces are, rainforests are being cleared to make room for palm oil plantations. This causes the extinction of many species of animals and human rights violations, as indigenous people are forced off their lands.

 Palm oil is an edible vegetable oil that can be used for cooking. It has been on the rise in the US because it can be substituted for oils that were adding lots of transfats to foods.

We all desperately need to stop using products with any palm oil. 

Instead, most of us are using more without even realizing it. 

Palm oil is in all sorts of products from toothpaste to cookies to shampoo. Most consumers have lots of palm oil in their home without realizing it is causing any problems at all.

We need to the overuse of palm oil to stop immediately to help these indigenous people, endangered species, and the planet itself. The first step is to understand our own part in the problem and to become aware of all the ways we are consuming palm oil. From there, we can reach out to the people we know to spread awareness, reach out to companies to stop using palm oil, and reach out to the government to put stricter guidelines on using palm oil.

But first, we need a better sense of what we are dealing with. We need to be able to identify palm oil in our products and food. So let's get to it.

Here are some tips to help you look out for palm oil on your labels. It really is everywhere:

Look out for Plastic 

When it comes to food, plastic and palm oil serve the same purpose- they both preserve food past their natural lifetime. Food should rot; the more natural an item is the shorter it's shelf life generally is. Well, if you are Oreo, and you want to ship your food very long distances, you are risking that the cookies will go bad before you get money from them. So palm oil is part of that solution. The more you step away from giant brands and plastic containers, the less you have to worry about palm oil.

Double Check Your Meat Substitutes

This blog is all about getting meat out of diets and eating more vegetarian and vegan meals. That said, if you are shopping for meat substitutes, look closely, because palm oil is commonly used in lots of vegan products.

Start in your Own House

If you are looking to cut out palm oil, start with the products you have already bought. Much of what we buy, from shampoo to peanut butter, is just a replacement for the thing we already have. So the best way to make a change is to identify where you are already using palm oil and start looking for replacements for those things.

Look for the RSPO Label

There is sustainable palm oil, and not sustainable palm oil. When you are checking for ingredients, also check for the RSPO (Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil) label. They just made their guidelines stricter, so you know a product with this palm oil is held to much higher sustainability standards.

Ok, here is a pretty epic list of names for palm oil on packaging:

Other Names for Palm Oil

Palmate
Plamitate
Elaeis Guineensis
FP(K)O- Fractionated Palm Oil
Etyl Palmitate
Glyceryl Stearate
Hyrated Palm Glycerides
Octyl Palmitate
OPKO- Organix Palm Kernel Oil
Palmolein
PHPKO- Partially Hydrogenated Palm Oil
Palm Kernel
Palmitic Acid
Palm Stearine
PKO – Palm Kernel Oil
PKO fractionations: Palm Kernel Stearin (PKs); Palm Kernel Olein (PKOo)
Palmitoyl Oxostearamide
Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3
Palmityl Alcohol
Sodium dodecyl Sulphate/Sulfate (SDS or NaDS)
Sodium Kernelate
Sodium Laureth Sulphate/Sulfate (Can also be from coconut)
Sodium Lauryl Sulphates/Sulfate (can also be from ricinus oil)
Sodium Palm Kernelate
Stearic Acid

Chemicals that Contain Palm Oil

Steareth -2
Steareth -20
Sodium Lauryl Sulphate
Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (coconut and/or palm)
Hydrated palm glycerides
Sodium isostearoyl lactylaye (derived from vegetable stearic acid)


What items with Palm Oil do you still have in your house?

Toilet paper is not something many of us have put much thought into, but like anything we buy or consume, it has a definite impact in our world.

Toilet paper's impact on the Earth has made major news this week as a study has proven that American toilet paper consumption is destroying Canadian forests. This is more than a mere annoyance. It's a threat to their wildlife, their cultures, and to the whole planet. We need those trees to fight climate change.

Toilet paper (and the destruction behind it) has been blowing my mind for a while- you can read about toilet paper on my list of green basics (and how to make them affordable). You can find great options for any paper product on this post (you really can get recycled paper for almost anything).

But if you don't have the time for a bunch of research, let me give you the quick and dirty version (yeah, I made that joke). Toilet paper is an EASY place to make a positive impact. You just need to know a few things. Let's do this:

1. It is as Bad as You Have Heard

The toilet paper we have all been buying at the grocery stores our whole lives are stripping our forests of desperately needed trees. You can read the NRDC study about the connection between American toilet paper companies and the arboreal destruction taking place in Canada.

These companies are razing entire old-growth forests, homes to wildlife and some Native tribes, all so you can wipe your butt.

This is particularly devastating because we know that trees are one of the best defenses we have against Climate Change; in fact according to Yale, if we could plant about 1.2 trillion of them, they could cancel out 10 years of CO2 emissions. Instead, our forests continue to decrease at rapid speeds. We need those trees to cool our Earth. It's time to do something, and it starts with your own butt.

If that wasn't enough, this toilet paper also comes wrapped in plastic (pretty needlessly), so it adds to our ever-growing burden of plastic waste and pollution. A lot of serious problems going on at once. 

2. Your TP has Politics

This chart is floating around on Facebook. What I think is worth noting, is that many of the companies that fail are also owned by the Koch Brothers. You can read all bout this and their anti-environmental politics in this post.

So, by buying toilet paper that is mindful of the environment, you are also refusing money to a company that actively campaigns against the EPA and thinks that the rules should not apply to them. We don't think of these everyday purchases as political, and billionaires like the Koch borthers take advantage of this fact. By simply being aware and putting our money into more ethical companies, we are doing good on a practical level AND an ideological one.

3. 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.

7. You can Speak Up

Feel guilty for the decades of toilet paper you used? Don't. You didn't know, but now you do. If anything, turn that guilt into action and speak up to the company you felt (weird) loyalty to before.

The NRDC is specifically calling out Proctor and Gamble, who sell Charmin, not for their terrible bears, but for their part in uprooting old growth trees needlessly. Call the company and back the NRDC up! Just let them know you won't give them your money until they switch to more sustainable practices. The more people they hear from, the more they will feel that pressure.



See!? So many options that don't suck! The key here is to just end your family's relationship with virgin paper products. So little of what we need and use actually needs fresh paper for it, and every time you buy post-consumer recycled or sustainable products, you send a message to the market that you won't tolerate their destructive nonsense.

So, who is switching? Let me know how it goes!

You are noticing all of the plastic and chemicals you use in your life, and you want to make a change?

That's awesome!!

We all need to shift how we do things to take care of the environment. One of the best ways to start is to think about the things we do the most- shop for groceries, do laundry, eat breakfast, and start there. If you start with your regular habits (instead of your big purchases, you can actually have a greater impact!

So, what is one thing I feel like I am doing all the time?

Dishes. Freaking dishes.

Since dishes are the bane (and constant) of my existence (and maybe yours), green options for everything I use is key to our family having a positive impact. These are the basics to go by:

1. Always think Reusable and Refillable

Anything you can keep using is a huge win for the environment. The longer a "use-life" an object has, the better. For example, I can use the same unsponges for years, where a regular sponge will only last a month or two before it gets janky. The more you can reuse something, the less garbage it makes. This goes for what you already have too- if you already have a dish brush, use it until it is just a nubbin before you get a new one!

Equally great is refillable stuff! For soaps, you can stop buying small bottles and refill the bottle you already have. If there is a zero-waste or bulk store near you, you can refill your bottles there. If not, you still have options like The Refill Revolution.  It allows you to skip the container and eliminate plastic waste.

2. Buy Secondhand

Soap dishes, drying racks, and those spare spoons you need to replace the ones you inexplicably lose are all available used. Save money and minimize the waste you create by looking secondhand first.

3. Buy Local

Lots of the things on this list are not mainstream yet, but you can still find all of them on Amazon. I highly recommend checking Etsy stores and small stores like The Refill Revolution or Tiny Yellow Bungalow first. Check and see how far the nearest zero waste store is- my hometown has one! You may be surprised!

This blog does use affiliate links for Amazon and Etsy, which means we make a teeny bit of money if you buy something you click on here. That said, I totally believe what I said before. You do way more good if you shop local or from small sellers. Shop there. 

Ok, dish time! Let's do this!

from marleysmonsters

Reusable Sponges

Rather than use the Scotch Brite sponges that are wrapped in plastic and made with plastic, consider switching to “unsponges” or biodegradable sponges instead. We use marleysmonsters unsponges. We got three at the beginning of 2018, and we are still using them now (though we added 2 more to the collection). We have a container in our kitchen that we throw them in (wish dish rags and cloth napkins), and they all get laundered once a week. It's super simple.

I love these unsponges, and I would recommend them to anyone.

There are lots of other unsponge options. Check out these ones from HuggableEarth, TheLittleWanderersCo, TheHealthyEarthCo, TheGreenHaven, and PacificNWNursery.

Another option is to use a biodegradable loofah sponge instead. Here is another one to check out (with perfect reviews). They won't last as long, but they will completely biodegrade. Full Circle also sells a walnut-based sponge that will biodegrade as well.

If you need something even tougher, this Redecker copper scrubber might be great as well.

from The Refill Revolution

A Dish Brush

These brushes from Redecker are perfect for getting things clean AND they are made of wood so they biodegrade. I think this little brush is just about the cutest thing ever, though I wonder if you would find the smile mocking after enough dishes. Then again, you could use your aggression against the patriarchy to get your dishes clean? You could also get this Redecker brush with a handle if you want something less fraught with gender stuff (and you can get replacement heads). Redecker sells bottle brushes as well.

Full Circle also makes a bunch of models of dish brushes, and this one is our favorite.

Dish Soap

For the longest time, I was all about Dawn Dish Soap (you can do so much with that stuff), but now I feel a little more skeptical. It is made with petrochemicals, so it brings a lot of unwanted stuff into your home.

No matter what you buy, try for something refillable or AT LEAST in bulk. The larger containers actually create less plastic waste (one giant bottle vs 5 or 6 small bottles really adds up). If you want to get in this habit, The Refill Revolution sells large reused containers of dish soap that you can buy refills for from now on. Then they have refills of dish soap you can buy as well, which is what we are now doing. Biokleen is a pretty great company for this!

Dishwasher Soap

For a few months, we have used biokleen dishwasher powder for our dishwasher, and it works as well as anything we used to buy at the store with our pretty lame dishwasher. Biokleen also sells a gel version if you feel more comfortable with something more familiar.

We bought our first set in a container, and now we buy refills. I would highly suggest using containers you already have; a yogurt tub or coffee container could hold the powder as well as anything else. This honestly is an easy one to switch.

Drying Rack

Drying Racks get tons of use, but you don't need to buy one all that often. I would recommend looking secondhand first- you may be surprised! People move and what they need changes.  The most waste-free options include bamboo and metal (plastic ones may not last as long, though those are most of the ones made in the US).  Bamboo will decompose (so way better for the Earth) and metal can be reused and then recycled. From a waste perspective, these are better options, but you have to weigh your own priorities.

For Bamboo, check out these racks from Totally Bamboo and HBLife Bamboo.

For metal, you can't do more minimalist than these over the sink racks, which collapse (or this one with perfect reviews rolls up) and could easily be put in the drawer (I wish we had one of these when we were in an apartment). For a more conventional rack, Rubbermaid makes coated metal racks here in the US that look like they will last. For something more stylish check out this cross one, this sturdy one, and this expandable one (you can move it into the sink too).

from mudworks,

Sponge Holder

Sometimes a reused soap dish or even napkin holder can make a perfect place to hold your sponges, but if that is not for you, there are some simple and stylish options that makes your kitchen sink clean and beautiful.

We have a beautiful, simple holder from SawyerCeramics, but Etsy has so many options for beautiful ceramic holders. Check out PurpleHeatherPottery, mudworks, cinderceramics, scarlettwares, and TrilliumFineArts. If ceramics don't fit your style, these concrete folders from CRETETATION are super cool too.

If you use a brush too, I think this scarlettwares holder with spots for both could keep your counter look cleaner as well. If you want something in the sink that isn't plastic, this looks to be your best (most plastic-free) option.

I finish this blog with another sink's worth of dishes waiting for me. It never ends! What is the best eco-friendly switch you made for doing your dishes?



Want more eco-friendly ideas for every nook and cranny of your house? Check out the Green Home page for tons of posts and ideas!

from okdani.com

So many people are obsessed with KonMari.

She never explicitly tells you what she means by "discarding."

In other words, the hard work is deciding to get rid of what you want is the perfect first step. But that doesn't mean it's the magical ONLY step. That stuff all needs to go somewhere, and that's on you. 

So my addendum to KonMari would be this- 

Do the right thing and discard in a way that protects the Earth from all of this garbage. If it could still be used for anything, share it. Don't toss it. 

1. Marley's Monsters

Marley's Monsters is one of my favorite Etsy stores. Zero waste stuff can easily fall into dull or joyless plainess, but some genius realized this was actually the perfect spot to be bright and playful. We are committed to their unsponges (as opposed to sponges with plastic) and I have also heard great things about their unpaper towels and their make up wipes.

2. ClearSkyHome

After years of cloth napkin experience (with two toddlers to boot), my big advice is this. 1. Pick patterns. 2. Pick colorful (leaning on dark). Those white ones you see in every zero waste fetish picture sure are pretty, but they will look well-used in no time. I love Clear Sky Home because they use a lot of pattern and color without it feeling juvenile. Perfect for a newbie gift!

3. SaidoniaEco

(Florida) This store primarily sells bamboo cutlery sets (and cute pouches to carry them in. This is perfect if the person you are shopping for tends to get a lot of takeout food. They can throw something like this into their bag, and they can avoid plastic cutlery from then on.

4. generationMe

generationMe has a pretty wide variety of zero waste gifts from cloth napkins to pouches for your menstrual cup to baby wipes. If you buy your loved ones menstrual pouches as a gift, let me know so I can give you a hug.

5. The Healthy Earth Co

TheHealthyEarthCo (Illinois) sells all kinds of zero waste alternatives that you might use every day. I think their unsponges could be a perfect gift for someone who is just started (or hasn't started!) a lower waste lifestyle.



There are just so many amazing, beautiful options for eco-friendly and zero waste gifts. You should also check out The Tailored Home, BeegoHandmade, PacificNWNursery, ohlittlerabbit, CHOWwithMe, and 112JamesStreet.