I’m not sure when it exactly started, but we began really taking notice to just how much trash our small family was putting out. Most days we had a full trash bag by the time we went to bed. We also picked up a full-sized metal trash barrel to hold our recycling and it was overflowing weekly.
We are far, far, far away from being a zero waste family, but since that realization occurred we have definitely started to pay more attention to how much waste we create.
When you actually stop to think about it, it seems kind of silly that we purchase things like plastic wrap or plastic sandwich bags to cover food. We are literally paying money for something we are going to throw away.
Here are a few things that we use over and over again that will save money in the long run.
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Berkey Water Filter
After many years of buying wasteful and potentially unhealthy plastic water bottles, we finally invested in a Berkey water filter.
A Berkey Water Filter is a bigger up front investment, but at the rate at which we drink water it has more than proved its worth after a little over a year. Unlike other water filters, Berkey filters last for years. We will likely not need to replace ours for 4-5 years, as opposed to other filtration systems which would need replacing every several weeks.
We refill glass bottles and keep them in the refrigerator.
Reusable Shopping Bags
We have had this set of 10 shopping bags for a little over a year now and we are very impressed with the quality and convenience of them. Before picking up these bags we always forgot to bring our reusables. This set of bags has been perfect because they all fit in a carrying case that we keep in the car. After we unload our groceries we put them right back into the case in the car.
We frequently shop at Aldi which charges for their bags and encourages you to bring your own. Some stores even offer a discount for bringing your own shopping bags.
While the actual monetary savings may be small, the impact on the environment is huge and a big motivator for us when we made the purchase.
Beeswax Wrap
We’ve been trying to replace the plastic we use in the kitchen as much as possible. Replacing plastic wrap with reusable beeswax wrap is a great place to start. Beeswax wrap is cotton fabric coated in a combination of beeswax and jojoba oil and is durable and washable. Each piece can be washed and reused over and over.
For more food storage options we use our pyrex bowls and glass food storage containers, which we also use for meals on the go.
Reusable Sandwich Bags
For things like sandwiches and snacks, reusable baggies are an option that will save you a lot of money over time. Have you checked the hefty aisle lately? Those plastic baggies seem to be getting pricier by the bag each time I go.
Good quality reusable sandwich bags, like these 100% silicone ones, can be a bit of an investment at first, but will last longer than many of the other more affordable versions.
They come in snack, sandwich and half gallon size so they can be used for food storage as well.
Cloth Napkins and Un-paper Towels
This is one that we have been implementing for years now in our home.
Using cloth napkins and “un-paper towels” does not have to be nearly as fancy as one may initially think. You can truly use anything for cleaning rags to replace most uses for paper towels – old towels, clothes heading for the trash, receiving blankets, old bedsheets, cloth diapers, etc.
We did purchase new and nicer looking towels to use as napkins for eating, hanging towels for drying our hands and dishcloths to use while cooking or cleaning dishes.
All of these can get tossed in with our normal towel wash and used over and over and over again. We seldom purchase paper towels anymore. Sometimes we like to have a roll on hand just in case a mess arises that we don’t want in our washer.
Cotton tea towels make nice napkins and hand towels, dishcloths are great for cleaning and drying spills, and flour sack towels are a cheap alternative that can be used for anything.
Wool Dryer Balls
I can tell you now that we pay per load of laundry that wool dryer balls are a big money saver. Dryer balls help cut down on dry time by moving clothes around in the dryer. Adding two or three to each dyer load helps even bulky loads to dry in one cycle.
They also replace the need for dryer sheets and fabric softener so you’ll save from not having to purchase those products over and over. You can even add a few drops of essential oils to each of the dryer balls to add fragrance to your clean laundry.
A pack of 6 of these cost around $15 and can be used over and over again.
A very important thing to learn when trying to save money is that investing in better quality products will save money in the long run. Purchasing things with a plan to just throw it away hurts not only our wallets, but the planet as well.