5 Things I Don't Buy Anymore
Minimalism seems to be a topic on a lot of peoples’ minds these days. From Marie Condo’s Netflix Special to the tiny house craze; many people are downsizing. I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a minimalists but I do try to be conscious of the things I purchase and keep in my life. Going along with that is being conscious of the waste I create in my day-to-day life. With that in mind, here are five things I no longer buy (with their eco/minimalists counterparts) that both reduce my waste and help me live a more minimalistic lifestyle.
1. Feminine hygiene products
Two years ago reading that would probably shock a lot of people (it still might). In today’s culture, I think most people are familiar with period cups and underwear by now.
The cup is frankly one of the best decisions I have ever made. This may be TMI but I feel like with more traditional hygiene products I would always leak and wear multiple lines of defense against said leaks (i.e. wearing liners or pads along with tampons). This is not an issue with the cup. I can only speak from personal experience and I know some people have struggled to find the right size and fit for themselves, but for me it has been a game changers. There are so many other blog posts and videos on the different brands and sizes so do your research and make an educated purchase. Once you find the right one, I promise you will love it.
Period underwear is a newer purchase for me. I got them not because I was dissatisfied with the cup but because frankly I am not the most regular and never realllllly know when flow is going to come to town. I wear these underwear on the first days of the 28th week of my cycle. That way when flow does arrive I am not ruining another pair of underwear or waking up to stained sheets.
I highly recommend both. Like most re-usable products they are more expensive than their disposable single use counterparts. Thinx underwear go for $30-$40 a pair and cups can range anywhere from $15-$30. That can seem like a lot up front for one product, so let’s break it down.
If you use tampons; you should be changing it about every 6 hours. This comes to about 4 tampons a day. That times a five-day cycle is 20 tampons per cycle and we all know you have about 12 cycles in a year. All math-ed out that is 240 tampons a year. An average box of tampons has 36, so you need about 7 boxes of tampons a year. Running at about $7 dollars a box, you would be spending (give or take) $49 a year on tampons alone. And if you are anything like me, you are buying multiple boxes of different size tampons as well as liners and pads for security purposes. Bottom line is, purchasing a reusable feminine hygiene product is going to mean less money spent annually for you and less trash thrown out for the planet.
2. Loofas
Everyone wants to feel squeaky clean after a shower so using a loofa or other man made product to wash our bodies is commonplace. Growing up I always used those plastic loofas that eventually pull apart and just become essentially one giant plastic net. Although they aren’t technically single use, they are still plastic that is going to end up in a landfill somewhere. Therefore, I wanted a switch. And so I made one, to bamboo washcloths.
Why washcloths? Well, this is more of just a personal preference. They are easy to throw in with the laundry and don’t need any special cleaning, they can be easily hung to dry in-between uses and, depending on the structure of the cloth itself, can still give you a gentle exfoliation.
Why bamboo? Bamboo is fast growing and has a vegetative reproductive process. Read that as reproduces asexually (no need for a partner) and doesn’t need to go through the immature seedling phase flowering plants do, thus reaching maturity, and the ability to reproduce, faster.
All that being said, not all bamboo is eco-friendly bamboo. Do your research and make sure you are purchasing from a company that practices ethical harvesting practices (although it is a fast reproducing plant it can still be depleted) and doesn’t use harmful chemicals in the manufacturing or pest prevention process.
3. Razors
From this one, you may automatically think that I have just stopped shaving altogether. Many women have made this transition and I am here for it! Body hair is a natural and beautiful thing and the fact that female identifying people are shamed for having it is a cultural sham (don’t even get me started on the pink tax). However, I am a firm believer in doing whatever makes you feel like your best self. And for me that still requires shaving.
Obviously most razors we see on the store shelves are plastic and disposable. You use them until they dull and then pitch the entire thing for a new one. Now you may say, well hold up, I have one where I just change out the blade. To which I counter with, what is the blade incased in? What is the handle made of? How was it packaged when you purchased it from the store? The answer, I am assuming, is plastic.
Safety razors, although daunting at first, are actually quiet easy to use and plastic free. The only thing you have to change is the metal blade and most are packaged in a cardboard box then individually wrapped in paper. So not only are they less waste but the waste they do create is compostable. Similar to the pad and tampon replacements, the razor upfront is more expensive but in the long run will save you money.
4. Tin foil
This one may seem kind of random but I make a lot of sheet pan recipes and being the lazy person that I am, would lay tinfoil down so I don’t have to wash the pan after dinner. Obviously, this is super wasteful and had me buying tinfoil more often than I would like to admit. So, once again, I made a change and got silicone liners.
This was probably the easiest switch on this list. Laying one of these down instead of getting out the tinfoil was an easy transition. Then instead of crumpling up and throwing out the used tinfoil, I just throw the silicone sheet in the dishwasher. Simple and sweet. If you are looking for ways to start reducing your waste I think this is a great place to start as the transition is so painless.
P.S They also make silicon muffin tin liners if you’re into baking!
5. Dryer sheets
For a long time I never used dryer sheets, nor a replacement. Then I moved in with my significant other who came with about 12 boxes of them. I got used to them. I liked that they reduced the static of my work blouses and made folding sheets much easier as they weren’t all stuck together in one giant ball of static post dryer.
But of course, I noticed the waste. Even just using one sheet per load added up. Plus the boxes they came in. Upon doing some research, I found wool dryer balls. They do the exact same thing as dryer sheets but can be used again and again and again. I bought a pack of three and rotate which one I through in with the wash. They reduce the static just like dryer sheets but don’t require to be thrown out after one use.
Now these obviously don’t work if you are vegan. I have found some dryer balls made from bamboo but can’t vouch for how they work nor have I done the research to ensure the bamboo being used is ethically sourced. I am personally not vegan (I also don’t really like labels and just act in a way I feel is ethical and beneficial for both myself and the plant) so I don’t have an issue using the wool ones. But no matter which option you choose, your waste will be reduced.
Final Thoughts
A pretty constant bullet point you probably noticed is most of these replacement products are more costly upfront, but will save you money in the long run. People have a misconception that living a low waste life requires purchasing a ton of stuff. And although you do have to replace some of your single use products;
1. You don’t have to do it all at once. It is more sustainable to use up what you have (be that razors, tinfoil, plastic baggies, etc.) prior to purchasing the replacement. So take it step by step. As you use something up that you are looking to change out, buy the replacement. But not months in advance (i.e. don’t buy a period cup when you still have 15 unopened boxes of tampons from Costco under your sink).
2. You probably already own a lot of things that can be repurposed or just used in a different light to reduce your waste. *see my blog post on grocery bags* You can cut up old t-shirts to use as cleaning rags, use your current Tupperware container instead of plastic baggies, grab your normal silverware instead of buying a “travel” set, etc.
The most sustainable thing we can do is use what we already have. So get creative. There are TONS of DIYs online for how to repurpose things we would normally get rid of into usable everyday necessities. It is fine to buy things; that’s how we keep a stable economy, but be mindful of what you purchase, support small and local businesses, and be inventive.
Resources:
If you’re interested in any of the above mentioned products or seeing some of my other low waste favs click here.
