Studies have shown that the average person (in the United States) will produce at least 4 pounds of garbage every day. That doesn’t sound too bad until you calculate what this adds up to over time. This is partly due to not knowing about eco-friendly products available to everyday consumers.
In one year, that is over 1,400 pounds. If you look at the amount of trash accumulated throughout someone’s life, we are looking at over 70,000 pounds of waste. Now let’s multiply that by the total population in the United States…roughly 330 million.
…And that brings us to 23,100,000,000 pounds.
I know these are very rough numbers, but I think we can all agree that 4 pounds per day is wildly excessive. By making simple choices to buy eco-friendly products, we can cut down on the waste almost completely.
Keep in mind, most of the alternatives below will allow us to go green without having to change our lifestyle at all. We can simply choose eco-friendly products that are biodegradable, but are still high-quality products that get the same job done.
Additionally, most of these biodegradable products can be delivered automatically each month so you don’t have to think about driving to the grocery store.
Biodegradable Trash Bags
Instead of buying traditional plastic trash bags, try these biodegradable trash bags that are good for the environment. These eco-friendly bags will speed up the degrading process because they are made from plant-based materials.
These trash bags are durable and can get the same job accomplished as plastic bags. Try ordering some and see for yourself!
Low Flow Shower Head
In addition to accumulating trash, wasting water is just as bad on the environment. If you don’t believe me, just check out Cape Town’s Water Crisis.
This High Sierra Low Flow Shower Head is a great solution to help conserve water. After years of using a highly efficient shower head, you can save thousands of gallons of water.
Waterproof Shower Timer
While we are on the topic of conserving water, check out this digital timer for your shower. The goal here is to set a timer to finish cleaning at a specific time.
Not only will this help you go green, but you will be more productive and efficient with your morning routine. We could all use a little nudge in the morning that benefits both us and the environment.
Metal Reusable Straws
I am a bit torn when it comes to metal straws. If you were to ask me, I’d say “forget the straw and just drink from the glass or bottle”.
However, this is the best alternative to buying plastic straws. You could buy a handful of these Vehhe Reusable Metal Straws and you would be set for life. They are durable, easy to clean, and they won’t end up in the ocean if taken care of properly.
Recycled Floor Mat
Now, this eco-friendly product is genius. The company has been making rubber mats from recycled tires that actually look great!
These Durite Recycled Tire Mats should last you a lifetime if you think about it. The mat is made from heavy-duty rubber that was originally designed for holding up a vehicle on the highway. Your shoes won’t be able to hurt this tough guy.
Not only is a bidet good for the environment, but it’s a better option than toilet paper. If you were trying to clean mud off of your arm, you wouldn’t just use a dry paper towel, would you?
This is a cleaner option for your body and for the world. You can eliminate the use of toilet paper (that’s a lot of money, btw) and take care of your body at the same time with this Bio Bidet Smart Toilet Seat.
Nozama Automatic Soap Dispenser Equipped with Stainless Steel,
Nozama Automatic and Volume Adjustable Soap Dispenser
Go green with this automatic soap dispenser. The Nozama Volume Adjustable Soap Dispenser has a built-in volume control switch to change the amount of soap that is used for each application.
If you think about it, we probably use too much soap because the bottles are typically designed for us to buy more soap in the future.
Reusable Bamboo Paper Towels
How often do you buy paper towels? If you were like me, you probably bought some every month to always have some handy in the kitchen. The problem here is the impact this has on accumulating garbage and the loss of trees that are continually sacrificed for our convenience.
The solution here is to use paper-like towels that are reusable. This way, you can still have a convenient light-duty towel, but it will last after many uses in the kitchen. Think about how much money you can save when you don’t have to buy these Eco-Friendly Bamboo Paper Towels each month.
Staple-Free Stapler
Plus Staple-Free Stapler
This is a really cool product that we should have been using all along. Instead of using metal staples, this stapler will bind paper by using paper itself. It punctures a hole in the paper and folds the remaining piece tightly through the hole and around the back of the stack. This Plus Staple-Free Stapler helps eliminate pollution (who knows where all our staples end up) and the need to buy any staples ever again.
This is perfect in today’s world because we don’t really need to use paper all that often anyway. Just buy a few of these staplers for the home or office and you are set for life!
Allbirds
Shoes made from recycled materials
Allbirds is a brand everyone should know by now.
They did the impossible when they made shoes for comfort, performance, and sustainability. Their goal was to create shoes from recycled and eco-friendly materials, but without having to sacrifice looks or practicality.
The shoes are comparable in price to Nike or Adidas so you don’t have to worry about spending more than your regular shoe purchases. Try a pair and go green today.
Biodegradable Bamboo Toothbrushes
Of course, we couldn’t leave out the bamboo toothbrush. It just doesn’t make sense that there are so many plastic toothbrushes in this world when bamboo works just as well and won’t hurt the environment. The Nuduko Biodegradable Bamboo Toothbrush is also easy to use with soft bristles that won’t hurt your gums when you brush.
Next time your toothbrush wears out, think about getting one that you know will be best for you and the planet.
Recycled Toilet Paper
If you just can’t make the switch to a bidet, you should at least try this option. Some brands will recycle paper to make their toilet paper and Seventh Generation is one of them. Choose to support a brand that is less harmful to the environment and doesn’t use manufacturers that rely on trees for their business. Especially since these recycled toilet paper options aren’t different when it comes to getting the job done.
Reusable Storage Bags
Sorry Ziplock, it is time to move on. Of course, it is much easier to throw a plastic bag away after every use, but think about all the money you will have saved with these Qinline Reusable Storage Bags.
Because these bags are reusable, they are designed to last. The heavy-duty quality helps them last for dozens of leftovers, snacks, or whatever you need to put in a typical plastic bag.
LED Eco-Friendly Light Bulbs
There are many reasons why these Bioluz LED light bulbs should be used for home lighting. For starters, there shouldn’t be a reason to pull the ladder out every few months to replace a bulb. Upgrade to a long-lasting LED bulb that will last double or triple the standard life of the ‘bottom-shelf’ bulb.
Another benefit would be the cost savings. Having less power needed to light the bulb, you are going to save on your electricity bill each month. It probably won’t seem like a ton of money each month, but it will add up over the years.
Lastly, think about how going green will help the world. You will be using less power and you won’t have to throw away as many bulbs as before. This will give our landfills a break and you can know that you are doing something good with your life.
Recycled Clothing
Recycled Clothes
For some, this topic can be a tough one depending on their passion for fashion (that sounded smooth). With Swap.com, you can find recycled clothes that actually look great. You won’t have to sacrifice too much and you will know that you are preventing new clothes to be manufactured and dumped somewhere.
Stainless Steel Water Bottle
This is a no-brainer, but there are plenty of people out there who still go through a few disposable cups per day. Grab a durable water bottle that you can use for decades and you’ll save the world from thousands of wasted cups. This is one of the easiest eco-friendly products you could start using to reduce tons of waste over the years.
These Tree Tribe Stainless Steel Water Bottles will also keep your beverages much cooler (or hotter) throughout the day. In fact, technology has improved so much that you can sometimes find ice in these bottles after 24 hours of sitting.
Energizer Rechargeable AA and AAA Battery Charger
The world would be a better place if we didn’t toss so many batteries each year. Buying rechargeable batteries can easily help cut down on all of this waste.
I use these for all my simple household electronics and I never run out of batteries. Any time the remote batteries go dead, I end up swapping them with fresh recharged batteries and put the old ones on the charger. This becomes a never-ending cycle and it is so convenient to do this versus buying them at the store.
I hope these eco-friendly products help you think twice about what you normally buy so you can do yourself and our future generations a favor. If you know of any other go-green items we missed, leave us a comment below!
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