It takes a lot of effort to eliminate all plastics from our grab & go busy lifestyles and it can tend to feel overwhelming when we think about all the things we could be doing better to help the environment. But what if we all challenge ourselves and commit to just one little change this year. These little changes can truly add up to have a big impact! Here are three products to consider that a lot of us use on a frequent basis. Try one or think about something that works even better for you like using stainless steel straws or refillable water bottles. And let us know what change you’ve had success with!
PARKER Rose Gold Butterfly Open Safety Razor
Many of a certain age will remember that this was the only style of razor everybody used. Before plastic disposables took the world by storm in the 70s. The EPA estimates that 2 billion razors are thrown away each year. Could this be the most wasteful product we use in the bathroom? So, let’s embrace an old classic that works beautifully—the PARKER safety razor with its classy rose gold handle is designed for both men and women. The long, thin, highly textured handle makes shaving in the shower with wet soapy hands a breeze. With its traditional butterfly twist-to-open design, when used with a quality blade, it will deliver a smooth and comfortable shave every time! And best of all, the stainless-steel blades can be recycled in your local metals container.
RADIUS Green Tea Jasmine Silk Dental Floss
Say goodbye to those little plastic dental floss containers! RADIUS flosses are packaged in 100% plastic-free packaging. Their flosses are coated in 100% pure, natural candelilla wax or organic carnauba wax for maximum glide-ability and organic coconut oil & erythritol to help prevent cavities and remove plaque for the ultimate clean. They’re free from PFAS, glutens, preservatives, GMOs, artificial sweeteners, colorings, and fluoride, for your peace of mind. Plus, the handspun Silk Green Tea Floss is 100% biodegradable! Learn about their silk supplier, CORSEDA, the fair-trade co-op, in the mountains of Colombia, which supports more than 80 families.
(Radius does also offers vegan dental floss in Clove Cardamom, Vanilla Mint or Peppermint but note that while the packing is still plastic-free, the floss is currently made of nylon.)
ECOBAGS Reusable Cotton Produce & Bulk Bags
Now that we’re in the habit of bringing our own totes to the co-op, let’s tuck a handful of these little cotton drawstring carriers for veggies, fruits, and bulk items into our big bags. The more you have the more uses you’ll find for them—bulk beans, bulk grains, nuts, even a few bagels! You’ll reuse and reuse and reuse, wash them when needed, and one day way, way off in the future you can recyclable them in your compost piles ♻ 🌎 💚
And because we love this product so much, we’re mentioning it again:
TRU EARTH Laundry Detergent
Yes, we mentioned this laundry game-changer last month but we’re just so excited about this product that it deserves another “plastic-free” shout out! TRU EARTH detergent packs ultra-concentrated, hypoallergenic, eco-friendly cleaning power into a tiny, pre-measured strip that you just toss in the wash.
Tru Earth’s dramatically smaller eco-footprint than liquid and powder detergents—its lightweight reduces transportation fuel consumption and global-warming carbon emissions by 94% compared to today’s leading-brand liquid and powder detergent. With so much less to truck around and no plastic jug, Tru Earth helps you lighten your load on the environment. According to TRU EARTH’S website, if everyone switched to these laundry strips, the annual eco-savings would be enormous:
- Eliminate one billion plastic jugs (you read that right!), saving 700 million from going to landfills
- Save truck fuel and CO2 equivalent to taking 27 million cars off the road for a day, or planting nine million trees.
Really, you’ve got to check this out!