Waste
Circular Economy / Reuse

Items-for-reuse-infographic by Alexandra Case

Burgess COMMENTARY

Peter Burgess

Alexandra Case March 4 · Edited ·

YOU can make a difference! Don't be the average American that creates 4.4 POUNDS OF TRASH EVERY DAY. Do you want to be responsible for air pollution caused by producing plastic? Do you want to be responsible for plastic contaminating our oceans and killing sea life? Little by little you can make sure that your life doesn't have a harmful impact on our planet or the animals (humans included!!) in it.

I made this infographic for my Advertising class and wanted to share because sustainability is a passion of mine! There are so many easy ways to fight throwaway culture and reduce the amount of plastic you contribute to landfills! Here is a link to my favorite zero waste shop where you can buy these alternatives (and more!): packagefreeshop.com
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https://www.goingzerowaste.com/blog/the-ultimate-list-of-zero-waste-swaps

I've worked on compiling a huge list of zero waste swaps in alphabetical order! I'm sure I've left a few out so make sure to let me know in the comments so I can update the list!

As always before purchasing any of these items, check out the second hand market, unless of course it's a toothbrush.

There's also several businesses you might have around town that sell items like these. Take a look as you're more likely to have control over the packaging. If shipping these items in is your only option, than get my tips for zero waste shipping.

A lot of the items linked will be affiliate links. If you choose to purchase one of these items I will make a slight commission for referring you.

aluminum foil: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Aluminum foil is a super easy swap! I have one of these silicone baking mats it works a charm when I need a little more than just greasing the pan. They can also be put in the freezer if you're into doing chocolate work. BMW A Message From BMW THE SMARTEST WAY TO BUY AN INTELLIGENT VEHICLE. With a Certified Pre-Owned BMW, both innovative technology and impressive savings come standard. Click here for details. See More Report this ad binning organics: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Organics can't decompose in a landfill because they aren't properly aerated. 20% of all methane emissions are from landfills. One of the best things you can do for the environment is compost your food scraps. I have a bin where you throw every thing into and walkaway. For more information on composting check out my guide for backyard composting and apartment composting. cupcake liners: The ultimate list of #zerowaste swaps from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad Paper cupcake liners are compostable, but reuse comes before rot! I have these silicone liners and I really like them. I use them for cupcakes and muffins (obviously), but I also like to use them to seperate things in a mason jar. Like a salad on bottom and toppings on top! body wash: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Swap out body wash for bar of soap. Often they come wrapped in paper or package free! I have a couple of bars from Reverie Farms that I'm really enjoying. brown bag: Report this ad The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Instead of brown bagging it look into swapping out for a metal tiffin. Not only is it great for lunch, but you can also use it to carryout leftovers from a restaurant. cleaning products: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad Swap out cleaners that have questionable toxic ingredients. Check out my list of zero waste cleaning recipes. coffee cups: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com 500 billion disposable cups are produced every year. Most of them can't be recycled because they're lined with plastic. If you're sitting in the shop, get a mug to stay. If you're getting a to-go cup bring your own! I use a mason jar if I'm getting something cold to drink. But, for hot drinks use a keep cup. cotton earbuds: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad Plastic ear buds have been washed up on the beach and found in the ocean. There was a photo that recently went viral of a sea horse carrying around a cotton bud. Even Johnson and Johnson is looking to phase out plastic from their product. Look for compostable buds or try a reusable stainless steel pick just be careful because you could injure yourself. diapers: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com 18 billion disposable diapers are thrown into the landfill each year! Instead of using disposables try cloth diapering. Report this ad dryer sheets: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Dryer sheets aren't super vital for laundy. I don't have any dryer balls, but I've heard that they help by separating your laundry to get more air in drying it faster. floss: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad Did you know most floss is coated with PFC the same stuff they use to coat teflon pans? Gross. Read more about zero waste floss options with this blog post. food packaging: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Ditch food packaging buy buying from bulk bins. Check out my ultimate guide to zero waste grocery shopping and also get my guide for buying food with less packaging even if you don't have a bulk store near by. k-cup: Report this ad The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com K-cups are super hard to recycle. Instead switch to a reusable k-cup or try making your coffee with a french press. It's super simple and you don't need a filter. lip balm: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Liberty Mutual Insurance A Message From Liberty Mutual Insurance You Could Save $782 Switch to Liberty Mutual and you could save $782 on car and home insurance. Get a quote. See More Report this ad Lip balm is one of the easiest DIYs! It was the first one I made when I foraged into the DIY realm. Check out both of my recipes here and here. loofa: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Instead of using a plastic loofa look for a natural bath brush. makeup: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad There are a lot of companies that are coming out with zero waste makeup. Some do refillable make up like Elate and Kjaer Weis. Also, RMS offers recyclable packaging glass and steel. I'll have a full blog post on this coming out later. menstrual products: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com These products have been some of my favorite zero waste swaps. Read the posts on menstrual cups and cloth pads. paper napkins: Report this ad The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Instead of paper napkins swap out for cloth napkins! The hardest part of this switch was remembering to wash the dirty ones because I didn't want to store them in the laundry hamper. Once they got dirty I started throwing them in the base of the washing machine. Whenever I did the next load of laundry the napkins would automatically be included. paper plates and plastic cutlery: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad Instead of paper plates and plastic cutlery use real plates and real flatware. paper towels: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Get my six tips for ditching paper towels. I throw these in the base of my washer too. The biggest complaint I hear is that they push water around instead of absorbing it. I've had the best luck with these cotton towels that have a larger weave. pens: The ultimate list of #zerowaste swaps from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad I thought a fountain pen would be awful for a leftie, but really it's the best writing utensil I've ever used! I can't believe it took me so long to try one. This is one of my favorite zero waste swaps! plastic baggies: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Switching out plastic baggies is super easy there are so many options like (your text goes here)the bags pictured above, silicone stasher bag,a or even a beeswax wrap. plastic bags: Report this ad The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Bag podz are my favorite reusable bag! I use these all the time, I love the handy little pod they come in. It's like an endless supply of bags that fit in that tiny pod. I never fear of running out in the check out line the grocery store. plastic produce bags: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad Don't just stop a plastic grocery bags, swap out those plastic produce bags too. These organic cotton ones are my favorite! I use them at the farmers market all the time. plastic water bottles: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Carrying a reusable water bottle is one of the easiest habits to get in. I alway tell people to add it to their mantra before they leave the house, phone, wallet, water, keys. plastic wrap: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad If you like plastic wrap, beeswax wraps will be the perfect swap for you. They easily cover bowls or wrap up sandwhiches all with the heat of your hands. razor: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Switching to a safety razor is a little different than using a disposable razor, but once you switch you'll get a superior shave. Plus, you'll save so much money! shampoo: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Instead of using liquid shampoo in a plastic bottle, try switching to a shampoo bar or using shampoo that comes in an aluminum bottle. I use Plaine Products that come in aluminum bottles that can be refilled. You can read more about them here. sponges: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Instead of using sponges, I use compostable dish scrubbies! You can read about all of the ones I use in this post here. straws: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com This is one of the easiest swaps! You don't even need a reusable straw, just ask for, 'No straw,' with your drink order! teflon plans: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Report this ad Non-stick pans are often coated with teflon. Teflon's not super great for your health, the fumes released when they come in contact with high heat can kill birds. Just skip it all together go for stainless steel or cast iron. tissues: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Switching from paper tissues to cloth hankies is one of my favorite zero waste swaps. You don't have to worry about your nose chaffing! toilet paper: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Look for toilet paper with recycled content. Instead of getting toilet paper wrapped in plastic look for rolls wrapped in paper. If you do get plastic wrapped toilet paper make sure to recycle it at the front of the grocery store with other thin plastics. You can read a whole post about TP here. toothbrush: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com This is another super simple zero waste swap! I filmed a short film about the life of a toothbrush. You can check it out here. It's super cute! water filter: The Ultimate List of #ZeroWaste Swaps a to z from www.goingzerowaste.com Last but not least swap out a plastic filter for a charcoal stick. I love my charcoal stick, I wrote a whole post about how they work. I know I left some of zero waste swaps out so let me know what you'd add to the list! Why You Should Recycle Less Mar 15, 2018 What is Zero Waste? What is the Circular Economy? Mar 8, 2018 5 Tips for Finding Quality Clothing Mar 1, 2018 How to Make the BEST