Everywhere you look, there are calls to minimize pollution, but in those same places, you will see advertisements for single use plastic, large consumer stores, and products to buy in bulk. Now, buying in bulk isn’t a bad thing; what those bulk items are packaged in is.

The world is slowly filling with trash. We can yell all we want about pollution, but until we take a look at the items we are buying, change will be a long and hard process.

So, I’ve decided to start with me.

I look around my house, and all I see is single use plastic. From cleaning supplies to toothpaste and toothbrushes, even fruit and veggies in the fridge are packaged with plastic, and it all ends up in the trash once its contents are gone. SO MUCH TRASH! I know recycling helps, but I’ve seen the sanitation workers dump my recycling into the trash truck. I was mortified!

After that day of seeing all my sorting efforts go to waste, I decided just recycling wasn’t enough. I had to do better! If my waste wasn’t going to be handled properly, then I needed to find a way to use less of it. I’m only one consumer, but if enough of us make the change, maybe there will be less and less waste!

I went on a zero waste hunt. There are self-help books that explain how to become zero-waste. There are companies out there that focus on this mission of providing customers with zero waste products. I had dug myself a virtual rabbit hole of resources to ensure I could become less wasteful!

With the abundance of information, I took a step back and focused on a few items I knew I could change without any heartburn.

Cleaning Supplies

Toothpaste

Shower supplies like shampoo, body wash, and deodorant

With a clearer focus, I found several companies to try out: Blueland for cleaning supplies, Bite for toothpaste, and Ethique for shower supplies. These companies each promise to deliver their products in minimal to zero waste packaging as well as with an additional benefit of being a more natural, healthier product. For each of these, I plan to give full reviews, so check back in a few weeks!