How many of you feel like you’re constantly throwing away plastic wrap and sandwich bags? ( *raise of hand ✋*) It’s honestly so annoying and have you ever thought how much waste it makes?

How much change will one person really make by cutting down on their plastic use though? According to the EPA, one person produces 4.40 pounds of waste per day. So about 1,606 pounds of waste per year comes from just one person. And for plastic, the average person throws away about 185 pounds of plastic per year. Enough plastic is thrown away each year to circle the earth four times. Plus, it takes 500-1,000 years for plastic to degrade.

Feeling kinda bad? I know, it’s discouraging and seemingly hopeless. But, although ignorance is bliss, knowledge is power. So, once we know something, we can decide whether we’ll use this information to change, or choose to ignore it.

You can’t make everything perfect overnight, but imagine the 1,606 pounds of waste and 185 pounds of plastic that you could be preventing every year! I certainly have not perfected being 100% sustainable and waste free, but I have improved my waste production! Plus, using reusable products also saves you a lot of money in the long run because most of the time it’s a one time buy.

So, let’s not be discouraged, but empowered, and make some changes for the better of the world, and for you! Below are my favorite tried and true eco-friendly and waste free options for your kitchen and more!

1. Reusable sandwich bags

These stasher bags are my favorite! We have cut down sooo much on our plastic bag waste by using these. Although they’re definitely more costly than a plastic bag, these are reusable. So you won’t need to buy them over and over again. Plus, these are so handy for sturdy snack bags and they’re super simple to clean. I’ll just rinse ( or put in the dishwasher if really dirty), then put a napkin inside of it to wick up moisture, and toss in the drawer.

2. Beeswax wraps

These wraps are simply organic cotton fabric covered with beeswax and jojoba oil. They’re natural, safe, and so handy for wrapping food, bowls, and anything that you would use plastic wrap for. For cleaning, simply just rinse off and hang over a rack to dry, or scrub a little for dirtier ones. We went for a couple months without plastic bags or plastic wraps just using these and the stasher bags and it was actually nice!

3. Reusable grocery bags

It’s so hard for my family to remember to bring our reusable bags with us into the grocery store, but they’re super important waste reducers! You honestly don’t need fancy ones like in the picture above, just some fabric or tote bags that you have on hand. Keep them in your car trunk, and bring them with you while shopping! There are some adorable ones on Etsy!

4. Stainless Steel Straws

Stainless steel straws are sooo helpful to have on hand. I use them for all my drinks and smoothies and it’s so simple to just rinse out and place in the utensil part of the dishwasher. There are also some really cute ones too!

5. Stainless steel and glass waterbottles

Water bottles are so fun and popular right now (have you seen all the sticker covered hydroflasks??) My favorite water bottle is a Swell one because they have such cute designs and durability. I use mine even when I’m at home! Having cute water bottles also helps you to drink more water! Make sure to only get stainless steel or glass when looking for one, because plastic leaches toxins and chemicals into water.

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I hope that you enjoyed these 5 eco-friendly options for making your life a little more healthy and waste free! What reusable items do you use?

Make sure to pin this handy little graphic !

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