This Earth Day I’m reflecting on steps we’ve taken as a family to be more sustainable, free of toxins and eco-friendly. While I don’t think we have to dedicate our lives to this mission, small changes can add up both for the environment and also for our health.
Now that we have two young boys to care for, there are a few reasons to explore these options. For starters, products with less harmful ingredients is an obvious one. Most of these swaps are also money-saving because they can be reused. And finally, by reusing items, we’re reducing waste that ends up in landfills.
Here are some of the changes we’ve made in the last year (or more) to meet these goals.
Cloth Diapers
It’s no secret that I love cloth diapering. What initially drew me to this was the enormous amount of waste in disposable diapers. Newborns go through 20 diapers a day! And each diaper takes 500+ years to decompose. Every disposable ever used is still out there, mostly intact. This huge waste is the biggest reason I cloth but I’ve learned other benefits too like less harmful ingredients vs the disposable ones and also a big money-saver!
No, I don’t cloth 100% of the time. There are times that I still use disposables but every cloth diaper change is 1 less in the landfill and that’s good enough for me!
No Pouches Around Here!
Not only are they extremely wasteful but they can also be expensive! Elliott can suck down an applesauce pouch in 20 seconds flat. I love this reusable container, by Subo, that can be filled with anything AND he can’t squirt it all over the place. I fill it with yogurt every morning and applesauce for snacks.
I was buying 4 pouches of organic yogurt for $7+ every week and knew there had to be a better way. The Subo “pouch” is perfect. I can buy the larger ounce container of yogurt or applesauce and fill it myself. This is also great for smoothies. And another benefit is that he can’t make a mess with these messy foods!
Unpaper towels/cloth wipes
What a great swap! Kids are messy and constantly using paper towels can be wasteful and cost money every few weeks. Using cloth wipes or towels are must softer on their skin, easy to clean in the wash and can be reused time and time again. These are a must at meal time for us. I also use them for cleaning the countertops, high chair, messes on the floor, literally anything in the kitchen!
Produce Bags
Most everyone is using reusable shopping bags by now. But there are smaller produce bags that are just as easy to use! These from Ecoposh are perfect for all produce at the grocery store. I leave them in the car with my grocery bags and it’s such an easy swap from those wasteful plastic bags.
Silicone reusable bags
More reusable bags but ones to replace the standard Ziploc plastic bags. These from Grove Collaborative are great for storing food in the fridge or taking a sandwich to work.
laundry sheets
Now this is a big one! Those huge plastic jugs that hold (mostly water) liquid detergent hardly ever get truly recycled. And you’re paying for a lot of water - and not only in the production of that plastic jug. These simple detergent sheets by Beyond can’t make laundry any easier. No measuring, no mess. Just toss in and go. How easy is that?
stainless steel water bottles
Not only are plastic water bottles wasteful, single use products like this can also be costly. Reusable water bottles are an easy solution. I love my Hydro Flask bottle and also used a S’well bottle for many years. There are no BPA or leeching toxins coming from plastic. It’s also very easy to clean and keep sanitary.
Glass containers
Bye bye plastic to-go containers. Reheating plastic containers with leftovers can be toxic. The glass alternative is much safer for everyone’s health. They are also a lot more durable and spaghetti doesn’t leave those nasty stains!
period underwear / cloth pads
Mama cloth as they call in the cloth diaper world. I ditched the toxic and disposable tampons after my 2nd son was born. I use a mix of period underwear from Thinx and Knix and cloth pads. I made the change during postpartum because I knew how wasteful it was going to be and I didn’t want plastic or toxins inside my body. These are used the same way disposable ones would be used. I do a rinse cycle for these by themselves then wash regularly with clothes. Not having the fear of running out of tampons is a great feeling.
ditch non-stick
Non-stick pans are commonly used in homes because they are very easy to use and also cheaper. However, PFAS, a “forever chemical”, is previlent in most non-stick pans. This forever chemical can cause liver damage, certain types of cancers, thyroid disease, infertility, high cholesterol, obesity and several other health conditions.
We recently swapped out all of our non-stick pans for stainless steel, carbon steel and cast iron pans. I was a bit scared to make the switch because how hard will it be to fry an egg?! After researching how to properly season these pans and how to properly cook an egg in stainless steel, we’ve never looked back. We absolutely love these carbon steel pans from de Buyer.
what i’m changing this year
composting
We’re lucky enough to live in an area that has a composting service by Compost Crew. They pick up the compost bucket every week directly from your home. It doesn’t get much easier than that so why not try it?
reduce plastic toys
While I try to use wooden/montessori style toys, my boy loves some trucks and sadly, most of those are made from plastic. I do like the company Green Toys which is made from recycled plastic and can be recycled again. Most toys now found on Amazon are not this way though. Not only are the bright colors, loud noises, buttons inhibit the child’s development, they are most likely not recyclable either.
bees wax wrap
I plan to swap aluminum foil and plastic wrap for the eco-friendly bees wax food wrap. This is reusable and also plastic free.
Reverse osmosis water filtration
We’re about to undergo a large kitchen renovation and are putting in an RO system This type of filtration is supreme, alleviating the need for any single use filtered water.
remove synthetic fragrance
Most synthetic fragrances are harmful to inhale because they are made with chemicals. Research shows that some of the chemicals used in synthetic fragrance can negatively impact your nervous system, hormones and cortisol, leading to (or exacerbating) feelings of anxiety, heart palpitations, and even depression. We’ll see if eliminating candles, air fresheners, scented detergents and soaps will have a positive impact on our health.