Happy end of the year! It’s time for my annual wrap up of my absolutely favorite swaps from this year. Some swaps are oldies but goodies and some are entirely new to me and maybe to you, too! Don’t forget to share your favorite low waste swaps below to share with the rest of us.

Stio Puffy

I have been LIVING in my puffy jacket from Stio since last fall, but truly I have loved and worn this all year long. It was key in our extra-long winter after moving to Minnesota. It’s been keeping me warm in our chilly new NorCal climate, too. It’s warm, it’s durable, and, yes, it’s eco, too! The exterior is made of 100% recycled Nylon. I love supporting the recycling industry and it’s even better when the product is high-quality and long-lasting. It’s truly such a good coat that I convinced Dan to get one since he doesn’t have a winter coat and he agrees: warm, durable, and you get what you pay for. Shop all of their eco-outdoor gear here!

Libby App

My favorite app: Libby. I love audiobooks and I love libraries. The Libby app connects to your library card(s) and allows you to borrow e-books, audiobooks, and other media totally for free right to your phone. It’s so easy! It has kept me entertained and educated all year long and allowed me to read over 120 books this year and save over $1800 in the process thanks to borrowing. I plan on making a full post about why libraries are simply the best soon in the new year. If you have yet to try an app that connects to your library, let it be Libby! Get to reading and listening for free! Download the free app here.

Wrappily sugarcane wrapping paper

I know, the holidays have come and gone, but Wrappily is around all year long for all occasions! I have loved and used them for years, but this year they launched a new sugarcane-paper wrapping paper! This wrapping paper takes industrial agricultural waste from the sugaring process and rescues that discarded material to be turned into paper products. It’s extremely eco, cute, and high-quality. Of course, use what you have first, but when you’re in the market for new wrapping paper, let it be one that is made from food waste! Get your own cute paper here.

Oak & Willow

Oak & Willow is a brand I discovered on TikTok a few years ago and have been dying to try them ever since. Well, this year, they had an unhappy customer during pride so in spite of them, they put all their pride stuff on sale. Of course, I took this as my chance to support an LGBTQ+ business and spite this Karen to try this brand I had already been eyeing for years. And let me say, it’s all I hoped it was and more! It’s such high quality, smells so good, and is extremely eco-friendly. Plus, they’re Canadian and I know my Canadian friends are always looking for more businesses local to them!

I tried their sugar scrub, loofa, and body soap. All were such high quality and I love their scent choices. Very strong but not overly fake and potent. As someone with chronic migraines, I am very sensitive to smells and these were very lovely! Give them a try here!

The Rebrand

Another brand I have had my eye on for YEARS is The Rebrand skincare. Aubri is a cosmetic chemist and has formulated everything herself. Her blends are eco-friendly and just what we need for our skin. I also love her refill program. You order large aluminum bottles to refill your smaller glass ones at home which also prevents your pumps from ending up in the landfill. This isn’t a perfect refill model, no, but for a one-woman team, I sure am impressed! It is also available in many refill stores across the country, so keep your eye out the next time you visit your local refill store!

And, yes, they work! I ran out of all of my skincare the last few weeks in the RV so I took advantage of their Black Friday sale to get a set of their mini samplers. I am extremely impressed with the quality and I am excited to keep trying them! Shop all of their items here.

Caraway

Another swap we made as soon as we moved into the apartment is new pots and pans. Our old ones were beat up, coated in Teflon, and RV-sized (aka, small). We wanted an upgrade so we gave the idea to our parents and we got a set as a housewarming gift from Caraway! So far, we are extremely impressed. Their packaging was mindful to protect the pots and pans totally plastic-free. They are truly non-stick and so easy to clean while also being non-toxic. In fact, they stick far less than our old teflon pans! We are excited to keep cooking and baking with these, but so far we have made: sourdough, balsamic glaze, tomato soup, pot pie, stewed apples, pasta, and so much more in them with total success. I cannot recommend these pans enough!

Now, they do require special care. If you’d like to see a full post on how to take care of your non-toxic pans to help them last as long as possible, let me know! But for now, shop Caraway here.

Meliora

This year truly is just full of brands that have been on my radar for YEARS but I didn’t try until 2024. Meliora is another one! This brand has gotten consistent shoutouts from my creator friends. I just didn’t have the need for more laundry detergent until this year. I did a full head-to-head review of several brands this year and Meliora came out on top. Not only did it smell and work the best but it also was easily the most eco-friendly and tied for the cheapest per load! You can’t check any more boxes than that.

It lasts to long, works so well, and they also sell other cleaning products I am dying to try. Give it a shot yourself here!

Pill shaver

Moving into a few zero waste habits, I have gotten into the habit of taking care of my crochet and knit items whether I got them new, secondhand, or made them myself. Do you get sick of the pilling that happens on crochet/knit items? Me, too! If so, you’ve gotta try a pill shaver. Yes, this is a piece of tech, so it’s not perfect, but if it helps me take care of dozens of my items every year and prevent them from the landfill and me having to buy something new…I think it’s a good investment money-wise and environmentally!

There are many different styles out there from plug-in to battery-operated and many different shapes and styles. Pick what works best for you, but this is the one that I use.

Farmers’ market

Another habit I have been LOVING this year is the farmers market. Farmers’ markets in California are truly superior. We had a few in Vegas but they were so far and during weird times. This one I can walk or bike to and it takes place on Saturdays. Not to mention, I can get just about anything here when it’s in season from fruits and veggies to honey, baked goods, teas, and even artisan items like pottery. I love supporting local farmers, shopping small, and eating fresh produce. It’s not the cheapest, but I don’t expect it to be.

I like to imagine that all of my work implementing other zero waste swaps that save me money allow me to splurge a little on farm-fresh food once a week. It has been so fun to also eat seasonally and try new foods.

Darn Tough

I’m sure I’ve included them in the past but I have to include them again for two reasons:

I have been wearing the same 6 pair or so for the last 3.5 years…DAILY! They are extremely durable and also warm and breathable. They are truly the best sock for hiking, backpacking, daily use at home, and even exercising.
Their lifetime warranty is amazing! I got my first hole in one of the pair this year but it was so small. I didn’t want to trash the whole sock just to claim the warranty. And good news, I didn’t! They allow you to mend your own socks at home and it does not null the warranty. So, should my sock get another hole or should this hole re-open, I can still send it in to not only claim a free pair on them but also to be recycled! They use socks with holes in them to study to improve quality and also recycle the fibers to be used again. Learn more in this video.

I love this brand and I love their products. I cannot hype these socks up enough, especially as a chronically cold girlie. Shop here!

Bug bite relief

Scratch that (haha pun not intended but that was funny)…my favorite zero waste swap is when the mosquitos die lol. This was the summer of mosquitos. If you’ve never weathered a summer in the far north, don’t! It was truly miserable. My ankles got scarred so dark, I was constantly itchy for 3 months, and it made wanting to go outside to hang out, exercise, or partake in hobbies out of the question.

But, what got me through it was bug bite relief. Yes, the bug repellant helped, to an extent, but the mosquitos in Northern Minnesota are just so ruthless they didn’t care if you wore 100% deet and long sleeves. They will find a way to get you (but, Meow Meow Tweet was my favorite). Though, you can still check out the eco-friendly bug-repellant review video here. Honestly, the best one was a mixture of baking soda and water. It was cheapest, easiest, and provided instantly relief but it was so gross. The best, not gross one was from Kinfield but you can check out the full reviews of all of the brands here.

Walking

I’ve always loved walking but it has become a favorite zero waste activity of mine. We basically only walked while living in Voyageurs National Park this summer but only IN the park. Since moving to California, we’ve been able to also walk in town! I can now walk to get groceries, thrift, go to the library, the bookstore, and even when I start school in January. I love that this “mode of transportation” is eco-friendly, gets me outside, and is a form of exercise. Plus, it’s so fun to see new plants, explore new streets, and find hidden treasures like Little Free Libraries.

Sustain Yourself lip balm

While this is not my favorite lip balm of all time the Sustain Yourself lip balm is my favorite zero waste lip balm. It comes in cardboard which is fully recyclable or compostable (compost preferred due to the oils). Their flavors are also lovely and it’s extremely hydrating. I love a lip balm that I only need to apply a few times a day instead of every hour or less. They sent this to me as a gift when I was reviewing their deodorant for this video and I have not stopped raving about it since! It sits on my desk and I’m already dreaming of the next flavor I will try when this one runs out.

And many more! A few zero waste swaps I have used and loved every day for several years are:

Modibodi period underwear
Period Co period underwear
Dame organic tampons
Saalt period underwear and menstrual disc
My reusable water bottle (mine is was a Stanley I got as a Christmas gift)
Loop reusable ear plugs
Any old bar soap I use for my body in the shower
Foaming handsoap refills from Blueland
Composting
Thrifting
and more!

You get the idea. There are a lot of eco swaps and habits that I use and love every day (perhaps that can be a post in and of itself) but for now, these are my favorites from 2024. Follow along to see what gets added to this list at the end of 2025!

What were your favorite eco-friendly swaps from this year? Let us know below!

Thank you so much for reading along. I appreciate your time. Happy holidays! As always remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :)

Emma

My Favorite Zero Waste Swaps from 2024