The TOP Zero Waste Swaps from Beginner to Advanced
This is the ULTIMATE zero waste swap guide from beginner to intermediate to advanced low waste swaps. For the sake of brevity, this is my top 12 swaps in each category, but I already know I need to make a second part to this series as there are so many great swaps out there (some hints are below).
Let us know your favorite eco swaps from beginner to
advanced and let’s just dive right in!
Beginner swaps/habits
Reusable water bottle
A CLASSIC zero waste swap. This was my first zero waste swap, technically before I lived zero waste, just because it saves so much money. You don’t even need a fancy filter, though you can get some reusable ones, too. Tap water is generally very safe. Imagine if you cut out 2 plastic bottles per day. That’s 730 bottles per year PER PERSON! This simple swap can save you some serious cash and reduce a vast amount of waste.
My favorite is from Klean Kanteen, shop here!
Reusable grocery bags and Produce Bags
As we get further and further into the fight against waste, this swap CAN save you money. More and more stores, states, and countries are implementing bag taxes and some stores even give you a discount for bringing your own bag, as our local Sprouts did in Las Vegas.
There are also so many options depending on your needs:
Thrift some
Lotus Trolley Bags that fit right in your cart and include a freezer bag
Baggu bags are made from recycled materials and pack down nice and small to keep in your purse, car, or bag
Or, you can just simply go bagless without buying anything new. Use laundry baskets, reused boxes, or just load them back into your cart and chuck them in your car.
Reusable produce bags you can also just simply omit, you don’t NEED produce bags. We haven’t used them in literal years and probably won’t go back to them. However, if you do want a swap to keep your produce cleaner and more organized, try finding some second-hand, making some yourself out of scrap materials, or buying some cotton or hemp bags over plastic ones to really reduce your impact. The thinner the material the better since this may add weight to your produce.
Reusable coffee cup
Another swap that can technically MAKE you money since plenty of local cafes (please support local, stop supporting terrible companies like Starbucks) offer discounts for using your own cup. I’ve seen some cafes offer up to a whole $1 off!
But, of course, we’re here for the waste-saving, too. If you’re an avid coffee or tea drinker, this can reduce a lot of non-recyclable waste. That’s right, “paper” coffee cups are not recyclable. They’re lined in plastic and are actually carton board which is very hard to recycle and not widely accepted for recycling. So, the less we use, the better!
Klean Kanteen carries some and I like that they are reusable and also non-breakable!
Silicone baking mat
Easily the swap that saves me the most time and, of course, waste. This saves me time by not having to line baking sheets and not having to scrape crusted-on baked gunk off my baking trays. They’re non-stick, reusable, and also help you save money by not having to buy as much oil and/or parchment paper. I love this swap so much and use it so frequently from oven-roasted veggies to baked goods and even freezing items!
Reusable cutlery, dishes, and cups
I know some people will say this is a no-brainer, but it is quite common (especially in the US) for folks to use disposable plates, bowls, cups, and cutlery. I understand if you NEED to due to a busy schedule, disability, illness, etc. But if you’re able-bodied and have just a few minutes to space (especially if you have a dishwasher) I highly encourage you to use reusables for serving meals. Even snacks. If not for the planet, do it to save money. I’m sure you already have dishes, but if not, thrift stores sell them for super cheap. Sure, packs of disposables aren’t that expensive one time, but the costs add up. Another benefit is your trash won’t fill up as quickly ;)
Recycled or bamboo toilet paper
It’s really easy to change our your toilet paper. It requires no change to your routine or habit change! The only difference is it might cost a little bit more. I did a full price breakdown in this video, so you can check it out here. I love how easy this swap is and how much waste it can save. Trees are super resource intensive to grow and cut down, all to wipe our butts? Let’s be more sustainable about stuff we’re just throwing away.
I prefer recycled as it’s very important to support the recycling industry when possible, but bamboo does require fewer resources to grow than trees. Who Gives a Crap sells both!
Bamboo toothbrush and eco toothpaste
Toothbrushes and traditional toothpaste are not recyclable, so everyone we use is still on the planet. While toothpaste tabs and other eco-toothpastes may be a bit of a learning curve and some time to get used to them, bamboo toothbrushes really aren’t that hard to get used to. In fact, I prefer bamboo at this point!
My favorite eco-toothpastes are Hello and Tom’s of Maine which are in 100% plastic. That doesn’t sound good, but most toothpaste is in plastic-aluminum packaging meaning it’s not recyclable at all but 100% plastic CAN be recycled. I also like them since they have fluoride in them, which is unfortunately hard to find in eco toothpastes.
Other toothpaste options are Hey Humans and David’s which come in aluminum and several brands of toothpaste tabs. This is the most talked about brand from others, they’re not my cup of tea due to texture so do what you will with that.
Also shoutout to my fav reusable floss pick from Quip (below)!
Refillable shampoo and conditioner or shampoo and conditioner bars
There are so many zero-waste shampoo and conditioner options depending on if you like a bar, liquid, or powder (yes, shampoo powder, not dry shampoo). Most of these options are concentrated meaning you don’t need to use as much and they last longer than their plastic-bottle counterparts. Here are my favorite options:
Plaine Products refillable shampoo and conditioner you just end back to them
The Coconut Crush shampoo bar
Modern Kind shampoo powder
Refillable deodorant or deodorant in cardboard
Deodorant is something we all use every day and their containers are usually not accepted for recycling making them quite unsustainable. But, we want to be stink-free. Here are my favorite options:
Wild deodorant refills in their reusable deodorant case (use code WILDSIMPLE)
Native deodorant in cardboard
Ditch the paper towels and use rags instead
This is easily one of the lowest-cost swaps on this list since you can use what you have! Sure, you can buy new rags, but why bother when you probably already have a drawer full or can make some cleaning rags out of old clothing like shirts? This low-cost swap can also save you tons of money by not having to buy paper towels to dry your hands, clean up spills, and clean the house.
Swap plastic sponges for bioplastic ones or a wooden dishbrush
Another common household item that is not recyclable at the end of its life is sponges. Instead, swap to a bioplastic sponge or a wooden dish brush both of which can be composted at the end of their lives, or at least isn’t pollutive to create or throw away. Plus, they just look nicer, more elegant, and chic, and most dish brushes come with brush replacements meaning you will save waste by not having to buy the entire brush over and over again.
Here is my favorite bioplastic sponge from TruEarth
And my favorite wooden dish brush from Earth Hero
Learn how to recycle correctly
Perhaps I should have made this #1. Now, recycling isn’t going to save the planet and it’s a broken system. But, why is it broken? Two reasons: it’s not incentivized by the government and we as customers recycle so badly. The better we recycle, the more we follow the rules, the better the system will become. Before you buy anything, learn how to recycle correctly for your region. Everywhere is different, so call your center for your local rules and learn more about general recycling in this YouTube Playlist.
Learn about MORE zero waste swaps for beginners in this post/this video
Try eco-friendly laundry detergent
There are SO many laundry detergents out there that reduce your waste on varying levels, it kind of depends on what you’re looking for! Do you want it to be fully recyclable? Mess free? Do you care if it contains PVA which doesn’t break down in our water? Do you want a powder or a liquid instead? Here are some options I recommend:
Kind Laundry sheets: my favorite laundry sheet though I don’t use them anymore due to their use of PVA. I am not comfortable risking it, but plenty of people are. Learn more about PVA here.
Dirty Labs liquid detergent that comes in aluminum and is 100% recyclable. I do wish they refilled them, though
Meliora laundry powder in fully recyclable and compostable packaging, they even sell in bulk and take back their buckets for reuse
Intermediate swaps/habits
Use reusable tissues
It might be bold to put this as the first one in this category since some folks find this one gross and weird, but it’s one of my favorite swaps that I wish I tried sooner! Now, when I’m really sick, I use regular tissues as I simply cannot keep up with that much laundry while I’m sick, but for everyday use, they’re amazing. I use them on my nose, of course, but also to take off makeup, wipe my face, clean my glasses, and clean my reusable floss pick (that’s a swap for another day, I couldn’t possibly fit every swap in this post).
Anyway, don’t knock it til you try it! I love this swap. My favorite brand is Boaty but these are super easy to make yourself out of an old t-shirt.
Reusable period swaps
Reusable period products are easily one of my favorite zero swaps ever. For me, my favorite is period underwear as well as menstrual discs. I’m sure you’re sick of hearing me say this, but this swap, of course, will save you money and save waste. According to the National Health Institute, on average, a person menstruates from 13 to 51 years, every 28 days, with a 3 to 7-day range meaning over 10,000 menstrual products in their lifetime. Think of how much money you can save as well as the vast amount of waste you can save by switching to reusable products.
Here are my favorite brands:
Modibodi period underwear
Period. Co period underwear
Saalt menstrual cup and disc
Learn a new way to cook with food waste
Preventing food waste is one of the best things that we can do as individuals for the planet. Things like composting, as well as learning how to use food waste in our everyday cooking can help us reduce food waste from going to the landfill. Some examples are using brown bananas to make banana bread or smoothies, using broccoli stems in stirfries, leaving the skin on potatoes, and turning old bread into croutons or bread crumbs. I encourage you to find a new way to cook with food waste as an intermediate zero waster. Learn more about why food waste is so bad in the landfill in this video.
Start composting
Speaking of food waste, composting is, again, one of the most important things that I think we can do as individuals when it comes to climate change. Sending food to the landfill creates a vast amount of methane. You can learn more about the environmental impact of food waste in this video. There are also so many different ways to compost from worm bins to a compost pile to a composter machine to compost pick up from your city. Find what works best for you, and you can learn more about the different ways to compost in this video.
Learn how to mend
Another skill that is very important to a zero-waste lifestyle is learning how to mend. This could be fixing small holes and rips and even sewing buttons back on garments. You don’t have to become a full-on seamstress, just learn the basics of sewing so that you can fix minor malfunctions in your clothing. My mom taught me as a child but I’m sure there’s plenty of good tutorials on YouTube!
Go vegan partially or fully
Speaking of really impactful individual actions, cutting out some meat, dairy, and eggs from your everyday diet can actually have a really big impact on the planet. Animal products are the most environmentally intense foods that we can consume so the fewer that we consume the better for the planet you can go fully vegan or vegetarian or just cut out a little bit here and there such as doing meatless Mondays or choosing one vegan meal per day who knows you might try a new food and learn to like new things.
Save water
It’s as simple as that! From small actions like shutting the water off when you brush your teeth to more “extreme” actions like shortening your shower. There are so many ways to conserve water which is important no matter where you live, drought area or not. This habit change can not only save a precious resource but also can save you money, so why not try it out? Learn more ways to conserve water in this video.
Save energy
The same applies to saving energy: it not only saves resources and prevents emissions, it also can save you money. You can turn the lights off when you leave a room, switch to LED lightbulbs, and even unplug devices that are not in use. Learn more about energy conservation in this video.
Learn how to avoid impulse purchases
Something very important about living zero waste that I don’t think people think about enough is to resist impulse purchases. Of course, once again, this can save you money but also waste. If you buy things that you don’t truly need or want, they will go to waste. Sure, you might donate them but thrift stores shouldn’t be the solution. Instead, we should try to avoid impulse purchases. My favorite way to do this is when I think of something that I want, I write it down and if I think about it over and over again that means I truly want it and will use it. But if I never think about it again, it was just an impulse so ask yourself next time do I actually want this? Will I actually use it and what will I do with it when I’m done with it?
Learn how to spot greenwashing and avoid it
While you’re at it, also learn about greenwashing, what it is, and how to avoid it. In short, greenwashing is companies trying to be more eco-friendly than they actually are and marketing themselves that way to get more sales. It’s sneaky and dirty. So, watch out for it! You can learn more about greenwashing in this video and download my free guide to spotting greenwashing here.
Change your coffee or tea routine
If you’re a coffee or tea drinker, change up your routine to reduce some waste. Traditionally, coffee and tea can be kind of wasteful even if you do make it at home in the form of tea bags, K cups, and coffee filters. A lot of the stuff surprisingly has plastic in it and cannot be recycled or composted. Instead use a reusable K-cup, a French press, a reusable coffee filter, looseleaf tea, and a reusable tea infuser. You can also do tea and a French press. And if you decide to get coffee out and about make sure that you bring a reusable cup.
Shop second hand
It would be AMAZING if you bought only used this year (of course, maybe not undergarments, but you do you, maybe you can find some new-in-package). But, even if you just buy a few things used this year instead of new, that can reduce a lot of waste. Thrifting is important so that fewer new things have to be mined and created using harmful practices and creating waste. You can learn more about the importance of thrifting in this video.
Advanced swaps/habits
Get a bidet
The first advanced swap is a good day and I wish this was a beginner swap. Of course, it is beginner-friendly but I think a lot of Americans are wary about using a bidet so I put it in the advanced category. Now, bidets aren’t perfect for waste elimination since you do still need to have paper to dry off but it can reduce a lot of toilet paper. Any amount of toilet paper that we can reduce is a great step in the right direction since creating toilet paper is actually quite harmful bringing it back to the beginner swaps if you can opt for recyclable or bamboo toilet paper (like from Who Gives a Crap), my favorite brand of bidet is from Whisper.
Use reusable toilet paper
Now, if you want to go totally toilet paper-free, you can with reusable toilet paper. I know, this one is definitely a swap not a lot of people will get on board with but if you’re using a bidet and cleaning properly, you really are just using the reusable toilet paper to dry off not actually wipe and it’s quite sanitary. Of course, you can also just wash it separately to really maintain sanitation within your clothing. The swap surely is not for everyone but if you’re feeling brave, I highly recommend you try it out to save money and save waste.
Start a garden
If you want to go big, try a garden. This reduces the amount of things that have to be grown in far-off places with pesticides and fertilizer and lots of water and then also shipped to you at your smuggle store. Instead, you can grow some items yourself to reduce water usage, fertilizer usage, emissions, and shipping. Plus, it’s just a great way to connect with the Earth and have some really tasty produce.
Get a rain barrel
That’s right, rain barrels are not illegal. Catching rain in the United States is not illegal. Some states do have restrictions. For example, when we lived in Las Vegas, we technically had to report water we caught to the government, but it is not illegal in any of the 50 states. This is a great way to utilize rainwater instead of tapwater to reduce the amount of water usage in your home and also cut down on your electricity bill. I know most people just use their rainwater to water their plants in the garden.
Give up your car for good or part of the time
Another advanced swap is to go car-free part of the time or all the time. This could look like carpooling, walking, riding your bike, catching public transportation, or perhaps even just reducing the amount of cars in your household. For example, Dan and I went from a two to a one-car household in 2023 and it’s not been so bad. If you can’t give up your car, but still consider yourself an advanced environmentalist, you can check out this video here for more ways to boycott big oil instead of giving up your car.
Eco-fy your lawn
Something else that we can do in our own lives is to make our lawns more eco-friendly. Having a traditional lawn is one of the worst things we do for biodiversity. Learn more about why they are just so wasteful in this video. So, if you can, make your lawn a biodiversity haven! I know what it’s like to live in an HOA and be a renter, so do what you can if this is your goal for the year. Here are a few ideas:
Stop mowing or keep the grass longer, don’t trim it so short. Longer grass will attract more bugs and animals and also help in flood prevention
If you live in the desert, consider replacing your waster-intensive grass with rocks and native plants
But also everyone should be planting native plants no matter where you live! This is great for soil health, flood control, and providing local food and shelter to wildlife
Set up a bird bath and clean it! Not cleaning your bird bath and lead to the spread of disease among birds
The same goes for bird feeders, clean them! Make sure you’re also filling it with seeds that are healthy for the birds and won’t grow invasive species
Plant pollinator-friendly plants to keep them fed and attract them. This is a huge bonus if you have a garden, more pollinators for your plants!
Also, give the pollinators watering stations. It can be hard for bees, butterflies, moths, and other bugs to drink out of deep bird baths, so give them something shallower to drink out of
Build a bat box to help local bat populations! Many scientists believe bats are keystone species and they are very important night pollinators and pest controllers
Leave the leaves in the fall! If you have too many, compost them. Don’t even mulch them if you can help it. Leaves offer nutrients for the grass and soil and also provide a habitat for hibernating critters and bugs
Switch your bank to one that does not invest in fossil fuels
That’s right, unfortunately, a lot of our banks do invest in fossil fuels. Why? It’s how they can make the most amount of money the fastest. That means that your hard-earned money is being invested in fossil fuels without your permission. So I encourage you to investigate your bank to see if they do or do not invest in fossil fuels and if they do, find one that’s not. If you’d like me to make a full video on this, let me know but I do know that Gittemary has made an excellent video about this already, watch here!
Switch to renewable energy if possible
Along those lines, switch your home to renewable energy if possible. I say if possible because I grew up in a very rural part of the United States, and we only had one option for electricity. But when we lived in Las Vegas, we did have the option to switch to renewable energy if we were homeowners (we were not, but that’s beside the point lol). We found though that while we were scoping it out in Las Vegas, it was the same price, if not cheaper. It was not very expensive. You don’t have to buy your own solar panels. You can simply just switch to a green grid.
Catch gray water in your home and reuse it
If you don’t think that you can have a rain barrel for one reason or another, perhaps you are not a homeowner, catch the gray water in your home and reuse that instead. What this looked like when we lived in Las Vegas was that I would catch all of our dishwater and then use it to water our outdoor landscaping since we did have to water our plants because we lived in an HOA. This could also look like catching the water that you used to heat up your shower and using that to flush your toilet, for example. I took a little bit more about reusing gray water in your home in my video about water conservation here.
Line-dry your clothes
One of my favorite zero-waste swaps of all time is line drying my clothes. I just found it so much fun to hang them up and I feel like they lasted a lot longer. When we had to switch back to using a washer and dryer living in an RV park, I found out my clothes were fading so much faster drying them on high heat. And using a laundromat it’s not always possible to change your heat settings. Anyway, I love this swap because it saves electricity which also means we’re saving money as well. And as I said, it can also help reduce wear and tear on your clothing. If you’re a homeowner or even a renter (we just put one up without asking) you might be able to raise one outside, but that may not always be the best-case scenario, you could also just get an indoor drying rack to use as well.
Learn how to make some foods yourself
I encourage you to learn how to cook a couple of things for yourself perhaps even everything for yourself. This might mean making your own chocolate chip cookies instead of buying “chips ahoy” because they come in plastic. This could also look like making yourself a meal every night instead of getting freezer dinners. Of course, I know everyone has different abilities, time, and budget, but I encourage you to try to make a few things for yourself to reduce waste, and also save some money.
Plan your meals and grocery list so you don’t overbuy and waste food
I’m no meal-prepper but I am a meal planner. I like to know exactly what I need at the grocery store to, surprise surprise, save money and waste. If I went to the grocery store without a plan, the chances of some of that food going to waste is much higher than buying exactly what I need for the week and exactly what I have a plan to use that week. And, food waste is literally throwing money away! Learn more about the importance of not wasting food in this video.
We made it! Thanks so much for reading along. I hope you learned something and are feeling inspired to try a new zero-waste swap or habit depending on where you are in your journey. Let us know below your favorite zero waste swap/habit for each category so I can make another similar post later!
As always, remember that your small actions make a big difference in the long run :))
Emma
