Zero Waste Swaps I Made in 2020 and My 2021 Goals

One of my on-going life goals is to become more eco-friendly. I believe that sustainability in day-to-day life doesn’t have to be all or nothing. We should work over time to be better and better at reducing our waste. People tend to get discouraged about the zero waste movement because it seems so unattainable. I’m here to tell you that being eco-friendly is not about perfection! It’s about doing what you can and making a conscious choice to make environmental sustainability a priority in your life.

Transitioning to Zero Waste Products

Every year I make goals for what I’d like to do to become more environmentally sustainable. Don’t get me wrong, I am no where near zero waste, at least not yet. I’m trying to be better in my day-to-day life, and I think that’s the mindset we all should have – a mindset of growth!

In this post I’ll be sharing what I accomplished in 2020, what I wanted to do that didn’t work out, and what my sustainability goals are for 2021! Keep in mind that this list is not all the things I do to reduce my impact on the planet, just the things I implemented this year.

How I Reduced My Waste in 2020

Switched to Zero-Waste Shampoo and Conditioner

This year I switched to solid shampoo and conditioner bars. No more plastic shampoo bottles! I’ve been using Lush shampoo and conditioner bars for just over 2 months now and I am in love! My hair feels clean and healthy. Shampoo and conditioner bars can appear more expensive than conventional options, but they can actually save you money! The bars I purchased from Lush where $12.95 each, but they are supposed to last up to 80 washes! After 2 months, my bars still look about the same size as when I first got them. I can tell they are going to last me a lot longer than a bottle of liquid alternatives.

Transitioned to Zero Waste Period Products

This was a big one for me! I was so particular about my feminine products that I told myself I would never switch to reusable products unless they were just as comfortable or better than my disposables. I thought it would be an impossible task and didn’t want to waste money on things I’d never use. One day I saw how quickly the garbage filled up in my bathroom and I couldn’t live with it anymore. It wasn’t an easy journey, but I’m happy to say that I’ve found the perfect zero waste period products for myself! There are so many options out there, but what ended up working for me were cloth liners by Hannah and the Diva Cup. I’m very passionate about this switch so I will be doing a full post about my journey in the future!

Replaced Disposable Dryer Sheets with Wool Dryer Balls

I’ve started using wool dryer balls for my laundry instead of dryer sheets. Wool dryer balls help reduced drying time and reduce static in your clothing. I have a lot of allergies and am very sensitive to perfumes, so having something sent-free that has the benefits of dryer sheets was a win on it’s own.

Sought Out Sustainable Clothing Brands

If you’ve read any of my other sustainability posts, you’d know that I buy almost all my clothes from thrift stores. Until this year, I had been buying the things I couldn’t get at thrift stores, like socks and underwear, form whatever store was most convenient. This year, when it came time to replace my worn-out socks, I decided to seek out a sustainable brand. I bought my socks from Organic Basics. They are made from sustainably sourced organic cotton and all the shipping emissions are offset to be carbon neutral.

If you want to learn more about the benefits of thrifting, check out my post Why I Thrift (Almost) All My Clothes!

Switched to Zero Waste Swabs

I have stopped buying cotton swabs. I use The Last Swab by Last Object. They have a regular swab and a make-up swab, as well as reusable makeup pads and cute reusable tissue packs! If you’re interested, you can use my coupon code MYLIFETHRIVING for 10% off!

Bonus:

Something I didn’t expect this year was having to relearn to bring my reusable bags to the store with me! I don’t know what the experience was in other areas, but where I live there was a period of time with Covid-19 that most stores were not allowing reusable bags for sanitary purposes. Now they seem to be allowed everywhere again, but it took a while for me to get back on track again with actually remembering to bring them.

If you’re looking for some holiday sustainability tips, check out my post Eight Tips for a More Sustainable Christmas!

What Didn’t Work Out in 2020

One of the biggest culprits for unnecessary waste in my house is packaging from snack foods. I can’t live without my snacks, so that means looking for more sustainable snack options. One of my big goals for 2020 was to start bringing my own containers to the bulk store to purchase a significant amount of my snack foods. Unfortunately, because of Covid-19, they are not currently allowing people to bring their own containers. That means to buy bulk you need to use little plastic bags for everything. Hopefully at some point in 2021 it will be safe enough to use containers again and I can start working towards this goal. For the time being, safety will of course be my number one priority.

Plans for 2021

My plans for reducing my waste in 2021 focus around finding sustainable alternatives to disposable products I already use. When buying sustainable products, I follow the philosophy of using up what I have first before I buy a zero waste swap. My goal for 2021 is to seek out sustainable replacements for what I currently use and keep a list of my favorite options. That way, when my current products run out, I can replace them with the sustainable options right away. Doing this will prevent me from rebuying unsustainable products out of convenience.

One zero waste swap that I already have planned is to replace my plastic jug of laundry detergent with TruEarth’s plastic-free laundry strips when it runs out.

Let’s Keep the Conversation Going!

What are your favourite zero waste products? Let me know what sustainable products have made a difference in your life. Share your tips in the comments below!