Choosing the zero-waste lifestyle can feel overwhelming at first.
How do you reduce your waste to the point where your home isn’t creating much, or any, of it?
The average person accumulates approximately 4.6 pounds of trash every single day, as Learner reports.
Reducing your waste might seem impossible, but it’s doable with zero waste products.
What should you look for when choosing zero waste products?
You can ensure products are genuinely zero waste by looking at the sustainable materials with which they’re made and how they can be recycled or upcycled.
This makes items last longer and get a second life at the end of their lifespan.
From toothbrushes to shampoo and eco-friendly dryer balls, let’s take a look at the best zero waste products on the market right now to make your life greener and guilt-free.
Our Reviews Of The Best Zero Waste Products
#1 Leafico Bamboo Toothbrush
Bamboo toothbrushes have been gaining popularity for a while, and rightly so.
They’re a great alternative to plastic because bamboo is completely biodegradable, so they create no waste.
The Leafico toothbrush is the best bamboo toothbrush as it has many extra benefits too, which makes it a must to own.
Made from bamboo instead of plastic, the Leafico toothbrush can be thrown into the compost heap when it needs to be replaced and it will decompose naturally, without being harmful to your compost.
Leafico toothbrushes are treated with heat so that the bamboo is carbonized.
This is what makes them such high quality. They’re also water-resistant so they won’t warp when exposed to water.
Pros
- It’s not just the handle of the toothbrush that’s made of sustainable materials – the bristles are BPA-free and also biodegradable and completely recyclable.
- The front of the toothbrush has a tapered design. This makes it easier to get to those hard-to-reach spots in the mouth.
- The bristles aren’t too hard, as the toothbrush has been designed for sensitive mouths. They’re also infused with charcoal, which is a natural cleaning ingredient that draws toxins out of the body. These have a natural whitening effect on the teeth, meaning that you don’t have to purchase teeth-cleaning products in addition to your toothbrush.
Cons
- The brushes are made with sensitive teeth in mind, but might be too soft for some people. In fact, this is one of the product complaints made by Amazon customers.
Extra features
The Leafico bamboo toothbrush set comes with a travel bamboo case.
The four toothbrushes in the set are identical but they’re marked “1” to “4,” so that you won’t have to worry about mixing up your toothbrush with your family members’ ones.
Cost
The bamboo toothbrush costs approximately $15.15 on Amazon.
Considering that you get four toothbrushes in a set and they create no waste at the end of their lifespan, this is worth it.
#2 Snapware Glass Food Storage Set
If you want to follow a zero-waste lifestyle, you’re going to need the right storage so that you have places in which to put all the things you don’t throw away.
This Snapware glass food storage set is the only set of containers you’ll ever need.
The set contains 24 pieces and they have different shapes and sizes to suit all your storage needs around the kitchen, which is definitely the room in the house that produces a lot of waste.
You get two four-cup square containers, two four-cup round containers, as well as four one-cup round containers and four two-cup rectangular containers.
All the containers in the set are made of glass, which is much more eco-friendly and durable than plastic.
Pros
- These Snapware glass containers are safe for use in the microwave, fridge, freezer, and dishwasher, making them highly versatile.
- Since they’re transparent, you can quickly see what’s inside them, such as when they’re stored in the fridge or pantry cupboard, thus creating fuss-free storage in the home.
- The containers stack easily, whether in the kitchen cabinet or fridge, helping to save space. This also makes them great for traveling.
Cons
- Some Amazon reviewers have claimed that the lids are not as high-quality as what was expected, with some calling them flimsy and easily breakable. However, Snapware lids have a lifetime warranty.
Extra features
The Snaplock lids are made of silicone that creates an airtight seal for your foods, thus preventing contamination and leaks.
Cost
A set of Snapware glass containers costs $55.99 on Amazon.
It’s a worthwhile price to pay because you won’t have to use unsustainable plastic containers that break or release odors.
#3 Sweet & Sassy Shampoo Bar
You wash your hair every day and yet your trusty bottle of shampoo contains lots of harmful toxins that are entering your body via your scalp.
In addition, when your shampoo is finished, its plastic bottle rarely gets used for something else. It probably gets thrown in the bin.
This shampoo and conditioner bar set by Sweet & Sassy is completely free of harmful chemicals, such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), which is commonly found in personal care products but is irritating and harsh on both skin and hair.
Pros
- This bar’s scents are made with essential oils such as orange and tangerine instead of fragrance.
- One bar goes a long way – you can use it for up to 80 washes!
- It’s safe for use on color-treated hair.
- The bars lather really well in spite of not containing SLS chemicals, which isn’t always the case with eco-friendly hair products.
Cons
- While the shampoo bar is environmentally friendly, it comes in a reusable plastic container which could have been better for the environment by being made of sustainable materials. You can order refill packs and they contain no plastic, though.
Extra features
These are delivered in reusable travel containers and this specific set contains two shampoo bars as well as a conditioner bar.
Cost
It costs $28.95, but it provides you with months of washing and you don’t have to worry about disposing plastic shampoo bottles when the bars are finished.
#4 Feeling Fluffy Wool Dryer Balls
Making the switch from liquid fabric softener and/or dryer sheets to dryer balls is much more environmentally friendly.
Dryer balls prevent your clothes from clumping in the dryer and they preserve heat so that your clothes can dry faster.
This decreases the amount of energy used to dry your clothes.
What makes these Feeling Fluffy Wool Dryer Balls extra special is that you can use them for over 1,000 loads of washing!
These dryer balls are made from pure New Zealand wool, with no synthetic fillers or fibers. This makes them great for people with sensitive skin or allergies.
In addition, the banning of mulesing in New Zealand makes these dryer balls cruelty free. The balls come in a six-pack and they’re each three inches in diameter.
Pros
- These dryer balls prevent static from forming on your clothes due to friction.
- By absorbing moisture in your laundry, these balls shorten the amount of drying time by up to 25 percent thanks to how they’re denser than other dryer balls.
- The balls are very quiet and you most likely won’t even hear them during a drying load, which helps to decrease noise pollution in your home.
Cons
- These dryer balls don’t have the effect of softening clothing in the same way as liquid fabric softener or dryer sheets, but that’s a small point to consider.
Extra features
They come in handy packs of six – that’s almost 6000 loads of laundry, so you wont need to be buying more any time soon!
Cost
This pack of dryer balls costs $10.79 on Amazon.
#5 Chef’s Star Glass Water Bottle
You might take your water bottle with you everywhere, but what is it made of? Is it harming your health and the environment?
If it’s made of plastic, then the answer to both of those is yes. The Chef’s Star Glass Water Bottle aims to change all that by providing a safer, more sustainable alternative.
These bottles are compact cylinder glass bottles that weigh in at five ounces. While being light, the glass on these bottles is thick, which makes them a solid product.
Pros
- These bottles are manufactured from pure glass material that is free of lead and BPA.
- They offer improved taste because they don’t contain any chemicals.
- They’re decorative, which means you can use them for storage in your kitchen if you no longer want to use them as water bottles.
Cons
- Of course, you have to be careful not to break them because they’re made of glass. So they might not be ideal for small kids to carry with them.
- The lid, although offering air-tight sealing, has been said to leak by Amazon customer reviewers, so you might have to ensure that you keep the bottle upright when you’re on the move.
Extra features
These bottles contain a handy carrying loop so that you can travel with them much easier, whether you’re going to the gym or work.
Cost
To purchase a set of six Chef’s Star Glass water bottles, it’ll set you back $18.99.
However, these zero waste containers are sure to last you a long time and the fact that they can be used to store other liquids means that they won’t have to be thrown away if you don’t want to use them as water bottles anymore.
What Exactly Defines Product As Zero Waste?
When choosing products that fit your zero-waste lifestyle goals, it’s important to look at what makes them sustainable.
Earlier in this article, we looked at how a product should be made of sustainable materials and be recycled or upcycled at the end of its lifestyle, but let’s take a deeper look into what makes a product zero waste.
A product is zero waste if it’s something you actually need
A bamboo toothbrush, for example, is an item that’s a necessity instead of a luxury, and you will use it every day.
Making items you use regularly as eco-friendly as possible helps to increase their sustainability because they’re used a lot and so the money you spend on them goes the distance.
On the other hand, buying an item that’s eco-friendly and sustainable but sits in a cupboard without being used actually collects waste instead of prevents it!
A product is zero waste if its lifespan can be extended
The Feeling Fluffy dryer balls are an example of a product whose lifespan can definitely be increased, thanks to how the balls go a long way to drying clothing for longer without resulting in longer periods of drying time.
Another example of a zero waste product with a longer than average lifespan is the Star Chef’s water bottle.
This can be used forever, for a variety of different things around the house, instead of just being limited to storing water.
Double-duty products are the best reusable items if you want to be zero waste.
A product is zero waste if you don’t cause an environmental problem when disposing of it
What happens when a product is no longer required by you and you can’t use it for other things?
This is where disposing of the product correctly and in earth-friendly ways becomes extremely important.
Disposing of it could include recycling it, such as in the case of glass, or putting it in the compost pile without worrying about chemicals leaking into the soil.
The Leafico bamboo toothbrush comes to mind here as it will decompose in your compost, nourishing the soil and allowing you to grow things instead of waste them.
Why Should You Opt For Zero Waste Products In The First Place?
We have to become more mindful of what we consume and the products we buy because most of them end up in landfills.
Out of the 251 million tons of solid waste that’s produced by consumers every year in the U.S., 55 percent of it ends up in landfills, as Earth 911 reports.
We can decrease that amount by choosing products that don’t have to be thrown into the trash when we don’t need them anymore.
In addition, it’s also important to live a more chemical-free life that protects our health and that of our children.
Many conventional products, from shampoos to dryer balls, contain harmful chemicals that get into our bodies.
By reducing our exposure to these toxins, we have the added bonus of protecting the environment from them, such as in the case of chemicals that end up in the environment or water system, harming animal life.
Committing to buying zero waste products means that we’re not contributing to the planet’s plastic problem because we’re choosing products that are sustainable instead.
The plastic stats are scary: 91 percent of plastic that’s produced doesn’t get recycled, as reported by National Geographic.
This means that plastic gets thrown out in the trash, where it ends up in landfills. Or, it litters the ocean, where it becomes a hazard for marine animals.
By 2050, the publication notes that the oceans will have more plastic waste than fish in it, which is a sobering thought.
Therefore, by choosing products that are zero waste and free of plastic, we can ensure that less plastic is produced as well as that there’s an eco-friendlier way of re-using or disposing of it.
How Can These Products Help You With Zero Waste Policy?
By choosing the best zero waste products on the market right now, some of which are featured in this guide, you can become more aware of your consumption and the waste that you produce in your home.
In the way in which they’re produced and manufactured, these products go a long way to being completely sustainable.
For example, the Sweet & Sassy shampoo bar prevents the use of toxins in your household that can get into the water system, while also limiting your waste because you don’t have plastic shampoo bottles to throw out when you’ve used them up.
In a similar way, the lack of plastic in your bamboo Leafico toothbrush means that less plastic will end up in landfills.
You Reduce Plastic
Replacing plastic with glass is one of the most important things you can do to begin a zero-waste lifestyle, and the Chef’s Star glass water bottle is the perfect example of this.
You will never have to throw it away as it can be recycled in your home if you want to use it for decorative or storage purposes.
You Preserve The Earth’s Resources
Zero waste is not just about avoiding plastic and trash – it’s also about preventing the waste of our important resources, such as energy.
The energy used to make products and use them in the home can contribute to excess electricity and water being used, and often unnecessarily.
That’s why wool dryer balls, such as those by Feeling Fluffy featured in this guide, are an example of a product that’s so energy-efficient.
They reduce the amount of electricity and water that’s required to dry your clothing, thus preventing resources from going to waste.
Why Are Zero Waste Products More Expensive Than Regular Counterparts?
One of the biggest problems with zero waste items is that people think, “But zero waste products are more expensive” and this causes them not to try a zero-waste lifestyle.
In some cases, it is a fact that zero waste can be more expensive than regular products. Glass products, for instance, are often more expensive than plastic items.
This is because it takes more energy to produce them. However, glass has many more benefits than plastic. Let’s take a look at some of them.
| Glass | Plastic |
|---|---|
| Dishwasher safe | Can’t be put in the dishwasher |
| It’s non-permeable, meaning that it doesn’t absorb color or odor, making it useful for storing liquids and foods | It’s porous, meaning that it will absorb color and odor, the latter of which can also negatively impact food |
| You can easily sterilize glass | It can’t be placed in extreme heat or cold, such as in the microwave or freezer |
| It’s air-safe, meaning that no oxidation occurs | It causes oxidation, which decreases the lifespan of the foods you store in it |
| It can always be recycled and it’s one of the best reusable items | Some plastic can’t be recycled, which contributes to the waste problem. It also can’t be reused much because it contains chemicals |
Clearly, the important thing to realize is that the best zero waste products can help you save money in the long run.
Even though their price tag might be more expensive than regular products, they can safeguard your wallet in other ways.
For example, by investing in zero waste items such as dryer balls, you can cut down on your electricity bill and you won’t have to buy dryer balls for a long time.
Similarly, by using bamboo instead of plastic products, your products can last longer, which prevents you from having to purchase new ones in a short amount of time.
It’s also good to look at the bigger picture: choosing zero waste and eco-friendly products that don’t contain harmful chemicals in them means you’re probably saving on medical bills in the future!
Conclusion
There are many exciting sustainable products out there that can help you become zero waste, from toothbrushes to dryer balls and shampoo.
While there are some considerations to be made for zero waste products, such as when it comes to their prices, overall their benefits definitely outweigh their drawbacks.
The best zero waste products empower you to live a healthier, more sustainable life that doesn’t negatively impact the planet by producing waste.
If every person becomes more aware of the products they’re buying and what impact those products have on the environment, we could stop the growth of our landfills and ensure a healthier future.
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