Over the past year, I’ve really had an itch to transition into becoming as sustainable as possible. The ban of free bags at grocery stores and use of plastic straws at most restaurants was really the catalyst for my lifestyle change. I had also done a beach clean up and was appalled to see how much plastic trash plagued the sand and water. As I researched more into how all the trash is impacting our planet and ecosystems, I found that there is a Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an island of trash, twice the size of Texas that is floating between Hawaii and California (Thankfully steps are being taken to clean it up!), and I therefore really wanted to try to make these changes.

Sometimes, it can feel like taking these steps really won’t make a difference or create an impact - but I’m sure we were thinking how can the use of straw and single-use plastic, paper, etc really be that bad for the environment and now we are starting to really see how the trash is piling up and affecting our wildlife and ecosystems.

I don’t feel that I can completely transition into a zero-waste lifestyle, but kudos to those that are able to pull that off. I really do I have to be diligent with shopping as sometimes I can forget my re-usable bags or when I decide on a whim to buy a drink on-the-go and only have the option to use a plastic straw, but here are a few ways that I have made changes in my life to become less wasteful and more sustainable. Aside from the below, I’ve cut out single-use plastic water bottles and now have a re-usable water bottle; use biodegradable coffee pods and cleaning wipes; and try to purchase package free products, such as hair/body care items from Lush which has “naked” products. My next phase is to fully switch over all my household and personal items to be re-fillable. More and more re-fillable shops are popping up in LA like Sustain LA, BYO Long Beach, No Tox Life, Recontained and Refillary LA - also this is a great resource for zero-waste bulk grocery shopping. I’m hoping I can find a great resource like these shops in Orange County.

Re-usable Food Storage Bags (replaces Zip-lock/similar bags)
I couldn’t believe how many zip-block bags I would go through when I was bringing snacks to work or storing leftovers. Although I have to take the additional step to wash and dry the re-usable storage bags, I’m not throwing them in the waste basket so it is worth the additional effort to cut out that plastic use.
Wax Food Wraps (replaces plastic wrap)
Same with using saran wrap/plastic cling wrap - I use this frequently so that I wouldn’t have to transfer food from bowls to tupperware, now I can use the wax wraps. I frequently use these wax wraps to cover cut veggies. I’ve seen mixed responses to using the wax wraps that it can be difficult to clean. In my personal experience, I haven’t really needed to thoroughly cleanse the wrap, but if I do need to clean it, I give it a quick wash and let it dry in the dish rack. I also thought that the scent of food might transfer from using the same wax wrap - it wasn’t that noticeable and I would make sure to gently clean the surface with cold water (and dish soap if needed). These are great for packaging up sandwiches and other small snacks because you can fold up the wax wrap easily.
Re-usable Mesh Produce Bags (replaces grocery produce bags)
This was a major game changer for me because of the immense amount of single use plastic bags that come out of grocery shopping - it’s quite appalling if you really notice how many plastic produce bags you discard after grocery shopping (it really only served it’s purpose to transport between the grocery story and your home), that is if you buy a lot of produce that needs storage bags. Therefore, these mesh produce bags are PERFECT! They come in a variety of sizes, easy to pack with the re-usable shopper bags, and because of the fine mesh, the cashier can see through the bag to identify the produce item (if not, they can easily un-cinch the bag and see what it is).
Metal Straws (replaces plastic straws)
This is also another mass amount of plastic waste, and is tougher to switch over because of how often I get drinks that typically come with plastic straws. Therefore, it’s a much bigger conscious effort to bring the metal straws with me and to store/transport and make sure to clean after use. There are foldable straws that are easy to bring on the go which I might also pick up so I don’t have to store these in my bags. There are also boba sized straws for the tapioca drink lovers out there. I’m also going to look into re-usable utensils to take with me for when I eat out at a fast food restaurants or places that offer plastic cutlery.
Wool Dryer Balls (replaces dryer sheets)
These are really easy to use and the set I purchased comes with 3 white dryer balls (for lights) and 3 dark grey dryer balls (for darks). They serve the purposes to help with static-cling and reducing drying time but if you want a fragrance as well, just add a few drops of your favorite essential oil (I use lavender) onto each ball.

Amanda N Hammond was not given compensation to compose/publish this post, all opinions expressed are of her own but the post does contain affiliate links.

Ways to Be Sustainable and Eco-Friendly for a Waste Free Life