9 Surprising Reusable Swaps that Help the Planet
Happy Earth Month! Since this month is putting a particular emphasis on ways to keep our planet clean and healthy, I thought it might be helpful to share a few ways you can incorporate reusable products into your home and your life. It’s often easier than you might think to make reusable swaps that help our planet, and sometimes the products available in reusable form are a bit unexpected. Zulily’s Sustainability Shop is the perfect resource, as they’ve rounded up tons of reusable, planet-friendly products at great prices. Don’t you love when someone else does the hard work for you?
A recent survey from Zulily revealed that 94% of parents say being eco–friendly is important to them, but 85% feel they would benefit from having more guidance on how to reduce their environmental footprint as a family. Here are 9 reusable products I’m especially excited about and wanted to share so you can start incorporating some of them into your routine, too! After all, it’s the least we can do for the planet considering all it does for us, don’t you think?
1. Reusable Flatware
We’ve all eaten more than our fair share of takeout over the past year (thanks, pandemic!), and so a reusable portable flatware set is a great investment to make. It will be particularly helpful as the weather starts to get nicer and we find ourselves enjoying takeout meals in places that aren’t our homes. With a set of reusable flatware that you can keep on hand in a purse, car glovebox, etc., you can say, “No, thanks!” to the plastic version from the restaurant and avoid creating more landfill waste for our planet as a result.2. Tea Infusers
For the tea lovers out there, these reusable silicone tea bags make it easy to create less waste each time you brew a cup. Instead of buying bagged tea, opt for loose-leaf tea and use these reusable infusers to brew individual cups of tea. Since they’re made of silicone, they’re also durable AND safe. It will be an experience just like you’re used to with a tea bag, but it will be a small way to keep the planet cleaner.3. Reusable Drinking Straws
For those of us straw lovers, the realization that disposable straws aren’t great for our planet has created quite the dilemma. I just don’t enjoy drinking beverages with ice without a straw, but I also don’t like the idea of harming the planet in any way. So what’s a straw fan to do? Go with a reusable option, of course! With a compact reusable straw like this one – that can be thrown into a bag so you’re never without one when you need one – you’ll be ready to sip any beverage, any time, and keep the planet happy and healthy while you do.4. Reusable Bags
A bag made of textiles is inherently reusable, but the sustainable swap piece comes into play thanks to what this bag is made of: partially recycled content, including raw material, reconditioned, and re-manufactured components. Using products made of elements that are kinder to the planet make it a worthy reusable investment. Plus, there are plenty of cute options, too!
5. Freezable Snack Packs
Your kids will love taking reusable snack packs to school (or the park, a sitter’s house, etc.). It’s extra handy because it can accommodate virtually any kind of snack since it’s made with a specially formulated freezable gel to keep food cold for hours on end. The planet will appreciate it, since reusable food storage can help you replace disposable plastic bags!
