Things To Ditch This Earth Day

The last few weeks have taught me that all those economic lessons on supply and demand through the years was a real thing, and that if your demand is so high that your supply can’t keep up, you’re going to have a shortage. The shortage of items has really pushed me into making some changes around our home that are more environmentally friendly. I can’t even find paper towels anywhere so I ditched them, like I’ve been meaning to, along with a few other items that I just don’t need. The bonus? These changes are greener and healthier for my family. 

Paper Towels

I honestly have not encountered one store with stocked paper towels since this whole mess began. People have got a lot of cleaning to do, understandably so. I’m guilty of being over reliant on paper towels when a dish towel would do the job just fine, so their lack of abundance makes them easier to ditch. You don’t have to get anything fancy for this one but I really like these Olive & Linen towels. They’re a little more environmentally friendly than your normal towel. Or you could look for antimicrobial towels, too, if you are looking for something a little hardier.

Ziplock Bags

We ditched Ziplock bags a long time ago. I have accepted that when we bring food to family, I will be giving away Tupperware. Not ideal but I hate the idea of plastic bags. There are so many replacements for plastic bags but we like the Stasher Bags, and it’s a bonus that they can go in the dishwasher.

Plastic Wrap & Aluminum Foil

We ditched both of these a long time ago, too. To be honest we really just don’t need them. If a recipe says to use aluminum foil, we just don’t. We’ve been okay so far. But if you want a replacement to keep food covered after cooking, these Bee’s Wax Wraps are a great substitute. They’re reusable so you won’t go through endless rounds of plastic covering food. Bonus, they are pretty cute, too! 

Grocery Bags

The first time we went to the grocery store when this whole thing started, they were OUT OF BAGS. You read that right, OUT. Completely gone. We’ve been wanting to switch to a market bag for a long time and just haven’t done it yet. We had made a switch to always ask for paper, so even if you’re not sold on your own reusable bag, you can still ditch the plastic for paper. For us, this was the perfect time to bite the bullet on reusable bags. These Simple Ecology Organic Reusable Bags are the ones I like, and now we don’t have to worry about going to the store and having no bags available. (Which seems quite irrational, but hey, it happened!)

Plastic Water Bottles

I was SO GUILTY of abusing plastic water bottles. Frankly, I think I’m a water snob. I can taste a difference in water, and if it doesn’t taste right, I’m not drinking. So, long story short, we wanted to make a water change. We quit buying bottled water and instead invested in a Berkey Walter Filter. They are a little bit on the expensive side, but if you’re worried about the quality of your water, or want to reduce the amount of bottled water you buy, this is one to invest in.

Ready to see what else you can ditch this year? Check out these Spaces To Declutter Right Now and keep the clean streak going! 

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