I’ve written this as an email, Instagram DM, Facebook message, and text so many times I thought it deserved it’s own post. I might be doing a “no buy year” but that doesn’t mean I can’t give out my advice on how to spend your cash!

There isn’t one special magical *thing* anyone needs to be more eco-friendly and reduce waste. There are easy and free ways to reduce your daily impact and use of materials. Enjoy your coffee “for here” using the coffee shop’s mugs. Say “no straw please” when ordering a drink at the bar. Say “I don’t need a bag” when buying that shirt (from the consignment shop, hopefully.)

The items I’m listing here are the reusable, durable items that my family, friends and readers ask me about time and time again. These are my tried-and-true favorite items that you’ll see over and over again in my home. I’ll do my best to update this post if anything changes, and feel free to send me a message if you ever have a question or need a recommendation on anything you don’t see here.

Beeswax wrap:

Use these on top of bowls or to wrap food instead of disposable plastic wrap. My favorites brands are Bee’s Wrap and Khala Cloths.

Continue reading “Meredith’s Favorite Things”

It seems a little counter-intuitive, but for many people setting up a zero waste home requires buying or somehow acquiring a few new items. You might have been relying on plastic or disposable items and in order to reduce your trash, reusable alternatives need to be found. Everyone’s trash output is different. Look inside your trash bin and see what kinds of things you are throwing away and find reusable alternatives or ways to avoid those things.

For me, I first needed reusable cloth “un paper” towels and cloth napkins, glass food storage containers, reusable “going out” items like utensils and straws and cloth bags to use for produce and buying items from the bulk/loose bins. While I did have to buy some new things, these tools and products are “essentials” in my mind, and will be used for years.

Continue reading “Where to find plastic free, zero waste home essentials”