Our Best Zero Waste Swaps

Try making your own ginger beer or bring your own cup to a soda fountain!

Try using a thermos for hot drinks or a mason jar for cold drinks when buying a cup of coffee instead of using the disposable, single-use cups most cafes provide.

Go to a deli counter and see if they will put it in your own container!

Instead of single-use cupcake liners, use silicone liners to hold your desserts or go without and grease the pans a bit more.

Make homemade bliss balls, a nutty treat.

Make homemade muesli bars, a hardy and healthy snack!

Use glass jars, bottles, and reusable containers to buy food from the bulk sections of grocery stores. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Zero Waste Grocery Shopping.

Try using reusable k-cups or buy a french press, no filter needed!

Use a french press or reusable hemp coffee filters.

Make your own sourdough crackers or carrot pulp crackers (gluten free).

Instead of parchment paper, we suggest using reusable silicone baking mats!

To store food for when you are on-the-go, use a silicone stasher bag or beeswax wraps.

Make homemade oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, rice milk, or soy milk!

Try using reusable silicone, aluminum, glass, or bamboo straws. Note: Be cautious when giving metal or glass straws to children.

Instead of plastic wrap or tinfoil, use silicone lids or make your own/buy beeswax wraps.

To store cheese, wrap in a linen tea towel.

Use organic cotton produce bags or regular reusable grocery bags to carry your fruits and vegetables when shopping in the produce section or farmer’s market.

Simply wrap sandwiches in fabric or make your own sandwich wraps using an alternative material (such as beeswax!)

Store vegetables and herbs by wrapping them in damp tea towels, sealing them in glass containers, or store them upright in a jar filled with an inch of water (this is especially good for carrots, celery, etc.)

Use a tea strainer instead!

Store leftovers in a bowl with plate over the top instead of using plastic wrap and freeze in heat stable glass (ex. Pyrex) at home.

Make your own natural yogurt or kefir (easier to make) at home.

Make your own broth with vegetable scraps

Fill pan with a layer of water, add 1 cup of vinegar, and bring to boil. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of baking soda (note: it will fizz). Empty the pan and clean.

Instead of buying cleaning rags wrapped in plastic, recycle old towels, flannels, and sheets that are well passed their used-by date. Cut them up, use, and wash!

First, combine 1/4 cup of vinegar and 1 cup water in a microwavable container. Boil mixture for 3 mins and then let it stand in microwave for 10 mins. Wipe inside of microwave with a damp cloth.

Pour a little vinegar onto a rag and wipe mirror. Then, dry with a clean rag.

First, sprinkle baking soda into the toilet bowl. Then add with vinegar and scrub.

Fill the kettle halfway with a solution of equal parts cold water and white vinegar, a natural descaling agent. Repeat once and dry with a cloth.

Use wool dryer balls or tennis balls instead!

Simply add one cup of white vinegar during the rinse cycle.

Instead of using a store-bought laundry whitening product (like OxiClean White Revive), put a pair of jeans or another blue garment in with your whites.

This is a rare “just buy it” situation!

Try using an activated charcoal stick instead. To use effectively, place the stick in a glass carafe full of tap water and let it sit for several hours. The activated charcoal naturally bonds with toxins, removing contaminants like mercury, chlorine, copper, and even lead!

Use cloth napkins and tea cloths and load into your washing machine when dirty.

Fill an old spray bottle with vinegar and spray the screen. Leave for 3-5 mins then wipe down.

Polish cutlery with a paste of baking soda and vinegar.

Rub with a peeled potato dipped in baking soda or salt.

Soak in a solution of vinegar and water and dry with a cloth.

First, dissolve 1/4 cup of baking soda in warm water. Next, let the cloth diapers soak in the solution overnight. Lastly, wash the cloth diapers as normal.

Use a biodegradable sponge or try crocheting your own washcloth.

Use a sustainable, wooden toilet brush.

Pour 1/3 cup of baking soda into the drain followed by 1 cup of white vinegar. Immediately seal the drain with a plug and leave 1 hour. Lastly, pour boiling water down the drain.

Add 4 tablespoons of baking soda to the hot dish water.

Mix 1 cup of borax, 1 cup of baking soda and 1/2 cup of salt. Add 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the “soap/tablet” compartment of the dishwasher. Then, add 1 tablespoon of vinegar to the “rinse agent” compartment before starting the cycle.

Make your own homemade cleaning wipes! – Instructions here.

Make your own! Simply mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 1 cup of water. Experiment with the amount of ACV. The dryer your hair is, the less you need.

The easy solution is to wear glasses! However, if you are committed to contacts, instead of purchasing daily ones, use contacts with the longest possible time before disposal is needed such as one or two week lenses.

Try using a (reusable) safety razor.

Make your own deodorant from home – recipe here!

Make your own skin cream at home.

Try making your own facial scrubs at home with baking soda, cornmeal, rose almond, oatmeal, azuki bean, milk and honey, banana, honey sugar, pumpkin, or greens.

Use a reusable stainless steel or wood pick.

Use corn starch and/or cocoa powder depending on your hair color.

Instead of using regular floss, which is mostly made of plastic and coated in the same material used to coat teflon pans, try completely plastic-free silk floss. Or use a water pik. 

Make your own applicable face mask! In a small jar, mix 1 tablespoon of matcha powder or bentonite clay and 2-4 tablespoons of water. Apply to clean skin and leave for approximately 15 minutes. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Make homemade hair rinse with tea, beer, coffee, apple cider vinegar, or vodka!

Use a sustainable, wooden hairbrush.

Try using an organic loofah, the actual plant!

Try making this easy citrus beeswax lip balm!

Make your own natural sunscreen cream instead of buying sunblock at the store.

We suggest buying soap tablets from Blueland.com, which dissolve in water to create liquid soap! You can also find liquid dish detergent in bulk at you local co-op or zero waste shop.

Try simple DIY shampoo options like baking soda or clay. You can find shampoo bars at zero waste shops and places like Lush. If you have short hair, no poo is a great option!

Make homemade mouthwash with aloe, xylitol, baking soda!

Diva Cup or Glad Rags. It takes some trial and error but finding the right cup can help prevent thousands of disposable products from going into the landfills & can save you hundreds since the cups are medical-grade silicone and can last but up to 5-10 years! If using a cup seems too daunting and intimate (I prefer to think of it as empowering), then using pads/tampons that are made with organic cotton that take less energy and water to produce along with avoiding chlorine bleaching, pesticides, fragrances or dyes which can otherwise cause allergy and irritation!

Instead of buying plastic bottles from stores, make your own shaving cream and aftershave. Or try just using soap!

Use cloth hankerchiefs and consistently wash when dirty. If you have really bad allergies or need to use tissues for a different reason, we suggest us.whogivesacrap.org.

This is technically a zero waste exception, but if you want to take it a step further, try using toilet paper with recycled content such as from us.whogivesacrap.org or installing a bidet.

Make your own toothpaste at home or try using toothpowder instead.

Simple! Use a biodegradable bamboo toothbrush.

Instead of buying plastic decorations, opt for natural things like flowers and plants!

If you feel strongly about not purchasing presents you know will inevitably be disposed of, try gifting friends and family online alternatives like gift certificates.

When you hit the road, make sure to pack the following items: water bottle, cutlery, cloth napkin, handkerchief, tupperware, travel coffee mug, and snacks!

Try tying physical gifts up in cloth, using a reusable container, or no wrapping at all!

Hit the thrift store. It saves money and is better for the environment!

By second-hand furniture.

Try using a reusable fountain pen or invest in biodegradable options.

Instead of single-use tape, try substituting for string, ribbon, or a reusable clamp/clip.

Simple! Substitute single-use diapers for cloth ones!

Use hand-me-downs/second-hand toys from friends or opt for baby toys made from ethical materials like sustainably-sourced wood, upcycled plastic, or natural rubber.

Check out this homemade chicken-and-potato zero waste cat food recipe or find a pet store that sells cat food in bulk.

Make your own sustainable raw dog food or find a pet store that sells dog food in bulk.

Take your own containers to the butcher and fishmonger for bones, fish and other meaty treats. To store bones or meat in bulk, first separate and freeze them on a tray. Then put them into a container in the freezer until needed.

Talk to your greengrocer or stalls at the farmers market and ask/negotiate for outer lettuce leaves, blemished and imperfect vegetables, etc.