sustainable swaps for every space in your home
Have you been meaning to shop more sustainably? Whether it be your clothes, your cleaning products, or kitchen wares, we’ve rounded up swaps to get you started. As with a lot of things, sometimes taking the plunge and getting started can be the hardest part. Starting with smaller more easily attainable items can make the process a lot less daunting.
Laundry
Let’s talk laundry! There are so many laundry products out there, a lot of them chock full of chemicals and swimming in non-environmentally friendly plastic. tmm is a big fan of the brand Public Goods. They offer an array of products from the bathroom, to the kitchen, to laundry and personal care. The company is founded on the principle that “We are always going to buy stuff for our homes. But by creating the most sustainable version of the things people need the most, we can have a net positive impact on the planet. Today, that means 100% recycled, post-consumer plastic bottles and tree-free paper. It means sourcing organic ingredients and avoiding toxic chemicals. It means donating excess products. It means carbon offsetting both through reforestation and carbon-neutral shipping.”
Another brand we love for laundry products Is Branch Basics. Plant and Mineral based products free from toxins, Branch Basics is about living a healthier and happier life through the removal of harmful toxins and ingredients in our lives. Use code TMM at checkout!
bathroom products
We’ve all had it. The excess of bathroom products and packaging, the trash can in the bathroom that fills way faster than we’d like it to. The waste produced by bathroom products can be staggering, not to mention the effect it can have on your wallet! Here are our recs for some easy ways to make a change.
Reusable makeup/face wipes, bath rags, or eco-friendly loofas to replace the plastic. If you’re feeling handy, check out Debrosse for allll the home crochet/knit patterns. Notably, they have rag and loofa patterns that are so fun and aesthetically pleasing that you won’t miss your old ones. Cotton rounds are something so many of us use, for makeup removal, nail polish removal, and the list goes on. Try swapping for reusable fabric rounds, we’re gonna tag public goods back in here because theirs are fabulous!
Toilet paper is a staple product that we just can’t get around. However, we can choose which companies/materials/packaging we stand for. Brands like Who Gives a Crap, Betterway are great online options! If you’re looking for something accessible in local stores, Seventh Generation is a good go-to. These brands support recyclable/recycled materials (and in the case of Betterway and Who Gives a Crap are made from bamboo!) and are free of chemicals and fragrance. Check out their websites for more info about the brands!
Personal care
Personal care products are another category (similar to bathroom products) that can cause lots of waste, and include chemicals and materials that can be hard on us and the environment. For those of us that menstruate, the products involved can stack up quickly. Cora offers reusable discs, cups and underwear, and tampons made from organic cotton and free of pesticides, dioxins, fragrances, or chlorine. Rael offers organic cotton pads and tampons free from chemicals, reusable organic cotton pads, underwear, and cups.
kitchen
Food/kitchen items are a notorious source of plastic and non-sustainable materials and products. One of the easiest place to start is by opting for glass or wood storage options instead of plastic. We have a long list of products we love in our LTK Shop, as well as in our fav products list. Containers are great for decanting for a uniform look in your kitchen, but can also be a big saver by allowing you to utilize shopping bulk! Bring your own reusable bulk bags or your containers to the store to skip the single-use packaging.
For sustainable kitchen cleaning and supply options, we’re linking back to our fav Public Goods (cause we just can’t get enough!) Biodegradable garbage bags, walnut sponges, dish soap, and dishwasher detergent, are all necessary kitchen items that are made with you and the environment in mind.
Another great option is the aforementioned Branch Basics! They make a great all-in-one glass bottle starter kit for your kitchen (and really all over!) cleaning needs. Check out their Natural scrub brush too! It’s made from untreated beechwood and natural fibers and is heat safe, so using it with hot water is 100% okay.
Closet
With so many options available now online, and companies with crazy low prices, it can be hard to pick places to put your money. One of our go-to options is always to shop second-hand, and resell, or repurpose clothes. Giving an old garment new life is friendlier to the environment than always purchasing new items and can also be quite a bit cheaper! Some local PDX spots we love are Artifact, and Vein of Gold PDX.
If you’re in the market for something new, shopping from companies that share ethical and more sustainable values is a great option. Brands we love are Mate the Label, Girlfriend Collective, Rothy’s, and Aritzia.
Mate the label is located in Los Angeles and makes products that are toxin-free, organic, have ethical sourcing, are plastic-free, and also recycle old garments and fabric scraps.
Girlfriend Collective has ethical manufacturing and utilizes recycled materials, specifically post-consumer water bottles, fishing nets retrieved from the seas, and fabric scraps among other materials.
Rothy’s is committed to a circular fashion future, with products made from recycled, natural, or renewable materials. What they are most well known for is making products from thread that is made from recycled single-use plastic bottles.
