The journey towards simpler living continues in the Loepsie household. As I’m working on removing unnecessary items from my life, I also need to make sure I’m mindful of what I’m bringing into our home. Over the past year I’ve replaced lots of single-use items we used to buy with more eco friendly, reusable items that’ll last for a long time and have a smaller impact on the environment. However, throwing out perfectly good items in order to replace them with more durable versions makes no sense and is definitely not something you should do. Therefore I have a little list of things I plan to get at some point in the future, when I use up their plastic/single use counterparts and actually need them.
Toothbrush Heads
I use an electric toothbrush upon recommendation by my dentist, and I’d highly prefer to keep using it as I feel it gives me a much better cleaning than a handheld toothbrush would. I also like that I only have to replace the brush heads, as my toothbrush is rechargeable. However, you’re supposed to replace the heads every three months, and even though I stretch mine a bit further than that, it is essentially a source of disposable plastic. I’d love to replace the brush heads I currently use with something at least recyclable, if there aren’t any better options available. I haven’t been able to find anything comparable to the bamboo toothbrush in brush head form, so if you know of anything I’d be very happy to hear!
GuppyFriend
There are a few items that help me cut down on single use products and are great helps in my life, but are made of microfiber or synthetic fabric. My microfiber cleaning cloths for example, or my mircofiber makeup removing towel. We do also own some synthetic clothing, and the reusable rat cage liners are made of fleece. When washing items that are made of synthetic material, tiny plastic particles end up in the water which are very hard to filter out and often end up in the ocean. There’s a very simple solution to this problem: getting a washing bag that catches these little particles. I’ve been recommended the GuppyFriend and as it’s available in the Netherlands, this is definitely something I’ll purchase soon and start washing all my synthetic fabrics in. The GuppyFriend catches 99% of plastic fibers, and I honestly feel like this is something everybody should use. It’s not a perfect solution of course, but infinitely better than not using it at all. Time to get on it ASAP!
Laundry Detergent
I’ve been using organic, gentle and eco-friendly laundry detergent for the rat laundry for months, but for some reason I have yet to make the switch to eco friendly laundry detergent for our own laundry. I think the biggest thing that has been deterring me is that the eco friendly detergents that are readily available and affordable, are unscented. I’m so used to freshly washed laundry smelling nice that it’s something I look forward to in the process of doing laundry. All I need to do to fix this though, is pay a little more money for scented eco friendly detergents, which I can just buy in the supermarket as well, I just haven’t because they’re quite pricey. I might actually just get the scented fabric softener, and use the unscented detergents. I did recently switch to an eco friendly powder detergent for my whites, though. Apparently powder is more effective on whites, and I like that it comes in a cardboard box. Baby steps!
Good Jeans
Jeans are one of the few things in my wardrobe I replace regularly. I use all my clothing for a very long time (at least 4/5 years, often longer), but the jeans I buy just don’t last that long. I think if I invested in a pair of good quality, sturdy jeans, they would last much longer and look better, too. However, I’m not quite ready to spend a hundred euros on a pair of brand jeans, so I’m hoping to find a good pair in a thrift store one day. This might be wishful thinking as I’ve heard jeans are hard to thrift and you’ll rarely find the right size, but I’d still like to try.
That being said, thrift shopping for clothes is something I’d like to get into more in general. No need to buy new clothes if there are cute items available secondhand!
Rat Bed Liners
I’ve made huge steps in decreasing the amount of waste the rats produce. The only non-reusable items I use for them now are the bags their food comes in, the tissues we use to pick up poops and the kitchen roll we use to line their beds. While the food wrapping is inevitable, I’d love to stop using paper in the cage. I feel like I could replace both the poop-picking tissues and the kitchen roll liners if I made some extra thick, lined fleece squares. If I make enough we could use those to line their beds and also to pick up poops, and wash them regularly with the rest of the fleece in the cage. It won’t take much effort to make them, so I should really just take the time on a weekend and sew them.
Cloth Napkins
I have a nice little on-the-go cutlery set consisting of a bamboo fork and spoon and a stainless steel straw, and I feel like the last thing that’s missing is a cloth napkin so I won’t have to use the paper ones. Not that I do often use paper napkins, but a cloth napkin would also serve to wrap the used cutlery in until I get to wash it.
Glass Food Containers
I’ve talked about IKEA’s lovely glass food containers with the bamboo lids before, and they’re still high up on my wishlist. When my plastic food containers slowly deteriorate and the lids warp, I plan on replacing them with the beautiful glass containers from IKEA. Those can be used in the oven and microwave as well, they double as serving dishes, they’re safe, stackable, and can be put in the dishwasher without warping.
Stainless Steel Food Containers
I have quite a large array of sturdy plastic food containers for on the go and I do expect they’ll last me for a few more years. When the time comes to replace them though, I’d love to go for stainless steel containers. Stainless steel is much more durable, non-toxic, easy to clean… And lightweight, too.
Kitchen Sponges
A while back we got a sillicone scrubby to act alongside our dishwashing brush and replace sponges in the kitchen. I personally like using the scrubby and feel like it works well for some purposes (it’s perfect for washing veggies & potatoes), but Robbert, our designated dish washing guy, feels it doesn’t actually scrub at all and thus isn’t very useful in that regard. I haven’t found an alternative that would work well for us, so I’d love to get some kitchen sponges made of recycled material to use whenever we need some scrubbing action. I do believe I should be able to find some online.
I hope I’ll be able to add all these things to my household in due time, and hold on to them for a long time. Here’s to a greener and more conscious 2019!
I have also switched to an electric toothbrush but I’m wondering about floss. I use the disposable floss picks because I find regular floss hard to use. But I did consider getting a water or air flosser. Obviously, I don’t want to jeopardise my dental health. Then sometimes I wonder is flossing even necessary?! So I was wondering what you do personally? Thanks!
I use wooden toothpicks since I have retainers :) They are disposable, but I’m not sure anything dental-hygiene related that isn’t ultimately disposable would actually be safe to use. I think we need to wait for some innovation in that department! As for the water or air flossers, I’ve heard they’re great for dental health, but in terms of environmental impact I wonder whether producing an electrical device has a lower impact than lifelong use of wooden toothpicks… I think it might not, actually.
Oh that’s such a great idea! Is that working for you in preventing cavities? Side note, how do you make sure tea doesn’t stain your teeth? I’m British so I drink a lot. Thanks again!
My dentist recommended me to use wooden toothpicks regardless of the environment, it’s common practice over here so I’d say they definitely work. I’ve never had a cavity but I also only started using the picks daily a couple years back, so in my personal case that’s probably more due to lucky genes :P
As for the tea stains, I only drink a couple cups of “real” tea (green or black) a day. Most of what I drink are rooibos, herbal or fruit blends that don’t stain the teeth. I also find that the electrical toothbrush really helps keep my teeth more white, compared to regular toothbrushes!
leuk om te leven dat je niet gelijk al je plastic uit huis gooit en nieuwe eco spullen koopt. Ik vind dat zo tegenstrijdig om te doen als mensen ecofriendly willen leven :P
Ik heb pas een doekje waar koperen schuurdingetjes doorheen geweven zijn gekocht bij levenzonderafval.com, die nu onze schuursponsjes vervangt. Ik vind hem super fijn, hij schrobte mijn aangebrande ovendeur beter schoon dan een schuursponsje! Misschien is dat iets voor je? Deze is het:
https://www.levenzonderafval.com/a-52230892/doeken-sponzen-borstels/schuurdoek/
Ahh bedankt voor de tip!
Hey Loepsie,
als ik dit lees krijg ik telkens weer wat inspiratie om ook dingen te veranderen in mijn gewoontes. Ik probeer ook zo veel mogelijk plastic te ontwijken en eco producten te gebruiken. Voor de was gebruik ik het merk ECOVERT, hier in België gemakkelijk te krijgen maar ik denk in Nederland ook wel te vinden? Het ruikt lekker, wast goed en komt in 5l verpakkingen. Als ik een jeans koop is dit ook liefst een broek die zo lang mogelijk meegaat. 1 keer per jaar en soms 2 jaarlijks ga ik naar de kledingketen ZEB in de wintersolden en koop ik daar een nieuwe merk jeans die erg lang mee gaat. Ik kocht net nog 2 broeken aan -50%, ze blijven wat duurder (nog steeds €50/stuk) maar ik vind ze het geld wel waard aangezien ik ze minstens een jaar lang draag en ze soms ook nog doorgeef aan zussen die ze nog jaren als jeugdbeweging-broek kunnen dragen. Ze hebben nu ook een speciale jeansrefresher die ervoor zorgt dat je de broek minder moet wassen en hij dus ook langer meegaat (nog niet getest maar schijnt goed te werken).
Ik wens je veel succes met je wishlist! Bedankt voor het delen van je tips en tricks. Ik kijk telkens weer uit naar een nieuwe blog of video van jou ^^!
Groetjes,
Mariken
Hey Mariken, dank je wel voor je berichtje! Ecover is hier ook te krijgen inderdaad, ik heb een tijdje hun afwasmiddel gebruikt. Hun wasmiddelen vind ik echter behoorlijk aan de prijs, zeker in vergelijking met de huismerk eco wasmiddelen van de supermarkt, vandaar dat ik daar niet zo snel voor kies.
Een merkbroek kopen in de uitverkoop is waar ik zelf ook aan zit te denken als het niks wordt met de tweedehands winkels :)
Succes! En nog eens bedankt voor al je tips! :)
I feel the same about toothbrush heads! I use an electric toothbrush as it cleans my teeth the best, but I hate having to throw away the heads every 3-4 months. I haven’t found any recyclable alternatives either, so for now I’ve decided this is just something I’m going to have to live with until a better alternative comes along. (Or until I bite the bullet and start using a compostable brush, whichever happens first!)
For jeans, I’d recommend looking on Etsy or secondhand apps like Depop. I recommend Etsy the most, though, because you’re more likely to find vintage jeans, which were made so much better than jeans today, and Etsy sellers tend to be better about including all of the measurements (hip, inseam, rise, etc.) so you can be sure the jeans will actually fit. I recently bought a pair of vintage Lee jeans from Etsy for around 35 euros, and they fit perfectly and I wear them all the time. Definitely a more budget-friendly option than designer/sustainable brands! (Though the prices tend to vary depending on the seller / condition of the jeans)
Cheers to a green 2019! :)