Sustainability On A Budget: Free & Low-Cost Zero-Waste Swaps

Soap stands: Switching to shampoo and body wash bars instead of bottled soaps is a great way to reduce plastic and get more bang for your buck. (Shampoo bars often contain more shampoo than bottled for the same price!) Soap stands (like this) can make your soap last longer, but you might not want to spend money on one. Not to fear! With a jar lid and a few rubber bands, you can make one that works just as well. To make it, simply take four rubber bands and stretch them over the jar lid in a grid pattern. Then, place your soap bar on top of the rubber bands on the open side of the jar lid, and you’ll have your new soap stand!

Reusing plastic containers for travel: Plastic or not, it is better to reuse containers than to dispose of them. Instead of buying travel-sized toothpaste or soaps, use any old small containers to carry your full-sized products! For example, instead of buying a travel-sized body wash, you could put some of your full-sized body wash into an old plastic container and take it with you to your travel destination.

Sponge Cloths: Paper towels are a common product among households, but also a common waste product. Sponge Cloths tackle this issue by serving the same purpose as paper towels while being washable (you can throw them in the dishwasher), reusable, and super absorbent. On top of that, they’re compostable at the end of its lifespan since they’re made of cellulose! They last much longer than paper towels and are very affordable at under $6 for a pack of 5: (https://buyifyoucare.com/products/natural-sponge-cloths)