Every  household can become more sustainable with just a few easy swaps.

We’re not telling you to get rid of your stuff at home overnight. Perhaps, putting one foot first in front of the other and slowly swap out stuff in our house.

Here are some ways for you to start!

1. Swap feminine hygiene products for reusable menstrual cups..

It’s time ladies! Scrap the pads and tamps, even when it comes to hygiene, we have to be eco-friendly too! We know it’s hard to make the switch especially if you’ve been using pads and tamps for your monthly period ever since. And the thing is, it already works so why change it, right? There’s always something new and something better, it won’t hurt to give it a try especially if it won’t hurt the environment too.

Menstrual cups basically perform the same function as pads and tamps, but there are advantages to using it! Unlike pads or tamps which you have to replace every 8 hours or so depending on your flow and throw it away, menstrual can be used forever! Okay, not forever, forever but it can be used for a very long time depending on the brand you purchased. You just have to clean and sterilize it. It’s a sustainable swap to reduce waste.

It is also safer. That’s the most important detail you have to consider. With tamps, there’s a risk of getting toxic shock syndrome because it absorbs blood and stays inside you. where are menstrual cups collects it and you can clean it up every 12 hours. And ladies, here’s another plus, some menstrual cups can even be used while having sex without having leaks or it gettting in the way! Thinking of making the switch now? You can also consult a physician.

JuJu Menstrual Cup Model 4 – Clear

2. Ditch the plastic wrap and replace it with – Loads of Options!

For the longest time, we’ve been campaigning against plastic. You look it up anywhere and it won’t take a minute for you to be convince why you should ditch plastic wraps. There are sooooo many options for a sustainable swap to reduce waste at home. If you still have lots of plastic wraps in store, it would be a waste to throw them all, so just keep them, don’t take them out all at once, and reuse what you can. Now, if you’re out to buy alternatives, here’s what we can suggest. It’s everyone’s new fave, reusable beeswax wrap!

It’s of a swap as you would think because it functions the same as a wrap but more in line with mother nature. It’s a cotton cloth coated in beeswax and tree resin which makes it flexible. Just press it down a container to seal it. And to reuse it, since we are after sustainability here, just rinse in lukewarm water to dry. You can use a beeswax wrap for upto two years!

Beeswax Food Wraps

3. Never buy bottled water again!

Since we’re out looking for sustainable swaps, here’s an alternative to buying bottled water. Bring your own water bottle! Not the plastic ones where you throw out after having consumed the water in it, get the ones you can reuse and carry around wherever you go! I’m pretty sure you can have it refilled anywhere too. This way you can save a few dollars and save the environment at the same time!

MemoBottle Slim Reusable Water Bottle

MemoBottle A5 Size Slimline Reusable Water Bottle

4. Invest in reusable coffee mugs instead of single-use versions.

Know anyone who can live without coffee? Caffeine addiction is a real thing! If you’re addicted to coffee, remember to keep it three to four cups a day so you won’t go overboard. According to experts, that the optimum amount of coffee intake in a day. Imagine if you’re using single use coffee mugs and throw it away after every use, that’s so much waste! Or you go to your favorite coffee shops order four cups of coffee a day in paper cups…. You get the point? It would be more economical and sustainable if you actually have your own reusable coffee mugs! Some coffee shops even offer discounts if you bring one!

Cheeki Insulated Coffee Mug 350ml – Topaz

5. Use reusable shopping bags.

It won’t take a genius to realise the importance of reusable shopping bags. Many stores are also opting to have their customers bring their own shopping bags. This way it’s more cost efficient for them and it’s sustainable too. Maybe it’s a bit of a hassle for us to always remember to bring our own shopping bags when we’re out on a grocery run but it just takes a little getting used to. Reusable shopping bags are also very affordable and eco-friendly too.

Animal Shopping Bags

6. Ditch tea bags and use tea strainers instead.

Raise your hand if you’re a tea person! Or continue reading if you are. There are several advantages to drinking tea. It’s good for your digestion, some teas even have good effect on your skin and some aid in sleeping problems. So it’s a definite YES to teas. However, we’re saying NO to tea bags. There’s a sustainable swap for tea bags to reduce waste at home that still does the job. Use tea strainers instead of tea bags. This way, you don’t have to throw it out, very little effort on cleaning is necessary.

7. Ditch tissues and use an old-fashioned handkerchief!

History does repeat itself. Remember the time ladies and gents carried around handkerchiefs? They used good ol’ hankies to wipe or cover themselves with. Until tissues were invented and people stopped using handkerchiefs on the daily basis altogether. Now, the time has come that we go back to the old ways. It’s not always bad to do so, especially if we’re saving the environment in the process. There are some cute handkerchiefs you can buy! Just be careful not to leave them hanging around.

Organic Cotton Handkerchief – Desert Flowers

8. Stop buying new kitchen cloths and buy a reusable knitted version instead.

Buy or make your own reusable knitted kitchen cloths! If you have extra time, you can make these babies yourself. But most of us don’t have the time nor the skill, knitted kitchen cloths are available in the market. They work the same as kitchen clothes but way more aesthetically pleasing! Also, it’s another sustainable swap!

9. Try shampoo bars instead of plastic-filled versions.

Shampoo bars are a thing now! The beauty industry has taken steps to help the environment as well. To lessen the use of plastic and be more sustainable, shampoo bars are available for use. It’s obviously still a shampoo but it’s solid and not the smell smelling liquid in a plastic bottle we’ve been using all these years. Hey, shampoo bars smell good too! What’s even better is that shampoo bars often have all natural ingredients! Make the swap and for sure you’ll be facing better hair days ahead.

Beauty & the Bees Shampoo Bar

10. Swap plastic bags in school lunches for naked lunches or compostable options.

There are so many options on making sustainable swaps to reduce waste at home. Here’s another idea we would like for to try. Instead of plastic bags for school lunch, always go for the reusable or compostable options. This might be a tad more expensive than plastic bags but in the long run since you can use it multiple times, it’s still less costly. Not to mention, environment friendly!

EcoPocket Reusable Sealable Food Bags | Set Of 3

11. Buy second-hand clothing instead of fast fashion.

There’s no shame in buying second hand clothing. Especially if you have soooo many unworn clothes just stuck inside your closet. In fact thrift shops and swaps are thriving online! If you breathe and live fashion, it’s still all about the design and quality. There are second hand hand clothing that will satisfy your fashion needs. All you have to do is look! Start second-hand clothing shopping now!

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12. Swap plastic food storage containers for glass

By now the point is pretty clear, swap plastic for more sustainable options! In organising the kitchen, plastic storage food storage is easily accessible. Here’s our two cents, try glass food containers instead! Not only does it look good on your kitchen counter tops, you can also see what’s inside.

13.  Make your own cleaning products and ditch the toxic chemical-filled versions.

It’s not as complicated as you think. You can swap cleaning products you can find it the market for a DIY one! Here’s one, just take four tablespoons of baking soda and warm water, mix it up and that’s an all around kitchen cleaner and deodoriser! Or you can take half a cup of vinegar, a quarter cup of rubber alcohol and two cups of water, you can now clean glass tabletops windows, name it! Bonus for you, to clean cabinet pulls or brass knobs, just take a squeeze of lemon or vinegar will also do and sprinkle salt, that’s it! What you can find in the kitchen, you can use to clean it too!

There you go!

This should be enough for you to start!