Reusable Alternatives
There’s no denying that we live in a disposable society where reusable items are less valued. We choose to use paper towels over kitchen towels. Almost everything we buy is wrapped in plastic, multiple times over. Boxes within boxes and irreplaceable batteries are common. The worst part is that we just accept these things as normal.
One day, I was driving somewhere on trash day and it dawned on me that every single house in the entire town (and every surrounding town) had a full can, ready to be empty…every…single…week! The amount of trash that we produce on a weekly basis is astonishing. Truly. So I decided to make some small changes to the way my family lives.
When I make changes, I try to make small changes that don’t seem like a big deal and won’t disrupt our lives. That way, the changes are likely to stick rather than become cumbersome and tiring. In this post, I want to share some of the reusable alternatives to disposable items we use in our home. Almost without fail, after a short adjustment period, we end up liking the reusable version MUCH better.
I encourage you to try some of these ideas in your own home for a minimum of four weeks. It likely won’t take that long for you to love it, but if you don’t like something after four weeks, don’t use it! Find another thing that does work for you. There are many ways to live more sustainably and these are just some of my favorites.
Produce Bags
These reusable mesh fruit bags are a fantastic alternative to the one-time-use plastic produce bags at the grocery store. They are completely washable and with 100 in the pack, you’ll never run out!
In The Garden
These bags are also great in the garden. I’ll put them around my grapes to keep the birds away and I’ve even used them on my apple tree and blueberries. They do a great job of protecting my harvest from he birds.
Mason Jars
Mason jars are probably one of the most common storage solutions for homesteaders. Their uses are almost endless and we can never seem to have enough of them. You don’t ever need to use them for canning, if canning isn’t your thing.
Whenever you would reach for a plastic bag, reach for a jar instead (unless it’s for the freezer). I put leftovers in jars or even single serving meals. They’re great for dry goods like sugar, flour, salt, beans, rice and everything else you can think of.
Plus, if you want to seal dry goods, all you need is a vacuum sealer to seal the jars! It really couldn’t be easier.
Reusable Silicone Bags
Recently, I switched to silicone bags as a reusable option for plastic bags. They come in a variety of sizes and I now use them primarily for freezer storage. I have replaced my plastic storage bag stash with a drawer full of these and I’m never going back.
What I love about this particular pack is that it comes with a handy drying rack so I don’t have them hanging all over the kitchen to dry.
The only downside I’ve noticed with these is that most are not dishwasher safe. For me, it’s not a big deal to hand wash them, but I know that’s not the case for everyone. If you need them to be dishwasher safe, just look for a brand that specifically states they are. Otherwise, you can assume they aren’t and you’ll end up with a melted bag the next time you open the dishwasher.
Handkerchiefs
Ok…hear me out. The idea of handkerchiefs is gross. I get it. I used to think so too. A reusable tissue? Gross!
But it’s not like that at all! I promise…after just one cold where you use handkerchiefs instead of even the lotion soft tissues, you’ll never go back. My grandpa used to carry a handkerchief at all times and the current generation is the first to ever have disposable tissues. So really, we’ve been using handkerchiefs for as long as anyone can think of.
Since I have severe environmental allergies, I blow my nose a LOT. At one point, I was going through a large tissue box every other day. I had an automatic Amazon subscription for tissue boxes and even then, I sometimes ran out.
It got me thinking…what could I do to reduce my waste in this area. So I ordered a pack of handkerchiefs to try out. I didn’t love them at first. It took some getting used to. Then I caught a cold. Since I didn’t have enough tissues, I used the handkerchiefs and even though they initially felt more rough on my face, there was no lingering redness and raw nose. It was a game-changer for me. I’ve not used tissues since.
You can order some handkerchiefs online and they have some really cute designs. Or, you can order pre-cut fabric squares for a fraction of the price and have an unlimited supply of handkerchiefs. All you’ll need to do is overcast sew the edges so they don’t fray over time. These are the ones I bought most recently and I love them! If you search for fabric squares, I’d stick to 10″ or more. It may seem large, but you’ll want something that can do what tissues can do and a larger size will make it feel more like using a tissue.
Reusable Paper Towels
Before there were paper towels, we used…towels. But, there’s a trick to it. Not all towels are created equally or for the same purpose. I think this knowledge has been lost to the generations, so I’ll share what I’ve learned.
Kitchen towels, like what you might find hanging on the door of the oven or refrigerator, are not for cleaning up messes. They are terrible at that. These towels are for drying your hands after you wash them. They are ideal for drying hands.
Flour Sack Towels are thin, large towels that are super absorbent. These are best for cleaning up messes and I have a ton of them. They’re cheap and thin and I use them for everything. I highly recommend stocking up on these. They even make perfect reusable paper towels when you cut them into quarters and sew the edges to keep them from fraying.
Reusable Bowl Covers
These bowl covers are great for a quick and easy alternative to plastic wrap or foil. They work well for keeping bugs off the food at your picnic or keeping things fresh in the refrigerator.
I like to use these bowl covers when I’m baking bread. I just get it a little wet and they keep my dough from drying out while rising. Plus, if they get a little messy, I can just toss them in the wash and they’re good as new! No more waste.
Sustainability
Together, we can make a difference by making small changes to produce less waste. Disposable items are convenient, but reusable ones can be too! All it takes is a slight shift in the way we think and our waste can be greatly reduced.
The ideas above are just some of the ways we use more sustainable items in our home. There are so many more little things that we do without even thinking about. The possibilities are endless…
– Wrapping fabric (rather than paper)
– Make your own laundry detergent
– Make more food from scratch
– Buy food in bulk (less packaging)
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