Minimizing Our Footprint

Our family is trying to minimize consumption. Probably one of the hardest habits for us to change is our reliance on Amazon. Anymore I pretty much despise shopping and love the convenience of Amazon. But their business practices, treatment of workers, and so much more leave me feeling not great at all about using them. So, we are trying to change our habits. With that being said, many of the products noted below were purchased on Amazon over the past year as I began to move us towards a smaller footprint.

This year I've switched to bar shampoo (no plastic containers), homemade toothpaste (required some adjustment), cotton mesh produce bags, and am working on homemade laundry soap (again no plastic containers). I've been using reusable grocery bags, lunch packing supplies, and environmentally friendly dishwasher soap, etc. But as a family, we have a lot more work to do on our footprint. These are small steps considering the scope of global warming. But we are researching and ramping up our efforts.

I posted about this on Facebook and asked for tips. A lot of friends asked me to share what products I've been trying and like, so here is a quick list. Note that I link to Amazon or other website where I bought the products, but you can find similar items locally or at other online outlets.

Hygiene

Homemade Toothpaste

Currently, I'm using this toothpaste recipe. I chose it because I already had all the ingredients on hand. It is a bit gritty, but not bad. I want to try this one next, which claims to be dentist-approved.

Toothbrushes

Made the switched to bamboo/biodegradable toothbrushes.

Bar Shampoo

I bought some bar shampoo on Amazon last fall and didn’t read package closely enough. The product has palm oil and each bar was wrapped in plastic. However, I was surprised by how well it has worked on my hair. I won’t purchase again though, for reasons stated above. I am going to try buying all soaps (bar shampoo + handsoap) locally at Herbaria on the Hill. I’ve bought soaps and gifts there over the years and they are really nice folks. I actually bought my husband a sampler pack of Herbaria bar shampoos for his Christmas stocking. I’ll switch to those for a few weeks and report back. Sammy Soaps in Kirkwood is also a fantastic company. I've read (and heard from friends) that the Lush Shampoo Bars are good. Maddie, at Local Harvest vouches for the shampoo bar made by Herman Handmade Soaps, which they sell in the store.

No Shampoo

I did try the no poo shampoo, which is essentially using small combinations of vinegar, baking soda, etc. and it actually was starting to work. The first 2-4 weeks is kind of gnarly. I started over Christmas break in 2017 but abandoned when I had to start really seeing people (work) on a more consistent basis. But I know people who do this with success. Here is a website with loads of no poo information.

Skincare and Makeup

My goal is to cut back on the use of makeup and move towards natural products when I do wear it. I quit dying my hair, which has been liberating and awesome. But now that it is shorter, it requires more product to look at all decent, which creates a dilemma. I should have kept in long (ponytail!) and just embraced my inner hippie. I have enough lipsticks in my medicine cabinet to last me the rest of my life. I am going to shop moisturizer with Blissoma, a local company dedicated to sustainability and move towards a total low maintenance routine. Plastic razors drive me bananas, but not sure I can go that hippie yet.

Around The House

Reusable Straws

My kid loves to have a straw with smoothies, so I bought a pack of these stainless steel reusables.

Packing a Lunch

All three of us have lunch bags and I pack reusable plastic containers. I've tried using various bento type boxes for the kid over the years, but opening and closing happens haphazardly. Individual containers just work better for us because I try to pack 75% of our lunch contents for the week on Sunday night. She has a stainless steel bottle of drinks.

Produce Bags 

Just got these mesh produce bags and used them for the first time. Happy with them so far.

Canvas Shopping Totes

I love my two giant IKEA totes but hate the rest of the plastic shopping bags I’ve accumulated. They don’t fold well and end up take up a lot of room in my car and inevitably tear. So as they wear out, I’m replacing with these giant totes with interior pockets. I have used them twice and love them.

Dishwasher Detergent

This is a work in progress. One reason I switched to this brand of dishwasher detergent was that it appeared to be in a box instead of a plastic bag. Upon arrival, I found that each tablet inside is wrapped in plastic. And I'm only marginally happy with their effectiveness. I want to try to make my own powder detergent or even my own tablets but am using up what I have first.

Laundry Detergent 

This is the laundry detergent recipe my friend Kristin uses. I have all the ingredients except the soap flakes and I’m going to get those from Herbaria. This is the next big project I'm trying. Husband does 90% of our laundry. Hope he's up for it.

Wool Laundry Balls 

My goal here was to eliminate dryer sheets because of fragrance concerns. These wool laundry balls are supposed to help clothes dry more quickly, saving energy. I put essential oils on them periodically to add nice smell to laundry.

Cloth Napkins

We've used cloth napkins forever. I have dozens I've picked up at estate sales over the years.

Other Shares

I joined my local Buy Nothing group on Facebook and have already been able to find homes for some gently used kids items. South City has a very active group. Half of the contents of my house is from estate sales. Online estate sale listings are here.

Gardening

I wish we could have a bigger garden, but our yard is so shady. I grow a TON of herbs and freeze pesto to last us the winter. We grow tomatoes and cucumbers, but that is about it.

Vegetarian / Vegan Diet

Lots of information out there on how much better a plant-based diet is for your health and the health of the planet. I do like to cook and we have been eating healthier so we're headed in this direction, although I don't think we will eliminate all meat.