Happy Monday! In honor of Earth month, we’re sharing 34 alternatives to disposable plastic products. I hope you had a swell Earth Day yesterday. Initially I had a little lake kayak paddle planned, but a friend called and suggested a food truck rodeo in downtown Chapel Hill. After sharing a serving of every and anything that called to us, we headed to her deck to sit in the sunshine and plan a camping adventure. Soaking up eight hours of beautiful North Carolina sun was actually epically earthy. I enjoyed it to the max and ended up passing out well before midnight, a first in weeks for me!

The food truck rodeo was a no waste event, meaning everything that could be recycled or composted was with the help of volunteers who stood by each trash can instructing consumers where to discard their plates, cups, and food scraps. It’s almost unfortunate that we need that type of vigilance to get it right, but we surely do. Besides proper waste disposal, the coffee truck was selling stainless steel straws! They don’t do lids or plastic straws, hooray!

Plastic straws and my wish to ban them forever is actually what inspired this post of 34 alternatives to disposable plastic products. There is just no reason for us to go through so many, so often. Two at once?! I want to punch that drink right out of your hand. I’m not saying I’ve never done it, but I am saying I will never do it again. I once spent an entire afternoon picking up trash on one of my favorite Thai islands and by far the most common item was plastic straws. It was heart breaking.

Major benefits of swapping disposable plastic for reusable items :

• Less energy used in production, packing, shipping, and selling or using of the product.
• Less waste overall.
• Less spending overall.
• A more enjoyable life experience.

I think the main benefit to saying a big nope! to disposable products is an overall elevated life experience. What do I mean by that? Interacting with quality products not only in design, but material simply feels good. You know how it feels to buy a new product you absolutely love, right? Now imagine if you took the time to consciously seek out those items for yourself in all areas of life, simple or complex, and you only purchased those things. The everyday items you interact with would be objects you love and appreciate. You would take care of them and they would perform at a higher standard than the cheap stuff. You would actually keep track of those items instead of tossing them or losing them after only a few uses.

You’ll notice that a few items on this list are swapping plastic for plastic, but I hope you’ll see that sometimes using a more durable plastic that’s meant to be reused many, many times is what we’re aiming for in those cases.

Instead of this choose that :

1. disposable dishes and cutlery –  bamboo plates are compostable and perfect for parties and stainless steel plates are great for home use and incredibly durable and easy to clean.
2. saran wrap – beeswax wrap is reusable and easier to work with.
3. tupperware – pyrex or mason jars does the trick in our house.
4. plastic straws – cardboard straws are pretty, but I do find they get a little soggy so I prefer stainless steel for daily use.
5. coffee cup lids – just say nope!
6. to go cups for hot liquids – I love my cuppow and mason jar with a leather holdster, but if you’re not into glass buy a reusable mug.
7. to go cups for cold liquids – everyone needs a cool reusable cup for summer, stop the overuse of the single-use solo cup!
8. plastic water bottles – this is my favorite reusable drink bottle. I suggest buying one you really love and one that’s easy to clean that way you’re less likely to lose it.
9. baby bottles – glass bottles with silicone sleeves work just as well.
10. plastic grocery bags – canvas bags or reusable shopping bags are used for everything in my house.
11. plastic sandwich bags – we love these wax bags for most snacks and sandwiches.
12. plastic garbage bags – if your trash can is small enough, use paper bags, but also pay attention to how your trash is collected and if this is acceptable.
13. blender – this one is our absolute favorite, we grew up with one, both had our own for years, and I’ve even gifted one to Jamaican friends who juice daily.
14. milk containers – buy the carton or local glass bottles that you can return for a deposit.
15. frozen dinners – those entrees are always wrapped in plastic, then heated up in the microwave, plastic is inevitably leaching into your food besides how terrible most of them are for you. If you need something quick look for dinners stored in cardboard.
16. kerig – reusable filters, duh.
17. dry prepackaged foods – buy in bulk whenever possible.
18. cutting boards – we love bamboo, wood, and glass boards.
19. measuring cups, bowls, serving utensils, grater – go for quality items that you don’t need to replace as often and that you enjoy using.
20. plastic toys – there are so many awesome wooden alternatives, we also suggest a good book instead because everyone has so many toys.
21. plastic lawn furniture – try quality furniture that lasts for years and is actually comfortable.
22. plastic packing bags for travel – I prefer these stuff sack style packing bags for travel.
23. everyday toiletries – this idea makes sense if you use the same toiletries and can buy them in bulk OR if you have an awesome refill store like this somewhere near you.
24. travel toiletries – these are silicone, but they’ll last forever and I love them so much!
25. disposable razors – buy a handle so you’re not wasting so much plastic each time OR a subscription to Dollar Shave Club, which I’ve been contemplating for years – have you joined? Can you tell me about your experience?
26. plastic toothbrush – we switched to a bamboo toothbrush.
27. plastic shower curtains – cloth shower curtains, they look nicer and last longer anyway.
28. plastic table cloths – go with fabric.
29. plastic hangers – wooden ones are so much nicer to work with.
30. plastic trash and recycling bins – opt for stainless steel or tin where possible.
31. plastic blinds – besides the awful design and inability to survive in a house with a cat, you should buy wooden or bamboo blinds.
32. plastic lighters – buy a cool refillable one, you’re more likely to hang onto it and people cannot steal it because you’ll be able to recognize it.
33. cleaning solutions – you can make most things yourself, store them in a glass spray bottle.
34. flower pots – invest in beautiful planters that won’t become bleached by the sun and crack at the first bump or drop in temperature.

There are so many more items I could add to the list, but once I wrote down flower pots, I wasn’t sure if I was starting to name extraneous things or if it was still helpful. I reigned it in and paused there. Maybe next year we come back at you with a larger list? Who knows. If we missed anything major, be a dear and tell us in the comments.