Low & Zero Waste Swaps

200+ Ecofriendly Low / Zero Waste Swaps & Eco-friendly Products

I first started my low waste journey by buying swaps, and I think it’s a great way to get your feet wet into sustainability and get off the ground running into some major life changes. 

What I was missing in my journey and would have found incredibly useful is a master list. Products I didn’t know could be ecofriendly, and where to buy the eco products. I’ve spent a few weeks compiling this master list, and it’s one of the most extensive lists I’ve seen. ​

Before you go to Amazon and “add to cart” all of these swaps, trust me when I tell you, do not make all of these swaps at once. 

First off, you probably have unsustainable versions of these items that are perfectly good and have a lot of life left in them. And that’s okay. Countless resources went into creating the unsustainable items, so you should use them to their fullest before buying new. 

Second, a lot of these items can be found secondhand over time, or can be upcycled from things you may already have. I’ve found some of these awesome swaps before in my local Buy Nothing Group, at Local Thrift Stores, or Online at places like Facebook Marketplace. 

And lastly, you don’t want to make all of these swaps at once because not only could it be super expensive, but it will be so overwhelming.

My biggest advice is to start in one area of your home and expand. For example when I started my sustainability journey I used a reusable water bottle, and focused on making swaps in my bathroom. Doing it slowly and over time helped me not get overwhelmed, spread the costs out, and it’s been a lot of fun. 

So, here is my master list of more than 200 eco-friendly low waste and zero waste swaps. Most of these items I’ve swapped in my home, but there are still quite a few that I haven’t made yet. 

Each item has an example of the item linked from a sustainable shop/brand.  {If I could not find a sustainable shop, I linked it to Target}

Bathroom / Personal Care Items

Starting in the bathroom was super easy for me, and I’ve found some great products. ​

~ Leaf Shave Razor or a Safety Razor: I personally use a Leaf Shave Razor and it is the best zero waste swap I’ve made. It’s 100% plastic free, reusable, and works just like a standard plastic razor. {affiliate link}
~ Shaving Cream Bar: Leaf Shave also makes a great one. {affiliate link}
~ Aftershave in a tin
~ Aftershave Tonic in a glass jar 
~ Bamboo Razor Cleaning Brush from Package Free
~ Bar Soap: Comes Plastic Free
~ Soap Saver Bag: Biodegradable and acts as a loofah with soap ends, making sure none of your bar soap goes to waste.
~ Soap Rests: I have a couple silicone ones in my bathroom, a bioplastic one and a bamboo one. These keep the bars off of the shelf, allowing them to dry properly and last longer. 
~ Shampoo Bars: I have tried dozens of shampoo bars over the last 8 or so years, and I’ve found a couple that I really love. I used to hate them, but now I swear by them! I think Ethique bars are my favorite. 
~ Powdered Dry Shampoo
~ Conditioner Bars: These have really saved my ends, and save the plastic bottle. 
~ Face Wash Bars: These are so underrated, now that I’ve switched to bars I’ll never switch back to liquid. 
~ Lotion Bars: these are a lifesaver, I use lotion every day especially in the winter and I used to go through so many plastic bottles!
~ Concentrate Bars: If you don’t like using bar products, trying concentrates, Ethique makes concentrates, for almost every product. 
~ Body wash in an aluminum container: I love Hey Humans
~ Face Moisturizer in a compostable tube: another life saver
~ Body Scrub Bar: Ethique makes awesome ones. 
~ Body Moisturizers in compostable tubes: Once again, Ethique. 
~ Loofah plant: Switch out those plastic loofahs, I know they’re pretty put they harbor so much bacteria, so get a loofah gourd instead which is compostable. 
~ Konjac Facial Sponge
~ Silicone Body Scrubbers: If you don’t like the feel of a loofah, these silicone brushes are endlessly reusable!
~ Plastic Free Sunscreen: Also great to find something reef safe!
~ Bug-Off Stick: replaces bug spray!
~ Reusable Swab: I use the Last Swab, and there’s a bunch of different applicator ends to choose from depending on the use!
~ Compostable cotton swabs: if you don’t like reusable ones, pick a compostable option. 
~ Bamboo Toothbrush: This was one of the first swaps I made and the easiest, It can be composted, which is great because every plastic toothbrush in the world is sitting in a landfill still today. So compostable is better. 
~ A water flosser: No need to waste floss, this is used in its place, and I’ve found it gets my teeth way cleaner than flossing with the string did. 
~ Refillable Floss: if you like the string floss try refillable or compostable. 
~ Refillable Floss Pick
~ Recycled Plastic floss picks: Not the greatest because you’re still putting them in the trash, but if you only like the floss picks, this is better than virgin plastic. 
~ Mouthwash Tabs: This is one I haven’t tried yet, but there are tons of brands that make them, reducing the plastic!
~ Toothpaste Tabs: You either love them or hate them. I think they’re perfect for traveling, but not daily use. 
~ Toothpaste in a glass jar: Nelson Naturals makes some awesome toothpaste in a glass jar. 
~ Toothpaste in a metal tube: Works too if you don’t like tabs or in a jar. I love Hey Humans and David’s. 
~ Toothpaste powder
~ Plastic Free Whitening Gel 
~ Tongue Scraper: This is all metal and I love it.
~ Reusable Cotton Rounds: These are great for taking makeup off, are reusable and can go right into the washing machine!
~ Lip Balm in a compostable tube: I’m obsessed with the Ethique ones!
~ Lipstick in a compostable Tube: Ethique is also an awesome brand. 
~ Deodorant in a compostable tube: I also love Hey Humans
~ Refillable Deodorant: Bite is great and has a great case!
~ Crystal Deodorant Stick
~ A Bamboo handled hair brush: I have a bamboo handled quick drying hair brush, so I don’t use a blow dryer, because it helps dry my hair faster.
~ Wooden Comb
~ Hair Ties Plastic Free: I don’t even want to think about all the hair ties I’ve lost in my life, because they were all plastic. Now they have biodegradable ones!
~ A Bidet: We don’t have one of these yet, but hopefully will be getting one soon. 
~ Reusable Toilet Paper: hear me out, bidet users understand, but its reusable to dry you off after you use a bidet. I don’t know if I would ever use it, but you can. 
~ Bamboo Toilet Paper:This is another underrated swap, tree free toilet paper. 
~ Tree Free Tissues
~ Reusable Tissues: Last Object makes some. 
~ Wet hair brush: made with plant based plastic
~ Dry Brush: made with compostable materials
~ Face Masks in a jar: I love face masks but they come with so much waste, try to get them in a jar. 
~ Bamboo Bandages
~ Dermaplaner: Leaf Shave is coming out with an all metal one soon!
~ Bath Bombs in compostable packaging
~ Zero Waste Mascara
~ Plantable Makeup Liners
~ Highlighter in a compostable tube
~ Refillable Foundation
~ Makeup Remover Bar
~ Makeup Remover Balm
~ Glasses made of recycled plastic
~ Refillable makeup 
~ Lip to Lid Balmies Crayons
~ Menstrual Cups: I tried these, I wasn’t a fan but there are so many different kinds of shapes and sizes. 
~ Reusable Pads: I use ones from the eco woman on laundry day but my favorite way to have a zero waste period is actually
~ Period underwear: I love Thinx, but there are so many other brands that make them now too!
~ For people with babies: Cloth diapering is a hit in the eco world. 
~ Refillable hand soap: I love Blueland, they have glass bottles and you drop a tab in hot water, no more plastic. 
~ Glass Nail File: endlessly reusable
~ Quick Drying Towels: If you shower more than once a day, these quick drying towels are for you! They dry in a few hours so you don’t need to use multiple towels. 
~ Fabric Shower Curtain: Reusable & Washable 
~ Fabric Shower Liner: Reusable & Washable
~ Refillable Hand Sanitizer

Kitchen

~ Silicone Baking Mat: SO underrated. This replaced tin foil and parchment paper. They are dishwasher safe and endlessly reusable. 
~ Reusable Cupcake Liners: These are AMAZING. Not only do I use them in place of foil or paper cupcake liners, but they are perfect for separating items in food containers. 
~ Cloth Napkins
~ Misto Oil Sprayer: One of the most underrated eco kitchen swaps in my opinion, it replaces aerosol cans of oil. 
~ Metal Tea Strainer: Perfect for looseleaf tea, because tea bags have millions of microplastics. 
~ Reusable Tea Bag: Another great alternative if you like tea in bags 
~ Reusable chopsticks: Say no the next time you get takeout, because you have reusable ones!
~ Silicone Ice Cube Trays: Get yourself a set of massive Ice Cube trays. I love the silicone ones. This has been a LIFESAVER when it comes to food waste. Leftover sauce? Freeze it into cubes. Herbs going bad? Chop them up, stick it in a cube with oil. I can’t recommend getting a set of these enough!
~ Metal Toothpicks
~ Reusable Cloth Coffee Filter
~ Reusable Coffee Basket: This depends on the machine you have so be sure to buy the right one! This one fits a Keurig Duo. 
~ Reusable coffee pod: No more tossing out the tons of plastic from Kcups, refill this with your favorite coffee!
~ French press
~ Bamboo Cutting Board
~ Reusable Grocery Bag: If you’re lucky enough to live near a Wegmans, I 110% recommend their reusable bags! They are $1, and I’ve had some of mine for almost 10 years. If not, package free has really nice eco bag totes!
~ Reusable Produce Bags: Perfect for loose produce at the grocery store!
~ Reusable Grain Bags: Perfect for Bulk dry ingredients!
~ Reusable Water Bottle: I love the Yeti bottles, they last forever and the finish doesn’t wear off like cheaper water bottles. If you don’t own any, get a yeti. If you do own some, dig them out of your cabinet and use what you have!
~ Reusable Coffee Cup: Again, Yeti makes amazing quality items that last forever. 
~ Silicone Can Covers: Perfect for pets wet food cans! We’ve also used them to cover cans of beans in the fridge in a pinch. 
~ Stainless Steel Dish Set
~ Glass Pyrex Containers 
~ Cutlery Set: This one from Cliffset is great, but you can probably just wrap some silverware up from your kitchen!
~ Reusable Glass Straws: perfect for smoothies or milkshakes, then you can also see if the straw is clean. 
~ Reusable Boba Straws: Perfect again for the thicker liquids or boba tea
~ Reusable Metal Straws: Perfect for things like water or juice, nothing would get stuck inside. 
~ Bamboo Paper Towels
~ Unpaper Towels
~ Glass jars for leftovers or food storage: You can definitely buy jars but I recommend reusing containers from things you buy at the grocery store. Pasta sauce glass jars are my favorite to buy and reuse the containers. 
~ Silicone Stretch Lids
~ Avocado Saver: I bought one of these from Home Goods years ago, and it’s been the best thing to save half of avocados. I’ve found the stretchy ones works the best. 
~ Cloth Bowl Covers
~ Stainless Steel To Go Containers
~ Sugar and Flour saver containers: You could use any container, but I prefer these because the sugar and flour keep for longer!
~ Metal tofu press
~ Fabric Bread Bag: Perfect if you make your own bread!
~ Stainless Steel Funnel 
~ Silicone Bags – I love Stasher Brand. They are seriously the best kitchen swap I’ve made. 
~ Biodegradable plant based sandwich bags
~ Biodegradable plant based Gallon size bags
~ Plant Based Trash Bags
~ 100% Recycled plastic trash bags
~ Plant Based Compost Bags
~ Silicone Compost Bin: this sits in my fridge door and goes into the dishwasher for easy cleaning. 
~ Metal Compost Container
~ Beeswax Wraps: Used instead of plastic wrap, Goldilocks is the best. 
~Silicone Cooking Utensils
~ Wooden spoons if you don’t like silicone. 
~ Brita Water Pitcher, the filters are recyclable through Terracycle. 
~ Charcoal Water Filter
~ Nutshell Cooler
~ Lomi Composter
~ Soda Stream Machine: to reduce buying canned drinks
~ Aluminum Party Cups
~ Paper plates that can be composted
~ Paper Straws
~ Leaf Bowls that can be composted
~ Compostable cutlery

Cleaning

I have been using Blueland products for over a year, and they are awesome! 
~ Refillable General Multipurpose Cleaner: 
~ Refillable Glass Cleaner
~ Refillable Bathroom Cleaner
~ Refillable Hand Soap
~ Toilet Tabs
~ Laundry Tabs
~ Laundry Sheets
~ Laundry Liquid Concentrate
~ Solid Stain Stick
~ Powder Oxi Boost 
~ Dryer Balls if you dry your clothes
~ Air Drying Rack if you air dry your clothes
~ Compostable bottle cleaning brush
~ Compostable sponge
​~ Coconut Kitchen Scourers
~ Copper Scrubber
~ Reusable and washable Mop pad / Swiffer Heads
~ Dishwasher Tabs
~ Powder Dish Soap
~ Block Dish Soap
~ Dish Soap Concentrate– Ethique has one I’m dying to try!
~ Bamboo dish brush
~ Bamboo Pot scrubber
~ Bamboo vegetable brush 
~ Swedish Dish Cloths
~ Rags: Found at any thrift store, to use instead of paper towels for cleaning. 
~ Recycled paper paper towels
~ Bamboo Fiber Dish Cloths
~ Stainless Steel Toilet Plunger
~ Wood Toilet Brush

Cleaning

~ Reusable Tote Bag: I try to always have one on me for shopping so I can say no to paper or plastic bags!
~Hemp Backpack
~Reusable Lunch Box 
~Pela Phone Case
~Pela Zero Waste Liquid Screen Protector
~Pela Compostable watch bands
~Pela Air pod cases
~Pela Air Tag holders
~Pela Phone Grips
~Pela Wallets
~LED Light Bulbs
~Reusable Lint & Pill Remover
~Reusable Lint Roller
~Electric Lighter
~Refillable Candle: I love Yuno Candles
~Candles in Tin or Glass Jars made with soy wax: The containers are easy to upcycle and can be recycled as well when clean. 
~Reusable Masks
~Electric Bike
~Dog Shampoo Bar
~Cat shampoo bar
~E Reader
~Hemp Bedsheets
~Bamboo fiber pillows
~Clothing made from natural fibers: For Days is great! They also offer a recycling program. There are many other brands that have sustainable clothing that is ethically made. 
~Hemp Wallets
~Hemp Fanny Pack

​And office supplies. If you’re like me and have loved buying office supplies so you have a whole supply of them, don’t buy new eco ones, use what you have first.
~Rocketbook
~Refillable Fountain Ink Pen
~Recycled paper notebook
~Recycled Paper folders
~Recycled plastic binders
~Stainless Steel Ruler
~Recycled Plastic Scissors
~Plastic Free Tape
~Plantable colored pencils
~Plantable Graphite Pencils
​~Recycled Newspaper Pencils 
~Recycled Banana Paper 
~Recycled Sticky Notes
​~Banana Paper Recycled Envelopes
~Recycled Paper Clips
~Natural Grass Pens


If you have any questions about these items, leave them down below in the comments. I’ll also update this blog post with more swaps as I find them. 

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