Simple Swaps to Lower Waste | Part 2

Welcome to the second installment in our new sustainability series!

Part 1 was focused on some hygienic swaps and today we’ll be talking about a few common household items.

When I got engaged in 2017, I started saving to purchase one for our household. I didn’t know then that we’d end up in Texas permanently but after attending college in south Texas, I knew I wanted a Berkey. We live in North Texas (Dallas area) and the tap water here is terrible… Trevor likens it to “public pool water” — musty and highly chlorinated.

Our Royal Berkey Water Filter allows us to drink our tap water but not drink the nastiness in it! My older sister Tiffany and her husband Jeffrey (a couple fondly known as “Jeffany”) were the Berkey ‘pioneers” in our family clan. I used it for drinking, cooking, watering our plants, and even in our Keurig (it doesn’t leave buildup in the water reservoir.)

Our oldest sister Samantha and her family unit are the newest Berkey converts. They opted for the size larger than the Royal and it has already saved them money from cutting out bottled water!

Update December 2020: this past autumn, after tasting the Berkey filtered water at our home, my husband’s grandparents purchased one as well and convinced their friend to do the same! His grandma uses the water for drinking, cooking, watering plants and to keep their Shih Tzus hydrated.

I would love to invest in a Berkey shower filter someday as well — I’m tired of feeling like I’m bathing in a swimming pool. (Pun intended)

With a water purifier and reusable water bottles, you can stop buying bottled water. So much money saved over time + no plastic waste!

In beginning of Part 1, I stated that the most sustainable option is the one you already own.

This blue Tupperware water bottle (above, left) I purchased as a teenager nearly ten years ago! It is plastic, but it’s sturdy, dishwasher safe, and in good condition. There’s no reason to throw it away! I typically keep this kind of bottle on the nightstand — since it isn’t stainless steel, it won’t dent if I knock it over while sleeping.

The insulated stainless steel pineapple water bottle (above, right) was a Christmas gift. I really like insulated bottles because they keep their contents cold! Stainless steel is also highly recyclable which makes it an excellent choice for new purchases.

You don’t have give up your coffee or tea, but if you make a coffeehouse run, bring a reusable commuter mug. Many coffee shops will allow you to bring in your own cup, but as a former barista, I ask you to please bring in a clean cup every time 😉

(I thrifted both cups + lids pictured above!)

Laundry soap (above left), dishwasher detergent (above middle), fabric softener (above right)… all these everyday items usually come in some form of plastic. If you’re like me and are not ready to attempt making your own, here’s a plastic free alternative: Dropps!

They offer scented detergents, sensitive skin detergents, scented and unscented softeners, dishwasher pods, wool dryer balls, and other items. The pods are mailed in a sturdy “childproof” cardboard box that keeps the pods neat and tidy. (Since we don’t currently have children, I opted to move my laundry pods to cute little baskets and put the dish pods in a plastic container I saved from before.)

You can place individual orders or you can save a good bit by using their subscription! There’s no fee to join and it costs nothing to cancel or postpone. The default subscription is every four months but I found that our last shipment sustained us closer to six months. Every household is different but their “weekly laundry load” guide really helps to get the right amount.

Dryer sheets make me itch and their scent is almost always overpoweringly strong. A few drops of lavender essential oil on the wool dryer balls and our laundry has a subtle, pleasant scent. Plus the wool balls help cut down on drying time which saves electricity and means less wear on your textiles.

I thrifted this drying rack before I got married. I knew we would be living in an apartment and wanted a compact option for line drying. It is excellent for drying bras (those should never go in the dryer!), delicates, wrap skirts, t-shirts you want to lengthen the life of, or even just to save electricity.