In recent years, zero-waste products have been all the rage. From laundry detergent with natural ingredients to recyclable packaging aiming to replace plastic waste, there’s a sustainable solution for nearly every part of your lifestyle. For those with a particular interest in the environment, making the switch to zero waste products might be a no-brainer. But, if you’re already scrimping and saving, making the initial investment in sustainable alternatives to your standard, budget-friendly products probably isn’t at the top of your to-do list. But, even then, opting for a cruelty-free, sustainable cleaning agent and other household goods is undoubtedly the best option for you and your family. Here’s why.
You can make a difference in the environment.
From switching to zero waste laundry detergent to including more vegan dishes in your weekly meal plan, each tiny change you make at home adds up and helps reduce your environmental impact. A zero-waste lifestyle—and the products that go along with it—focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling, keeping plastic and other materials out of the landfill without sacrificing the products you love. After all, sustainable laundry detergent does just as good a job as traditional laundry powder or detergent pods when it comes to getting out stains in the load of laundry in your washing machine. But, in the process of switching to a natural detergent, you’re minimizing the effect that those waste materials have on the environment. Protect the animals, maintain the environment, and help save the world, one sustainable swap at a time.
You can protect your family’s physical and mental health.
Whether you’re a parent dedicated to putting your family’s health first or are living alone and caring for yourself, your health is inherently tied to the products you use in your home. As you reach for more natural, zero waste products around the home, you’ll be bringing healthier, more natural ingredients into, onto, and around your body. You’ll enjoy an array of health benefits by opting for items with fewer (or no) parabens, allergens, added dyes, chemical additives, and other manmade or animal-derived ingredients. And, as you reduce your environmental impact, you’ll face less stress around the future of the climate and environment.
You can save the animals.
As you aim to create a more environmentally friendly world, you’ll help conserve the energy and emissions caused by the production of packaging and other materials. And, best of all for animal lovers, you’ll reduce the threat that some of your favorite creatures face. Turn to metal or plastic straws to save the turtles or pick out soda without a plastic six-pack ring to reduce the risk of your trash harming birds and other wildlife. Each change adds up to protect animals in the here and now, and help make sure there’s a natural world for them to live in for many years to come.
You can save money.
As you seek out the best zero waste laundry solutions, reusable straws and containers, and other environmentally friendly products, adding up the total cost as you go, the last thing you’ll likely be thinking of is how these changes will save you money. But, in actuality, moving towards a zero-waste lifestyle can save money in quite a few ways. Consider, for example, a reusable water bottle. At first, you’ll pay more for that bottle than you would water from the nearest vending machine or the cooler at your grocery store checkout counter. But, as you fill your new water bottle time and again, you’ll find that the initial cost more than pays for itself, especially if you were a frequent plastic bottle-buyer before you picked out a more sustainable option. Say you spent $30 on an aesthetically pleasing metal bottle that you love—that’s the equivalent of buying about 20 individual plastic bottles, and it will last you many more refills than that!
From budget and health benefits to protecting animals, the environment, and your family, going zero-waste has no shortage of features that will improve your life. Despite the initial investment in upgrading to sustainable products, there’s no doubt the benefits will outweigh that cost—and you’ll likely even save money along the way.
