I’m far from being a minimalist, but I’ve been thinking a lot of my impact on our planet these last few years. I wanted to share with you a list of 23 things I stopped buying. As I reflect on these items, I’m surprised that I don’t even miss them.
(Please note that there are affiliate links in this post, meaning if you do purchase something from clicking through these links, I might get a small compensation for the referral, at no cost to you. )
I embarked on a mission to eliminate plastic in my family’s life, at least as much as we can. If you are new here, you might want to catch up on how I got started going plastic-free and what I’ve learned along the way.
Although I’ve made a declaration about my plastic-free mission in September 2019, I’ve been thinking about and acting on this a long time before.
I’ve come up with a list of things I stopped buying mostly to eliminate plastic but in some cases, it’s also to eliminate harmful chemicals, or in the case of food items, unhealthy ingredients.
Check out my list of 23 things I stopped buying and I don’t even miss. #plasic-free #ecolifestyle
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My list isn’t in any particular order except for the order they came out of my head.
23 Things I Stopped Buying
- Sandwich Bags
- Freezer Bags
- Plastic wrap – I use beeswax wraps instead
- Ready-made pasta sauce – I make mine from scratch
- Toilet bowl cleaner – here’s my DIY recipe
- Window Cleaner – steal my DIY recipe
- Frozen meals – the kind you pop in the microwave
- Frozen pizza
- Disposable cleaning wipes – I love my microfibre cloths
- Dishwasher rinse – vinegar works too
- Coffee Filters – I have a reusable one
- Straws – I bought 4 metal ones
- Body Lotion – making my own
- Moisturizer – making my own
- Lip balm – making my own
- Teabags – I don’t drink much tea, but if I do, I prefer the flavoured loose tea. you can get them package-free from Bulk Barn
- Excess clothing – I’ve been working on a more sustainable capsule wardrobe
- Novels – I like to read but I borrow from sisters or the library
- Magazines – I love them too, but just add clutter and waste.
- Bottled Water – The drinking water in Niagara is safe. Ontario has high-quality standards
- Dryer sheets
- Bleach – too tough on my sensitive skin
- Foam Sponges
Things I’m Planning On Stop Buying
- Bottled Shampoo – I will use bar shampoo instead
- Bottled Conditioner – will try bar conditioner
- Pre-packaged snacks – I’ve started making this effort, but it’s proving to be more difficult. I’m working on it.
So, how many of these 23 things I stopped buying do you still buy? I dare you to give them up for a month and see if you really need them. What’s not on my list but would make your list of things you don’t buy? I’m curious to know. Leave your answers in the comments below.
I buy a few freezer bags as I grown and freeze a lot of my own produce but each one gets washed out and used many times. I sm yet to find a suitable alternative to plastic. I might buy frozen pizza a couple of times a year to have as an absolute back up when I need an almost instant meal. Other than that I don’t buy anything else on your list, including bottled shampoo/conditioner and snacks.
No need to publish this but you need to update the link on your FB icon at the top of the blog – love the new name 🙂
Thank you Rosie for the heads-up! Problem fixed!
Great post! There are so many alternatives out there to avoid a lot of packaging, especially in Canada where we have Bulk Barn!! I haven’t bought freezer bags or shampoo or cleaning products in years – and I can’t remember the last time I bought plastic wrap! Once you start noticing packaging and looking for alternatives, it’s hard to go back.Thanks for sharing!
Nice! Well done! For the snacks can i suggests buying dried fruits and nuts in bulk then put them in jars to go 😉
Snacks would probably be my biggest waste generator right now xD Since it is christmas all! This was really inspiring though, gonna look over my zero waste behaviour
That’s a great list, congratulations! I am actually planning on letting shampoo and conditioner bottels go and switch to bars instead. What I haven’t done myself but always want to is cleaner for the bathroom and kitchen…
I switched to bar shampoo almost a year ago. I dont think I will ever go back to bottle shampoo. Below is a link to a store I buy from on etsy.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GentleHomemadeSoap
Same with teabags for me! I almost never get them and always opt for loose leaf tea.