11 SUPER EASY Zero Waste Swaps to Reduce Plastic at Home - Sustainable Living

In this video, we're sharing 11 super easy product swaps to help reduce plastic and waste in your home. We teamed up with Tannis and Mara from The Green Jar in Toronto, Canada to come up with some of the easiest and most straightforward low waste product alternatives for the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room.
You can find out more about The Green Jar and shop their online store here:
www.thegreenjarshop.com/
And you can follow them on Facebook and Instagram here:
/ thegreenjarshop
/ thegreenjarshop
The zero waste and plastic-free products in the video are:
1. A solid dish block to replace liquid dish soap in bottles
2. Vegetable-based sponges like loofahs and corn-based sponges to replace plastic sponges
3. A stainless steel reusable coffee filter to eliminate the need for paper filters or keurig containers
4. Mason jar lids to repurpose Mason jars so they can be refilled with bulk liquids and dry goods
5. Wool dryer balls that soften clothes naturally without the need for plastic dryer sheets
6. Bamboo toothbrushes to replace plastic toothbrushes
7. Toothpaste tablets to eliminate the need for toothpaste in a tube
8. Corn-based dental floss that is vegan and compostable
9. Shampoo bars to eliminate the need for plastic shampoo bottles
10. A stainless steel safety razor to replace plastic and disposable razors
11. Reusable makeup remover pads made with cotton and bamboo to replace disposables that can sometimes contain plastic
We hope you found some of these tips and hacks helpful for figuring out how to reduce the amount of garbage and recycling that goes out each week. Small zero waste lifestyle changes add up to big impacts and we can all play our part!
Thanks for watching!
Mat & Danielle
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STAY IN TOUCH!
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Website: www.exploringalternatives.ca
Facebook: / exploringalternativesblog
Instagram: / exploringalternatives
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COMMENTS
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We want our channel and our comments section to be an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome to watch and contribute. For this reason, comments that are inappropriate or hateful will be reported and/or deleted.
Please discuss and debate with respect, and report inappropriate or hateful comments directly to KZbin.
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CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.
Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
Filming Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
#zerowaste #lowwaste #plasticfree

[@ExploringAlternatives]

Thanks for watching! You can follow and find out more about The Green Jar here: www.thegreenjarshop.com/ instagram.com/thegreenjarshop/

[@QuiteDecent]

Quite decent

[@jimysk8er]

gentle reminder, for people swapping things, to use up what you have or giving it to someone before replacing it. The most eco friendly thing to do is often to just completely use up/wear out what you have before you replace it. (reusable bags is a good example) Even though it's really fun to have new environmentally friendly packaging everywhere. Of course if you are worried about microplastics or whatever kind of personal risks you have with plastics then you should go for it. Driving up demand for these is good for everyone.

[@thegreenjar6064]

Hi. We encourage folks to use what they already have at home, before runing out to buy anything at all. There does come a time, when one might need to replace a broken, depleted or old item pump (floss, coffee filter, a lid for their collection of mason jars, etc) or they find themselves in a new living situation where they will require items they did not own before. The Green Jar only sells BPA-free plastic lids that are durable (HDPE) and can be reused for many years. We do offer stainless steel and platinum silicone lids as well.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

Not only are all of these things the eco-friendly choice, they are all the aesthetic choice as well! They just look so much classier than plastic junk.

[@hirrorstories]

Exactly😍

[@sherrijackson4933]

Wish we had a store like this in every city

[@sudhaooriah8084]

The toothpaste tablets are such a smart idea. Them being made to portion will greatly reduce wastage.

[@mgjmiller1995]

5:20 "Bite" is great company for toothpaste bits (bites). Their containers are metal/glass, their refills are sent in about the smallest package (and packaging) I've ever seen. Floss biodegrades too (silk?). V pleased thus far!

[@trailrider2571]

So in reality this is how people lived before the advent of plastics in the 20th century. It's a regression in a way. The woman has the most soothing, mellow voice with the cute Canadian accent (on her the accent is cute, like when she says 'out').

[@moreybandel5560]

Cindy says "What you are doing is Awesome!!! We Need this store here in the United States, at least two in Every state! I have been making my own laundry soap, toothpaste, and deodorant for the past several years. I also use bar soap, shampoo bars, and bamboo toothbrushes. Thank you for helping the planet, and for the video!"

[@itzakpoelzig330]

At least two in every city!

[@Gudsur]

I've used the toothpaste tablets before. I really love them more than using the tubes. The active charcoal actually helped whiten my teeth too. More of these stores should be open everywhere. This is literally the future the planet needs. I wonder if they offer franchise opportunities 🤔

[@meghanlozada]

while this idea is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC idea and I have always been very interested in the zero waste movement, these types of stores are few and far between. i’ve heard of some in Canada such as this one, some in California, but it’s not easily accessible to most people. Would I love to be able to walk to a zero waste store and stock up on items, absolutely! But unfortunately our world is still plastic driven 😩 Keep doing what you’re doing guys and spread awareness to the plastic-free movement!

[@lijohnyoutube101]

Agree but there are also several online stores that sell these things.

[@jennacyrenne5487]

There’s one in our tiny town of elm creek Manitoba ! Population 500

[@dslynx]

That was pretty cool, I'd really enjoy a series talking about alternatives like this!

[@iteerrex8166]

This is great, and we must do much more of this to the food industry. A shampoo bottle lasts for a month or two, but a water bottle for a few hours. So carrying a glass or stainless steel liquid container, and so on..

[@GregCurtin45]

I rank this as the #1 video I've watched in 2022. Every single item wasn't just green-forward but they were all things people use every day. If you like buying in volume to save money then think about how much you can save by not paying for disposable packaging? Well done ladies for trying to make the world a little bit better. #TheGreenJar #CommonSense

[@livingfree2333]

Love this store, the owner, and all their ideas. We re-use the lids of Vegenaise jars for our mason jars.

[@mush3199]

Just found out that peanut butter lids fit regular mason jars👍🏼

[@livingfree2333]

@@mush3199 oh yes, we use those too!

[@snickerbuckle]

@@mush3199 Parmesan cheese shaker lids fit narrow mouth mason jars. I buy spices and things like sunflower seeds and hemp hearts in bulk and use pint jars for them.

[@sevenseen]

hot tip !!!

[@chichi9851]

Wow!! Excellent to know!

[@Noukz37]

Really cool and amazing alternatives! But I'm mostly impressed by Tannis, how eloquent and knowledgeable she is, the proof that you don't need to say a lot in order to speak well. Also she has a really calming energy which I even picked up through the video 🙂

[@alexlarson833]

Totally agree, she’s great 👍

[@eileenfb1948]

I look forward to having this type of shop opening here in Scotland. I do use some of the ideas here. Every little helps.

[@paulas_lens]

Love this. I have been trying to eliminate plastic even entering our house. It is hard, but exciting as well. I am definitely looking into the Dish Block. So many good ideas and products here. Thanks for sharing this.

[@magesalmanac6424]

I have a similar dish block and it has outlasted my plastic bottle by a long shot!

[@honey3693]

Just a question, i don't mean to offend, the dish block can bacterias grow on them or are they generally hygienic? Just some thoughts.

[@annaflowers91]

@@honey3693 that's a soap. You use soap in your everyday life, right?

[@honey3693]

@@annaflowers91 That's different. That's for utensils for food you ingest. I mean I don't really mean to offend. It's just that the liquid dishwashing soap from where I came from would always boast of antibacterial and how regular soap/sponges can have germs growing on them so they made this antibacterial thingy to kill germs. But I do get the gist of it.

[@thegreenjar6064]

Hi Honey, one ingredient in this particular dish block is preservative called Sodium benzoate. It is naturally bacteriostatic and fungistatic. A tip we like to recommend, is to avoid any pooling water on or around the dish block, so as to ensure long lasting use.

[@actualangel5133]

Wishing stores like this are opened in every city & town. 🤗🤗🤗

[@iloveyouamberappel]

Love the idea and more people should use products like this. People always seem to disagree but you get a good amount of people to switch to zero waste products, it will make a difference in the climate change fight. Buy Local.

[@mechengr1731]

Sadly, its hard to find stores like this locally in some areas. I wish my city had a store like this.

[@iloveyouamberappel]

@@mechengr1731 Maybe not your thing to start your own store but you should start telling people. If there is an interest someone will do it. With the majority of people worried about climate change... seems like a no brainer.

[@sybamunki]

Have gone online and bought similar products as a result of this video!

[@voneschenbachmusic]

Paper-free coffee filter... or just get a French Press lol. Stainless tea pot filters also work well and are multi-use.

[@CoinOpTV]

Nice suggestions - ready for a part 2 video soon!

[@thetribalist3852]

Thank you for promoting zero waste living! These simple swaps empower us to make a positive impact on the environment. Let's inspire others to join the movement! ♻💚

[@littlecookingtips]

Wow what a beautiful shop! Kudos to the 2 sisters, we wish them all the best!

[@margaretporkolab7166]

My dad use that razor is dad bought one of the first ones when they came out. I might still have it.

[@angelatillman4323]

Nice job ladies!!!! I am in love with this idea! We should have these every where!

[@veepotter307]

It felt good to see some of the products you talked about that I could say „oh I use that“, like toothpaste tablets, bamboo toothbrushes, shampoo bars, and tops for mason jars! Bravo!

[@SimpleEssentials]

Brilliant video and suggested eco friendly swaps :)

[@yorukkizigeziyor]

Very beautiful 👍👍🌺

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

I have one of those razors from my dad - nice that they made a come back! The older designs are better for sure. I luckily don't shave though unless it's some yuppie event. haha.

[@mush3199]

My mom had the same razor. Dad used a straight edge folding model and resharpened it. I however have decided that shaving is overrated. While I have a razor, the blade lasts me for years because I only shave when I feel like it - usually when the static electricity on my legs becomes unbearable 😝

[@magesalmanac6424]

They stay sharp so much longer than the plastic ones. I’ve saved a lot of money making the switch too.

[@carolewarner101]

This is what we need on a world wide scale...

[@amberhainsey3152]

Amazing! Love your contribution to this beautiful planet!

[@rybread77689]

I love that things like these are becoming available for people. More people need to see this and start to swap!!!

[@simini1837]

Very interesting video. I don't live in Canada but wish the sisters great success with their shop!!

[@iratozer9622]

That was a very informative and low key presentation. Thank you. You are very lovely. Have a wonderful adventure.

[@selomitagwireyi3288]

This is wonderful!👏🏾💞

[@cloverhighfive]

I've been using the shampoo bars for years now. I didn't know about the others than the white one - highly recommend if you're sensitive to perfume. That one just faintly smells like basic soap (there's nothing added I think) and washes away. My father has smell/perfume sensitivity as well + skin sensitivity (gets itchy easily) and uses the shampoo bar for his body lol

[@kellyjohnson3617]

In the town where I live we have a store called The Refill Store. I love using and reusing items. I have bamboo tooth brushes and after they are not great for the teeth I use them for scrubbing small spaces. I reuse glass jars instead of using Tupperware or gladware .. etc. you look like you have many products that my shop here in So Cal has. Thanks for your post

[@boerinmetkoeien7190]

This is great! I love all the items you show. Unfortunately in our neighborhood there's no store which sell these items.

[@davidalearmonth]

Love my safety razor!

[@sng2225]

Some really fantastic ideas. I am going research local options.

[@linedezainde]

Excellent ideas! I have slowly been reducing plastic use but it's not easy to find great products, especially that I live in a rural area. It would be great to get more ideas and names of reliable stores I can order from online.

[@crosswordboss]

100% Plastic-Free would be the ultimate goal... Which means figuring out your plastic lids, push-pumps, containers, etc.

[@thegreenjar6064]

Agreed. We do carry metal pump and lid options, however the plastic options are not 'single-use' and will last many years before one will need to responsibly recycle them. The Green Jar has made an effort to mitigate our community's plastic waste, by placing collection bins in our shop and partnering with companies that collect and shred our customers' broken or 'hard to recycle plastics' - repurposing them into decking ,and park benches, etc.

[@darryllindner1485]

I remember a time that we were close to being plastic free, it was the "now generation" that drove us to using instant solutions.

[@birdlady2725]

I agree but my conundrum is spices that rust metal lids. Any suggestions? I store them in small glass jelly jars.

[@crosswordboss]

@@birdlady2725 It really comes down to the supplier's choice of material. The only way to by-pass using others would be to create the molds yourself.

[@itzakpoelzig330]

A cork? Or a wooden jar (or would that be a pot?) with a wooden screw-top lid. A useful way that I use to answer any such questions is to research how people did that thing before plastic was invented.

[@cathylynnpietranton]

Wow love this. Super fantastic. Such a great idea. Thanks Matt and Danielle for sharing ❤

[@copperhousefarm4794]

Looks like a pretty awesome store.

[@randzopyr1038]

"Refillery" - this is a store that no one realized that we needed. Keep the prices reasonable (appeal to average consumers when possible over niche groups like zero waste and vegan) and this sort of store could absolutely take off in any high-density area. Stock a few basic food items, some general household products, reusable containers, and the odd paper/cardboard packaged product and I think it would be a great success.

[@dumplingabroad]

Ooh, I remember my grandpa had one of those rasors, too! I'm sure we've still got it somewhere :)

[@user-kc1xv9vf9y]

Thank you for your eco friendly activity!

[@veganchaatparty]

Super Superb....super thanks for sharing!! Really useful and amazing!

[@patrickmckowen2999]

So many great ideas 👍

[@jennieladew-duncan132]

Thank you for these ideas.

[@TubeThambiAuroville]

Thanks for the mindfulness 🙏❤

[@parisaazad1993]

Love this! Thank you!

[@WarumWiesoWeshalb]

wow thank you for trying to make our World a lil bit better!

[@101taiga]

Such great ideas!

[@heEllie]

this is what we are looking for. It is glad to meet your vedio

[@KingsMom831]

Excellent video! We need more stores/shops like this😁🙏

[@niquenique709]

Thats a great name for the store 💚

[@christines5430]

Awesome. These are all such great, environmentally friendly products.

[@soundslight7754]

Fantastic ideas and products

[@anniecochrane3359]

Really impressive - thanks for showing. Here in Aotearoa/New Zealand we have some stores dotted about, but the products are always available to everyone via a range of online stores and I see this is also the case in Canada, with this beautiful store for example. The advantage of the physical stores is that they can draw in the curious passerby who may not otherwise have known what is available.

[@ozairakhtarcom]

Amazing initiative and awesome products. Loved it. May you gain great success. Amen 🙏🍀😇

[@loismarie3]

i recently purchased a dish block from amazon and i love it, i also purched mason jars love love, and i also purchased shampoo bars❤❤❤. still have a little more swaps to go.

[@bobclarke2242]

Great alternatives

[@Endless-loveeee]

Beautiful 🦋

[@offgridrooster]

Fantastic!

[@christinagowda3064]

Awesome video. Time for a Toronto Road Trip. Thank you!

[@CIUITIS]

Amazing!!!!

[@akafuguvids]

Brilliant! Hope you use non plastic and biodegradable packaging for shipping, too! (I'm sure you do) I'll be sure to order a bunch of products to be sent to Vancouver. Though, I hope you get a retail shop opened there, too.

[@thegreenjar6064]

Hi Matt, we are lucky to work with awesome suppliers that pack all of our products in paper and/or corn cellulose peanuts. We reuse all of that, for our own orders. Any surplus paper, we share with our community or shred for our worm bin.

[@amandanicole3999]

I love this ❤️

[@angiemmo]

It’s so nice , what a great easy examples for change Thanks and keep it going ❤️🌎♻️🌱

[@samridley6604]

Love this

[@lotusdolphin]

Love the store! And the owner was delightful! Wish we had some thing like that here. Maybe we do and I haven’t found it yet. From California💜🤟🏻😎🇺🇸

[@blackmonday738]

this got my attention!!💞

[@PShy-er9hz]

Nice Concept ….. Good Job! 💯❤️

[@mikebocchinfuso9437]

I wish there were stores like this here in NYC

[@iluhlinda2737]

About dish block, I'm prever using liquid soap, it's for avoid the germ stick on the block.

[@junehulton9776]

That's fabulous. And I love some of the alternatives..I'm in the UK... I do try and use other substainable products..I have a bamboo dish pad they are great.. really strong on dishes I am going to look through your website. Thank you for sharing 😊

[@sarge27271]

Congrats Ladies!!! Awesome ;-)

[@cartib6677]

Quick reminder that French press or a cezve (for fine grain Turkish coffee) are also great options for coffee that doesn’t require filters

[@EcoSnooki]

Nice presentation❤

[@peyvandf]

Please open a store in Vancouver too 🙏 💚

[@user-xc2qs7mk3l]

Lovely video

[@shaunnarochelle]

I use Doc bronners castile soap as dish soap. works great and a little cheaper than many dish soap bars

[@tracy6144]

Do you find it rinses clean? I’ve read a few people saying it leaves a film on their dishes so I’ve been a bit reluctant to try it.

[@shaunnarochelle]

@@tracy6144 it rinses perfectly clean. I find it to be fantastic :)

[@kimberlystigall5436]

I LOVE YOUR CHANEL AND ALL OF THESE SO MUCH❤️

[@ExploringAlternatives]

Thanks Kimberly :)

[@dvotii]

🤍 Love this!

[@darryllindner1485]

I find it funny how practices that were common up until around 1990 are now considered to be alternative.There is nothing new about taking your own jars to be re-filled.

[@thegreenjar6064]

Very true! We grew on on reusing and refilling almost everyting. The Green Jar was inspired by their parent's and grandparent's generation to keep it simple and let nothing go to waste. May cultures practice this on a daily basis. Newer innovations allow for the younger generation to see how the circular economy is possible in a new light.

[@airtimedroneguy6449]

Nice way to reduce waste

[@pnklady3788]

I shop at a zero waste shop (Scotland, UK) and have many of these items :) The razor is great! Love my shampoo/soap bars and so many other things!! :)

[@MedievalTrebuchet]

Great presentation with some cool ideas. Shows me that we could really eliminate plastic crap if we (our government) actually cared about this.

[@Agfhdnjjkgs]

Wow Awesome Shop ever gread job sister

[@ExploringAlternatives]

Thank you so much 😊

[@DerTeke]

What a beautiful store. Why are all those stores in Kanada. Ich wish we had stores like this in Germany.

[@charlottewilson4680]

Really like your products. Do you ship to the US?

[@vinayak648]

"Dont forget the way you camed" is so true cuz we evolved from "wood to plastic "

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

I never even noticed that sponges are plastic. Weird.

[@honey3693]

I thought it's from the sea. My bad.

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

@@honey3693 yeah there's all natural sponges also. I think most people save those for decorations now a days. So here's the question I just asked the "polypropylene recycling coalition" - some corporate PR group in D.C. Hi: I talked to a plastic film recycling career person in Chicago and she told me that "water softener salt" bags are accepted in the plastic bag drop off locations. But I now realize these bags are polypropylene and in my state, Minnesota, the plastic bag drop offs are sent to either Ohio or Virginia to be recycled. Do you know if it's ok to put polypropylene bags mixed in with the polyethylene bags also? Are they sorted out at the plastic bag recycling facility? I have not gotten any response any more from the "plastic film recyclers" website nor the local government recycling center. Thanks

[@honey3693]

@@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885 Oh i'm sorry, I'm not so knowledgeable regarding recycling etc. My country's recycling information propagation is kind of bad (only stays with plastics, biodegradeable, nonbio) you need to dig deeper and self-learn if you wanted to know more. Sorry. I hope you find answers.

[@allanrevoyarknet]

The thing I have to laugh at is most of these ideas people were doing 100 to 150 years ago, everyday living. People have to stop trusting the corps, because when I was growing up, it was all glass bottles, cups, it was the companies like coke who went to plastic to save a few million bucks. DON'T GET ME WRONG, great video some really innovative ideas. Reminds me to go back to some of the old ways. Thank you I enjoy watching them.

[@thegreenjar6064]

Yes, we are encouraging a “back-to basics” approach. We love hearing this from our customers who grew up with the milk delivered to their door, and buying items in paper bags.

[@allanrevoyarknet]

@@thegreenjar6064 The toothpaste, & soaps, caught my eye. I do alot of traveling/camping, tablets & strips I didn't even know they had them. Will be buy some of those in the future. Thank you, all the way from Alberta :)

[@lizsays3324]

There are online retailers for these products, if you don't have a store close to you. Not only do these products help the environment and save money long-term, for me, they also prevent migraines!

[@jaimie4011]

Beautiful store! Would love to get one of everything lol

[@Hannah-pc7hg]

I would love the toothbrushes, if they could make them softer. The ones I have tried are not gentle enough. The softest ones that doesn’t bother me are plastic, so I’ll keep using those for now. But I think there are many good ideas here. And I especially liked the dryer balls. I also think the refill on glass bottles are a great idea. It looks a lot prettier too 😊 I’ve actually swithced to soap bars and shampoo bars. Mostly to avoid all those chemicals, and use as few ingredients as possible. It takes your scalp some weeks to adjust, and your hair might feel heavier for a time. But thats ok. It’s not going to be like that always, and you do get clean. Envoirment is not my focus here. But I care about my health. So if I went to a hairdresser now, they would not be allowed to wash my hair, or use any of their products. Just the cutting please😇 The day I start to see the first grey hairs, I’ll embrace that too. I refuse to dye it with chemicals. But I have many years left before that happens 😁

[@TopOfPyramid]

I just want to see the cost breakdown per month of these vs plastic options. My guess is that the plastic free would be significantly more expensive and thus not a wide audience would change

[@thegreenjar6064]

The initial investment may greater, but on a cost per use breakdown all of The Green Jar's sustainable products supports a circular economy and will last much longer than its plastic counterpart (which is made for single-use and supports a linear economy) For example a $1 dish sponge made from fossil fuels will last about a month before it is tossed. A $4 compostable dish sponge will last up to a year.

[@gaiaguy]

Truly plastic-free are the ones by Gaia Guy. Check out Gaia Guy's Bamboo and Boar Bristle Toothbrushes for a nylon-free toothbrush.