As outdoor enthusiasts, our family tries its best to take care of the environment, so this year I have decided to make a few changes in our personal lives to help decrease our impact on the environment. While this post is not your typical outdoor adventure, it is still truly important for us.
Disclaimer: No company here has offered me any incentives to write this blog. The views expressed here are from my own personal experience.
Natural Antiperspirant
My first change was personal. I’ve been trying to find a natural product that I could use to replace my big store brand antiperspirant that would actually work with my body. I was also looking for something that was locally made here in Ontario or at least within Canada. In the past I have tried a few brands of natural deodorants, none of which have worked. When I finally realized that I may need an antiperspirant rather than a deodorant, I searched some more and finally found a product by the Green Beaver Company. It is naturally made, has no aluminum, and is made locally.
Verdict: I’ve been using this product for almost 2 months and I am happy to say it has been working out great. I do find that I will smell a little more in the evening, but nothing too bad that would make me stop using it.
Natural Toothpaste
I came across this product on a local marketplace on Instagram called Green Knees. They also carry the antiperspirant above, as well as some of the other products that I have looked into purchasing. The company sources local and eco friendly products in hopes to reduce their carbon output, all being shipped in bags that can be thrown in your compost! I highly suggest checking out their website for more information.
That brings me to this toothpaste product from Nelson Naturals, which are actually little tablets that you “Crush and Brush” with. The product comes in tiny glass containers that I will now up-cycle for other uses (like getting spices at the bulk store).
The upside is that I will no longer have to carry a big plastic tube of toothpaste because I can take just the right number of tablets with me on trips.
Mason Jars to use at the Bulk Stores
In addition to my growing collection of small jars from the toothpaste tablets, I’ve also turned to using the plethora of mason jars that I seem to have all over my kitchen for my trips to the bulk store for things like almond flour, coconut palm sugar, sour candy and many other items.
Plastic Free Floss Containers – Also Natural Product
Another find from the Green Knees site was floss which is from KMHTouches. The floss is naturally sourced silk or corn which also comes in a cute little glass container that can be recycled when done. However, the best part was the floss also comes with refill options! I could buy one FlossPot and then refill as needed. Also, the floss itself is compostable! I can throw it in my compost bin and not down the toilet or garbage.
I was a little weary about this product as my teeth tend to rip floss quite easily. After sharing my fear of this product and not wanting to pay for something that may not work and will go to waste, I was happy to receive a few free samples to give it a go. The silk floss ended up being the product that worked for my teeth. I did get a little hint from the creator, Kat, that you can double up the floss just in case it breaks.
Re-Usable Food Baggies
It seems that we go through quite a number of zip style plastic baggies in our house, so when I found the option to have re-usable zip baggies I bought two sets of three. I am still on the search for more, as these will eventually break down after much use. If you know of any local companies that may be out there, please forward the information along!
Re-Usable Water Bottles
Being able to cut down on water bottles has always been important. I have been using a Nalgene for years to bring back and forth to work, as well as on outdoor trips. I also use other re-usable bottles for my smoothies as well. This was an easy change to incorporate and I will never give it up.
New Product Find – Still waiting for its arrival
A very new product I found was this eco friendly laundry detergent. Right now, much of the detergent comes in huge plastic bottles, of which I’m sure do not recycle easily as they will still have left over goo stuck to the insides. This new detergent is a sheet that is thrown into the wash, no plastic bottles involved. I will have to give an update later when I have had a chance to get and try this product.
Thanks for reading about some of the changes we will be making in our life to become more environmentally friendly. I hope this post encourages you to try something new and switch to a more sustainable product.