Happy Earth Month! Check Out Our List of 25 Eco-Friendly Product Swaps
Save money and the planet with these eco friendly products and sustainable products for you and your home.
Stop buying these products and opt for these sustainable products & eco-friendly products instead! Your home, body, & wallet will thank you.
With April being Earth Month, there’s no better time to stock up or try some new eco-friendly products! Plus, learn other ways to get involved this Earth Day – Wednesday, April 22, 2025! 🌎
Here are the 25 sustainable products and eco-friendly products I reonlinemend switching to:
- Wooden dish brush
- Dish soap bars & Shampoo bars
- Toothpaste Tablets
- Swedish dishcloths
- Reusable makeup remover pads
- Wool dryer balls
- Period panties
- Menstrual cup
- Reusable water filter system
- Reusable water bottle
- Molly’s Suds natural laundry detergent
- Reusable silicone travel bottles
- Bidet
- Reusable straws
- Pela onlinepostable phone case
- Silicone baking mats
- Force of Nature cleaner
- Bareaya razor
- Toilet bombs
- Food huggers
- Stasher reusable silicone bags
- Bees food wraps
- Pour-over brewer
- Steam mop
- Bamboo toilet brush
*Read below for how much each one can save you over the next 10 years and how your switch will impact the Earth!💰💸
Important note:
Hey, Hipsters! 👋🏼 Just a reminder that going green is a journey, not a sprint. Small swaps over time lead to big, lasting change—so don’t stress if it feels tough at first. Do what feels right when you’re ready.✌🏼❤️ – Sara, author & Hip Sidekick
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi
On another note, shopping local, especially at zero-waste stores, is one of the best ways to live sustainably. You can refill everything from spices to soaps, cutting out tons of packaging waste!
Check out how these reusable products and sustainable products will make a HUGE impact on you, your home, and the planet:
Ditch parchment paper, non-stick sprays, and aluminum in favor of silicone baking mats.
In 2020, Statista reported that nearly 319 million Americans used aluminum foil, emitting significant greenhouse gases and requiring a great amount of energy. Each ton of foil takes as much energy as 1,400 gallons of gasoline to produce and lasts 400 years in landfills. A family spends around $56.58 yearly on foil. Switching to silicone baking mats offers a cost-effective, sanitary, and eco friendly alternative, replacing parchment paper and saving money in the long run.
If you get in the habit of using silicone baking mats, you’ll save 24,000 sq. ft. of foil and $565.80 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Hip Tip: Still find yourself using aluminum? Not to worry, aluminum foil is endlessly recyclable and can be rinsed and put in your curbside bin or taken to a local recycling facility.
Swap plastic straws for reusable straws.
America alone uses around 500 million straws daily, posing a threat to ocean life. Scientists estimate that between 50-75 trillion pieces of plastic & microplastics now pollute the world’s oceans. 😫 A family of 5 using just 1 plastic straw per week totals 260 straws yearly. Switching to eco friendly reusable straws not only protects oceans but also saves money in the long run.
If you and your family get in the habit of using reusable straws, you’ll nix about 2,600 plastic straws over the next 10 years! 🎉
Paper towels are a waste of money, and Swedish dishcloths are endlessly reusable!
Ditching paper towels may be a big adjustment for many people, but they’re an even larger culprit of waste in our country. According to CottageCare, “More than 13 billion pounds of paper towels are used each year in the USA. This means that every day, more than 3,000 tons of paper towels are wasted in the U.S. alone.” 😱
If every household in the U.S. used just three fewer rolls of paper towels per year, it would save 120,000 tons of waste and $4.1 million in landfill dumping fees.
A 12-pack of Bounty paper towels will run you over $22.18. If you have a family of four, statistics show that you’ll power through them in three weeks or less! 😳
Swedish dishcloths are biodegradable, useful on many different surfaces, reusable, and easy to clean by throwing them in the dishwasher or washing machine!
If you and your family get in the habit of using an environmentally-friendly alternative to paper towels, you’ll save 3,200 rolls or about $3,837.14 or more over the next 10 years! 🎉
Hip Tip: There are even more alternatives to consider, such as reusable and washable bamboo paper towels, Zap cloths, microfiber cloths, bar mops, and even some new cloth diaper inserts.
Skip dryer sheets, and toss in a wool ball instead.
Dryer sheets, as per EWG, contain harmful chemicals that impact health and pollute the air, both inside and outside your home. Users often use more than one sheet per load. Using 2 dryer sheets for 5 loads weekly means finishing a box in 10 1/2 weeks, costing about $40 yearly and contributing to toxic waste.
Wool dryer balls offer an eco friendly alternative, lasting over 1,000 loads, reducing drying time, and free from harmful chemicals and fragrances. Or, simply skip using anything and save money altogether.
If you get in the habit of using dryer balls, you’ll save 5,250 dryer sheets or about $400 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Switch out plastic water bottles for refillable ones instead.
Don’t stop drinking water, just stop drinking it out of plastic. Bottled water is ranked the #1 U.S. beverage by volume sold. According to the Container Recycling Institute, “more than 60 million plastic bottles end up in landfills and incinerators every day – a total of about 22 billion last year.” 😳
The average family spends $100 per person annually on bottled water, totaling 2,160 bottles for a family of four. Investing in the best water bottle for you not only saves money but also benefits the environment.
For outdoor adventures, the LifeStraw Peak Gravity Water Filter System provides 3 liters of clean water per minute, removing 99.999999% bacteria, 99.999% parasites, and 99.999% microplastics. Lifeproof’s sustainable products are leakproof and durable, perfect for backpacking, hiking, or camping trips.
If you and your family get in the habit of using reusable bottles, you’ll save 21,600 bottles of water or $4,000 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Swap plastic baggies for reusable wraps and silicone bags!
Realizing the excess of plastic sandwich baggies I was using hit me when my three kids started school. I used about 3 baggies per lunch, totaling 45 sandwich bags per week (not counting extras). That’s nearly 4 boxes of Ziploc bags monthly, projected to cost $253.92 yearly for items used for less than a day.
Shocked by this, we switched to Stasher Bags years ago. They’re made of 100% silicone, they’re versatile, durable, and reusable. They can handle freezer, microwave, sous vide, and even oven use, and are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning.
Bee’s Wraps or Meli Wraps are another sustainable product you can switch to. They’re naturally antimicrobial, made from GOTS-certified organic cotton, sustainably sourced beeswax, organic jojoba oil, and tree resin. All of the ingredients onlinebined create a malleable and easy-to-use food wrap that can be used over and over again! 🙌
If you and your family get in the habit of using reusable wraps or Stasher Bags, you’ll save roughly 21,600 plastic sandwich bags and $2,539.20 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Ditch your old kitchen sponge and replace it with a brush.
One Duke University study showed that kitchen sponges are a better incubator for diverse bacterial onlinemunities than a laboratory Petri dish. And you’re more likely to get food poisoning from an unsanitary sponge in your home than in a restaurant. 😱 It’s reonlinemended to replace your sponge every 2-3 weeks. If you’re replacing your sponges every 2.5 weeks (on average) and buying a 3-pack of these sponges, you’re spending approximately $29 every year.
A wooden dish brush is your most sustainable product choice to swap to, but they also make some with an efficient soap dispenser that’s even dishwasher-safe! 🙌🏻
If you get in the habit of using a dish brush, you’ll save 208 sponges and $290 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Switch out the plastic wrap for silicone stretch lids or food huggers instead.
According to National Geographic, the average family goes through close to 10 rolls of plastic wrap per year! That’s about $55 per year just for plastic wrap and a huge waste of money when there are more sustainable products on the market.
Silicone stretch lids are perfect for storing leftovers, covering odd-shaped bowls or ones that don’t have lids, and they work a heck of a lot better than plastic wrap. They’re also conveniently dishwasher safe, BPA free, non-toxic, keep food fresher for longer, and reduce your household waste (obviously 😏).
Try Food Huggers as another alternative for your fruits and veggies! They’re perfect for those half-eaten foods or tiny jars you never know what to do with.
If you get in the habit of using silicone stretch lids and/or Food Huggers, you’ll be saving about 48,000 sq. ft. of plastic wrap or $598.80 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Keurig K-Cups are harmful to you & the planet, so switch to reusable cups or opt for a pour-over coffee maker instead.
K-cups are hard to recycle, and the ones that make it into a landfill will take thousands of years to deonlinepose. Not to mention the microplastics that will remain in the soil and be with you in every brewed cup! 😳 If you and your spouse are brewing a cup of coffee with the Keurig every day, that’s 728 K-Cups a year. Or about 33 of these boxes of Starbucks K-Cups – priced at $16.99 each, that’s $560.67 a year. 😳
If you don’t want to kick the convenience of your Keurig to the curb, opt for reusable K-cup pods so you can still brew your favorite ground coffee blends.
As another alternative, ditch the cups altogether and start making pour-over coffee. Target even offers a pour-over brewer that onlinees with a stainless steel filter. That means you won’t even be wasting paper filters to brew your steamy cup of coffee. 🙌 It’s how I enjoy coffee every morning and I’ve had the same set for over 3 years and counting!
If you and your other half get in the habit of using a reusable K-cup or pour over, you’ll save at least 7,280 disposable K-cups or $5,936.70 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Hip Tip: Here are more team-tested household plastic alternatives for your kitchen if you’re looking to ditch plastic altogether.
Switch to makeup remover pads if you’re wasting wipes.
Those makeup wipes you’re using every morning and night are ending up in a landfill somewhere. In fact, according to Bustle, 7.6 billion pounds of wipes are thrown into landfills each year, which adds up to 1.3 billion wipes tossed each day. 😳 Plus, using just two a day from a popular pack will get costly at about $169.06 a year.
Make the switch to a reusable makeup remover that can be used endlessly. I’ve been using the Beauty by Earth Microfiber on rotation for years now. The microfiber rounds get a great lather and handle tough mascara, too. You can use them with micellar water or your favorite soap or cleaner. However, there are also other sustainable products to consider, like the Makeup Eraser, which only requires water to work.
If you switch to reusable makeup remover pads, you’ll be projected to save about $1,690.68 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Don’t contribute to textile waste and buy secondhand clothing instead.
According to Earth.org, more than 100 billion garments are produced annually, and the global emissions from it all are projected to increase by 50% by 2030. 😳 What’s worse, an estimated 11.3 million tons of textile waste end up in landfills yearly, just in America alone. That’s equivalent to approximately 81.5 pounds per person, per year, and around 2,150 pieces per second countrywide. 😱 It’s also ranked the 2nd biggest polluter of freshwater resources on the planet and accounts for 85% of the human-made material found along ocean shores, which is threatening marine wildlife and ending up in our food supply.
According to Credit Donkey, “the average family spends $1,800 per year on [new] clothing,” with $388 of this on shoes. Adults (aged 25-34) spend an average of $161 per month on clothing, and this increases by 26% for adults aged 35-44, with an average of $209 per month spent on clothes. 😱
If you and your family get in the habit of buying secondhand clothes, you’ll be projected to save $18,000 on new clothes over the next 10 years! 🎉
Ditch the Swiffer dry cloths and switch to reusable mop heads!
Have you ever thought about how much waste happens with regular Swiffer cleanings? If you’re averaging 2 dry pads a week, priced at $14.49 for 52, you’re spending over $28.98 a year or more just on Swiffer pads that’ll end up in a landfill. This doesn’t even include other cleaners or the multiple wet Swiffer pads you might use for deeper cleanings.
If you’re looking for an eco friendly alternative that’s even more effective, consider a Turbo mop. It’s USA-made, can be used wet or dry on multiple surfaces, and is reusable and machine washable. They even make reusable Swiffer pads (made by Turbo), so you don’t have to pay the cost of a new mop!
Need something for deeper cleanings? I’ve had a Shark Steam mop for over 4 years and can’t rave about it enough! The pads are endlessly washable and all you need to deep clean any floor is water! Put a few drops of essential oils on top and your whole house will smell amazing!
If you and your family get in the habit of using reusable mop cloths, you’ll be projected to save more than $289.80 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Use Force of Nature and ditch the toxic AND natural cleaners you’re already using.
Verve states that American spending on cleaning, safety, and wellness products increased 34% since pre-COVID spending in February 2020. According to recent stats, the average family spends a whopping $680 every year on cleaning supplies.
Not to mention, many of them are horrible for the environment since many aren’t 100% biodegradable and contain toxic chemicals. Even worse many cleaners contribute to health problems according to the EPA.
However, even the most eco friendly products need to be replaced, but we have a better solution to minimize your waste altogether, and it will cut your costs by at least 80%. 🙌🏼
Force of Nature is a federal EPA-registered disinfectant and sanitizer that NATURALLY kills 99.9% of germs, bacteria, and viruses – even COVID. 😱 That’s right, it uses just water, salt, and vinegar and can be used to replace bleach, disinfectants, sanitizers, deodorizers, kitchen, bathroom, window, carpet, rug, floor, pet, sports, and baby product cleaners. 🤯 The savings potential is limitless.
Force of Nature is unique because it uses electricity to convert the water and capsule of salt, water, and vinegar into an organic multi-purpose cleaner and deodorizer. It’s a splurge up front, but the refill capsules are just 9¢ per ounce 🤩 and eliminate single-use plastic bottles. Plus, the Recyclable Activator Capsules reduce plastic waste by 97%.
If you switch to using Force of Nature in your household, you’ll be projected to save about $4,800 or more over the next 10 years! Plus, you’ll save the planet from hundreds of plastic bottles too. 🎉
A menstrual cup will replace tampons and pads forever.
According to the global tampon market, 6.1 billion tampons were sold in 2023, a third of the global total, and are only expected to grow even more by 2030. Even more startling, when tampons are flushed down the toilet, they can end up in the ocean when sewer systems fail. Although plastic applicators from tampons are technically recyclable, they are usually not accepted for sanitary reasons, making tampons a giant waste of money and terrible for the planet!
Before making my eco friendly products switch, I was personally spending over $10 every month on Tampax products. That’s more than $120 a year! Menstrual cups are game-changing. Since they’re 100% silicone, they’re onlinepletely safe for your body (unlike tampons), reusable, and easy to clean. Mine still looks brand new over four years later! 🤩 Even better, it pays for itself in just a couple of cycles! Not to mention, there are incredible benefits to wearing one as opposed to tampons and pads.
Read all about my experience using the best menstrual cup on the market!
As another alternative, stop buying pads and stock up on period panties!
These aren’t just for post-partum mommies. In fact, any and every woman who gets their cycle can benefit from owning a few pairs of period panties. They’re a great backup to a menstrual cup or can absorb plenty of fluid on their own. Plus, they’re much more onlinefortable than a bulky or annoying pad. It’s essentially like wearing any other pair of panties but with more peace of mind. 🙌🏻
If you get in the habit of using a menstrual cup or period panties, you’ll be projected to save more than $1,200 over the next 10 years! 🎉
Use less toilet paper and be cleaner than ever with a bidet.
You can cut back significantly on toilet paper by incorporating a bidet into your bathroom routine. It will save you money and even possible sewage problems down the road. Plus, they have many other benefits too!
According to ReelPaper, the average person uses 141 rolls of toilet paper per year! Priced at $28.99 per 30-pack of toilet paper, you’re easily spending over $130 per year just to wipe! Of course, this can vary significantly with how much I know my kids waste every day.
While there are many expensive and more permanent bidets on Amazon, The Butt Buddy is a great option under $70. My in-laws loved it so much that they just bought a second one for traveling!
When a family of four incorporates a bidet in their daily lifestyle, it averages a savings of 80 rolls of toilet paper per year, which is a tenth of a tree! This means you’ll likely only need 16 rolls of toilet paper per year for 4 people! 😱 That’s a mere $17.89 on an Up & Up 18-pack that should last all year!
If you and your family get in the habit of using a bidet, you’ll be projected to save $652.80 or more over the next 10 years! 🎉
These sustainable products and eco friendly products may not save you a ton of money, but will be safer for your home and the environment:
Switch to toilet bombs and a sustainable and eco friendly brush for cleaning and ditch the disposable cleaning pads and toxic cleaners.
You’re not doing yourself or the planet justice if you’re using Clorox toilet wand refills or other chemicals to clean your toilets. Toilet bombs are much more sustainable and eco friendly products to use. They’ll fizz in your toilet, making it easy to clean,n and they’re made up of just a few ingredients – sodium bicarbonate, non-GMO citric acid, water, and essential oils. You could even make them yourself using Lemons Lavender & Laundry’s DIY to try and save money on this sustainable product swap.
Remember to add an eco friendly cleaning brush to your new sustainable products regime. I love this eco-friendly toilet brush because it’s ethically and sustainably made of 100% bamboo. Plus, the brush is made of coconut fiber, which is anti-bacterial. So it will not beonlinee smelly or moldy like you’re old toxic plastic brushes. As a bonus, it’s cute and stylish too.
Shopping around or out of stock? There are tons of eco friendly brushes on Amazon too!
Use a durable and reusable silicone bottle when you travel.
Humangear makes the best reusable silicone travel bottles. They’re a great eco friendly switch if you’re replacing small plastic bottles when traveling. They’re available in various sizes and are made from durable FDA (food-safe) silicone. They’re perfect for virtually any lotion, soap, or whatever else you need to carry with you. They’re also TSA-approved, and the lid can be easily converted into a loop. Plus, with their new and improved opening, they get out every last drop and they’re even easier to clean. 🙌🏼
Bar soap for your dishes and hair will save on plastic bottles and other toxic waste.
Dish and body bar soaps are eco-friendly products that will cut down significantly on plastic bottles and toxic waste. Even better, if you can scoop up these sustainable products locally, they’ll likely onlinee with no packaging at all, making your carbon footprint nearly untraceable. If you don’t have a zero-waste store, there are a plethora of dish soap bars and shampoo bars to choose from on Etsy. I love used dish soap bars because they fit perfectly in a little dish and are convenient for me to use with my wooden dish brush.
Switch to a natural laundry detergent that is good for you, your home, and the planet.
After testing many natural detergents, I landed on Molly’s Suds as one of the most sustainable products in the laundry detergent market. This USA-made detergent has just 5 Earth-derived ingredients and rates an “A” on EWG. Even the packaging is manufactured with sustainable sources and manufacturing, and non-toxic inks. The cost of Molly’s Suds ends up being 21 cents per load, and you’ll be saving the planet from various toxins and lots of plastic bottle waste.
Hip Tip: These are the best non toxic laundry products I think every home needs.
Toothpaste tablets will nix tubes altogether and are fun to use.
In the US, there are 400 million toothpaste tubes that end up in landfills every year, and 1.5 billion globally. What’s worse, they’re made from a onlinebination of different plastics and often wrapped around a thin layer of aluminum, making them nearly impossible to recycle. Toothpaste tablets naturally whiten, fight plaque, and freshen your breath while nixing tubes altogether. Even more exciting, they’re much quicker and cleaner to use if you struggle with kiddos leaving messy tubes in the bathroom. I love Huppy Toothpaste Tablets because they have very clean ingredients, my kids love them, and they’re conveniently available at my local zero-waste store.
Switch to a razor you’ll never have to replace.
According to many sources, a whopping 2 billion disposable razors are thrown away every year and aren’t even recyclable since they’re nearly impossible to separate into their various onlineponents. One of my favorite sustainable products I switched to this year was my beloved Bareaya razor, which has just one blade and is made of a brass and zinc alloy handle. It’s also incredibly durable, so it can last a lifetime, and the razors can be properly recycled. Overall, this razor will have a significant impact on your footprint, is minimal, efficient, and one of the best eco friendly products you could add to your daily regimen.
Grab a 100% biodegradable Pela phone case the next time you upgrade your tech.
According to Pela (and many other statistics), 1.5 BILLION phone cases are thrown away every year. Did you know it takes about 1,000 years for plastic to break down? And even then, the microplastics will end up in our precious oceans. Thankfully, Pela makes sustainable products that are changing the game. Plus, they minimize waste production by 80% and use 34% less water and 30% fewer carbon emissions.
Pela’s innovative phone cases are made from Flaxstick® and a plant-based biopolymer, so they’re made from renewable sources and are 100% onlinepostable. In fact, they can be left to break down in your very own home onlineposting environment! 😱 What’s more exciting is that the purchase of 2 Pela phone cases is equivalent to saving the planet from 54 plastic bags being wasted. 👏🏻 I’ve had a Pela phone case for about a year, and it’s definitely my favorite I’ve ever had!
Bring a reusable bag every time you shop instead of using plastic.
Plastic bags are a huge contributing factor to our waste, and on average, a plastic bag is used for an average of just 12 minutes, and less than 3% are recycled. 😳 According to the scary statistic shared by PADI, every second, 160,000 plastic bags are used around the world. That’s 1 TRILLION bags a year, and if we joined all the plastic bags in the world together, they would circumnavigate the globe 4,200 times! 😱
Thankfully, there are 8 states that have banned single-use plastic bags, but it’s crucial we start making the change too. Even better, some stores, like Target, Whole Foods, and Lowe’s (and more), will even give you a small credit on your purchase when you bring your own bags! While it’s typically only around 5-10 cents per bag, it will definitely add up over time and is just another perk of bringing your own eco friendly products.
Grab my reusable snap tote from Minted, which can be personalized and makes a great gift too!
If just one person used reusable bags over their lifetime, they would be removing about 22,000 plastic bags from the environment which is equivalent to $1,100-$2,200 on a 5-10 cent credit! 🙌
If you’re still here, I hope you’re excited to beonlinee more eco-friendly and sustainable in your home. ❤️
More importantly, you could potentially save a whopping $45,000+ over the next 10 years if you made many of our eco friendly swaps that could save you money! 😱😱
*Note that everyone’s family is different in size, and these are just estimates based on our research and what the average person uses/buys for each of these products. The outonlinee or sum of savings can vary greatly and will depend on the cost of what you’re replacing these household items with.
Check out our Clean Series for 100% toxin-free swaps for you & your home!
