With the growing realization that traditional products we often purchase create a lot of unneeded waste and are not sustainably sourced, there has been a range of new products that have been put on the market as a solution. While these products desperately need to be used by everyone, they are often significantly more expensive than the standard version and with the current economic situation may be difficult for the switch to green products. For instance, a set of two reusable bamboo paper towel rolls is about twenty dollars on amazon while an eight pack of regular paper towels is roughly the same price. Since it seems more practical and a better deal, most consumers would go for the regular paper towels, resulting in unnecessary waste from both the plastic packaging and the towelettes ending up in landfills. Not only are sustainable products, such as these bamboo paper towels, waste reducers, they also save money in the long run as the products can be reused. There are endless amounts of sustainable products that can both save money and prevent waste that range from small purchases to lifetime commitments, for example, installing solar panels on your long term residence. It is important that we begin to consume sustainable products to reduce our waste and also to increase the demand. According to the law of supply and demand, if we can create a large enough demand, the prices for environmentally friendly products will begin to drop, making it easy for consumers facing financial difficulties to also participate in protecting the planet. It is important to reduce the waste we produce so we do not run out of resources and can keep natural habitats clean. If preserving the environment is not enough to convince you to switch to sustainable products, you can also cut back on grocery, utility, or even gas costs depending on which products you use.
Here are some little products you can buy that will have a big impact:
Bamboo reusable paper towels
Cloth napkins
Ditching plastic water bottles for metal ones
Reusable grocery bags-including ones for produce
Beeswax wrap for packing lunches
Natural beauty products
Reusable straws
Sustainable cleaning products
Biodegradable trash bags