April 22, 2017

Happy Earth Day! In celebration, I’ve got something very special in store for you.

Accompanying this list of MY favorite eco-friendly non-plastic household items, will be EIGHT days of earth day giveaways on my Instagram page, @superfoodsaydeez, from April 23 – April 30, along with special LIMITED TIME discount codes for select brands on my list!

Scroll through to learn about each of my favorite products and see if there is a discount code for them. At the bottom of this page is a complete schedule of all discount codes and giveaways!

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links for which I will receive credit if a purchase is made. 


By now, we’ve likely all heard horror stories about chemicals from plastics leaking into our food and water supplies, plastic straws getting stuck in turtles’ noses, “plastic island” (read: Plastic Pollution in the World’s Oceans: More than 5 Trillion Plastic Pieces Weighing over 250,000 Tons Afloat at Sea) and the plethora of other ways plastic is negatively impacting our environment and disrupting our own biochemistry.

I’ve been making serious efforts to reduce plastic in my life– and more generally, to transition to a more non-toxic lifestyle. I still have a long ways to go before I can consider myself completely “plastic-free” or “non-toxic”, not sure if I will ever actually get there but I’ll keep trying, and in the meantime, will share with you  what’s working for me, and what I’ve learned along the way.

Not all plastics are created equal. The two WORST kinds of plastic are:

  1. One-time use plastics
  2. Multi-use plastics exposed to temperature changes

The one-time use category includes things like plastic straws, plastic wrap, plastic bags (unless being reused & recycled, in which case they often break and become un-reusable, and/or don’t actually get recycled even though you try), plastic baggies, and plastic water bottles. These reek havoc on the environment with very little benefit in return. And are the cheapest kind of plastic, most susceptible to leaching chemicals.

The second group includes things like reusing plastic containers for food storage and reusing plastic water bottles. Temperature changes cause chemicals in plastics to leach into your food, water, or whatever product is inside.

I believe someday we’ll look back on refrigerating and then microwaving food in the same plastic food storage container, as an absurd a behavior as doctors advising pregnant women to smoke!

With more research and learning, the sooner plastic food storage will be a thing of the past. And reusing it (especially in changing temperatures!) will be societally unnacceptable – and rightly so!

The good news is, there already are some really great plastic alternatives out there! And they often work even better than their plastic counterparts.

The even better news is I’ve already done some of the heavy lifting and have organized my list of favorites in this list for you!

And the even better news is that more eco products are being created every day!

We vote every day with our dollars.

Make sure you are voting for what you believe in!

The more we demand eco-friendly, non-toxic products, the more brands will create them. Econ 101. And that’s where we play a huge role in the future health of our planet: if enough people seek alternatives to plastic, brands will stop making plastic products.

Just by showing an interest in this topic and educating yourself, you are already making a difference.

This is my first installment of what I hope will be several posts about transitioning to a more non-toxic & sustainable lifestyle, for health and environmental reasons. In my best effort to cover a small segment of such a vast topic, I am starting with a list of my favorite non-plastic household products to date.

All items listed here are not only products I use on a regular basis, but are also products I believe work even BETTER than their plastic counterparts. This might sound corny, but I truly believe these products have helped me thrive in life. Each has improved my life in some way while making me feel good about what I’m putting in my body, what I’m feeding my family, and how my purchase decisions are impacting the environment.

Each product contains a link you can click on to learn more about it and where you can buy it. Some of the links are affiliate links for which I will receive credit if you make a purchase through that link.

In some cases, special discount codes are available for products! I’ve worked really hard to reach out to all brands I’ve included on this list to get discount codes and giveaways for you guys. Be sure to read or scroll to the bottom of this page for a complete giveaway/discount code schedule!

My list is organized into categories based on material: silicone, glass, stainless steel, bamboo, and “other”. Other includes bee’s wrap, skipping material altogether, and cloth. Lastly, I talk about upcycling, and list my favorite products with containers I enjoy reusing. 🙂

Thank you so much for stopping by and for taking an interest in the health of our planet! I hope you enjoy my list, and as always, feedback is appreciated. 🙂

Be sure to scroll down to the bottom for the complete discount/giveaway schedule!

Silicone

Stasher Bag

  • Stasher bags are the first ever compeletely NONPLASTIC bag solution! I had been searching for a plastic baggie solution for years, but didn’t want to sacrifice convenience or quality, and finally found the answer in stasher bags! There is no sacrificing when it comes to these bags. The quality is so much better than plastic baggies. One bag lasts over 3,000 uses! So there is also a long-term cost savings. And the argument could even be made that Stasher bags are more convenient than plastic baggies, because you can wash them in the dishwasher, cook food right in them, and put them in the freezer, all without the worry of toxins being released into your food! Bonus: they come in fun colors!
  • There is one shortcoming of Stasher bags I have noticed in comparison to disposable plastic bags. You know the trick where you fill up a plastic baggie with icing and then cut off the corner and use as a device for precision application? Yeah, don’t cut a corner off of a precious Stasher bag! Unless, of course, you want to make it your permanently designated “frosting baggie”! Which, the more I think about it, isn’t a terrible idea…
  • April 17 – April 24: Use code EARTHDAY for 25% off your purchase + free shipping on orders over $40 at https://stasherbag.com/ (US Only)
  • Never expires: Use code MERCEDES15 for 15% off your order at https://stasherbag.com/ (US Only)
  • Where to buy:

Diva Cup

  • Diva Cup is a silicone menstrual cup. Even more than a sustainable solution to tampons and pads, the Diva cup has improved my menstrual experiences. So much so that I wrote a whole blog post dedicated to the topic. Check that out here.
  • Some of the other major benefits are: nontoxic, reduces risk of toxic shock syndrome, long-term cost savings, and my favorite benefits of all, unlike traditional tampons, you hardly notice it’s in when you go to the bathroom (ladies, you know what I mean- allelujah to no more pee soaked tampons) and you can go a whole 12 hours before emptying it!
  • Some things to be aware of: Diva Cups should be replaced after about one year of usage. Diva Cup might not be right for people with certain medical issues. If you’re unsure, talk to your doctor first! 🙂
  • Where to buy:
    • In-stores at Whole Foods
    • In-stores or online at CVS
    • In-stores or online at Target
    • Amazon

 

Glass

Glass is so much better for you and the planet than plastic. I always choose glass over plastic, even if the plastic is BPO free. I trust glass more, even when plastic claims to be nontoxic.

Glass doesn’t stain and is easier to wash. But in all truthfulness, there are two negatives to glass that I simply cannot ignore. 1) it’s heavier than plastic. 2) it’s more fragile than plastic. The fragility can be managed with silicone casings around the glass, as many of my favorite glass products have.

Here are just a few of my favorite glass water bottles brands. There are soo many great ones out there I haven’t tried yet! I don’t really have a favorite brand of glass tupperware, so I’m listing the most common, Pyrex. Any is great!

Honestly any form of glass is great. It doesn’t need to be fancy name brand. In fact, you’ll find most of my favorite glass storage containers in my Upcycling section!

My BKR

img_9868

  • These bottle claim to make drinking water feel like eating cake. Regardless of whether or not that’s the case, they are certainly super cute. BKR bottles are surrounded by a sleek silicone case that comes in a variety of gorgeous colors. My favorite part about BKR is the bit they write about the inspiration for each color. 🙂 Between my husband and myself, we own 6 different BKR bottles and love each and every one of them! We both use them every single day. I even transport mine back and forth to work with me. We love their 1 Ltr size – great for keeping hydration on track!
  • Downside: 1 Ltr glass water bottle filled with water is quite heavy. Heck, it’s still heavy when empty. lol. To remedy this situation, I wear a backpack to carry my water bottles in when I need to take them with me. While writing  The Truth about Water Toxicity I was drinking a gallon of water every day for 30 days and to make sure it was clean water, I only drank water from home. On any given day, I was transporting 4 or more GLASS water bottles to and from work with me everyday. The backpack totally did the trick!
  • Where to buy:

Life Factory

img_0140

  • Life Factory is the OG of colorful glass water bottles.
  • They also make a variety of other glass products, like food storage containers. I’ve personally only tried their water bottles, but have been eyeing up their food storage containers for awhile. They’re the only ones I’ve seen that come with protective silicone casings like we see so often with glass water bottles. Very cool!
  • Where to buy:

Pyrex

 

Stainless Steel

One of the cool things about stainless steel that glass cannot offer, is its ability to retain temperature. For that reason, I also use a stainless steel water bottle every day in addition to my glass ones. The other stainless steel products I love are Planet box and stainless steel straws!

Planet Box

  • Really awesome lunchbox made out of stainless steel
  • 3 DAYS ONLY! Get 10% off your order with code “superfoodsaydeez10” from April 22, 2017 – April 24, 2017
  • Where to buy:

Healthy Human Life

img_0053img_0052img_0049

  • Healthy Human has provided me with the products I use, however my review is based upon my own feelings and experiences with the product
  • I use my Healthy Human Tumbler almost every day! I love that it comes with its own stainless steel straw, and THAT comes with its own brush for cleaning! My favorite beverage to drink out of it is my bulletproof coffee recipe!
  • I also use my Healthy Human Stein almost every day. It amazes me how long it can keep cold things cold and hot things hot. 12 hours later, there will still be ice in the bottle! My favorite beverage to drink from it, besides water, is kombucha over crushed ice!
  • Keeps beverages cold for 24 hours, or hot for 12 hours
  • I’m such a huge fan of Healthy Human Life that I became a Healthy Human brand ambassador! That means if you order through my link embedded here, I will receive a 10% commission on your sale. 
  • Where to buy:

 

U Konserve Stainless steel straws

  • Plastic straws are one of the worst offenders of plastic pollution, making skipping the straw altogether, or opting for a more sustainable alternative, ever so important.
  • If it were just me, I would probably try to ban straws from my life entirely. But my husband gets canker sores and has found that drinking out of a straw helps to prevent them. So finding a sustainable solution to plastic straws is very important to me.
  • Unlike most of the other products I talk about, I don’t feel very strongly that stainless steel straws work better than their plastic counterpart, but I do, however, feel very strongly that they just are better than their plastic counterpart. Out of all the plastic straw alternatives I’ve tried, stainless steel straws are the best! They don’t start to disintegrate while you’re using them like compostable straws. And they are washable and reusable!
  • I wouldn’t recommend for children! These straws are very hard and can be dangerous if not used with care.
  • U Knoserve also sells a variety of other eco-friendly products! I haven’t tried them YET.
  • WASTEFREE20 for 20% off sitewide at ukonserve.com (even sale items and bundles)
  • Where to buy:

Bamboo

To-go Ware Bamboo Utensils Set

img_9436

  • I love love love my bamboo utensil set by To-Go-Ware. As intended, it’s perfect for on-the-go. I’m trying really hard not to use plastic utensils and this product is the perfect solution to that. I keep it in my purse and use it ALL. THE. TIME. It is very light, so it doesn’t add any extra weight to my purse. The case for the utensils makes it so handy!
  • Funny story about my bamboo utensils set, I accidentally bought the kids size. I still use it and love! But would recommend paying attention to this when you order so you don’t make the same mistake! I already took advantage of the limited time discount code offer below to order myself, and my husband, adult size sets. 🙂
  • Running a promotion through April that takes 10% off online orders + gives 10% to the 5 Gyres institute for plastic pollution research. The promo code is 5GYRES17 and works at to-goware.com and ChicoBag.com (doesn’t apply to bundles)
  • Where to buy:

Other

The products included in this section are bars, cloth totes, and Bee’s Wrap. Bar form skips bottle material altogether. We’re all familiar with bars of soap, but what you might not be aware of is some of the other common items also sold in bar form that are traditionally thought of to come in a plastic bottle. Bonus: bar form is perfect for travel; no worries about airport liquid limitations! Here are my favorite products in bar form!

Root Science Facial Cleansing Bar

img_9873

  • I’m head over heals for this company. So far, each package has included a postcard with the Gandhi quote, “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” I mean, if that doesn’t tell you something about this company then I don’t know what will!
  • I have very sensitive skin so it’s hard for me to find face products I love, and when I do, I fall hard. That’s why I’m totally in love with Root Science Facial Cleansing Bar!  It’s my go-to, the only face wash I use right now. I use it every day at home, and always make sure to bring it with me when I travel. It’s completely non-toxic, and made of the best ingredients. For such quality, it’s very reasonably priced.
  • Receive a $20 credit for Root Science when you spend $100. With code: REFHPSQQBYFYO 
  • Where to buy:

Lush Shampoo & Conditioner Bars

img_3742img_3743

  • Like EVERYTHING sold at Lush, their shampoo and conditioner bars smell amazing. I bought Lush shampoo and conditioner bars for their eco-friendly and travel-friendly benefits BEFORE getting really serious about transitioning to a non-toxic lifestyle. These bars don’t meet my current non-toxic standards, but I decided to keep them for the other benefits mentioned, and use them only while I’m traveling. They’re amazing for that! Lush is well-known for their luxurious bath and body products with alluring scents. Unfortunately, this comes at a price as it’s often a trade-off to being non-toxic. This is the only product on my list that is not non-toxic, but it is a creative solution to plastic containers.
  • Where to buy:

Cloth Reusable Totes

50808300128__32ccf13e-fde8-42a0-a630-22daf10f57be

  • Cloth reusable tote bags are an eco staple.
  • Where to buy:
    • You can find these anywhere! My current favorites were bought in-stores at Whole Foods and at my local farmers market
    • If interested, you can also buy a “peace, love & superfoods” limited edition tote from me. (email if interested: mercedes.miske@gmail.com)

Bee’s Wrap

img_9288img_9276img_9275

  • Bee’s wrap can be used anywhere you would normally use plastic wrap! Bonus: it has a divine honey scent.
  • Sign up for their email list on their website and get 15% off your first order
  • Where to buy:

Upcycling


Upcycled jars have got be my favorite kind of glass jar. I try to save almost every glass container a product comes in once that product is gone, and have found them incredibly handy. I mostly save glass containers because that is the most common, but if anything comes in any of the other materials listed, I would also save those, they’re just not as common and hence I don’t have as many specific examples for those categories.

There are so many ways you can repurpose these. As a foodie, I love reusing them for food storage! But there are so many other ways they can be upcycled, like storing pens & pencils, painted for decorations, candle holders, vases, the list is endless.

I love resusing peanut butter sized jars for items I buy in bulk like nuts and oatmeal. They also make great salad holders for taking your salad on-the-go with you. I also love using them for chia pudding. Or when I’m feeling extra motivated, for storing homemade nut butters.

Pro tip: when a jar has a single serving left, consider making food right in the jar – a great way to get every last drop! For example, when your peanut butter jar is on its last wit, add your oatmeal right into the jar to make peanut butter oats! Or for coconut oil, pour your coffee or tea straight into the coconut oil jar and drink from that, more on that here.

Some of my FAVORITE jars for reusing:

Sun Potion

img_0018img_9947

img_9944

  • Sun Potion products come in Miron Vioulett or Cobalt Blue healing energetic glass jars. All of their jars say “we invite you to reuse this glass jar.” Yes, please! It’s too pretty and special not to!
  • We use cobalt blue glass jars because of their healing energetic signature and we invite you to REUSE these jars within your creative capacity and RECYCLE them thereafter.
  • Get 10% off orders placed at sunpotion.com with code ‘thisjarislove’ from April 22 – April 30.
  • Where to buy:

 

Santa Cruz Organic Peanut Butter

img_9933

  • One of my favorite peanut butters!
  • Currently reusing to store an adaptogen powder, Eleuthero, that I bought in bulk
  • Where to buy:


Artisana Organics

img_9921img_9917

  • My favorite coconut butter!
  • Currently reusing to store oats bought in bulk
  • Where to buy:

Fourth & Heart Ghee

img_0024

  • Their vanilla ghee will revolutionize your life.
  • As I write this, I have a Fourth & Heart jar filled with raw unsalted nuts at my desk at work for snacking.
  • Where to buy:

Pure Indian Foods Ghee

img_0006img_0008

img_9927img_9926

  • I love this organic grass-fed ghee. It’s a classic!
  • Currently reusing several of these jars. One for food grade rose petals, and another for burnt white sage and palo santo sticks.
  • Where to buy:

 

Moon Juice Shop Moon Dust jars

img_0011img_9962

  • I love storing trinkets in my empty Moon Dusts jars!
  • Get 20% off your first purchase by shopping through this link
  • Where to buy:

 

Ancolie

img_9997img_0026

img_4399img_4403img_4508img_5332

  • Ancolie is a local restaurant in NYC. Their jars are my absolute favorites to reuse! If you live in NYC, you must go! To everyone else, 100% recommend stopping by Ancolie during your next trip to NYC. 🙂
  • We have reused these jars so many times. Currently reusing to store hibiscus flowers for tea. I’ve included pictures above of some of the ways these jars have been reused, including what they were originally filled with when we bought them!

 

A Quest For Booch Answers

BTW, does anyone have any tips on ways to reuse glass kombucha bottles? This is one bottle I frequently recycle after each use, and have not found a way to reuse. Of course, I could brew my own booch and then bypass buying individual bottles at all. But that’s another topic for another day.

I would love to hear about your favorite ways to upcycle!

Schedule of Discount Codes

April 17 – April 24: 25% off Stasher bag purchase + free shipping when you spend $40 or more (US only) with code is EARTHDAY https://stasherbag.com/

April 22 – April 24: 10% off Planet Box with code ‘superfoodsaydeez10’ https://www.planetbox.com/

April 22 – April 30: 10% off Sun Potion with code ‘lovethisjar’ https://www.sunpotion.com/

Through April 30: 10% off online orders + gives 10% to the 5 Gyres institute for plastic pollution research. The promo code is 5GYRES17 and works at http://to-goware.com/ and https://www.chicobag.com/

Any time: 15% off Stasher Bags. Use code “mercedes15” for 15% off your order. Code never expires. Valid for US addresses only. https://stasherbag.com/

WASTEFREE20 for 20% off sitewide at ukonserve.com (even sale items and bundles).

10% donation to charity for Healthy Human purchase through this link: healthyhumanlife.com/ref/123/

$20 credit for Root Science when you spend $100. Use coupon: REFHPSQQBYFYO https://www.shoprootscience.com/

Bee’s Wrap: Sign up for their email list on their website and get 15% off your first order https://www.beeswrap.com/

Moon Juice: Get 20% off your first purchase by shopping through this link

Eight Days of Earth Day Giveaways

I’ll be kicking off EIGHT DAYS OF EARTH DAY GIVEAWAYS on my Instagram page starting April 23 through April 30. Be sure to follow @superfoodsaydeez on Instagram for details on how you can win! Winners will be announced May 1 through May 8, respectively.

April 23: Diva Cup

April 24: Fourth & Heart Ghee

April 25: Root Science

April 26: Artisana Organics

April 27: Stasher Bags

April 28: Pure Indian Foods Ghee

April 29: amazing reusable Ancolie jars!

April 30: Healthy Human of your choice!

Thrive Market:

I bought many of these items on Thrive Market. For years, I was reluctant to shop at Thrive because I didn’t want to pay a membership fee. But then I signed up for the 30 day free trial, and realized paying for the membership was definitely worth it. I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say I actually think it’s probably worth it for anyone because if you don’t save as much as your membership cost, they’ll reimburse you! So, how can it not be a win-win situation? Thrive Market really does have amazing products at the best prices I’ve seen! Click here to start a 30 day free trial membership!

 

Thank you for stopping by. I genuinely hope you gained something from this article, no matter how small. Obviously, this is not an all-inclusive list of all eco-friendly non-plastic household products available, as such would be impossible to write. I truly apologize to all the worthy brands and products I haved missed, of which I am certain there are SEVERAL. This is simply MY list of what I love at this moment. If you are one of those worthy brands I forgot, or know of one you’d like to share, I would love to hear about it!

This process is a continual lifelong journey for me. I’m sure I will discover new brands in the future that will become favorites, those that exist but I haven’t tried yet, and those not yet in existence. I plan to make edits to this post in the future, or will post updated versions at future points in my life.

 

XOXOX

Mercedes

 

Want more? A really great resource for more plastic-free tips is https://myplasticfreelife.com/

2 thoughts on “My Favorite Eco-Friendly Non-Plastic Household Items (Giveaways + Discount Codes!)”

Leave a comment