We hope you love our recommendations! Some may have been sent as samples, but all were independently selected by our editors. Just FYI, BuzzFeed and its publishing partners may collect a share of sales and/or other compensation from the links on this page.
1. First off, separate food scraps with a dishwasher-safe compost bin that's pretty enough to keep displayed on your countertop (and odorless, too!). This small routine change has big eco impacts, resulting in less trash in your bin and landfills.
Bamboozle is an independent brand comprised of designers, manufacturers, and content creators making products inspired by their obsession with the health of our planet.
Promising review: "This compost bin is the perfect accent piece to our newly remodeled kitchen. I love the matte finish and the terracotta color surprised me with how well it goes with my pale-green and gray Ikea cabinets. It works well too. The filters and design of the top keep the odors trapped inside and it holds plenty of food waste. So happy with my purchase!" —Alisa L
Get it from our Goodful shop for $40 (available in four colors).
2. Or opt for a scrap freezer bin if you refuse to have anything that might be confused as trash on your countertops. This dishwasher-safe option easily mounts on drawers to catch scraps while cooking, and fits nicely in the freezer door to preserve (and hide) food until it's time to compost.
Promising review: "Size fits nicely in the freezer door and holds a few days worth of scraps before taking outside. I live somewhere with no AC so we leave our windows open a lot. We wanted something that could hold compost but also not collect flies and this bin in the freezer definitely does just that. The silicon is easy to pop out and clean. No need to buy any additional composting bags." —KalicoKat
Get it from Amazon for $20.46+ (available in green and black).
3. Stop plowing through lint rollers with a patented pet hair remover to keep Fido's shedding from taking over your home. This roller uses bristles, not disposable sticky tape, to catch lint meaning you can clean and reuse it over and over and over again.
ChomChom Roller is a Massachusetts-based small biz creating an eco-friendly, reusable alternative to sticky lint rollers.
Promising reviews: "We were wasting a lot of lint rollers to remove our cat's hair as my wife is obsessed with having everything clean. This product is not just saving my money but also it works great on anything — sofas, clothes, bed, etc. Easy to clean up the hair as well. I wished it worked a little better in removing hairs with fewer tries but it does the job when you are persistent. Definitely recommend for any cat lovers out there." —Mohammad Kabir
Get it from Amazon for $24.99.
4. Improve your Swiffer experience with reusable mop pads that are a one-time purchase you can use again and again for dry or wet cleaning. Sparkling floors and a permanently shorter shopping list? Yes, please!
Turbo Mops is a small business that launched in 2018 on a mission to create top-quality cleaning accessories to help you get through your to-do list as sustainably and cost-effective as possible.
Buying disposable Swiffer pads just doesn't make sense when these beauties exist. It's wildly more cost-effective, it's more absorbent, and it washes up well in the laundry. I also have (and love) the Swiffer WetJet mop pad, and can't come up with a single complaint for either one of them other than that they should be the default option when you buy a Swiffer.
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $17.75.
5. Save loads of money (and plastic) when you use reusable K-Cups that can be filled with your favorite coffee without giving up that single-cup convenience.
These BPA-free plastic cups are designed to work in any Keurig brewer, old or new!
Promising review: "Really like these reusable K-Cups. I hated wasting so much plastic using regular K-Cups and found this to use as an alternative. I have had these for two years and they have held up great! Easily to fill, clean really nicely, and no complaints! And it's great you can put your own coffee in so you're not stuck to certain brands or flavors. Highly recommend if you are trying to be more environmentally friendly." —Amazon Customer
Get a two-pack from Amazon for $6.99.
6. Or, avoid paper filters with a reusable stainless-steel coffee filter for the pour-over lovers hating the waste involved to make their morning brew.
This dripper is carefully engineered to fit most branded coffee carafes including the 6-, 8-, and 10-cup Chemex Coffee Makers and Hario V60 02 and 03 drippers. To clean, just dump out the coffee grounds and rinse it under warm water. It's also recommended that every two weeks or so, you descale the filter by soaking it with white distilled vinegar and warm water for an extra good clean.
Promising review: "Love this! We purchased a Chemex to minimize the amount of plastics or additional waste associated with making coffee. Also, due to the pandemic, we find we make a lot more coffee at home, which means we go through more filters — this solved our filter waste issue! We now don’t worry about a ridiculous amount of paper filters being tossed out and also the way this filters is fantastic. It fits perfectly, is easy to wash, and makes for a great lid to keep the coffee warm. Would 100% recommend to others!" —Jaycob Simpson
Get it from Amazon for $21.99+ (available in three finishes).
7. Skip the bulky plastic jugs and messy blue goo with laundry detergent sheets that deliver the same stain-fighting clean you've come to expect from your detergent in packaging that's 100% recyclable.
Kind Laundry launched in the midst of the pandemic on a mission to reduce global plastic waste with their planet-friendly alternative to bulky, traditional laundry detergents.
Why did we ever invent liquid laundry detergent when sheet detergent is just so much better? It feels ridiculous that it's taken so long to make this switch. These squishy sheets are so easy to use, mess-free, and are MUCH easier to store than big ole jugs. A pack lasts me a verrryyy long time, since you can easily rip sheets in half if you're doing small loads. Plus, the packaging is 100% recyclable cardboard and I still get the same clean I've come to expect from regular grocery store brands.
Get a 60-pack from Amazon for $19.95+ (available in unscented and ocean breeze).
8. And ditch dryer sheets for some penguin dryer balls so you can cut down on long dry times and get you back to your warm, fluffed-up clothes faster. Plus, they'll save you from having to run the dryer multiple times. Your electricity bill (and the planet) thank you.
Friendsheep is a small biz creating handmade wool home goods. Their products are handmade by Nepali artisans and are sourced from factories and cooperatives that enforce fair trade labor policies.
Promising review: "These dryer balls really are adorable and make the chore of laundry more cheerful. Be sure and follow the instructions to dry a load of dark clothes the first time you use the black penguin balls. After that, you will have no problem with using them to dry whites or light colors. Dryer balls really work and are a good investment. I am going to be giving these as gifts!" —Auntie m
Get a six-pack from Amazon for $32.
9. Introduce nonstick silicone baking mats to your kitchen if you want to say "buh-bye" to single-use parchment paper and foil without giving up any of the slick, nonstick benefits.
Promising review: "I started baking with these at Christmas time. They are great! They really save me a lot of money as I haven't needed to buy parchment paper to line my cookie sheets anymore. I use them to roll out sticky doughs also. I am a fan! They fit a regular size cookie sheet very well. They are easy to clean. I wish I would've discovered these sooner!" —Tamara white
Get a pair from Amazon for $14.24.
10. Quit spending money on single-use paper towels and use a pack of shockingly absorbent Swedish dishcloths instead. They're super sturdy and can be sanitized in the dishwasher or microwave between clean-up jobs so you know they're not harboring any unwanted germs.
Promising review: "I had actually seen/used them in Europe, but forgot all about them until I saw them on Amazon. They are easy to clean — I throw them in the dishwasher or clothes washer almost daily. They save me from using so many paper towels and, in most cases do a better job than paper towels. I also keep one upstairs in the bathroom to clean up water splashes in the sink there. These are a really good idea. You don't realize it, but you need them in your life :)" —Frequentfliermom
Get a 10-pack from Amazon for $19 (available in eight colors).
11. For bigger messes, keep a roll of reusable bamboo towels on hand so you can clean your entire house with a clear conscience. These are 100% machine washable, super absorbent, and one roll offsets up to 60 (!!!) rolls of conventional paper towels. They can also work as an eco-friendly napkin solution if you tend to use paper towels at meal times.
They're made from organic bamboo, are machine-washable, and are SUPER strong! They can be used ~120+ times~ before discarding (ideally in your compost!).
Life hack: If you're puzzled on how to store your soiled rags between washes, try hanging a lined wet bag on the inside of a cabinet door. This tip is from iHeart Organizing and has been a life-changing tweak to my routine.
Promising review: "Don't let the quantity discourage you. I cut mine in half! One half-sheet takes the life of dozens of sheets of regular paper towels and cloth towels! My regular cotton towels can't compete with one sheet of these bamboo towels! No lint left behind, it doesn't break apart in my hand, and it is as strong as Magic Erasers if you've tried them before! Using them is not gross when you think along the lines of using rags. One sheet has lasted over a week with rinsing with hot water and soap and hang drying. This is a game changer!!!" —Neela921
Get a roll (20 sheets) from Amazon for $9.99 (also available in packs of two and four).
12. Replace your stock of individually wrapped pads and tampons with reusable alternatives like these budget-friendly period underwear or a beginner-friendly menstrual cup for a one-and-done purchase you'll keep for years that won't fill your trash or empty your wallet like other period products.
13. Bring your candle game into the 21st century with a rechargeable electric lighter that's windproof, splash-proof, portable, and just overall very nice to look at. No more empty plastic lighters in the trash with this around!
Promising review: "I got the three-pack, one for me and two as gifts to friends who are trying to reduce waste. We all love these lighters because a single charge really does last, we don't have to buy any more disposable lighters for the foreseeable future, and the length is perfect for hard-to-reach wicks. Getting used to how to place the arc on the wick and understanding that there was a safety timeout took me a bit to get used to but wasn't frustrating." —Salim
Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in 12 colors).
14. Cross "duster refills" off your shopping list for good with reusable Swiffer dusters so you can enjoy all the cleaning convenience of the disposable versions without creating any unnecessary waste.
TS Designs is a Michigan-based Etsy shop that specializes in home products and country, rustic, and vintage-styled gifts and decor.
Psst — the seller notes that this works best with Swiffers with the yellow handle, but also is compatible with the blue handle. You should avoid using fabric softener when washing this duster so it won't lose its static cling.
Promising review: "Great washable duster replacement tops. They vacuum off and wash up easily, and they grab dust and cobwebs every bit as well as the disposable ones I was using. Considering it means putting a bit less into landfills and also saving money in the long run; I only wish I had bought these years ago, sincerely. Also, they shipped very promptly and arrived sooner than expected, so that was a pleasant surprise. Thanks!" —otherlings
Get it from TS Designs on Etsy for $4.99 (available in 10 colors and in multipacks).