4 Amazon Products for Any Zero Waste Challenge

When I started my journey towards sustainable living back in May of 2018, my original goal was a zero waste challenge. But, I’ve since steered myself away from the “zero waste” category and into my own niche. Reflecting back on the start of my journey, I wanted to share my top 4 products that helped me, as a beginner, begin changing my routine towards something more sustainable.

This list is by no means exhaustive! As I look back on the products that got me started, many of them I already had in my apartment or was able to get secondhand/from family and friends. The ones featured in this post today will be the items I bought new. 😃 Let’s jump right into it!

HydroFlask Reusable Water Bottle

While I (of course) had some reusable water bottles when I started out, I knew I wanted to invest in a better quality one. All of the bottles I had were made of BPA free plastic, which I am still not 100% comfortable with due to the lack of scientific testing on the BPA replacement plastics. So, buying a brand new HydroFlask (affiliate link) was what I chose to do… And I still use it every day! I bought the larger size, which, in theory, might be more difficult to carry around. But, I think this is a benefit for me because I never forget to bring it along! Avoiding all plastic water bottles is a great way to start out a zero waste challenge, so I urge you to invest in something like the HydroFlask (affiliate link)!

Reusable Produce/Bulk Bags

As soon as I decided to change my daily life into something more sustainable, I knew I had to invest in some reusable bags. I’m not talking about reusable grocery bags because I already had SO many of those from college, job fairs, etc. These bags are specifically reusable for shopping produce and bulk bins. They are in perfect condition still; I store them in my car so that I am never in a situation where I am bag-less! 😌 I think this set in particular is great for the “zero waste challenge” beginner, as it comes with three different sizes for various food types. The bags are also cotton and can easily be thrown into the laundry with other clothes; so simple to wash! For only $8, these are a must-have (affiliate link)!

Reusable Ziploc Bags

Sticking with bags, I also swapped to reusable Ziplocs! As I mentioned in my sustainable swaps for Plastic Free July post, there are multiple options for replacing Saran wrap. I already had some mason jars when I started my journey, but I knew I would need something for lunches at work. Amazon has a bunch of reusable bags, but I opted for these cloth ones back in 2018 (affiliate link). If I were to buy new ones today (which I definitely won’t be because these are still in great condition!), I might also look at Stasher and other silicone bag options (affiliate links). There are so many choices for not a lot of money; regardless of what brand you buy, having reusable bags around are a game changer when you are trying to be zero waste!

Safety Razor

I recommend buying a safety razor ASAP (affiliate link)! I also talked about this on my sustainable swaps post during Plastic Free July, but I just had to mention it again. This was basically the BEST decision I made when starting my sustainable journey, as I have saved SO many cheap, plastic razors from heading to the landfill. I even bought my mom one for her birthday recently, because I know she would love it as well. Shaving with a safety razor is just as easy as shaving with a “normal” razor… And I have noticed that I cut myself much less! 🎉 For only $17, this is a no brainer (affiliate link)!

When starting a zero waste challenge, it can seem like there are too many swaps to be made… But, I urge you to purchase a few new things (like the things mentioned in this post) and then utilize what you already have for the others! You don’t need to buy the Instagram worthy bamboo cutlery set when you already have silverware in your kitchen… You know what I’m saying? 😊 What product would you most likely buy??

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