We all know the saying “reduce, reuse and recycle”. It’s something we are taught at a pretty young age, but how many of us actually follow through? I think the biggest reason people don’t attempt the Three R’s is because they don’t know where to start. It doesn’t have to be difficult though.

Recycling can be pretty straight forward. So many cities have easy recycling programs that don’t even involve separating your recyclables into categories. So instead I want to focus on the “reduce, resuse” portion.

Reducing waste can seem overwhelming but by swapping to reusable products you are automatically reducing your waste. I want to share three of my favorite swaps that we have made in our house to reduce our waste by incorporating reusable products.

Ziploc Bags

I will be completely honest that we haven’t 100% eliminated our use of disposable ziploc bags but we have incorporated the use of Stasher bags to help cut down on waste. I absolutely love them. They come in a variety of sizes and are microwave, freezer, and dishwasher safe. We use them for leftovers, produce storage and snacks on the go. I know it can seem pricey at first but in the longer run it will save you a lot of money when you stop buying ziploc bags every few weeks. I’ve rounded up a variety of bags here.

Water Filters

Bottled water can get expensive and not to mention it creates a LOT of waste, even if the bottles are recycled. There are so many options for water filters, like pitchers you can keep in the fridge or filters you can attach to your kitchen faucet. Do some research online to see which filter would be best for you and your household. You can often find options at your grocery store. Here is a round up of some different filters and reusable cups and water bottles, find what works best for you!

Grocery Bags

Switching to reusable grocery bags has to be the EASIEST swap to make. Reusable bags like this are so easy to find and you can find inexpensive ones too. Many stores even give you a small discount for bringing your owns bags. I keep some of our bags in the car and others in an easily accessible place inside so that its hard to forget them when heading to the store. These are great because they are structured and easy to carry. And if you want to go the extra mile you can even get reusable produce bags to take with you to help even further reduce your waste.

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What swaps are you making in your household to reduce waste and go green?