Five Sustainable Swaps To Make Today

Whether you are new to sustainable living or are a long-time veteran, there are always sustainable swaps you can make. These will replace less sustainable items with more sustainable items. Remember, instead of switching products immediately, use all of your current products or give them away before buying new ones.

  1. Reusable Water Bottles

Getting a reusable water bottle instead of buying bottled water is a great way to reduce your plastic use. This is not feasible for everyone, such as those who live in areas without potable water. For many it is, so this is the swap for them.


Instead of buying bottled water every week, which often comes from companies like Nestle, you can buy a reusable water bottle and drink water from your tap. Additionally, you can buy a water filter for under $20 if tap water isn’t appealing to you.


Both of these are investments that pay off over time. There are many different water bottles and filters out there, which gives ample opportunity to find the right match for you.


If you can’t completely cut out bottled water, there are many things you can do with plastic bottles. You shouldn't reuse them as water bottles too many times, but you can make a planter with them or reuse them for crafts.

  1. Buy a Safety Razor

Instead of regularly buying new razors or new razor heads, you can buy a safety razor and only have to buy blades. One box of razor blades will last you a long time and costs less than buying disposable razors or constantly buying plastic razor heads for your plastic razor.


There is a learning curve, but many swear by safety razors once they switch over. You can make your own razor disposal tin with an old mint tin. Just cut a slot in it wide enough for the razor to go in. It could take over a year to entirely fill the container, and it allows you to give a second life to mint tins.

  1. Upcycle Instead of Throwing Away

This one is a more broad swap that applies to many items you own. Swap throwing away for upcycling. Upcycling is similar to recycling, except you reuse the item yourself. Like with plastic bottles, you take what you want to throw away and find another use for it. Even using an item twice before throwing it away is more sustainable than using it once.


This can be taking a stained shirt and cutting it into rags or taking an old piece of furniture and turning it into one you like in your home.


Upcycling often saves items from being thrown away for a very long time. If you have no use for an item, even in terms of upcycling, you can also give it away to someone who will get more from it.

  1. Use Rags and Towels

Instead of using paper towels, which are thrown away after a single use, find ways to start using towels or rags for messes. This can also save your nice towels from staining.


You don’t even have to go out and buy anything. If you have old towels or old clothing, cut those into rags. When you spill, use a rag to clean it up instead and wash it later.


You can typically get away with tossing rags in with your laundry to save yourself from having to do an individual wash cycle for your rags.

  1. Use Tupperware or Reusable Baggies

Instead of using baggies every time you need to pack your lunch, you can start swapping them for reusable bags that you wash after each use. You don’t have to stop using plastic bags entirely. Buying one reusable baggie will help slow your use of single-use plastic bags.


Reusable baggies get over 300 uses, and they are made of silicone. They come in many different sizes and are often freezer-safe. You can get 10 for about $15, which adds up to $15 for about 3,000 uses. $15 of Ziploc bags gets you about 150.


You can also use Tupperware, Pyrex, or any food storage container. Pyrex only has plastic lids, while Tupperware is typically all plastic, so you can choose which one you prefer. Any sort of food storage or food prep container can be used, and it saves on using plastic bags.

Will You Swap?

Consider these swaps and solutions to unsustainable items. You will make a difference if you choose the easiest swap on this list and do it. The people need to do what we can to help the planet until we can hold large corporations accountable for the large amount of pollution they put out.


So will you swap?

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