17 Household Products That’ll Help You Save the Planet

Ditching bottled water and plastic straws is only a start.

Eating and drinking creates waste — that’s unavoidable. But there are ways to create less of it.

So we present 17 kitchen items that’ll help you save the Earth, from cleaning tablets that forego the need for bottles to collapsible cutlery that you can take anywhere.

Bonus: using these items will most definitely save you money, so you’ll be going green in more ways than one.

For cleaning now: Blueland
You’ll never need heavy, bulky cleaning products again. Purchase one (or all three) of an appropriately labeled reusable bottle, fill with water and drop the non-toxic cleaning tablet in and start spraying. All future refillable tablets are only $2 or less.

For cleaning later: Infuse
The eco-friendly cleaning system features a refillable lightweight spray mop, reusable spray bottles, machine washable microfiber pads and recyclable concentrated cartridges with non-toxic and biodegradable natural cleaning formulas. Just reorder more cartridges as needed — you can keep everything else. Currently in crowdfunding.

For reusable food storage: Porter
There’s no excuse to use a single-use plastic container again, since these reusable take-out containers from W&P are, simply, so darn good looking. The collection includes ceramic and plastic bowls, water bottles, mugs, glasses and metal straws, all in various bright colors.

For bags and tissues: NatureZway
Apparently there are 1,200 types of bamboo, and pandas only eat 42 of them. The rest is used in NatureZWay’s cleaning products. The brand has a variety of sustainable products, from bath tissue to pet cleaning products, compostable waste bags and cleaning solutions. And all products will leave no or minimal harm to the earth after disposal.

For reusing food and cleaning containers: Loop
Maybe you prefer your everyday, name-brand cleaner. That’s totally fine, because now you can get it, and a variety of big-name grocery items in a reusable container. Loop is like a subscription box system, except with no monthly membership fees or subscriptions. Just find what you want and pay a small, fully refundable one-time deposit to borrow the package. When you’re done, schedule a free pickup and it’ll be sent back, cleaned and refilled.

For drinks: Ceramic Mug by Soma
Soma’s mission is to not only find ways to create more sustainable business practices, but also find solutions to the global water crisis. The brand has a range of products from filters to reusable water bottles and ceramic mugs. This mug holds 12 ounces of any hot or cold beverage of your choosing, along with a leak-proof bamboo lid, so you can travel sustainably and without worry.

For a plastic wrap replacement: Etee
Kiss plastic wrap goodbye forever. These wraps are made from organic cotton muslin infused with certified organic beeswax, tree resin, organic jojoba, cinnamon and clove essential oils, and a touch of non-GMO soy wax. Simply warm them in your hands and get to wrappin’.

For replacing single-use bags: Onya
Onya’s kitchen line is made out of recycled material such as rPET, produced from recycled plastic water bottles. They handle everything from bin liners to produce bags to shopping bags.

For serving vessels: Viva Terra
Viva Terra is a company inspired by green living; it sells multitudes of green-friendly products such as recycled glasses, rugs and even duvets. And they’re colorful — these beautiful Molcajete serving bowls are crafted from recycled glass.

For rugs: Fab Habitat
Fab Habitat has a line of recycled rugs which work to intertwine beauty and sustainability, and some of their kitchen rugs (made from 100% recycled premium plastic) start at just $37.

For your summer cooking needs: If You Care
If You Care has found a way to turn the kitchen into a more sustainable place. They create everything from eco-friendly household gloves to parchment roasting bags. Their summer grilling bundle features 100% biomass firelighters and foil crafted from 100% recycled aluminum.

For wiping up: Bondre
Bondre produces soft, eco-friendly dish cloths, towels and rags made of bamboo fibers.

For non-bulky, Ziplock-like food storage: Rezip
Leak-proof, transparent and reusable bags that can hold anything from soup to fruit to frozen goods. The expandable base means they’re easing for storing and packing.

For drinking: Greens Steel
Multi-sized straight and curved straws, crafted from stainless steel. Comes with a straw brush for cleaning.

For replacing lunch bags: Frego
These plastic-free containers, a combination of glass, silicone and a double-seal SoftSnap silicone lid, are dishwasher, oven and microwave safe.

For not wasting food: Bee’s Wrap Assorted Wraps
Better for the environment than disposable plastic, these reusable wraps are great for covering large bowls, dishes, baked goods, cheese, fruits and more (they’ve saved multiple avocados for us).

For replacing plastic cutlery: Outlery
Currently sitting at over $1M raised on Kickstarter, this reusable cutlery (including chopsticks) is collapsible and fits into pocket-sized containers.