If you would like to help conserve energy and protect the environment then you have to be sure to avoid harmful products. Knowing the products to avoid is as important as knowing the products that you should be using. In order to help you with your eco-friendly quest, here is a list of products that you should avoid and products that you can replace them with as well.
Disposable batteries
Disposable batteries are not biodegradable and they are often thrown into landfills to dispose of them. They are incredibly harmful to the air and land around them. A better option to use is recyclable batteries. Recyclable batteries are much greener to produce and they can last for many years. This means a whole lot less throwing out batteries. Be sure to dispose of recyclable batteries properly.
Plastic bags
The plastic bags that you get at grocery stores are an environmental nightmare. Plastic bags can take hundreds of years to decompose and clog up many lakes and rivers. That is why you are seeing an increasing trend of people bringing their own bags to the grocery store. Reusable bags are a better option because they can be used over and over again. Skip the plastic baggies while you are at it too.
Printer cartridges
What do you do when your printer runs out of ink? Do you just throw your old cartridge in the trash and buy a new one? That’s a major no-no. The better strategy is to go out and buy printer ink. You can refill your old cartridge with new printer ink and use it over and over again. This will keep you from throwing out printer cartridges month after month. Besides refilling printer cartridges is a whole lot cheaper than buying new ones.
Paper utensils
Paper plates, cups, and silverware are some of the most popular items at grocery stores. They are a whole lot more convenient and much easier than washing dishes. The problem is that they are terrible for the environment. Instead of using plastic plates and cups, use the real deal. Glassware and chinaware can be washed and used for many years. Metal silverware is a much greener option than throwing away plastic silverware after every meal.
Single packs of snacks
In recent years there has been an increase in the number of individually packed cakes, cookies, pies, and other snacks being sold. They may be great for portion control but they provide a whole lot more leftover trash than big bags. For example, a single pack of cookies leaves you with just one bag to get rid of after eating. Individual bags leave you with 20 or 30 small bags to get rid of and a large bag as well.
You should always opt for the reusable option over products that are designed to be used just one time. Single use products will wind up in landfills a whole lot faster and will increase the amount of garbage in landfills and destroy the environment.
So, what products have you stopped using in your efforts to be green? Please share.
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5 Products That You Should Avoid Using — 8 Comments
We don’t use cling wrap. We never buy bottled water. We try to buy frozen juice as it has less packaging than the 2L cartons. There are tons more but i’ll let other readers give their thoughts!
Thanks for bringing this up! I am trying to reduce my household consumption and these are the biggies in terms of waste in our family. We have are using more and more recycled glass and plastic containers instead of plastic baggies, and have virtually eliminated paper and plastic utensils.
I think that the hardest one to avoid is the printer cartidges, they never seem to work right and I am always replacing them often before they are empty. So frustrating! I am giving a laser printer a whirl, it promises to have cartridges that last a lot longer than ink jets. Though I can’t speak to the environmental impact directly.
@ Silly Simple Don’t get discouraged. You are already making great progress. It is awesome to hear that you have eliminated paper and plastic utensils. That is huge. Yes printers are still a work in progress. The technology and energy star”ness” of them is getting better but there is still work to be done. Do the best you can. I think the trial and error method you are using is great. Good luck.
@ Barb Good for you with the cloth napkins Barb. A lot of people can’t get into those. We have been using them for a while now and will never go back. As far as the cartridges go, yes it does work but it does take some time; a good half hour or so. You can by the refill kits at your local stationary store if you’re keen to try it out.
We don’t use cling wrap. We never buy bottled water. We try to buy frozen juice as it has less packaging than the 2L cartons. There are tons more but i’ll let other readers give their thoughts!
@ SPF Glad to hear you are doing your part. You two are superstars when it comes to living eco-friendly and a great example for others.
Thanks for bringing this up! I am trying to reduce my household consumption and these are the biggies in terms of waste in our family. We have are using more and more recycled glass and plastic containers instead of plastic baggies, and have virtually eliminated paper and plastic utensils.
I think that the hardest one to avoid is the printer cartidges, they never seem to work right and I am always replacing them often before they are empty. So frustrating! I am giving a laser printer a whirl, it promises to have cartridges that last a lot longer than ink jets. Though I can’t speak to the environmental impact directly.
@ Silly Simple Don’t get discouraged. You are already making great progress. It is awesome to hear that you have eliminated paper and plastic utensils. That is huge. Yes printers are still a work in progress. The technology and energy star”ness” of them is getting better but there is still work to be done. Do the best you can. I think the trial and error method you are using is great. Good luck.
Great tips all! And they are easy to implement.
I use cloth bag, cloth napkins. Never tried the refilling printer cartridges-does it work?
@ Barb Good for you with the cloth napkins Barb. A lot of people can’t get into those. We have been using them for a while now and will never go back. As far as the cartridges go, yes it does work but it does take some time; a good half hour or so. You can by the refill kits at your local stationary store if you’re keen to try it out.