U.S. News & World Report
Single-use products are quickly becoming a thing of the past as more households embrace reusable products — both as a cost-saving measure and as a step toward a more environmentally sustainable home.
Examples of single-use products common in the home include plastic wrap, straws, paper towels, paper napkins, feminine hygiene products, tissues, cotton swabs and cotton pads. The packaging in which many common household products come in also represent a portion of the single-use environmental impact.
However, there are some challenges associated with switching from single-use products to reusable products. First, the switch requires an upfront financial investment.
In addition, transitioning to reusable products often requires a significant change in a person’s everyday habits.
“One of the reasons people don’t use reusable products is because they don’t want to complicate their lives further. Look at your lifestyle and see what makes sense,” says Isabel Aagaard, co-founder of LastObject, a manufacturing company that sells a range of sustainable products. “Just try to change out one thing at a time.”
These eight popular reusable products can be a smart budgeting step, as well as good for the environment.
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Whether used for keeping leftovers fresh or for baking purposes, single-use products like aluminum foil, plastic bags, plastic wrap and parchment paper can feel like essentials. However, there are reusable options that can work just as well.
In place of plastic bags and wrap, wax wrap is an eco-friendly alternative that can be used, washed and reused for about a year before it can be added to your compost bin. One of the most popular brands, Bee’s Wrap, suggests using their products to save a wedge of cheese, keep bread fresh, replace plastic bags in school lunches and to roll and refrigerate dough.
Shop various sizes and packs of Bee’s Wrap, ranging from $5.99 for a small size wrap to $39.99 for a variety pack. Meanwhile, a 400 square-foot roll of Glad plastic cling wrap costs around $5.19, and a 225 square-foot roll of disposable aluminum foil costs $7.98.
Paper towels are convenient, but that convenience comes at a cost to the environment — and your wallet.
“When it comes down to it, especially with paper towels, we mindlessly use them — we walk through our kitchen and grab them even just for wiping up water on a counter,” says Meg Smith, owner of GenerationMe. “A reusable cloth is so much easier than we think to just throw it into the wash. Right now, especially with the economy as it is, everyone wants to save money and this is an excellent way to do so.”
Paperless towels from GenerationMe start at $18 for a pack of 12, while a pack of six Bounty paper towel rolls costs $16.99 at Target.
It’s estimated that Americans use roughly 500 million plastic straws every day. While many restaurants have turned to offering customers paper straws as an alternative to plastic, in your own home, you might consider reusable metal or silicone drinking straws.
Softee Straws sells a pack of 4 silicone straws and one straw squeegee for $12.99. OXO stainless steel straws, with silicone tips, cost $13.99 for two straws, a cleaning brush and carrying case.
In comparison, 600 bulk plastic straws costs $17.99 at Target.
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It is estimated that babies go through more than 6,000 disposable diapers before they are potty-trained. To eliminate this common single-use product, many parents have turned to cloth diapers that can be washed and reused.
Making the switch can be intimidating to parents new to cloth diapering, but there are many products and methods out there that may make the switch easier.
A pack of six Bambino Mio all-in-one reusable cloth diapers sell for $139.99.
According to an analysis by Intuit’s Mint, disposable diapers cost $800 for the year, compared with reusable diapers which cost $584 in an upfront investment. This would translate to saving 27% in the first year of your child’s life and possibly much more going into the second year of life as reusable diapers can grow with your child — allowing the investment to continue paying off.
Many people use a single-use ear swab daily — so swapping out this small product can make a big difference.
“I have mine in the shower because it’s an easy way for me to clean and multitask, while being underwater you can quickly wash it by hand,” Aagaard says. “The swab, for example, can hold for 1,000 uses, so it eliminates 1,000 cotton swabs — meaning you could use it for about four years. There’s nothing to it. Wash it under warm running water with a bit of soap.”
Get a reusable swab and case from LastObject for $12.
In comparison, a two pack of 170 Q-tip cotton swabs cost $7.20 on Amazon. If a person uses one per day for four years, that’s roughly $29 to use disposable swabs compared to a $12 swab that can last four years.
Another single-use product that’s used in many households daily is the paper coffee filter. There are, however, alternatives. These include a French Press, stainless steel coffee filters or pour over reusable coffee filters.
Metal coffee filters can change the taste of your coffee — perhaps for the better, if you enjoy a more robust cup. So some may prefer to stick with their paper filters to maintain a familiar taste.
Try the Able KONE for Chemex, known as the original reusable stainless steel coffee filter, for $11.99.
Coffee filter prices vary depending on the type of coffee maker you have, but, for example, BUNN disposable coffee filters cost $2.29 for a pack of 100 at Target.
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Dryer sheets are notoriously chemical-laden and, of course, single use. One alternative product — that may even shorten your dry time and further save you money in the long run — is wool dryer balls. They can also help you ditch liquid fabric softener.
Get a six pack of 100% wool dryer balls from Smart Sheep for $19.95.
In comparison, a package of 250 Bounce dryer sheets costs $10.99 at Target, and a 164-ounce container of Gain fabric softener costs $13.39.
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