7 eco-friendly home products that will help you live more sustainably
Want to reduce your impact on the environment? Make a start towards sustainable living with these household products.
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Reusable utensils help reduce the prevalence of single-use plastics and their environmental impact. Photo: Unsplash/ Micheile Henderson
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Rising sea levels, more severe storms and loss of species: Our new climate reality has made the need for sustainable living more important than ever. While it may seem like a tall order, small steps that start at home – like using eco-friendly household items – can become the starting point for more impactful change.
Such items are usually made from biodegradable materials that reduce their impact on the environment. They tend to be made from renewable resources, emit fewer pollutants and promote a circular economy. To help you start on your journey to sustainability, we’ve put together a list of some products that can help you start to make your home the cornerstone of your journey to greener living.
Bio-home Floor Cleaner, Lemongrass and Green Tea, 1.5L (S$6.10, Usual Price: S$6.95)
How can switching to greener cleaning products help you and the environment? Traditional cleaning products may contain chemicals that harm your skin and irritate your eyes, nose or throat. When washed down drains, these harmful substances may eventually end up in our waterways.
This Bio-home Floor Cleaner aims to change that narrative. It’s made entirely from plant-based active ingredients that are non-toxic. It’s also free from harmful chemicals and safe on the skin. This makes it a safe option for families especially those with young children or pets, and the environment. Thanks to its rinse-free, quick-drying formula, it dries without leaving any sticky residue and is suitable for most floor surfaces including tiles, marble, wood and parquet.
- Plant-based formula
- Rinse-free, quick dry and non-sticky
Aievrgad biodegradable trash bags (5L, 120pcs) (S$13.03; Usual Price: S$16.89)
Single-use plastic trash bags have become the bane of eco-conscious consumers. They can’t be broken down, release harmful chemicals if incinerated and continue to pile up in landfills. Aievrgad’s biodegradable trash bags are made from starch extracted from corn, meaning they can be degraded in soil and are non-toxic to boot. The bags are thin but strong, reducing the chances of leakage. It comes in five different sizes (5L, 10L, 20L, 30L, 50L) and three colours (black, green, white). Each pack has 120 pieces.
- Biodegradable
- Load-bearing, leak-proof
Organic Cotton French Terry Facial Pads (pack of 5) (S$13.90)
How can you adopt a facial routine that’s good for your skin and the environment? These reusable cotton pads from the Natural Linens Boutique are made entirely from Global Organic Textile Standard-certified organic unbleached heavy french terry cotton. Highly absorbent, the pads transfer skincare products effectively onto the skin and can be used to remove make up or apply toner. These can then be handwashed – recommended by the manufacturer – or machine-washed and then re-used. To reduce waste, these are now available in square instead of round pieces.
- Made from organic French terry cotton
- Highly absorbent
No Tox Life Dish Washing Block Soap (S$17.90)
Regular dishwashing soap cleans your cutlery but it could be harming the environment if its harmful chemicals make their way into our water supply system. They often use non-biodegradable plastic packaging, which doesn’t do Mother Nature any favours.
Here’s where the No Tox Life Vegan Dish Block dishwashing soap can make a difference. This ultra-concentrated solid dish soap bar lathers up effortlessly, tackling even the toughest food stains, grime and grease. It creates a rich lather that helps you clean more while using less product, ensuring that one bar goes a long way. Free from phosphates, sulphates, parabens, fragrance and dyes, the soap is a cleaner option for daily dishwashing.
- Biodegradable formula
- Free from harsh chemicals and safe for skin
Here’s some food for thought for beachgoers. The chemicals in some sunscreens may protect you from the harmful effects of solar radiation, but they can end up polluting the water and harm marine life and corals. Switching to this mineral, reef-friendly sunscreen from Thrive can help. It’s formulated with non-nano zinc oxide and three types of super plants with antioxidants from Costa Rica. It offers SPF50 protection against UVA and UVB rays and is water resistant for up to 80 minutes. The formula is also non-greasy, quickly absorbent and leaves less of a white cast compared to regular sunscreen – perfect for your next day out enjoying the sun, sand and sea.
- Reef-friendly
- Fast absorption, less greasy
This may sound counterintutive, but you’ll actually want to accumulate waste – the organic kind – in this compost bin, because it can help reduce your environmental footprint. Composting organic waste helps reduce the biowaste that ends up in landfills and helps reduce CO2 emissions. Finished compost can be added to the soil in your flower pots or community garden to help make it more fertile.
This 1.6 gallon (6L) stainless steel bin from iTouchless can hold several days’ worth of scraps. The tall design means it is able to fit nicely on the countertop when you are preparing food. An in-built AbsorbX filter made from activated carbon neutralises odours and volatile organic compounds while an inner BPA-free plastic liner prevents leakages and makes it easy to clean.
- Filter compartment absorbs odours
- Inner liner to prevent leakages
Saalt soft menstrual cup (S$59.90)
While monthly visits from Aunt Flo are unavoidable, what’s not is the amount of single-use menstrual products going into landfills. Menstrual cups can help with that. This one from Saalt was designed to be a gentle and comfortable option for those with bladder sensitivity, cramping or discomfort with firmer cups. Made with an ultra-soft 100 per cent medical grade silicone, it is suitable for all women. It is available in two sizes — small for first-time users and on lighter to normal flow days, and regular for normal to heavy flow days.
- Made from 100% medical grade silicone
- Available in Small and Regular sizes
While tackling the effects of climate change requires much more action on a larger scale, individuals can still do their part by changing their own habits at home. From the kitchen to the household to your own personal products, there are plenty of eco-friendly options that help reduce your environmental footprint in various ways. Clean your house and dishes with the Bio-home floor cleaner and No Tox Life vegan dish block, try your hand at composting with the iTouchless stainless steel compost bin and put your trash in Aievrgad’s biodegradable garbage bags.
Reduce your reliance on single-use products with a menstrual cup and reusable facial pads and reduce pollution with Thrive’s reef friendly sunscreen.
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