Has the price tag of zero waste products deterred you from buying them?
You’re not alone. I’ve done it too.
Before I became conscious of my buying habits, I let my frugal tendencies get in the way of investing in most zero waste swaps until I proved myself wrong.
You can practice zero waste on any budget. In fact, you can save money. Like a lot of money, at least that’s what my journey has taught me. The best part, you can invest your savings in better, eco-friendly products such as organic foods, reusable items and sustainable producers.
Before going out and buying new items, an excellent place to start is using up what you already have. I know it’s tempting to use the new shiny reusable, but it’s wasteful to toss usable products in the garbage.
Save Money With These 6 Zero Waste Swaps
A Quality Tote Bag
Not only do I skip the $0.10 bag charge when shopping, but most grocery stores will pay you the $0.10 for bringing your bag! Ten cents doesn’t seem like a lot, but it adds up over time, especially since the average American uses 1500 bags/year.
That’s an annual saving or positive cash flow of $150/year!
Now, I’m not sure how many people use 4 grocery bags/day, but even if you reduce it to 5 bags/week, that’s $26/year which is not bad.
A good quality tote bag is highly versatile and can be used for various things, saving you even more money on buying handbags and purses.
A Travel Mug For Coffee On The Go
The average person spends approximately $1,100 per year on takeaway coffee. Not only is that a lot of money, but it’s also a lot of waste! Skip the waste and save money by brewing your coffee at home.
Brewing coffee at home and using your reusable travel mug could save up to $750/ year! This assumes you have a drip coffee maker (the savings will vary depending on how you brew your coffee).
Some governments require businesses to charge a $0.25 non-refundable fee for single-use coffee cups to reduce single-use waste. Depending on the number of times you buy coffee, it could cost you an additional $55 per year.
This brings your savings to $800/year!
If you’re looking for to-go reusables, we recommend these from MiiR. Receive 20% off with code CIRCULARCONSUMER20.
Shave Sustainable With A Safety Razor
While some trends are questionable to bring back, the safety razor isn’t one of them.
A swap often overlooked is the disposable plastic razor. I used to spend $45 for ten plastic refill cartridges for my plastic razor, which would last about eight months. Not only wasteful but expensive too.
A safety razor has a metal handle that holds recyclable blades. The handle will cost anywhere from $30 – $100 and will last for years. The only additional cost is the razor blades which are around $10/year.
This brings the annual savings to about $60, making the upfront investment of the safety razor worth it both for the environment and cost savings.
Zero Waste Periods With A Menstrual Cup
Did you know the average woman menstruates for 40 years and will use roughly 9120 tampons during this time?
A great sustainable alternative is to use a reusable menstrual cup, which costs about $40 and lasts an average of 10 years.
Comparing the cost of the two over 40 years shows single-use tampons cost approximately 20 times more than a menstrual cup!
This means you save $2880 over 40 years ($72/year), and is definitely worth the initial investment.
Beeswax Food Wraps Are A Great Swap for Plastic Wrap and Bags
If you haven’t tried reusable food wraps, I highly recommend checking them out.
Beeswax food wraps easily form around any shape of food or container. They are antibacterial and water-resistant, making them a great food storage alternative to plastic wrap, foil and zip plastic bags. Since they are breathable, foods stay fresher for longer, reducing food waste.
The cost is $13-$22, depending on the size of wraps you buy and can be reused for up to one year.
Ditching single-use plastic food storage will save you $80/year. Making them well worth the upfront investment.
SWEDISH DISHCLOTHS
Swedish dishcloths are a great low-cost swap for paper towels and sponges.
The average American uses approximately six rolls of paper towels each month. Whoa! That’s a lot of paper towels!
The zero waste factor isn’t the only good point of Swedish dishcloths. One cloth can absorb over 20x its weight and replaces 17 rolls of paper towels, making them great for cleaning up spills and messes.
Switching to Swedish dishcloths will cost you $20 per year versus the $126 you’d spend on paper towels.
That’s an annual savings of $100!
ARE YOU READY TO INVEST IN ZERO WASTE SWAPS?
There are numerous ways to reduce waste in our homes.
These 6 swaps can save you up to $1260 per year and are just a couple of ways going zero waste can save you money. Before investing in any new products, take a look at what you have because the most sustainable product is the one you already own.
Note: there are sponsored and/or affiliate links included in this post. This means if you click on one of our affiliate links and purchase a product or service through that link, we may receive a commission for your purchase at no charge to you. As always, these products meet high standards for sustainability and are from brands I believe in!
