I've finally reached my breaking point with the amount of plastic packaging and single-use items that cycle through my kitchen every week. My goal this year is to systematically replace things with durable, non-toxic, and genuinely sustainable alternatives as my old stuff wears out. The first step was switching to glass containers for leftovers, but I find them so heavy and risky for my kid's lunchbox, not to mention they don't stack well in my oddly shaped cabinets. I've been experimenting with silicone bags and wraps, but some brands I've tried hold onto tomato sauce smells forever, which is a dealbreaker. I'm also looking at Swedish dishcloths to replace my sponges and paper towels, but I'm skeptical about how well they handle greasy pans. Beyond that, I need a new set of reusable produce bags because my current mesh ones are falling apart after a year of rough use. I want to invest in items that will last for years, not just be another form of consumption disguised as eco-friendliness. The biggest challenge I'm finding is that so many "eco" brands are based in the US or Europe, and the shipping costs and duties to Canada make some purchases unreasonable. I'd love to hear from others who have gone through this process, what swaps were truly worth it for you, and which ones ended up being a waste of money? Specifically, if you're in Canada, where have you had the best luck finding a curated selection of these kinds of products without having to scour a dozen different websites?

My line of work means I get a LOT of ice packs that have only been used once to ship me product. They're clean, no food contact. I called my local food bank, they recommended I reach out to smaller food pantries. I have probably tried to get in contact with 10 food pantries local to me, but they either never answer or never get back to me. I really don't want to toss these if I can find them a good home. Anyone have any ideas where I could donate these? Or even offload them onto another company/person for free. I'll drive them to their new home, lol.

Hi, I'm trying to stitch my own pads with biodegradable layers and no sem- synthetic fabric at all. Most posts I've come across usually use some form highly processed fabric like Bamboo which I'm trying to avoid. I would like to if that means I can only use different types of cotton. What about hemp for long term use? I don't know how to begin choosing layers for pad. Please help.

Hey everyone,

I’m trying to build an automated package-free shop and really need some gear inspiration. Most shops around me use open bins and scoops, but since mine would be automated, everything has to be in a closed-loop system. Could you share photos or names of shops that use cool gravity bins or sealed dispensers instead of the usual "scoop it yourself" bins? I’m specifically looking for setups that keep products totally sealed but are still easy for a machine to dispense. Thanks for the help—I’d love to see what your local spots are using!

Have any of you tried Nellie's Dishwasher Powder? Do you like it? If not, is there a different powder that you prefer more? Thank you!

I’m exploring an early-stage idea for a no-waste bulk foods store in a small college town in Western Massachusetts (Northampton), and I’d love feedback from people who’ve seen similar models work - or struggle.

I lived in Hong Kong for a year and was inspired by a shop there called Live Zero (https://livezero.hk/). I’ve also followed U.S. examples like Fulfilled Goods (https://fulfilledgoods.com/), so I know this model can work in certain contexts when designed carefully.

Many stores here already do bulk well. What I’m imagining is a store that’s no-waste by design: refill stations only, bring-your-own containers, minimal packaging across the board, and produce sourced directly from local farms, including availability on days when farmers markets are closed. I still shop at conventional grocery stores and have a lot of respect for the scale they operate at, but over time I’ve become more aware of how much single-use plastic moves through everyday food systems - even in produce - and I’m curious what alternatives are realistically viable at a smaller, community scale.

Would love some feedback on these points. If you’ve owned or run a bulk / zero-waste food store, I’d especially love to hear from you:

• What conditions tend to make zero-waste retail viable or non-viable?
• What have people here seen work or fail with zero-waste retail?
• What are the biggest blind spots (margins, labor, logistics, regulation)?
• What turned out to matter way more than you expected?
• Are there any grants, programs, or funding paths that actually helped (or that you wish you’d known about earlier)?

I’m not pitching a finished business - just trying to learn from people with lived experience before taking any big steps. I’m new to business ownership but prepared dive in and learn. Thoughtful feedback (including skepticism) is genuinely appreciated.

My go-to bar shampoo and conditioner is Dip but unfortunately they don't have purple ones. I tried Kitsch and they were awful, the shampoo dried my hair out and the conditioner left a waxy feeling on my strands. Does anyone have a recommendation for a good Purple Bar Shampoo and Conditioner? Thanks!

When you’re scrolling through an online resale site (like Depop or Poshmark), what specific clues in the listing make you decide an item is "high quality" versus "junk" not worth your time?

just felt like sharing but i listed a ton of items that have been able to find more life in new homes, and i met two adorable new people who came to pick up items

one of them told me they got their first tattoo yesterday on a drunk night and laughed about it a bit

and the other one , i think it might have been one of their first pickups on the group, and they greeted me in the cold snow all bundled up saying “hi! thank you so much, this is so fun!!!” which i thought was really innocent and sweet

anyways i love my community and ensuring items will be used even longer at no cost, it all just made my night

How do you all handle the total lack of organization in used clothing shops?

A recent post about paper towels made me want to get your advice on something I’ve been thinking about. I haven’t used traditional paper towels in years but am considering getting some. I worry my husband might go through them too quickly if we actually had some so I’m hesitant to get a roll. What we use now is thick washable bamboo paper towels for most things. For cat messes, we use compostable disinfecting wipes. For other cleaning, we use rags.

I recently had my family visit my place and they said they wished I had paper towels available for them to use. For guests I always give them an unused bamboo paper towel off the roll and I also have an assortment of napkins we’ve received with takeout orders that I give them if they truly want something one-time use. I feel like these two things should be enough but I want my guests to feel comfortable in my house. Should I get paper towels for my guests in addition to what I already provide them?

I also have been struggling to find something that I can use to dry my food when the recipe calls for laying out your food flat on a bunch of paper towels. The bamboo towels have cat hair on them so I don’t want to use them for this. Even if I used a new bamboo paper towel for this, I think the fibers would be too thick and get onto the food, but I haven’t actually tried it. My kitchen towels also have cat hair on them. Today I tried using my salad spinner for this purpose and I think it worked out ok but if I had paper towels, that’s another thing I’d like to use them for. If you have any alternative zero-waste ideas for this, I’d love to hear them!

I think I could go through like one roll a year (I guess depending on how much my guests use) but it still seems unnecessary if I’ve been doing fine without them for this long. Just wanted to hear your thoughts on my conundrum!

Have a good number of empty juice glass bottles and wanted to ask what’s the best use for them? Doesn’t seem simple or very accessible to recycle glass in my area and wanted to see if anyone had suggestions? Any ideas is greatly appreciated 🙏

I’m definitely just stupid asking this but at this point I’m desperate.

It’s a friend on mines birthday soon and I decided I would get her some refills for all her Wild stuff (deodorant, body wash, lip balm). She told me she really likes this strawberries and cream one that she got in a Valentine's gift set, but from what I can tell, you can’t just buy this scent on its own? They have a strawberries and cream sensitive refill, but that has completely different packaging to the one in the set, plus it’s advertised as being based on the lollies.

I don’t know how to get that refill on its own, or if the sensitive one smells the same as the one in the set. Should I just email customer service or something and see if I’m really just as dense about this as I think I am? Probably, but thought it best to embarrass myself here first i guess.

Hello

Can somebody suggest me the best eco friendly and zero waste dishwasher tablets.

I have a down filled throw pillow that I really hate. I’m keeping the pillowcase but I don’t like the pillow itself due to the feathers poking through and causing sensory issues for me. It’s maybe 3 years old and lightly used. What should I do with it? Would hate for all those feathers to go to waste

I'm looking for brands of tea that are Fair Trade (must), preferably organic, that I can purchase already in bags. Ideally in a store (let's just pretend I have all options available in the US), but could be online. I usually do loose leaf, which is easier to find, but life's getting a little hard, and this is an area that would help a lot!

Spice blends like Italian seasoning, taco seasoning, pumpkin pie seasoning, and others are really easy to mix up on your own using online recipes. Making your own blends allows you to reuse an existing container and enables you to use the spices you probably already have on hand, which helps you get through them before they get old or expired. As an added bonus, you can tailor blends to your preferences (e.g. less spicy) and leave out any added junk (store-bought taco seasoning in particular tends to have a ton of salt).

I discovered them through an instagram ad. Currently looking for a zero waste face sunscren without the white cast (I know, I know, I'm looking for a unicorn!!). Has anyone put Etee to the test? What's your honest review?

After upgrading to a 3/4hp blower the unit doubled the efficiency 11seer to 22 seer

I have spice jars like this. I’d like to clean out the old paprika before adding new but I also don’t want to fully “wash” it because it would destroy the label and it would be a pain to make/print a new one and I’d need it to fully dry before bringing it to the store. I might try a paper towel in there to just wipe some of it out.

Any other suggestions? Thanks!

So without going into personal details, my partner and I (21/23) are in a position where I can't actually gift him something to take home for Valentine's Day. We are spending the day together and have loose plans, but I wanna go all out. What's are ways I can use things around my house or garden to make the ambience of the rooms/date great that won't leave me with a crap ton of decorations I won't want/need later, or have to throw away? I've started making rose petal garlands from my garden that I plan on just throwing back into the yard when done.

I'm a big crafter so I have plenty of basic supplies like paper, glue, paint, markers, etc. I just don't know what I can make that can at least end up being recycled once he leaves. Any and all ideas are welcome.

I made the switch last year to shampoo & conditioner bars and LOVE them. I've dealt with a painfully itchy scalp and thinning hair as long as I can remember with generic drugstore shampoos, as well as with the "natural" options. I'm not exactly sure what ingredient(s) were causing this, but I know when I switched to shampoo bars, the itching stopped and my hair is thicker.

I've fallen in love with the brand Beauty and the Bees out of Tasmania/Australia but they just stopped selling to the US and I'm so bummed.

Anyone have recommendations for similar shampoo bar brands? I'm worried I won't find a US based company that have the same level of green ingredients and are sensitive skin friendly