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Many zero waste products are anything but cheap and some sadly are far from eco friendly or sustainable. Often in fact the best way to cut waste is just to stop buying clutter we never use!
But there are some zero waste product swaps that :
- Slash our single use waste
- Save us big money.
And I have a big guide for you here to the best good value zero waste product swaps that genuinely do cut our spending month in, month out.
I am not suggesting you fork out for all of these right away but these products can snowball our zero waste savings Dave Ramsey style.
How To Snowball Zero Waste Savings
Our first zero waste purchase can save us enough in weeks to fund another zero waste product. Then pretty soon we can fund 2 more then 4 more then 8 more products.
Within a year we can free ourselves from many single use products that waste so much of our money.
And going forward zero waste products can save us £1,000s a year.
So here goes, the big guide to the best zero waste products that actually save money.
30 Zero Waste Products That Save Money
Microfibre Cloths
Cleaning cloths are not exactly stylish but microfibre cloths are my top money saving zero waste product as they knocked out disposable cloths, loads of cleaning products, kitchen roll and more.
We really can keep our homes clean incredibly cheaply with reusable cleaning cloths and a few homemade natural cleaning products.
Drink Bottle
A great drink bottle that keeps stuff cool is another no-brainer zero waste product. It saves us money on bottled water PLUS all those horribly gut trashing soft drinks we’re tempted to buy when out.
Cutting out just 1 bottle or can of soft drink a day can save us £500 a year.
Safety Razor
A good quality safety razor will last a life time and only needs a cheap replacement blade every 4 or 5 shaves which is a big saving year in – year out for life on disposable razors.
I have had this lovely British made safety razor – hello Sheffield!! – for years and it’s brilliant.
Reusable Coffee Cup
If you can’t resist coffee from your fave barista a reusable coffee cup is a must. If you’ve got a two cups a day habit, it can save you £10 a month.
Classic Keep Cups – made in the UK & Australia – have reusable cups in all sizes from espresso to grande.
Coffee Flask
A zero waste coffee flask that completely cuts out the price of a take away latte daily can save us £700 a year and some!
Refillable Coffee Cups
If you’re addicted to your coffee machine zero waste refillable cups save more cash on your coffee habit.
Reusable Coffee Filters
Simple reusable coffee filters won’t give you such a big saving but £20 a year is still £1,000 in a lifetime you can cut from wasteful spending.
Fountain Pen
Longer term a fountain pen – loved and looked after for life – will save money on biros and is even more zero waste if you use a refillable converter rather than cartridges.
Refillable Ink Tank Printer
And on the subject of cartridges, if you do lots of printing, it is worth looking at a printer with a refillable ink tank next time you’re replacing yours. You do need to do a fair amount of printing to save money against the extra cost of the printer but you will cut waste significantly.
Laundry Eggs
We all spend crazy amounts on laundry but can slash that with low waste laundry eggs rather than laundry liquid and powder.
Dryer Balls
You will save huge money on laundry by not using a dryer at all but if you can’t get clothes dry without one, you can save money and cut waste by using dryer balls.
Rechargeable Batteries
Batteries are essential for all sorts of products from remote controls to torches. Rechargeable batteries are more expensive up front but if you do use lots of batteries you’ll enjoy the zero waste savings fast.
Wood Pellet Cat Litter
Wood pellet cat litter lasts longer, costs less and can be composted rather than put in the bin for landfill.
Fabric Napkins
Good old fabric napkins are a classic zero waste swap for paper ones and can be used as sandwich and food wraps in lunch boxes and picnics.
You can also hand make napkins easily from old fabric for a zero waste product that doesn’t cost a thing.
Beeswax Wraps
Washable beeswax wraps are another money saving zero waste quick win. You can use them instead of cling film, foil, food bags etc and save £200 a year whilst you’re at it.
Muslin Cloths
You can save money swapping good old fashioned zero waste muslin cloths for cotton wool, wipes and make up removers.
Reusable Cotton Rounds
Reusable cotton rounds are another money saving zero waste product swap for cotton wool that can save us £1,000+ dollars over our lifetime.
It is easy to make cotton rounds from fabric scraps as handmade gifts …
High Speed Blender
High speed blenders are not obvious zero waste products and are not cheap but do actually save money.
My Nutribullet slashed our food waste. Soggy fruit and veg and leftovers all go in quick blended :
- Smoothies
- Soups
- Pesto
- Pasta Sauce
- Curries etc.
And bread crusts are whizzed into bread crumbs to freeze for sweet and savoury toppings.
I’ve had my blender for over 10 years and I reckon it easily saves £250+ a year in reduced food waste.
Wormery
A wormery is another way to save money with food waste as it produces free compost in which you can grow your own fruit & vegetables to save money on healthy food.
Fabric Gift Wrap
We might not see the savings ourselves on zero waste fabric gift bags but I kind of think they add to our zero waste karma. As they say, what goes around comes around.
And it is easy to create gorgeous reusable gift wrap with old fabric …
Menstrual Cup
A simple little zero waste menstrual cup can save us a whopping £2,000+ on tampons from adolescence right through to perimenopause!!
Menstrual cups do – just like tampons – take a little getting used to but are I think more reliable once you have the hang of them.
Menstrual Pads
If you prefer sanitary towels to tampons, zero waste washable cloth pads can deliver similar savings.
Period Pants
Zero waste period panties are more expensive than pads but can still save money before you are through with perimenopause.
Glass Jars
Glass jars are a plastic-free zero waste swap that help cut food waste and save cash on freezer bags.
There are useful tips here on freezing all sorts of products in glass jars …
Silicone Stasher Bags
Alternatively you can use reusable silicone stasher bags to freeze food rather disposable freezer bags.
Silicone Baking Cups
Reusable silicone baking cups are another cheap easy zero waste product that can quickly save money if you’re big bakers.
Silicone Baking Mat
Regular bakers can also save money on kitchen foil and baking paper with a silicone baking mat.
Reusable Shopping Bags
Reusable shopping bags are an obvious zero waste swap but now we get charged for plastic bags can save us money every time we shop.
Reusable tote bags are super easy to make from up-cycled fabric.
Handkerchiefs
Simple zero waste handkerchiefs and a handkerchief holder are also incredibly easy to make from up-cycled fabric and can save us money on paper tissues.
Tea Infuser
A little tea infuser and bulk bought loose tea can save money on tea bags and help us avoid some of the chemicals in tea bags.
Cloth Diapers
If you’re a new parent cloth diapers can seem daunting but the money saving are huge. As are the environmental benefits. And they are much simpler than you would think.
Reusable Baby Wipes
The financial savings and eco benefits of zero waste reusable baby wipes are also huge.
If you don’t mind being totally grossed out have a look at this video of the fatberg blocking London sewers. It is mostly made up of wet wipes and nappies!!!
It is again much easier than you would think to create your own baby wipes from up-cycled fabric …
Bidet Loo Attachment
Finally, whilst we’re talking sewers … have you considered a clever bidet attachment for your loo? It turns your ordinary loo into a bidet and saves you money on loo paper whilst cutting waste 😉
So there you go, 30 genuinely useful zero waste product swaps that really do save money fast.
For more simple hacks to live more sustainably AND save money check out these posts :
- Save Money On Energy Bills
- Natural Cleaning Recipes
- Weird Frugal Tips That Work
- 101 Things To Stop Buying
- Healthy Frugal Food Hacks
And follow me on Pinterest …
Original image sources : jars, silicone cups,tooth brushes
Beth says
Great ideas, reducing waste and saving money! You might want to include a list of things like laundry detergent that can be made at home, and stored in a pot or repurposed jug . Many creams, slaves, and so on also deserve consideration.
Jeannette says
All of your ideas rock! In addition, as online clothing seller instead of wrapping customer’s purchases in traditional paper I have transitioned into putting them into cute pillowcases I find while thrifting. I tie them with ribbon I find and I think they are pretty darn cute! Of course, fabric gift bags are just as good and I also use vintage scarves just to switch it up. The fun is finding new ideas and surprising my buyers.
Alice says
What a wonderful idea Jeanette – love it x
Jenna says
My mom has started giving my kids gifts in reusable shopping bags. They’re not the 100% cotton ones, but I have loads now to use when shopping and they didn’t cost me a thing.
Pixie Green says
I switched to cloth napkins and silicone cupcake liners a few months ago. I didn’t think it would make a big difference because I didn’t think I used paper ones that much, but holy crap! I wash at least one napkin a week, and now I’m baking more zero waste food thanks to the silicone cupcake liners.
Holly says
I love your list. I’m making notes. I have most of them, but PLEASE PLEASE, Zero-wasters need to stop recommending microfiber cloths! They not only become non-biodegradable waste, but they also release microscopic plastic every time we get them wet or wash them, which eventually gets into our water supply. The little microscopic plastic when we wash our polyester clothes or other plastic fabrics are becoming a real problem to our environment and to human health. An old cotton terrycloth towel can be cut and repurposed for cleaning, or you can invest in some linen or cotton cleaning rags.
I really think your list is awesome and helpful (just that one exception) and I appreciate that you made the list for us, thank you!