8 Ways to Create Eco Bliss at Home & Work

Seeking "eco-bliss?" Here are a few simple ways to reduce the amount of waste you create at home and at work.

Brush with Tablets

Of all the eco-friendly ways to reduce waste without spending hundreds of dollars, switching to toothpaste tabs is one of the simplest.  Our household had already made the change from name brand paste to Trader Joe's in an attempt to be more responsible.  Interesting to us is how strong the flavor of name brand pastes seems to us, now.

I had begun thinking about ways to reduce plastic in my home and that plastic toothpaste tube going into the trash caught my attention.  My search for an eco-friendly toothpastes led me to tablets.  After reading reviews and price comparing I decided to try Unpaste. The flavor is just like Trader Joe's toothpaste; not too minty, but enough to leave you feeling fresh.  You get 125 tablets, that's about 2 month's worth in each package.  I usually buy two at a time and store them in a small jar in my bathroom.

There are a few places online and in various regions where you can buy Unpaste tablets.  I like to get them from Well Earth Goods because it is a family owned company that is doing good. 

Bamboo is Renewable & Pretty

If I was going to be using an environmentally toothpaste the obvious next step was to find a toothbrush that honored the same values.  There are loads of options for biodegradable toothbrushes out there.  My concern was durability.  I wanted one that I knew would last.  So, the research began again.

I chose The Humble Co. toothbrush for a couple of reasons.  The first was price.  I was able to buy five brushes at once for just $10 which worked out the be about the same as I had been paying for Preserve toothbrushes before.  I love the Preserve toothbrush and had been using it for years.  My goal is to reduce waste in as many ways as I can.  Even though Preserve recycles yogurt cups into toothbrushes and then recycles their toothbrushes (if you send them back), I wanted to escape from using plastic completely.  The Humble Co. toothbrush is 100% biodegradable. 

Washable Facial Wipes

It is rare that I wear makeup.  I just don't have the time to apply it, nor do I want to deal with it melting off of my face while I'm riding my bike, stand up paddle boarding or practicing Yoga Asana.  I do have a pretty serious facial regimen to keep my skin healthy and moisturized.  After all, Lake Tahoe is an arid mountain environment and it's just goo practice to keep your body hydrated.

I used to use disposable cotton pads for my facial serums.  I realized that It was pretty wasteful to use one once and then toss it.  So, I started hunting for something that would do the job and be less wasteful.  I found washable cotton pads that work just great!  They're not only good for my facial treatments, but can be utilized in the same way as a cotton pad or ball whenever you're in need.  

Floss with Bamboo

I think that clean teeth are paramount.  As a service provider whose work requires a whole lot of talking I think a sparkling smile is of the utmost importance.  I didn't know that much of the dental floss available is actually made of plastic.  As I thought about this all I could imagine was pieces of plastic floss wrapped around the rest of my trash for eternity.

There are hundreds of eco-friendly dental floss out there.  My struggle was finding one that was strong enough so it doesn't break while in use.  I read the reviews and found Mother Earth Biodegradable Dental Floss.  I purchased the bottle and three rolls.  Since then, I just order refills whenever I need them.  The floss doesn't really have any flavor, but I don't mind.

​Lighten Your Laundry Load

So many detergents and soaps that we use are mostly water. We're paying not only for this to be added, but also for the container that it travels in. If you're tired of carrying heavy laundry detergent bottles and want to reduce your waste, Laundry Strips are the way to go. 

I was hesistant, at first to switch over. When I first began using detergent strips, I chose TruEarth. They're a Canadian brand, so the initial order took a bit to sort out and arrive. The instructions are clear; use one strip per load. My front load, HE machine didn't know the difference. The wash went along as usual, my clothes came out clean and I was sold.

We've since purchase a year's worth and one extra package. I've packed the strips with me when traveling so I can wash my own clothes wherever I am. They're so small and lightweight that I even took them to Curacao. All of the items at Bliss Experiences that get laundered are washed with unscented laundry strips. The best part of all is that the package is so small, I can tuck it into a basket and, it doesn't leak!

Pods Without Plastic

After ten years our dishwasher was no longer cleaning as effectively as it had been. I clean the filter, opened it up and checked for broken parts and ran it without any dishes except for a cup of vinegar. It was the end for the old Kitchenaid. So, we upgraded to a Bosch. Oh boy, did we have a lot to learn.

After learning to load the new washer, we were still frustrated that the powdered soap we were using wasn't doing the job. So, I began to research. I found out that dishwashers really like "pods." What I didn't like was that most of the products on the market have plastic in them. Not only do I not want to injest it, I also don't want it in Lake Tahoe. So, I hunted for an eco-friendly dishwasher pod and I found Dropps. They're made with water soluble casing called Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) and dissolve with water.

My dishes are sparkling clean and I don't have worries about plastics in or on my foods or the lake! 

Refill Your Dish Soap

The same Trader Joe's soap bottle has been providing me with soap for dishes for over a year. Dish soap is one of the products I was determined to replace, but couldn't find a solution that would work well for our house. I don't like clutter, so keeping a dish soap bar on the counter will not fly in my house. Through my research I found that most dish soap, like detergent, is mostly water. So, I looked for a dish soap concentrate. I found Etee. 

The first order I placed took an extremely long time to arrive. I guess there were some packaging issues. When the soap finally did show up, the package had leaked a bit and I was defintely shorted some soap. This is because it's contained in wax tubes and then packed into a small box. The tubes had been cracked during shipping and leaked. I loved what I got, though, and ordered more. It's so easy to open the tube, pour the concentrate in the old Trader Joe's bottle and then add water to make the dishsoap that I use every day. It smells nice and works just as well. As with all the products mentioned, it produces less waster and no plastics.

Give A Crap About Your TP

Bamboo is such an incredible resource and it's being used in the most interesting ways. I have bamboo sheets and, as you already know, bamboo dental floss. When a friend recommended bamboo toilet paper I was all in. Not only does Who Gives a Crap make great TP, they also protect the environment and help struggling communities.  They're funny, too.

Bliss Experiences and my home are both supplied with their TP. I haven't had a complaint from anyone about it. In fact, people have asked about it and are surprised to find out that it's made from bamboo. The images and stories Who Gives a Crap put on their boxes, outer wrapping and internal rolls are entertaining and educational. They share information about their company, offer jokes to read and are always promoting the good that buying from them does for the world.

Every day I find a new way to keep my home and business green. From reusing trash bags, to buying biodegradeable ones and choosing to commute by bicycle instead of driving, when I can, behaving sustainably is becoming more natural.

If you have suggestions or ideas for ways in which we can do better, feel free to share them.