One aspect of sustainability can be the choice to replace everyday items with others that are better for the planet and the people on it. However, these things are often difficult to find— especially in the same place. That’s why this week’s blog post is about a Dutch website called Leven Zonder Afval (Live Without Waste) which sells pretty much any zero-waste products you might be looking for. It also sends anything you order in plastic free packaging— everything I’ve ordered so far has arrived in a cardboard box stuffed with recycled newspaper. Finally, of course, it’s nice to support local(ish) businesses— it’s run by two women according to their “About Us” tab.
Of course, the quality of the products is also important. While I can’t vouch for everything on their website (although my it will be my life’s work), I can talk about the things I’ve ordered from them so far. So here goes:
1. Vegetable and Fruit Cotton Bags
These are really handy for the Haagse Markt, to avoid those plastic bags they offer you with everything. They’re also very handy for Lekker Nassuh, whether you’re getting the vegetables or the dried goods. Hot tip, though: cocoa powder is fine enough to get through the bags. A related point is that when you need to wash the bags, they will shrink a little bit. The label says they’re fine to be washed at 40C, but this doesn’t seem to be true. The shrinkage isn’t dramatic, but it is something to bear in mind.
2. Reusable Menstrual Pads
If you don’t want to, or can’t, switch to a menstrual cup, these are a fantastic way to reduce the amount of plastic you’re reducing with your period each month. I got both the regular and the night sizes, and they’re first of all the most comfortable pads I have ever experienced. There was no leakage even though my period is pretty heavy. I got the black ones, so obviously staining hasn’t been a problem, but there are pretty patterned options available. When you’re finished with a pad for the day, give it a quick rinse in the sink with cold water until the water runs clear, and then either put it in the washing machine, or hang it out to dry for a few days until you’re ready to do your laundry as usual. The pads are expensive— €17 for three regular sized ones— but once you have them, you won’t need to buy period products again for at least ten years, so it evens out fairly quickly. If you are interested in the cup or reusable tampons, the site also has those available.
3. Package free conditioner
It’s fairly easy to find shampoo bars at Lekker Nassuh, for example, but I hadn’t noticed a package free conditioner. Lush also sells them, but it can be nice to try out products from smaller companies. The conditioner comes in a beautifully designed cardboard box, but is surprisingly small for what you pay. It works well, but so do Lush’s package free conditioners which are a bit more affordable, so this is not something I would recommend unless you’re really passionate about supporting smaller businesses.
4. Toothpaste
The website has a wide variety of toothpastes, some solid (like the toothy tabs from Lush, but without plastic) and some in a paste. I got some of the latter. It came in a glass jar, and while it tastes and feels completely different to toothpaste (it doesn’t foam or anything) I really like it. My teeth feel really clean, and I think it sort of encourages me to brush more thoroughly because you can feel exactly where the toothpaste has touched and where it hasn’t in your mouth.
Check out the website here, and let us know if you find any cool stuff!
Act Aware 