In this episode of the Becoming You podcast, I share seven product swaps I made to live a more sustainable lifestyle.

I believe that spirituality is having a deep, deep connection to yourself and the world around you. You can’t separate the two: Your relationship with your own being is directly tied with your relationship with your environment.

Sustainability is a huge part of my life. I’ve realized that, as I’ve come to know myself better, I have a huge responsibility to have as little an impact on Mother Earth as possible in terms of waste. I’m sure you feel the same, but it can be so overwhelming at times to make these choices.

Why We Feel Powerless to Make (and Keep Making) Sustainable Choices

We feel powerless for two reasons: Either we feel that our actions are “too small” to have any real impact on the world; or, we don’t take action at all, feeling too unworthy to take even the tiniest step toward potentially making a change—compounding that feeling of powerlessness.

Remember, a lot of tiny shifts, over time, will build momentum. Your actions will have a tangible impact on the world.

Swap #1: Razors

It seems so random and insignificant—but that’s exactly the problem. If you actually think about it, how many razors do you go through in a lifetime?

Billions of razors end up in landfills in the U.S. alone. And with plastic waste in most of these products, the sad (and horrifying) reality is that they will never biodegrade.

So, I’ve recently made the shift to a company called EcoRoots that sells exclusively zero-waste products—and that includes the packaging.

I ordered a beautiful rose gold, old-school razor that I absolutely love using, knowing that I’d taken the tiniest of steps toward reducing waste on this planet.

Swap #2: Toothpaste

Just as disposable razors contain plastic that contributes to rising landfills around the world, the toothpaste most people use come in plastic tubes.

I now subscribe to the company Bite, which offers toothpaste in tablet form.

Swap #3: Dishwasher Solution

Again, the issue with dishwashing solutions of any kind is that they come in plastic packaging.

I found a company called Dropps that offers dishwasher tablets in a brown box with no plastic at all.

Swap #4: Single-use bags

Here’s another one we don’t often think too much about. It’s convenient to reach over and grab those single-use produce bags at the grocery store when we’re buying our fruits and veggies. And then we get home, wash the products, and throw away the bag.

It’s so easy to overlook just how much we waste on a daily basis—and it adds up fast!

Swap #5: Laundry detergent

Just like our dishwashing solution, we throw away tons of plastic every year from using mass-produced laundry detergent.

Now, this is a swap that I’ve not yet made, because I’m still going through the stash of laundry detergent that I already have. But once I’m ready to buy more, I plan on purchasing from a company called Tru Earth, which sells laundry strips in a box that you simply place on top of your laundry—one per load—and there’s nothing to throw away afterwards.

Swap #6: Body soap

This one should be an easy swap for everybody. Instead of using liquid soap, which typically comes in plastic containers that we throw away once empty, why not switch to bar soap wrapped in paper packaging?

Swap #7: Period products

From tampons to sanitary pads, women go through scores of plastic products and packaging every single month.

Lo and behold, I eventually found Thinx.

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