Sustainable living has come to the forefront in recent years. With more people tuning into the importance of reducing one’s carbon footprint and living more sustainably, the demand for sustainable products has risen by 71% over the past 5 years.

The process of switching to more planet-friendly home products may seem daunting, but it doesn’t all need to be! The best way to transition to a more sustainable lifestyle is to use up what you currently have and replace it with more eco-friendly alternatives when you’re ready. You’ll gradually build up a collection and find yourself needing to buy less and less!

A handy way to begin your journey into a more sustainable lifestyle is by looking at the products you use at home every day. If you’re trying to live with the Earth in mind a little more and aren’t sure where to start, we’ve got five eco-friendly, sustainable swaps you’ll love.

While paper towels are typically compostable, it’s still ultimately a single-use item that comes wrapped in plastic that contributes to deforestation. That’s why reusable dishcloths are a far more sustainable option – particularly when you can replace up to 17 rolls of paper towels with just one Swedish dishcloth. It’s also biodegradable and compostable, so when you’ve used it to the end of its life, you can simply cut it up and put it in your compost bin. Our sustainable dishcloths are one of our most popular products: find them here.

Washing your vegetables before eating them is always a good idea, but so many everyday food brushes are made with plastic fibers and a plastic handle and often come wrapped in plastic too! That’s a lot of plastic in one product, so why not replace that with a reusable Veggie Brush? With recycled plant fiber bristles and a bamboo handle, you can now wash your fresh produce over and over again without worrying about your plastic intake!

As the warmer months approach, so do the bugs! And while it’s often easier to grab a can of insect repellent at the local drug store when you’re particularly irritated by them, it’s not the most eco-friendly option.

Many insect repellant containers are not recyclable, plus they’re often sold in aerosol cans, which release toxic chemicals and contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone.

Thankfully, there’s another option: this natural Bug Repellent is aerosol-free, plastic-free, and compact for easy carrying on hikes and camping trips. It’s scented with a blend of natural oils and the container can be recycled after use.

Now that you’re protected from bug bites, it’s time to think about how you protect your skin from the sun. Of course, any protection is better than nothing, but why make an unsustainable choice in the process? With our Sunscreen Butter, you can enjoy the warm weather with the guarantee of UV safety and the knowledge that you’ve made a good choice for the planet. This cruelty-free, reef-friendly, water-resistant sunscreen butter works great on sensitive skin and can be recycled after use.

If you’ve ever tried growing your own fruits and vegetables, you’ll know how tempting it is to douse your produce in fertilizers and chemicals. This may result in a higher yield, but do you really know what’s inside those bottles of fertilizers? With this Sustainable Plant Food, you can encourage your window plants to grow without spraying them with synthetic fertilizers. The primary ingredient in this plant food is OurCarbon, a material made of carbon taken from organic waste that would otherwise have ended up in landfills.

These are just a handful of the swaps you could be making! To view our full range of eco-conscious products, browse the Free The Ocean store. Remember, you don’t have to replace all your products at once – replacing one unsustainable choice at a time will go a long way to bettering our world.