JUST REUSE ME: Top 5 Products for a Planet-Friendly Life

By Iris Sela Horowitz, Communications Coordinator

These are our staples for a Zero Waste lifestyle. Experience tells us that as you get used to incorporating these products into your routine, they’ll become habit and you’ll never want to go back!

Reusable Coffee Mug – We’re most fond of stainless steel and porcelain mugs as they won’t leach potentially harmful chemicals into your drinks. Check out Klean Kanteen’s Wide Insulated Mug, a triple-purpose product that can also be used as a water bottle or food container!

Sturdy and Safe Food Containers – These are critical for packing waste-free lunches and avoiding single-use to-go containers at restaurants. Any reusable container will do, but we love the roomy To-Go Ware stackable “tiffins,” which can come with small “sidekick” containers for condiments or snacks and a bag to make your eco-choice more fashionable and discreet. Find this product and other safe containers on our Eco-Store at www.ecocycle.org/ecostore. Avoid any plastic containers with a #3 (PVC) or #6 (polystyrene) as these are toxic plastics.

Reusable Water Bottle – Fill your own bottles with tap water to easily avoid loads of unnecessary waste. Stainless steel bottles are the best as they don’t leach—check out our 27 oz. Eco-Cycle Klean Kanteen on our Eco-Store. If you’re going for a lightweight plastic, make sure it’s a “safe” plastic (#1, #2, #4 or #5) free of the hormone-disrupting chemical Bisphenol A (BPA). Be wary of aluminum bottles as their linings can leach and may contain BPA unless otherwise labeled.

Reusable Bag – We like the ChicoBag (made from 99% recycled materials) so much, we put our name on it and sell it on our Eco-Store. You can stuff it into the attached sack for easy storing. Keep it in your pack/purse and you’ll never forget to BYOB(ag) again.

Durable Utensils, Reusable Chopsticks and Cloth Napkins – Keep a pair of reusable utensils wrapped in a reusable napkin in your bag or your glove box, and you'll be surprised at how many disposables you'll avoid when eating on-the-go. To-Go Ware offers beautiful bamboo utensils (chopsticks included!) and a utensil holder made from recycled plastic with a carabiner. These reusable to-go items are available at our Eco-Store at www.ecocycle.org/ecostore and through local health food stores and natural grocers.

Find all these materials and much more on our Eco-Store.

Are you a reuse muse? Join our campaign to encourage reuse by individuals and businesses in Boulder County.