Eco-Friendly Home Products
As you may know, STELLA is an eco-friendly company. We are constantly working on new ways to decrease our carbon footprint. We use glass jars (which are infinitely recyclable, unlike plastic), we allow local people to drop off clean, used jars to be sanitized and reused, we use 100% reused packaging, when we update or improve containers and labels, we first cycle out the old to prevent waste, we never use palm oil, we sell reusable glass spray bottles and cleaning concentrates, and continue to work on ways to be better.
However, while STELLA provides almost all of our skincare, hygiene, and cleaning needs at home, there are many other products that we use that STELLA can’t provide us with.
I am constantly looking for the most eco-friendly and clean products for our home, even when I can’t make them. I know how time consuming it can be to filter through results and reviews on the internet, trying to find the right product! I will be putting the products that I have purchased in this blog and will give you a quick review. Some of the products I am in love with, while others are just okay.
Hopefully this quick blog, and my ridiculous amount of research, with save you some time!
Feel free to reach out if you have questions.
I also always love hearing about must-have, morally based products.
These are awesome! I will never go back to plastic toothbrushes. Not only are these compostable and therefore, eco-friendly, they are cheaper and look nicer than the classic plastic toothbrush. They are numbered so that toothbrushes don't get mixed up. They also have activated charcoal on the bristles which is supposed to help with teeth whitening. This is a must-have product, in my opinion.
I am loving these! I usually make my own laundry detergent. However, as life has gotten busier, I decided to subscribe to this detergent. The price is right, it shows up to my house without having to think about it, there's no measuring, there is no plastic in the packaging, and the cardboard is recyclable and compostable. Manufactured in the USA with powerful, sustainable, plant-based ingredients. Never tested on animals. Free from dyes, optical brighteners, parabens, phosphates, and pthlalates.
I usually make my own dishwashing detergent too. However, I can't always keep up with making it. I subscribe to this dishwasher detergent. Just like their laundry detergent, the price is right, it is convenient, there's no measuring involved, and the packaging is plastic-free, recyclable, and compostable. Manufactured in the USA with powerful, sustainable, mineral-based ingredients. Never tested on animals. Free from chlorine, dyes, phosphates, and phthalates.
I really like these. They are a great alternative to disposable cotton swabs. The two downsides are: the tips can come off of this specific product (although it's never happened while using them), and you have to wash them every time you use them. However, they do a really good job of cleaning your ears (I think better than the classic cotton swab). I highly recommend!
I was very skeptical about period underwear but I am a believer now! There are all types out there and I am sure that many of them are great. However, they can also be very expensive. These are about 1/3 of the price of the main brands out there and they do a great job! They are very soft and thin. Don't worry though, they protect too! These are all that I wear now, day and night, during my period. No more disposable (and toxic) products. I just bought some to put away for my daughters (they're 10) just so that I am prepared for the big day. Strongly recommend!
These bamboo soap dishes are really pretty. I have started using shampoo and conditioner bars for my hair to cut down on single-use plastic (the bars that I use are below). These are perfect for the round bars. This way, the bars don't slip off the shelf or sit in water. It helps extend the life of my bars. Bamboo is also supposed to hold up well to water exposure. So far they are holding up. I will update if that changes. These would look nice and work well anywhere that you use soap!
Scott found these and they are my favorite! I love reusable bags but loading them can be annoying. They always want to fall over as you are trying to fill them. These are seriously awesome. They fold down flat when they are empty so they don't take up much space, but when it is time to load them, the bottom folds down and you have a large, sturdy area to put your groceries. It might sound like no big deal, but I'm telling you, it's seriously a game changer for grocery shopping!
These are a great alternative to plastic wrap. They fit well over most of my bowls and are also good at covering half a watermelon, a pie plate, and other circular, but awkward items that you don't have a lid for. However, these do not fit well on things that aren't round. They also slip off if what you are covering is too big or wet. I also would not feel comfortable putting this on a container filled with a liquid, and tipping it upside down like they advertise (then again, I woudln't do that with plastic wrap either). I still like it much better than plastic wrap and I don't feel guilty when I use it. They seem very strong. I have had them for a couple years and they are all still in perfect condition. I would recommend them, although there might be better versions of this product out there.
I LOVE my compost bin! I struggled with composting for years. No one wants to go outside every time they have compost (especially in Minnesota, 7 months of the year). However, storing it in an ice cream bucket (like my parents) created a serious smell issue. This compost bin has a carbon filter that really works, plus it comes with a spare filter. We can go several days before we need to empty it. My husband was ready to give up on composting and this was the solution!
This is a great sampling set of cleaning cloths. I am a big fan of Norwex. I especially love my Norwex face cloths and dish cloths. However, Norwex is also expensive and a lot of what you are paying for is the second-party commission. I really like this pack. It's a great price and it has all of the cleaning cloths that you need. They advertise that they can clean 99% of bacteria with just water. They are also labelled on a sewn-in tag so that you don't forget their purpose. If you find one that you love and want more of, you can purchase these separatley too. These have been a great purchase for me!
This comes with 4 reusable, sealable, silicone "bags" and 6 mesh produce bags. First, the silicone bags are okay. They seal well and once food is in them, they stand up. However, they are significantly more bulky than plastic bags, so if you are looking for a replacement, know that these will work but for larger amounts of food. They are not "snack bags." They also don't stay open nicely like advertised, when you try to fill them (although neither do plastic bags, right?). Overall, I still like them but I don't use them as often as I thought I would. They have definitely held up well though. Now for the mesh produce bags. I LOVE these! I hate when I forget them at home (I suggest that you leave them inside your reusable shopping bags). They work so well and they make me feel good knowing that I'm not wasting all of those single-use plastic bags. I buy a LOT of produce so these are saving a LOT of plastic bags from the landfill. They are also well made. Highly recommend!
These straws are great. No more using single-use, turtle-killing straws for your cocktails, mocktails, iced coffees, and more. I love that there are different lengths in this set and the bent straws. This is a great sample set and works for most drinks. However, this link also has longer straw options, if you are like me and frequently drink very tall iced americanos that require longer straws.
We take coffee very seriously in our house! Starting my sophomore year in college, I was a barista for about 9 years before I met my husband. I knew how to make coffee but still never drank it. My husband, on the other hand, lived for coffee. He told me on our first date that he would turn me into a coffee drinker. I thought there was no chance. Now, I have a commercial grade espresso machine with hopper and grinder, a flair espresso maker (which I highly recommend by the way), a single cup coffee maker, a temperature controlled water kettle, and a chemex. I bought Scott the Chemex when we were dating, along with this stainless steel filter. I didn't like the idea of constantly buying disposable filters; it's expensive and, more importantly, bad for the environment. That was 7 years ago and he still uses the same filter everyday (although he has broken two Chemex Coffee Makers and is on his third). This is a great filter and unless you lose it, you should never need another one. There are definitely cheaper versions out there, so feel free to shop around. Since this was a gift, I went with a more expensive version (it is actually cheaper now than it was 7 years ago). It claims to brew a better cup of coffee but I have never compared it to any other versions. Regardless, Scott and I both recommend!
I know that a lot of businesses are selling these right now. I have no idea what the difference is from company to company. They all look identical which confuses me. I have made my own shampoo bars but haven't been happy with the results. I finally gave up after many attempts. My mother-in-law gave me a shampoo and conditioning bar set from Naples Soap Company a couple of Christmases ago. I have really loved these. I haven't tried other companies or looked at the pricing. However, I would recommend these. Benefits: Good for the environment. There is no plastic packaging, there is less shipping packaging because they are so small and light, and I love that once the product is gone, there is NO GARBAGE! They sit on my cute bamboo soap dishes (you can find them above) and look beautiful. These are great for travel and for taking to the gym. My hair feels so soft and healthy. The shampoo bar foams up a LOT! The ingredients list is short and mostly STELLA approved. Downsides: The biggest downside, in my opinion, is that they aren't as "clean" as I would like. While they don't contain Lauryl and Laureth Sulfate, they do contain other sulfates and the conditioning bars contain alcohol. They also contain "fragrance" and "colors", none of which are allowed in STELLA products. However, since I haven't been successful in making my own, and I haven't put in the time researching better options, these are still much better than almost every option at the store. Please reach out if you have something better!