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Single use plastics are once again on the rise here in St. Petersburg. When asked what’s the one thing all humans can do to make a difference in the world, David Attenborough told the BBC “stop waste of any kind.” We’ve collected here several items to help cut down on single use plastics in your own life.

We’ve seen a roaring response from St. Pete residents and business owners regarding No Straws St. Pete since the movement to provide straws on a request-only basis was launched in April of 2018. Over 200 restaurants and establishments have gotten on board and adopted the “straws on request” practice and proudly display the No Straws St. Pete sticker in their windows and at their registers.

Fast forward to 2020, St. Pete’s City Council has officially banned single-use plastics and expanded polystyrene, aka styrofoam!

You can of course always visit The Refillery, St. Pete’s near zero-waste shop, to purchase eco friendly, sustainable and reusable items for your home. The Refillery is located at 7490 30th Avenue North.

With that as the first step, there are also many more products available that we can all use to reduce the amount of single-use plastics and be more eco-friendly in minimizing waste starting at home and at work.

Bamboo Towels (paid link)

This is the best revelation! We’ve always hated the waste of using so many paper towels for cleaning up, so finding this alternative is so satisfying. They are heavy-duty, sustainable but best of all, they are reusable. It’s the equivalent of 6 months of regular paper towel use. We’ve even put them in the washing machine to reuse! At the very least, it will save you money.

Swedish Dish Cloths (paid link)

If you’re more of a dishcloth kind of person over paper towels, this product is great! Four of these dishcloths replace up to 17 rolls of paper towels. You can extend their life by washing them in the laundry machine or dishwasher up to 200 times. They are biodegradable AND they have a ton of cute patterns to choose from. I mean who doesn’t love llamas?!

Hydroflask (paid link)

Plastic water bottles are just the worst! Well, all single-use plastics are anyway. But having a reusable bottle will save an exponential amount of waste. These are one of the best and longest-lasting ones you can get. Hydroflask offers loads of options to find the perfect one for you.

Eco-Friendly Phone Case (paid link)

Pela cases are made from compostable materials instead of plastic. The phone industry generates a huge waste of plastic. Imagine for a second how many phone cases around the world are sent to landfills every time someone upgrades their phone or the major phone companies announce a new lineup of updated phone designs. What I like about these the most is that it’s simple and light unlike a lot of plastic phone cases. Plus, Pela donates 5% of its total sales (not just their profit) towards several environmental causes. It’s a win-win.

Wool Dryer Balls (paid link)

Naturally one of the best ways to help quickly dry your clothes in the dryer. Want your clothes to have that still have a fresh dryer sheet smell? Just add a couple of drops of your fave essential oil and they’re ready to go. For best results, it’s recommended to use three to six dryer balls per load. My general rule of thumb is three for the normal laundry cycles and more if I’m washing comforters or heavier items. These dryer balls are definitely worth the investment as they last over 1,000 loads of laundry.

Non-Electric Bidet Attachment (paid link)

This is definitely a toilet paper saver especially when we’ve seen how toilet paper can get scarce! We’ve always wanted one at home after having experienced it in Asia. It’s so easy to install (took us less than 30 minutes to install our first one!) and easy to use and clean. On top of that, you feel ten times cleaner and fresher coming out of the bathroom when you use it. Trust us, it’s life-changing and you will recommend it to all your friends as it was recommended to us by a friend. This is an easy and affordable one we love.

No-Tox Vegan Dishwashing Block Soap\ (paid link)

Buying plastic bottled dish soap is a thing of the past. These Vegan Dish Washing Blocks work just like every other soap bar. It’s super gentle and it suds up well so greasy pots and pans and even stainless steel are easy to clean. This soap block is also fragrance-free, biodegradable, and palm oil-free. You can also use it to remove stains from fabrics, remove labels from containers you want to reuse, clean your walls/counters, and more. Our team has tried this one out and it’s lasted almost a year in a two-person household. I’d recommend pairing it with an eco-friendly sponge/cleaning brush set like this one. Make sure to store it in a dry place to extend it’s life. These soap savers work great.

Bee’s Wrap (paid link)

Ok, this stuff is pretty cool. It’s like Saran wrap, but it’s reusable. You can wrap leftovers, keep a salad fresh in the fridge, prep tomorrow’s lunch, whatever you need to do. Use it the same way you would use plastic wrap, then when you’re finished, just wash it and air dry it, and it’s ready to wrap again. You can snag a 3-pack here.

Reusable Grocery Bags (paid link)

The hardest part about using reusable grocery bags is remembering to bring them into the store. But when you’ve got a set of grocery bags you love, it gets a lot easier to remember! These bags are reusable, machine washable, and come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Pick up a set of bags here (and don’t forget to leave a couple in the car). They also fold down a lot easier than the standard reusable grocery bags so it’s easy to keep one or two in a purse or stash them in your back pocket.

Reusable Produce Bags (paid link)

While we’re walking around with our reusable grocery bags, let’s go a step further. These reusable produce bags are a great way to stop using those plastic rolls that have sprouted up among the fruits and veggies. They’re made with a biodegradable cotton mesh and they’re machine washable and super durable. Bonus: They come in recyclable packaging. Drop some of these reusable produce bags in your reusable grocery bags and you’re good to go.

Ethique Shampoo Bar (paid link)

This shampoo bar from Ethique is a fantastic way to cut back on the number of plastics you’re picking up at the grocery store. One of these shampoo bars is equal to three bottles of shampoo. So you’re trading three single-use plastics for one small (recyclable) cardboard box. Ethique offers nine different scents. You can get a shampoo bar here.