Concentrated Natural Shampoo with Zero Waste Packaging

If you don't have any hair to wash, that's probably about as zero waste as you can get for hair care. For those of us with tresses that need cleaning, I recommend this bar of all-natural shampoo from J.R. Liggett that I recently stumbled upon at my local coop. The Original Formula bar is made from all natural ingredients: olive oil, coconut oil, castor oil, sunflower oil, organic palm kernel oil and rose oil. They do not use GMOs or traditional palm oil which destroys ecosystems and negatively impacts producer communities. The 'palm kernel oil' ingredient they use is 'Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil' (RSPO) certified. Read more about RSPO here and here. This product scores high on sustainable zero waste packaging as well with a simple recyclable paper wrapping instead of a plastic bottle and cap that may or may not be recyclable in your area. Additionally, the concentrated formula -- no water! -- minimizes the product volume and weight as compared to traditional shampoos which saves on the resources required for storage and transportation of the product. Thanks J.R. Liggett for an uncomplicated product and effective design!

Sustainable Food Storage: Plastic Cling Wrap Substitute!

Say goodbye to plastic cling wrap! This cling wrap (aka Saran Wrap) substitute is reusable, washable, compostable, zero waste (recyclable packaging), and made in the USA (Go Vermont!) from beeswax and cloth. I bought Bee's Wrap's 3-sheet pack (7x8", 10x11" & 13x14") for approximately $11 at my food coop ($19 on the vendor's site). For large scale food producers or caterers this probably isn't the best solution because of the price but for occasional home use this does the trick for me. It works like a gem and smells like honey comb heaven. The sheet molds to a surface from the warmth of your hand in a few seconds. It's not recommended for meats but for cheeses or anything else that needs to be stored it works great. Hopefully it is durable and lasts for many uses.

Simple 3 Ingredient Homemade Toothpaste

Big thanks to the Health Extremist for her simple homemade toothpaste recipe! It was easy to make and to scale up since the primary ingredients are in a 1:1 ratio. I'll definitely make it again! I made a small batch so I can test it out before committing to a larger one. I used 2 tablespoons each of baking soda and melted coconut oil. Melting the oil makes it easier to mix. Then I added drops of mint until I liked the taste. The taste is no surprise: coconuty, oily, salty, essence of mint. Some people add stevia or other sweetener to make it more palatable for children. All the packaging of the ingredients I used are recyclable in my area so this qualifies as a zero waste solution. Toothpaste tubes are generally not recyclable in most areas unless you have access to a TerraCycle drop off or similar program. I'm not a dentist or a chemist so do your own research if you have concerns. My dentist was entertained by the concoction but recommends fluoride so I plan to switch between the two: my homemade paste and store-bought Tom's of Maine with fluoride.