9 Best Eco Friendly Products to Use Without Being Too Extreme

Choosing eco friendly products is a great choice for you and the environment. You can reuse the same item, preventing unnecessary waste. Additionally, these products contain more natural ingredients which are beneficial to you and your family.

When I first started using eco friendly products, I thought it was a bit annoying sometimes and to be honest, kind of extreme.

It’s so much easier to use plastic sandwich bags instead of Tupperware. Easy is not always best though.

I will provide you with a list of the 9 best eco friendly products which I started using for me and my baby. At this point, I can say that they actually make my life easier, instead of more difficult.

And I’m not extreme about it. I still buy plastic items sometimes, but it’s the idea of doing the best you can do at the time.

Who knows? Maybe someday my home will be plastic free.

Let’s get started with my top 9 eco friendly products!

9 eco friendly products

I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, I may earn a commission. Thanks.

1. Washcloths

I bought a pack of 6 washcloths and 3 baby towels for Haylee. This is one of the best baby items I have since the washcloths come in handy all the time. And they are super soft!

What do I use washcloths for?

• Washing Haylee in the bath
• Cleaning her up after meal time since baby led weaning can be quite messy
• Wiping her nose when she sneezes since they’re soft and gentle on her skin
• Patting her dry when changing her diaper instead of wasting baby wipes and it helps prevent diaper rash

2. Nursing pads

If you’re breastfeeding, you already know that you need pads to insert in your bra to prevent those unwanted leaks from showing.

Some people choose disposable pads but I bought these bamboo nursing pads in an assortment of colors. It definitely saves you money since you just throw them in the laundry after wearing them instead of throwing them in the trash and buying new ones.

Related: The Ultimate Breastfeeding Essentials Checklist (PDF Included)

3. Breastmilk containers

Following #2, if you’re breastfeeding, this one will also be relevant for you. You need a place to store extra milk, whether it’s pumped milk or milk you collected from your haakaa while breastfeeding.

These milk storage cups are perfect! They’re dishwasher safe, leak-proof, freezer safe. And if you’re using a Philips Avent breast pump, this comes with an adapter that lets you pump directly into the storage cups. How convenient!

4. Reusable baby food pouches

Once your baby is eating solids, you may be tempted to buy a pack of 50 or 100 disposable food pouches to put pureed food in for on the go. However, you can buy these same food pouches in thicker plastic, which are actually reusable!

These reusable baby food pouches are even dishwasher safe which is perfect. And it includes a bonus funnel to make it easier to pour the pureed food into the pouches.

I love using them for Haylee when I make her smoothies. She loves biting on it since that’s her stage now – biting everything!

5. Water bottle

Since I gave birth, I started drinking much more water. The recommended daily water intake for women is actually higher than the common “8 cups a day”.

According to Mayo Clinic, you should be drinking around 11.5 cups a day, which is 2.7 liters. That’s a lot of water and it can be tough to drink so much.

If you’re breastfeeding, you will need to drink even more than that. You probably already know that since you get really thirsty while breastfeeding.

I bought a 32-ounce water bottle which I refill throughout the day. This is definitely more sustainable than using plastic disposable cups or packaged water bottles to drink from.

I especially love the water bottle linked above since it has markings on it so you know how much you drank so far. It encourages me to drink more, although it’s still difficult for me to reach the recommended 11.5 cups a day.

6. Cloth diapers

A big way to reduce your carbon footprint is by using cloth diapers for your little one. This is one of those topics which you’re either strongly advocating or you’re kind of clueless about it.

There have been many studies about whether cloth diapers really are more environmentally friendly than disposable diapers.

At the end of the day, it’s not only about the time it takes for the disposable diaper to decompose. It’s also about the harmful ingredients in these diapers and how they are being produced.

Ultimately, cloth diapers are the eco friendly choice in the diaper battle. If it seems too difficult for you to make the switch, you can start small by choosing a greener brand of disposable diapers.

7. Hand towels

I used to love paper towels since they were always handy for spills, drying my hands, using them as napkins, etc. Honestly, I still like the convenience of paper towels.

However, since I have cats, 10 to be exact (yup I’m a crazy cat lady), I cannot leave paper towels anywhere within their reach, unless I want them shredded. So, I started having a hand towel hanging in the kitchen and hiding the paper towels in the cupboard.

I got so used to having a hand towel as my go-to for drying my hands, that I actually began to like it. I got a specific brand called Lightwind which is super soft! And it feels good not wasting all the time.

I still occasionally use paper towels but a lot less than I used to. Since it’s less accessible, I don’t use it as much. Out of sight, out of mind. Kind of, at least.

8. Reusable storage bags

I finally made the switch from disposable plastic bags to reusable storage bags. It feels so much better to be using plastic bags that are sustainable since they aren’t being thrown out after each use.

Simply wash these bags and reuse them. They come in different sizes so you can use them to store a big batch of cookies, for taking a sandwich with you to work, or for holding some cut fruit.

I love them so much that I bought more since they’re constantly being used.

9. Insulated reusable grocery bags

Instead of wasting so much plastic whenever you go to the grocery store and take home everything in plastic bags, switch to reusable bags.

These bags are not only reusable, but they’re also insulated so they’ll keep your food cool in those hot summer days.

I have a few of these and I love taking them whenever we go on family trips to keep all of our food cool.

Are eco friendly products more expensive?

This is a very common question people ask – are eco friendly products more expensive?

Well, you tell me based on this list. Many of these items are actually saving you money since you buy them once and you’re good to go.

You don’t need to keep buying disposable items that you throw out after each use. Rather, you can spend a few dollars more and you get something that will last you much longer.

That’s the upside of eco friendly and reusable.

Check out this post for an excellent list of eco friendly baby gifts, whether it’s for the holidays, birthdays, or just to buy something special for your little one!

To wrap up

Eco friendly products not only have a better impact on the environment, but they also can save you a few bucks.

Which item from my list do you already use? Which one do you want to switch over from disposable to sustainable?

Are you using other sustainable products that I didn’t mention here? Let me know in the comments! I’m always looking for more eco friendly products to use.