One object instead of many
Something that helps me on my minimalist and zero-waste journey is replacing multiple products with just one.
I use a multi-purpose balm, made by a small Danish company from only three ingredients (olive oil, shea butter, beeswax) instead of all these products:
- Face creams
- Eye cream
- Hand and cuticle creams
- Body cream
- Foot cream
- Hair styling cream
- Lip balm
- I also use it to help heal small cuts
At times, I used to have some other products because I live with an autoimmune skin condition. But I find that using basic, natural and unscented skincare keeps my skin healthy. I haven't had a severe issue with my skin for over a year.
I use a simple, unscented bar of soap instead of all these products:
- Face wash
- Body wash
- Shampoo (though I also have a shampoo bar)
- Hand soap
- Kitchen cleaner
- Bathroom cleaner
I picked up this cotton bag years ago on my way from Denmark to Sweden. I lived in northern Sweden, so the journey would be very long. I went to Irma (it used to be a Danish supermarket) to get some food, and I got this bag to carry my food with me. Since then, I've been using it very often. I have several cotton bags and use them instead of all these objects:
- Storage
- Handbags. No matter what occasion it is. I use them for special events too, such as a fellow human's PhD defence. Teaching, dates. I don't live with normal handbags, so I take my cotton tote bags or net bags everywhere with me.
- Shopping/grocery shopping bags
- Bread bags (at times)
- Boxes when moving: I live with very few objects, so when I move, I put everything in cotton tote bags
- Laundry
- Recycling. At times, I keep paper and bottles in these bags to recycle them later.
- Laptop sleeve (I wrap my laptop in this bag and a plastic bag if it rains). Some fellow humans wrap their laptops in towels to protect them. At times I do it too. Laptop sleeves are often made from plastic (synthetic fibers), and I do not want to live with plastic where I can avoid it.
- Suitcases. Because I live with very few objects, when I travel, I usually only need cotton tote bags. I don't own a suitcase and I never borrow it from my fellow humans.