For What It’s Worth is a live podcast about the stuff we use, the trends we question and the products we can’t stop talking about. Stream new episodes bi-weekly on YouTube, hosted by NBC Select editorial director Lauren Swanson and NBC Select reporter Zoe Malin. Shop our product picks below and on Amazon.
One of the most important parts of building an eco-friendly lifestyle? Committing to it. Composting food scraps, swapping disposable plastic products for reusable ones and thrifting clothing rather than buying everything brand-new, for example, make the biggest difference when you make them long-term habits — yes, that means sticking to them even after Earth Month.
In this episode of NBC Select’s For What It’s Worth Podcast, editorial director Lauren Swanson and I share the easiest sustainable swaps we’ve made at home and how we’ve built upon them over the years. We also break down how aiming to be eco-conscious can sometimes lead to overconsumption, plus how to avoid it.
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Episode transcript
LAUREN: Happy Earth Month, Zoe.
ZOE: Happy Earth Month. I love Earth Month actually, I have to say. Because I love when people really intentionally think about what they’re going to do to reduce their waste and to care for the planet. I think it’s lovely when people share beautiful pictures on Instagram of places they’ve been on Earth to appreciate it. I love all the sunset pics on Instagram, I’ve got to be honest about that.
LAUREN: How would you rate your current sustainability level? Your footprint.
ZOE: My footprint?
LAUREN: Be honest.
ZOE: I would say it’s a mid level of sustainability.
LAUREN: So one through 10, you’d be a six.
ZOE: I’d be a six. I think a six is fine. I don’t think I’m a two, you know? I’m very intentional about certain things, and I have made enough swaps that I feel good about it. But am I as good as I could be? No, and I’m aware of that. I am a paper towel monster. I love paper towels.
LAUREN: Are you a middle aged man?
ZOE: Literally, yes.
LAUREN: The amount of paper towels that I have to throw out that are just sitting on the counter because, “We’ll use them again.”
ZOE: Okay, I do use my paper towels again if I’m washing my hands. I have cloths next to my sink that I use to dry them, but sometimes I don’t and I just grab a paper towel. Or if I spill water and I clean it up with the paper towel, I let that sit and then I use that again for something. But if I’m cleaning with a paper towel, I’m throwing that right away. But I love paper towels. I am not the kind of person who’s going to all of a sudden say I’m not buying paper towels anymore at Costco and I’m switching to Swedish dish cloths. That’s not in my ministry. I can’t do it.
LAUREN: I know, I’ve tried to be a Swedish dish cloth user, but I just can’t. It’s not in my DNA. I, however, am a lot more of a deluded version of my dad, who is a paper towel maniac.
ZOE: I’d get along with him.
LAUREN: This is why I say a middle aged man. He leaves out his paper towels that he is using constantly, and so does Chad. And I am a diluted version of that. I don’t really — well, one, I don’t leave them out. I’m not great at not using them, but I won’t use them to clean up a spill, because I hear my little niece’s voice in my head. One time we were babysitting her and we went to clean up a spill with a paper towel, and she was like, “That’s so wasteful,” in her little sweet little voice.
ZOE: Oh my God, that would pierce my heart.
LAUREN: And so I hear that in my head, that sweet little voice being like, “You shouldn’t use a paper towel. That’s so wasteful to clean up a water spill.”
ZOE: But that kind of guilting is what I need, maybe. Maybe I would have actually benefited from that. So I’m going to start thinking about that now. But I really do — I love my paper towels. So that’s one area I just simply can’t compromise.
LAUREN: Do you use any special paper towels? Like you’re not using bamboo or whatever?
ZOE: Here’s the thing: I tried that life. It is so expensive. I just couldn’t do it.
LAUREN: Do you use special toilet paper, like bamboo?
ZOE: Same. I tried and I just simply cannot. It’s just so insanely expensive that I said to myself, You know what? You’re doing enough elsewhere. I do not use disposable water bottles. I’m very conscious of that. I try to bring my own mug sometimes if I’m going to a coffee shop.
LAUREN: You’re also good at bringing your lunches in your own little reusable containers.
ZOE: I am. A couple years ago — I think I was in college, actually, my junior year of college — and I moved into my first apartment, and I was like, This is my time to start reevaluating my waste. And so I promised myself no more plastic baggies. And that is one thing that I’ve fully committed to.
LAUREN: I associate you with Stasher Bags.
ZOE: I’m a Stasher Bag queen.
LAUREN: When we were going to talk about sustainable swaps, the first thing I thought was, Zoe’s going to talk about Stasher Bags.
ZOE: Stasher Bags changed my life, let me just say. I have so many Stasher Bags. I had to give it a dedicated cabinet in my apartment. I have every size. I have the Stasher Bowls. I love those things, and I’ve had mine for years. They truly do not degrade. I figured out how to clean stains out of them. They have this wonderful blog on Stasher’s website — this is how much of a Stasher Bag nerd I am.
LAUREN: That you read their blog.
ZOE: Yes, and they tell you how to do stuff. You can make popcorn in them. There’s crazy things you can do with Stasher Bags. I use my Stasher Bags more than anything. I think that’s one of my single most-used kitchen items, so no plastic bags. That was what I said to myself: If you’re not going to do the sustainable toilet paper, paper towels, other things, pick a couple things that mean a lot to you, that you know you can stick to, and do them. And that was my biggest one.
LAUREN: What are the other ones?
ZOE: The other one was that I really try not to use plastic wrap. That’s a big one.
LAUREN: Do you use beeswax?
ZOE: No, I can’t. I think it’s annoying. I’ve tried every one in the book. I’ve tried every brand, and I simply don’t think it works. People can say I’m wrong, that’s fine, but it’s not for me. It’s just not my vibe.
LAUREN: And Zoe, you’re a big baker, and so plastic wrap would be something that you probably would use a lot.
ZOE: I would say that with my commitment to try to not use plastic wrap, I’ve kind of thought about packaging things differently. So I got a lot of these nice Pyrex glass large containers with lids, so I’ll put cookies and muffins in there. I got a lovely reusable cake dome, so if I’m going to a party and I’m bringing a cake, instead of putting it in a paper box that I’m going to throw out, I’ll put it in the dome and then I’ll bring it home. So I try to do those kinds of things. But one of my favorite things ever is W&P makes these stretchy silicone lids.
LAUREN: W and P. That took me a second.
ZOE: W and P, yes. You know that brand.
LAUREN: I was like, W N P? No, W and P. I love W and P.
ZOE: They have amazing stuff. And one of my favorite things they make are these…
LAUREN: It’s something and Porter.
ZOE: Yes, you’re right.
LAUREN: It’s something W and Porter. I’m going to look it up because it’s going to drive me absolutely bonkers.
ZOE: They make these stretchy, plastic, reusable, silicone lids, and they come in a five pack and I put those things over fruit. I put them over bowls. I put them over glasses. I put them over everything. I use those constantly. I love them. Have you found it?
LAUREN: Well, currently it still just says W and P. Should I look at their blog?
ZOE: Yes, look at their blog. I think they probably have a lovely blog.
LAUREN: Oh, they do. It’s called The Fresh Squeeze.
ZOE: How cute
LAUREN: Our mission?
ZOE: Maybe they’re just officially W&P.
LAUREN: W&P. Porter?
ZOE: Is Porter their parent company?
LAUREN: Maybe.
ZOE: Anyway, you should shop their stuff, because they have fantastic, cute stuff.
LAUREN: Yes, they do. I just started shopping.
ZOE: And those stretchy plastic lids, I use them every day.
LAUREN: Those are great.
ZOE: My other thing is when I have half of an avocado or something, I used to wrap that in plastic wrap or stick that in a plastic bag. Now I either use a Stasher Bag or the Food Huggers. I love me some Food Huggers. I love those things. So those are all things I’ve used. Then my other thing, my third sustainable swap, no more plastic straws in the home. Outside of the home, what are you going to do about it? You can’t always do something about it.
LAUREN: Outside of the home, my favorite alternative to a plastic straw is, they’re like sugar? Not sugar.
ZOE: Oh yes, I know what you’re talking about.
LAUREN: They’re almost like a dried Fruit Loop.
ZOE: I know exactly what you’re talking about.
LAUREN: Not Fruit Loop — dry Fruit by the Foot. Those ones are my preference.
ZOE: I like those, too.
LAUREN: I don’t like paper ones.
ZOE: Paper straws just don’t do anything for me. They make them out of corn sometimes.
LAUREN: Maybe it’s corn. Those are my preferred straws.
ZOE: Me too. I like that a lot.
LAUREN: At home, I use a glass straw.
ZOE: Me too. I love glass straws.
LAUREN: I always panicked that accidentally the glass straw broke, and now I’m slurping up glass shards. ZOE: I’ve never thought about that, I’ve got to be honest.
LAUREN: But I would prefer a glass straw.
ZOE: I love a glass straw, but I like a stainless steel straw for my smoothies.
LAUREN: Yes. Oh, it makes it so cold.
ZOE: It’s phenomenal. Those are a couple things I’ve done that I feel good about, so I’m okay with being a paper towel monster. The other thing that I’ve done is — I’m trying to be more intentional about this with beauty products, but I think it’s harder because we test so many beauty products, so I feel like that puts me in a challenging position — with cleaning supplies, I’m really trying to do only refillable. So Blueland and I, we’re very close, me and Blueland. I get all of their tablets and put them in the reusable spray bottles that you get on your first purchase. I’m really trying to do reusables, too. Cleaning products I personally found easier than beauty products, but there are plenty of beauty brands I’ve noticed now that sell a refill. I think that’s impressive. Kiehl’s does it. Drunk Elephant does it. You can really find a bunch and I think that’s super cool.
LAUREN: A lot with beauty, from my beauty editor days, it has to be a clean package, but if you’re almost done, you can clean out the package and take it to a recycling drop off. They have beauty product recycling dropoffs that you can take it to. I used to do that all the time, and I would walk away being like, I’ve done good.
ZOE: You have. You totally have. TerraCycle, if you go on their website, you can put in your zip code and they’ll tell you where the local drop offs are. Sometimes Sephora has them, and probably closer than you might realize. I feel like that is a nice thing to do because it does make you feel like you took a step in the right direction. I also have been trying really hard to pay attention to my clothing sustainability. I definitely am a big thrifter. I think I’ve become a bigger thrifter in the past couple of years.
LAUREN: I feel like we’ve talked about this at some point, but I think it’s more fun to thrift.
ZOE: Me too.
LAUREN: And I think that more and more people are recognizing that there’s fun in the hunt a little bit, and there’s fun in being like, I know what I’m looking for and I can find something cool and interesting that nobody else has. I have gotten to a point where if I walk into a major store, a major chain store, I’m like, I could buy any of these things because any of them are what I’m looking for, or look stylish or look appropriate to wear. And that kind of takes the fun out of it, because there’s no hunt. I could literally just go down and be like, I like this. I like this. I like this. It’s more fun to walk into a thrift store or to do online thrifting and be like, I could log on right now and find nothing, or I could log on and find exactly what I’m looking for. Then you get a little burst.
ZOE: Oh, 100%. I think it makes it so much more special. And I love being surprised. Sometimes I’ll go into my local thrift shop — I love Second Street. That’s my favorite one right now — and, like you said, some days I go in there, I browse for a couple minutes, I don’t find anything. Other times, I find something that’s so amazing that I knew in the back of my mind maybe I was looking for, but I didn’t really think I’d find it. And then you find it, and you’re like, Yes, this is exactly what I want. And that, to me, is just the coolest experience to have. And every time you put on that pair of jeans, or skirt, or whatever it is, you think about it. I think that makes the clothing more meaningful too, which I love. I’m very into that.
LAUREN: And you get the cool social clout of being like, Thrifted.
ZOE: I love it. I love it so much. Do you repair things? Because I feel like that’s a part of sustainability, and I’m trying to become that person, but I think it’s tough.
LAUREN: Not as much as I should, but I could never in my entire life throw away a piece of clothing or fabric. That does not go in the trash.
ZOE: I agree.
LAUREN: If there is a piece of clothing or fabric or something, even just an item, it never goes in the trash. It gets donated, or fabric I’ll take to the Humane Society, or something like that. I don’t feel guilty, or there’s not a moral thing associated with it like, Oh, if I put this in the trash, I’m going to feel bad. I just can’t do it. I can’t. It doesn’t seem like trash to me. It doesn’t go with our food scraps. If something is ripped or broken and I can’t repair it, it’s going to get donated.
ZOE: I feel that way.
LAUREN: I have a bag of shoes that need to go to our shoe repair guy that has been sitting there for two years.
ZOE: Listen, you’re going to get a whole new pair of shoes. A whole new closet.
LAUREN: It’s going to unlock so many things. I can’t wait for that brown pair of heels to get repaired, and I’ve been looking at them for two years being like, I’ve got a great outfit for you.
ZOE: Then you’re going to forget that you brought them to the shoe repair guy, so you’re going to have to eventually remember, and then you’re going to go back and be like, Oh my goodness, I forgot I owned these. And then, all of a sudden, you have a new pair of shoes.
LAUREN: Exactly.
ZOE: Have you ever composted?
LAUREN: Oh, yes.
ZOE: How’d it go?
LAUREN: We were on a great composting streak because we had a composting bin that was one of the New York City ones, the big orange ones. And then we had a little bin in our apartment that we were taking to the bigger bin, and I was like, This is amazing. We also did a crop share thing, so we had a ton of food scraps, and I was like, I feel like such a contributing adult to society. And then I went a week without taking it to the big composting bin, and that week became two weeks, and then three weeks. And I was like, Well, now I can’t open up the composting bin because it’s disgusting. And then we had a fruit fly problem, which is when we filmed my great fruit fly hack.
ZOE: Which became great social content for NBC Select.
LAUREN: Which became great social content, and then I realized I have to be more diligent if I actually do want to be an active composter. We’re getting another crop share this summer, so I am going to try it again, but I need to be dedicated to it.
ZOE: Well, I did a story about compost bins a couple of years ago, and the best thing that I learned from that experience was to keep a brown paper bag in your freezer and put your food scraps in there. And then because the freezer freezes the food, it gets rid of the odors and it will prevent the fruit fly problem. Also, because you’re not going to want this brown paper bag overflowing with food scraps in your freezer, you’re going to be more motivated to take it to your local composting bin, or if you live in an apartment building, the one that’s in the basement or whatever it is. So that, for me, has been the most, I would say, effective way I’ve ever composted. I don’t think I would be able to do it any other way.
LAUREN: I forget about it.
ZOE: Me too, and I wouldn’t be good at it, and I want to be good at it.
LAUREN: I want to be good at it, too.
ZOE: Also, when I was doing that story, I learned how much you can compost. It’s beyond just the food scraps. Paper towels you can do. A lot of times you can do tea bags. So if I have a question about it, I ask Alexa. I’m like, Hey, Alexa. I was like, Are there any Alexas that are going to start going off in here. No? Okay. I’ll be like, Hey, Alexa, can you compost this? And she tells me, and then I just do it. I’m like, This is awesome. That’s always been my composting hack. It’s hard though,because you’re right: You really have to commit.
LAUREN: I could be better at it. I was getting good at saving scraps for broth though.
ZOE: That’s a great way to reuse. I love that.
LAUREN: That’s another one that’s a sustainable hack. I’m not throwing this in the trash. I’m reusing this stuff. I’m using all of my food, not just the part that I need so I’m not contributing as much to food waste because I’m using it. And then, of course, getting rid of the scraps after I’ve made my lovely stock.
ZOE: I love that. I think that’s a great way to look at it. If you don’t want to throw it out, what’s the way you can either use it for something else or dispose of it in the most sustainable way possible? And it definitely takes effort. There’s no saying it doesn’t, but I feel like once you get into a routine, it makes it much easier. I, as we all know, have a Diet Coke obsession. I’m proud to say it, and I drink my cans all the time at home. So I’m very intentional about making sure I’m putting those in a separate little bag and then bringing them to my recycling bin.
LAUREN: Do you take your pop tabs off?
ZOE: No.
LAUREN: The pop tabs have the most concentration of metal in them, and so they have a higher value. So if you take your pop tabs off, you can donate to a place that collects pop tabs and resells them.
ZOE: Oh, my God, what?
LAUREN: You really should have been around for my sorority recruitment. This was our main charity thing. We collected pop tabs and we donated them to the Ronald McDonald House, which there’s one by us. And then there’s churches or other organizations that collect them.
ZOE: I’m in. You just converted me.
LAUREN: Take your pop tabs off, collect them in a little bag and find somebody that collects the pop tabs and they make money off it.
ZOE: See, this is why you’ve got to talk about this stuff. I’m very impressed.
LAUREN: Oh, another good sustainable hack with candles: You freeze them, and if you collect all of the wax, I think you can donate that somewhere because they use them for unhoused people in the winter. They create little warming candles for them.
ZOE: See, I love stuff.
LAUREN: And then you use the jar.
ZOE: I’m a creature of habit. I would say the most brand loyalty I have is to food products. Some cleaning supplies, some beauty products, but mostly food products I am very brand loyal to. I’m a Bonne Maman jam person through and through. And I would say about 60% of my loyalty is due to how great their jam is and then 40% is the jars. Those jars, those glass jars, are the best glass jars ever.
LAUREN: What about the little glass or ceramic yogurt jars?
ZOE: Oh, my God, those are phenomenal too.
LAUREN: I would pay a premium just for those ceramic jars. I love them.
ZOE: At one point in my home with my family when I was in high school, I had so many of those jars that my mom was like, You need to pick your favorite ones, and the rest have got to go because this is becoming an issue. But I don’t think it’s an issue. I think you can never have enough of those. But the Bonne Maman jars, I use those for everything. I decant spices and grains in them, and I make my overnight oats in them. I love those jars. I think the tomato sauce jars are great also, but it depends on what kind of tomato sauce you get. The Rao’s tomato sauce jars are the best drinking vessel.
LAUREN: You know what I discovered last year, and I was on such a kick, was milk in a glass bottle. There’s a grocery store by us that has them, and I would pay a premium just for the milk in the glass bottle. One, you’re not getting the plastic, but also you can reuse that for other juices or other whatever.
ZOE: I use it as a vase for flowers. How beautiful.
LAUREN: This is what I was saying: Everything is cyclical. Every pendulum swings. We were loving milk in a plastic jug and now I’m like, I discovered this brand new thing: milk in a glass bottle. Have you heard of it?
ZOE: And then you know what you could do? Save the jar.
LAUREN: You could save the jar.
ZOE: I just think it’s wonderful. I also use wine bottles as vases too. I love it. There’s so many great things. Do you save your corks? I love saving my corks.
LAUREN: Yes. Do you want to know why?
ZOE: Please.
LAUREN: They are a natural repellent for fruit flies.
ZOE:They are.
LAUREN: Clearly I have a fruit problem.
ZOE: Listen, you’ve got to learn this stuff. You never know what can help you. I love it. I mean I also think the corks are lovely decor.
LAUREN: That’s also why some of the fruit bowls have a cork top on them. But just save your corks from wine bottles.
ZOE: We’re saving the corks. We’re saving the planet. Look at us.
LAUREN: We did a lot of kitchen swaps because I feel like that’s where most trash happens.
ZOE: I think so. I think for me, I always say to myself, pick the most convenient thing for you that you know for a fact you can stick to. If it’s going to be inconvenient for you and you’re going to break this promise to yourself to do this, don’t choose it. That’s why the plastic bags, for me, were such an easy way to start my sustainability journey. If you’re someone who feels overwhelmed by the options and all these different sustainability things to do, and all these different sustainable products to buy, pick one thing, focus on that, commit to it. Make it a habit, and then move on to your next one.
LAUREN: I think, for me, sustainability can lead really easily into over consumption. Because sustainability is so trendy, and there’s such a clout associated with sustainability and trying to be sustainable that I think that people end up buying a lot of the products to be more sustainable, but then don’t use them, and then throw them away. For me, I love the idea of using Stasher Bags, but I could never use them. I’d have Stasher Bags and I would leave fruit accidentally in them, and it would grow mold, and then we’d be like, We’ve got to toss this. That is not a sustainable practice for me because I’m not actually building a habit. So I think my big takeaway for anybody that is wanting to make sustainable swaps is be careful to not get into the virality of it and cross into over consumption. Start small. Start with one thing, like you were saying, build a habit, and then expand upon that.
ZOE: I agree, and those are some very good words of wisdom to end with.
LAUREN: Well, Happy Earth Month.
ZOE: See you next time.
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Why trust NBC Select?
I’m a reporter at NBC Select and I co-host our live podcast, For What It’s Worth, with editorial director Lauren Swanson. In this article, I summarize Episode 18: Sustainable Swaps We’re Incorporating Into Our Routines. I included a summary of the episode, a transcript, products we recommend during the podcast and related articles.
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