Did you know that 91% of plastics don’t actually get recycled? Or that your feel-goodrecycling program doesn’t necessarily (or most likely) recycle the items you set out to your curb each month? As efforts for plastic free July ramped up, I took a hard look at what we used in our household, and what waste we were personally contributing to the environment. The results were nauseating - so I dedicated the month to trying more sustainable products and reducing plastic waste from our household. We all know that using reusable grocery bags instead of plastic ones, eliminating plastic straws, and using glass or aluminum water bottles instead of their single-use counterparts can make a big difference, but it can get trickier to sort through other ways to be more sustainable and use less plastic. That's why I’m so excited to share the results - some of which really surprised me. Along the way, I found some products that worked, some that didn’t, and (sadly) moved away from purchasing one of our previously-favorite brands because they don’t appear to have any intentions of recognizing the moral imperative that brands have when it comes to social good.

My favorite find: Getting clean while not dirtying the earth

By far, the find I’m wildest about is Plaine Products. Between myself and my daughters, we were using *a lot* of hair care and bath products - all of them in plastic. After some copious searching to replace our beloved tried-and-true products in the bathroom, I’m here to tell you that Plaine knocks it out of the park when it comes to sustainability, elimination of plastic waste, AND products that are incredible. The concept is simple, but brilliant: You select the shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, etc. that you’d like, and they mail them to you, along with a pump for each, in aluminum bottles. Once you’re running low, you let them know (or subscribe), and they’ll mail you out a replacement, along with a label for you to send your used bottle back in, and you keep the pump and reuse it. Not kidding: The Rosemary-mint-vanilla line is amazing, and the conditioner leaves your hair feeling like silk. If you decide to purchase from them, you can use the code: SAPForbes and receive 20% off on your order.

Household cleaning reimagined

With the personal care items off the list, household cleaning was next up. I discovered an incredible company making a big difference in reducing plastic waste: Blueland. Their site points out some of the most troubling aspects of plastic use: We’re eating and drinking plastic: 90% of the water we drink, and 75% of the fish we eat contains microplastics. We’re harming animals and sea creatures: Plastic has been found in 100% of marine turtles, 59% of whales, 36% of seals, and 40% of seabird species examined. We’re polluting our oceans: By 2050, scientists predict that our oceans will contain more plastic than fish. Blueland has created a nearly indestructible bottle, and - this is the amazing part - the cleaning solution is actually contained within a tablet. You add the tablet to water, and viola - you have cleaning solutions for each area of your home. The cleaning tablets are sent in compostable, biodegradable packaging, and they work great. The products smell great and they have three solutions: multi-surface, bathroom, and glass + mirror. Tip: Leave the nozzles off the bottles until the tablets are completely dissolved, and plan to use a couple of extra wipes on the glass surfaces. It cleans very well - it just seems like it’s a few seconds slower to dry than what we were used to.

Oral care: Every toothbrush you've ever used is still on this earth

Recognizing that each toothbrush that's ever touched any of the teeth in our family is still sitting in a landfill or heap somewhere is unnerving. Clearly, brushing our teeth is important, so how can we do it in a way that doesn't leave waste behind? First, Moso bamboo toothbrushes are a great alternative, and they break down naturally in a composter within 4-6 months, and if you just throw them out, they take about 5-10 years to biodegrade, which is still better than never breaking down at all. (We tried these toothbrushes at our house, and everyone loved them.) Next up, toothpaste. This proved really difficult for us. Essentially, trying to balance the thought of our kids using toothpaste tablets with knowing them didn't sit well, so I researched oral care products that offered recycling. In theory, Terracycle is a fantastic site to find recycling programs with brands. What I found, though, was that I was wait-listed for nearly every item I wanted to recycle in my area. I ordered a zero-waste box, but really wanted to figure out how to go plastic-free with toothpaste. After some sleuthing, I discovered that Burt's Bees Oral Care will send you a pre-paid mailing label so that you can mail them back your used toothpaste products. They'll recycle them, or work with organizations that will.

The Twitters: Accounts with great advice on going plastic-free

When I started really going down the checklist to go plastic-free, Twitter proved to be a great asset. Thanks to the SAP4Good account, I discovered a co-worker who offered fantastic personal insights into going plastic-free. She helped me find the following products that we're now using in our kitchen to replace single use plastics: Beeswax food wraps to replace traditional plastic wraps. The warmth from your hands creates a great seal on these re-usable wraps, and after a year or so, you can compost them when it's time for a replacement. These silicone storage bags to replace single-use plastic bags. In our household, I had a subscription for plastic bags - not anymore. These are durable, BPA-free, and the company ethos is in line with the values of my family. The Plaine Products Twitter feed offers tons of ways to go plastic-free, as does PlasticFreeJuly. Sadly, Twitter was also where one of my favorite brands lost me as a consumer. I'd tweeted out, asking about using less plastic, and the brand ignored me, but engaged with all of the replies telling me to repurpose the containers. Indeed, I've repurposed the containers, but it's rather crazy to hope that everyone else does, and at some point, how many plastic containers do you need? (Narrator: No more plastic containers were needed). We're living in a time where brand purpose and ethics drive sales and loyalty more than prices do, and it's time for brands to act as responsible stewards of our environment, which is why I'm so proud to work where I do.