For several years we’ve been hearing about global warming and the effects it can have on earth. A good number of people still think of it as a myth. So far, the world is polluted and everyone needs to adapt to an eco-friendly life.

It all starts with the simple things you do start with your home and what you use. Do most, if not all the products in your house eco-friendly? Well, if you have no idea what eco-friendly products are, read on. When it comes to home-based products, here are six environmentally friendly ones you should use.

1. Reusable Shopping Bags/Produce Bags/Bulk Food Bags

Single-use shopping bags don’t produce as much waste as you assume. Did you know that plastic shopping bags produce much more waste? The single-use plastic bag is light and easy to break down.

When it comes to plastic shopping bags – the ones you receive from the retail store – are a bit heavier. But other than using any of them, you need to have a reusable bag with you at all times. With this item, you eliminate the need for any plastic bag when you’re out.

The same applies to produce bags when you’re out shopping. Most produce bags are single-use plastics that have to be thrown away. With a reusable bag, you won’t have to throw away another plastic bag.

With produce, you can be a bit sensitive about the safety of, for example, your fruits. There’s no cause for alarm as reusable produce bags are designed to let air and water through. You can even wash your fruits while in the bag.

2. Eco-Friendly Phone Cases

Did you know that there are more mobile phones on earth than there are people? That’s something you should ponder about. With that many phones, think about the plastic accessories that accompany them. Waste of such amounts can only be avoided by the use of eco-friendly mobile phone cases. You can start by getting a case that is made of 100% compostable sustainable bioplastic.

3. Recycled Plastic Mat

Yoga mats are becoming more common as more people are getting into it. And there are many brands producing mats for yoga. But you should always look at the ones that are reusable than ones that don’t last.

4. Vegan Candles

Candles don’t have seasons as they are ‘on’ all year long. They have a way of making a room serene and calm feeling about it. The problem is finding the right brand for your home, especially if you’re a vegan. Other than being good for the environment, there are several benefits of vegan candles you should take a look at. For example, they tend to burn slower than your normal paraffin wax candle. Vegan candles also don’t emit black soot while they burn.

Essentials of Vegans candles

While candles may appear the same at first look, some essentials are components of vegan candles. While other candles use paraffin and stearic acid to make candles, other vegan candles don’t have the same components.

Most vegan candles use slaughterhouse byproducts. And for different brands, there are different components. You can’t narrow down the exact ingredients used to make vegan candles. There’s no rule of thumb of what can’t be used.

Is paraffin vegan? Yes, paraffin is vegan, but on its own, it can’t make a candle. Paraffin comes from petroleum. The trick is the use of stearic acid which is used, though only small amounts of it to harden the candle.

Other than to harden the wax, stearic acid is used to provide opacity. This product comes from animal fat. Others opt to use coconut-based stearic acid. This way is quite expensive when looking to make vegan candles.

How to Buy Vegan Candles

When looking to buy vegan candles, nothing stands out. What you should be looking at is the labeling. Unless it is indicated as vegan, you should assume it isn’t and not buy it. you can also check the ingredients. Most candles use beeswax as this wax is naturally hard and eliminates the need for the producer to use stearic acid. Beeswax is produced by bees and that’s not vegan.

5. Reusable Coffee Cup and Lids

Coffee cups were almost turning into a menace in the world. Everyone wanted to have a cup of coffee in the morning without any care where the waste goes to. But most coffee shops have moved to reusable coffee cups.

When you have bought your cup, you need to keep the cup for the next visit. Most of the cups you get today are made of 100% silicone. The silicone used is food grade, so you don’t have to worry about your health.

Disposable coffee mugs are a thing of the past and you should accept using them any longer. And not just the cups, their lids need to be reusable. There are quite a good number of coffee cup lids out there that are hand-made and safe for use.

Instead of contributing to the deplorable climate conditions we’re in, make a change today by carrying your reusable coffee cup every morning. You can even design your coffee cup to carry. Not only will it be stylish but also, it’s eco-friendly.

6. Compostable Plate and Recycle Cutleries

You have been partying all through your life, what did you use? You likely used plastic plates when serving. These plates then end up being thrown away which doesn’t do the environment any favors. It’s a rule of thumb that plates used in a party be thrown away.

There’s a different option to those plastic plates. You can use compostable plates for your next parties. These plates can easily be absorbed by the environment which means you’d have eliminated the need to break down plastic waste.

Like plates, plastic cutleries to are used only once and thrown away. This waste is hard to break down and hence the need for recyclable cutleries. These can be recycled at the end of their life span and put to better use.

Saving the environment starts right in your home. With the use of the products stated above, you can have an easier and more manageable time reducing waste that can harm the planet. Check them out and find out why you should invest in these eco-sustainable products as soon as possible.