My sustainability journey has been a roller coaster at times, but from when I started in September 2019 to now, I am absolutely thrilled about the progress that brands have made by incorporating sustainability practices and shifting slowly but surely to a more circular economy. Target, for example, offers so many sustainably sourced and plastic-free solutions these days! From deodorant, to food storage, laundry detergent, dish and hand soaps, etc.
Their newest addition is a partnership with Grove Co. Grove makes products that are great for people and the planet and they are also a B Corporation. Everything available at Grove meets a four-point standard: uncompromisingly healthy, beautifully effective, sustainably produced, and cruelty-free. Further they launched Beyond Plastic in 2020, which is a five year plan to help solve the single-use plastic problem. Grove is working diligently to remove plastic from every product they make and sell. Today they are 100% plastic neutral and by 2025 they’ll be plastic-free.
I soon as I heard the news I ran to Target and got myself refillable hand and dish soap. I also roamed the isles to take pictures of everything I could find that is a sustainable and clean solution so I can share them with you. 🙂
To make things easier Target even added “Clean” signs so you can spot those products much faster.
The Top 17 Sustainable Swaps
1. Grove Co. : Dish Soap, Hand Soap, Dishwasher Detergent.
2. Plastic-free Deodorant: Native & Raw Sugar
I personally use Native, which I love and it really works as a natural, aluminum-free deodorant ! Most options/scents were sold out yesterday, which tells you a lot about how popular Native is.
3. Plastic-free Hand Soap in a bottle: Raw Sugar
4. Feminine Care: Reusable Menstrual Cups
5. No Plastic Jug Laundry Detergent
FYI 700 million plastic jugs of laundry detergent are thrown away each year in the United States, so using these eco-boxes or laundry sheets or pods help to reduce plastic waste going into landfills and oceans.
6. 100% Compostable Bags & Drink Cups: Matter
7. Reusable Storage Bags: Stasher, (Re)Zip, Russbe, Up&Up
8. Plastic-free Reusable Cups & Dish Sets: Zip Top
9. Plastic-free Reusable Straws:
10. Plastic-free Reusable Siliwrap (instead of Saran Wrap): Natural Home
11. Plastic-free Reusable Veggie Bags: Natural Home
12. Bamboo Veggie Brush: Natural Home
13. Plastic-free Reusable Water Bottles
14. Certified Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX Napkins: Threshold
Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX labels and certificates confirm that every component of the article, i.e. every thread, button and other accessories, has been tested for harmful substances and that the article therefore is harmless in human ecological terms. In other words, it’s free from allergenic dyes, pesticides, chlorinated phenols, heavy metals, formaldehyde, and chloro-organic carriers, and are not harmful to the skin.
Another aspect is that the textile industry is a big environmental polluter. There is ‘dirty cotton’, as well as inequality and abuse. It contributes to soil erosion and degradation, pollution, water contamination and water scarcity.
15. Certified Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX Bath Towels: Threshold
16. Certified Standard 100 by OEKO-TEX Bedding: Threshold & Casaluna
17. Clean Conscious Diapers: Honest
Take Away
To live more sustainably is easier than ever and plastic-free and sustainably sourced products are more available than ever. You can make a big difference but just paying attention to what you buy. You can affect the most change by where you pour your money into. Consumers vote with their money. Let’s vote wisely!
* Ad Vitam is not affiliated with Target, Grove Co. or any other brand in this post.
