Plastic Free July: Eliminate Plastic From Your Home Room-by-Room with Go Green with Alexa

Written By Alexa Pavan

Who doesn’t love a framework? I present to you one of my favorite ways for removing plastic from your home, room-by-room! 


This blog post is going to cover all the products I use in my day-to-day life, linking to products by brands that I personally support and choose to work with because we have aligned values.


I’m excited to share so many wonderful swaps for you, however, I want to be clear that this isn’t a shopping list. 


This is not a process that you’re going to complete by the end of the week. 


Swapping should be slow, intentional, and calculated. 


Please do not fall into the trap of overconsumption with more sustainable goods, that defeats the entire process. 


My advice is to focus on one room at a time until you reach around 75% of overall plastic has been replaced with reusable, more planet-friendly options.


Once a majority of that room has been swapped, over the course of months, if not years, then move into the next room, doing so until you’ve covered every room or area in your home. 


I’m including all the rooms here as a guide for those who have already started swapping and just want to fill in some areas, or the person who needs to see it all laid before them in a plan before they could ever dream of tackling such an insurmountable issue.


When you shop through the links, you will be getting at least 15% off, and you get to support a small business (or a few!), while I get a small commission. So thank you so much for shopping through the links! 

Why Should We Try to Eliminate Plastic From Our Lives


While there are various reasons to try to limit or even eliminate plastic from our lives, I will be focusing on the environmental and health impacts. 


Plastic is a petroleum-based byproduct obtained through extractive means, literally drilling into the Earth for fossil fuels, and never completely decomposes or degrades. 


Instead, plastic photo-degrades, meaning light and heat impact the structural integrity of plastic, breaking down into smaller and smaller fragments.


Microplastics are now ubiquitous, you can find them in every single living organism on Earth.


In fact, scientists aren’t able to conduct accurate studies on the health impact of microplastics because they’re unable to find a control, or a living organism that doesn’t have microplastics in their body.


Microplastics, and plastics in general, leach harmful toxins into air, water, and soil, permeating whatever medium they’re in. 


Plastics have been found inside the human brain, womb, testicles, and breast milk. 


It’s impacting fertility, causing more inflammation, impairing the immune system, and can even be linked to respiratory and colon cancer. 


Beyond the human health repercussions, plastics and microplastics negatively impact the environment and wildlife.


Animals, especially marine animals and seabirds, are ingesting plastic and dying at record numbers. 


A study that came out in 2024 says that patients who had microplastics in the plaque removed from their arteries were more likely to have a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and death than those who didn't.


For me, those are personally enough reasons, so I’m going to get on with the show and give you everything I use to avoid plastic as much as possible in my day-to-day life. 

Plastic-Free July: My Plastic-Free Kitchen Essentials 


We’re starting with the kitchen because that’s where you’re ingesting the most microplastics directly. 


This is, of course, assuming you make food at home, which I make the majority of my food at home. 


First of all, if you’re still drinking water out of plastic water bottles, that has got to go before anything else. 


Water is what we ingest the most of, so by switching to drinking water from the tap, or filtering it as I do, you will reduce how much microplastics you’re consuming and reduce the quantity of single-use plastic waste you’re creating.


You’ll also save a ton of money in the long run. 


Other than the water bottles, there’s really no order of what you should swap out first here, but these are some basic ones: 

  • Use repurposed glass jars to store food instead of plastic tupperware

  • Switch from plastic tupperware to glass food storage containers, slowly. I recommend checking Facebook Marketplace first, I see complete sets all the time, still in the box

  • Swap your plastic cutting board for wood or bamboo (stainless steel and glass cutting boards dull knives quicker so I only use wood or bamboo)

  • Swap plastic utensils for bamboo, wood, or stainless steel utensils

  • Get rid of plastic or Saran Wrap and start using beeswax wraps to store food, cover bowls, and even to pack sandwiches or snacks



When it comes to cooking, I only use two types of material:

  • Stainless steel, I like Calphalon or Made In (higher-end option)

  • Cast Iron, I like Lodge (check Facebook Marketplace first)

Now to my kitchen sink, sustainable dishwashing formula: 

  • My number one since I tried it has been Floofah kitchen sponges, there’s one that is entirely made of luffa, the gourd, that’s one I use. No plastic bits going into our waterways, no compromise on quality, and can be buried in your backyard to decompose when you’re done with it: Original Kitchen Floofah

  • Now Floofah has a luffa + wood combo kitchen dish sponge that feels like a regular plastic sponge: Luffa+Wood Kitchen Sponge (5-pack)

  • For dish soap, like actually washing dishes, I use a solid bar dish soap made by one of my favorite brands, Meliora Cleaning Products: Dish Soap Bar, I recommend getting a soap dish for it (for making one), the one I use is silicone

  • I also keep copper scrubbers from ZeroWasteStore.com to keep my stainless steel cookware looking shiny: Copper Scrubbers

  • In addition to sponges, I like to have a long-handle brush and pot scrubbing brush for cleaning the link and quick scrub offs, both from ZeroWasteStore.com as well: Long-handle Brush and Pot Scrubber

  • Since I use lots of reusable stainless steel straws, I keep the straw brush at the kitchen sink

  • Lastly, I keep a chainmail scrubber at the sink for my cast iron

Honorable plastic-free, reusable, or resource-saving kitchen swaps: 

My Plastic-Free Bathroom Products 

After you’ve swapped around 75% of your kitchen essentials, I say bathroom is next because this is where more plastic is entering your mouth! 


Starting with oral care: 


Next, head to the shower, a great place to eliminate plastic: 

  • I’ve been using bar shampoo and conditioner since 2021 and have tried probably every brand on the market, and my favorite shampoo and conditioner hands down is Dip: My favorite shampoo bar + the best bar (or otherwise) conditioner of all time (15% off using my link)

  • If bar shampoo/conditioner isn’t for you, a great sustainable alternative is Plaine Products. They sell their salon-grade products in aluminum bottles with a refill model so you can send it back to them (they provide a label), eliminating so much waste.

  • Bar soap only in my house! My favorite bar soap businesses: TubTherapy, Chagrin Valley Organics, Meliora Cleaning Products

  • Something I have in my shower for those little soap ends that you can’t really do much with is a ZWS Soap Saver. It’s basically a little cotton bag that exfoliates and holds all my little soaps so they get used up!

  • Growing up in an immigrant household, bar soap is the norm so I’ve never strayed from that, however, I would recommend Plaine Products’ body wash if that’s what you prefer

  • Let’s talk loofahs and exfoliation. I’m a die-hard Floofah fan, a business using naturally compostable luffah gourd as sponges for the kitchen and shower. Get my go-to Floofah for the shower here, and I also love their 2-in-1 Exfoliating Back Scrubber


Now getting into self-care and more personal products. 

  • My favorite leave-in conditioner actually comes in a plastic tube, but I’m still going to share it here because they use post-consumer recycled plastic for their packaging: Stream2Sea Leave-in Conditioner

  • My main lotion is actually coconut oil, but I do also have lotion from Plaine Products


  • I have been using the same non-aerosol dry shampoo by small business, Hair Dance, for 10+ years and I swear by it. Their applicator packaging is made of plastic, but they do also have a sustainable bulk option, which is what I buy and then I put it in a jar and use a makeup brush to dab it on my roots: Bulk Hair Dance Dry Shampoo and Hair Dance Dry Shampoo with non-aerosol applicator

  • This one scared me at first, but it’s become one of my favorite swaps: ZWS Safety Razor and replacement blades


Let’s get into skincare. My skincare is three steps in the morning, and three steps in the evening, and almost completely plastic-free. 

  • Morning cleanser: Acure Hydrating Cleanser  (plastic tube, looking for a hydrating cleanser replacement)

  • Hydration and sculpting: Gua sha and Badger Rose Oil or Plaine Products Beauty Oil

  • SPF: Stream2Sea Everyday Sunscreen (post-consumer recycled packaging)


  • Evening cleanser: African Black Soap (bar soap)

  • Serum: Three Ships Beauty Jelly Drops Hyaluronic Acid Serum

  • Moisturizer: Ursa Major Golden Hour Recovery Cream

Period care products 


Currently testing - coming soon!

Plastic-Free July: My Plastic-Free Bedroom Products 

The bedroom is going to focus on your bedding and sleeping accessories.


I’ll be honest, my wardrobe has lots of polyester pieces in it. That’s much harder to swap than bedding. 


Switching your bedding to natural fibers is one way to prevent breathing in microplastics for about 8 hours of your day every day.


Swap your polyester blend bedding, sheets, and pillowcases to 100% cotton. I use the 100% organic cotton duvet and sheet set from Under the Canopy. 


I wear an eye mask every night from Manta, the silk version has cups that touch my eyes are 100% silk. 



If you’re going to have a rug in the room, I recommend getting a natural fiber like jute. 

Plastic-Free July: My Plastic-Free Laundry Products 

I keep it really simple when it comes to laundry. 


Powder detergent- my favorites are Meliora Cleaning Products or Molly’s Suds. 


I use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets that are full of plastic. 


My stain stick of choice is Tangie Stain Stick. 


Lastly, I use a drying rack to air dry as much clothing as possible to reduce how many microfiber plastics are released into the air. 

Honorable Mention

Blue Planet Optics - Although contact lenses are made of plastic, Blue Planet Optics is a woman-owned small business that actually will take your used contact lens packaging, the blister packs that typically cannot be recycled curbside, through their See It Again upcycling program. All you have to do is add that item to your cart and a label will be emailed to you! I’m also an affiliate with Blue Planet Optics, which carries all the contact lens brands you’re familiar with. Get 20% your contact lenses by using GOGREENWITHALEXA at blueplanetoptics.co 

Shop Responsibly

Please, do not take this as a sign to go on a shopping spree or overconsume plastic-free “essentials”.


I am not saying to do this quickly. 


The whole point of a sustainability journey is actually learning, growing, and becoming conscious of our behaviors. 


Presence is actually required if you want to do this right. 


The “stuff” is the final step.

Alexa Pavan
Next

Stop Burning in Broward County: How Band-Aiding Our Waste Management Crisis with Incineration in South Florida Isn’t Working