How We Roll Recycled vs Bamboo Toilet Paper Head to Head Review | Sustainable Toilet Paper Review 2021

MAYBE Buy. We liked How We Roll in Bamboo, and given the recent price changes, the large pack of HWR is below the average price of TP. The bamboo and recycled are dye- and chemical-free, using 100% more-sustainable-than-trees bamboo in one and 100% recycled paper in the other. However, the recycled version was not as sturdy as we would have liked TP to be. Also, we do like the added bonus of 1 planted tree per box.

Puracy Shampoo & Conditioner Review 2024 | Eco-friendly Shampoo & Conditioner Refills

Very mixed. The Puracy Shampoo refill is a maybe buy but we will not be buying the Puracy conditioner. The ingredients overall are better than your average drugstore brand, which is great. The plastic reduction is also notable compared to shampoo and conditioner bottles - we like that. Cost wise, it’s comparable to other refills but more than drugstore brands. The scent of the conditioner was just too bizarre for us.

Meliora Dish Soap Bar Review 2023 | Zero-waste, natural dish soap bar

BUY. We love using Meliora’s Dish Soap Bar along with our kitchen brushes, particularly when we clean pots and pans. We love that there is an unscented (and lemon) option so that we only taste and smell our food when our dishes are clean and dry. The Meliora soap cuts through grease effortlessly, with ingredients that are non-toxic. And of course, we love how affordable the dish soap is: a little goes a long way and switching from a liquid soaps to solid soaps really is cost efficient.

Bubbsi Coconut Oil Balm Review 2023 | Natural, Organic Baby Moisturizer and Balm

GREAT buy! Bubbsi’s Coconut Oil Balm is our go-to baby balm, particularly helpful in the winter (we’re in New England) when the heat is on and our baby’s skin would stay chapped no matter what kind of lotion we used. We found this to be the most effective in combination with a humidifier. We like the solid form factor and found that a very little bit goes a long way. We also love to use this for baby massages. Appreciate the clean ingredients and refillable tub. It’s a buy!

Blueland Facial Cleanser Review 2023 | Eco-friendly face soap, zero-waste facial wash

A GREAT BUY. We love Blueland’s commitment to zero plastic and it stays consistent with their Facial Cleanser— no plastic in packaging, reusable bottle, no harsh ingredients (sulfate, paraben and phtalate free) and hypoallergenic. We also loved the scent and experience — it foamed up from a powder into a creamy gel-like consistency. The ingredients are hydrating, with plant-based Oat, Kaolin Clay and Vitamin E. It is a great everyday use facial cleanser and reduces our use of plastic bottles. Pricing-wise very reasonable when compared to other standard options. The powder format also reduces carbon footprint from shipping — liquid is just so much heavier.

Attitude Olive Leaves Deodorant Review 2023 | Natural, Zero-Waste Deodorant

PASS. Given the price point is not alluring enough, the tube is a little annoying, and the residue is something we can’t get over, we are a pass on Attitude’s aluminum-free deodorant. We DO love that it is aluminum free, cruelty-free, and plastic free. AND that there is an unscented option. Also, we enjoy that the application is super smooth and requires no ‘heat up’ time, but unfortunately, at this price point, there are better options.

Blueland Scrub Sponge Review 2023 | Eco-friendly, zero-waste scrub sponge

MOSTLY A BUY. We love Blueland’s commitment to zero plastic and it stays consistent with their Scrubber Sponge— no plastic in packaging, 100% plastic free and made without glues or adhesives (it is hand-sewn with cotton thread instead). We love the two sides — loofah on one side for scrubbing, and 100% FSC certified cellulose on the other side for softer washing. The fact that its hand-sewn makes it more durable than other scrubber sponges we have used in the past — and we really like the light blue color, it’s way more aesthetically pleasing than many other sponges. Only complaint is that it is quite a bit more expensive than even other eco-friendly scrubber sponge options, but if we’re doing an order from Blueland, we’re happy to throw it in with our order.

Weleda Skin Food Review 2023 | Eco-friendly, natural lotion

It is a buy! We think Weleda Skin Food is a BUY! We love the simple ingredient list and it really is a magical, thick cream that we can use on body and face. Its free of synthetic fragrances, colors, preservatives, parabens and phthalates. Ingredients include flower, fruit and root extracts, minerals and essential oils. It smells slightly herbal and altogether cozy. We love that Weleda is a Certified B corporation, and has been certified with UEBT (Union for Ethical Biotrade) and NATRUE (certified natural). This will be a mainstay in our cabinets!

Blueland Dishwasher Tablets Review 2023 | Zero Waste Dishwasher Tablets

Better, but not great. Given how much we liked Blueland's cleaning products, it is disappointing to report that we wish Blueland Dishwasher tablets worked better. Even though they are zero-waste dishwashing tablets with no chemicals or strong smell, they are too pricey to not work as well as other options. However, given the update regarding PVA in other brands, we believe that it might be worth revisiting Blueland dishwasher tabs. We had previously rated them a NOT buy given the product did not dissolve and was on the pricey side. Since then, other brands prices have increased faster than Blueland’s. Most importantly, Blueland is a PVA-free, convenient tablet option.

Blueland Body Wash Review 2023 | Eco-friendly, zero-waste body soap

: ITS A BUY (if you highly prefer liquid body soap over bar soaps). We love Blueland’s commitment to zero plastic and it stays consistent with their Body Wash— no plastic in packaging, no PVAs in the formula, no harmful ingredients. We also loved the scent and experience — the powder, when combined with water, becomes a creamy consistency, which was a lovely surprise. We like the scent and the ‘forever’ bottle that comes with the first purchase that we can reuse over and over again. Of course, the powder format also reduces carbon footprint from shipping — liquid is just so much heavier.

Puracy Stain Remover Review 2023 | Natural Laundry Stain Remover

OK buy. Puracy Stain Remover worked very well in lifting old and ink stains on our white clothes. We liked that there was no scent or fragrance and the wait time was 15 minutes. The ingredients, while better than mainstream brands, still contain questionable ingredients, but we think it is a step in the right direction. Price-wise, Puracy beat our old reliable Oxi Clean spray on a cost per ounce. Puracy also offers bulk purchases and refills to make the price even more easy on the wallet.

Blueland Pop-up Sponge Review 2023 | Eco-friendly, zero-waste sponge

MOSTLY A BUY. We love Blueland’s commitment to zero plastic and it stays consistent with their Pop-up Sponge— no plastic in packaging, 100% plastic free and made of FSC-certified plant cellulose. It’s also certified by EPA Safer Choice and Leaping Bunny. We do love that it arrives super flat and compact (1/5th the size of a regular sponge) and ‘pops up’ when you add water. We’ve used it for 3 weeks now and that sponge has stayed remarkably fresh — we haven’t even had to throw it in the dishwasher yet — and we really like the light blue color, it’s way more aesthetically pleasing than many other sponges. Only complaint is that it is quite a bit more expensive than even other eco-friendly sponge options, but if we’re doing an order from Blueland, we’re happy to throw it in with our order.

Introducing: The Reduce Report Directory!

After trying and reviewing 125 (and counting) zero-waste and eco-friendly home products, we thought it miiight be nice to organize all these articles and make it easier for you to find them all — whether you’re looking for our big roundups or all of the compostable dog poo bags that we’ve tried!

Compostable Disposable Paper Plates Review 2023 | Eco-friendly, PFAS-free, biodegradable

We purchased Stack Man’s 100% Compostable 7 inch Bagasse Plate for everyday grilling and entertaining, and it’s the perfect size for appetizers, tapas style meals or dessert! We love that the plates are made of bagasse (by product of sugar cane production) and bamboo, and appreciate that they are very sturdy and thick plates. However, when we compared against other options, including other compostable bagasse options, it was one of the most expensive — and we’re not seeing anything particularly special here to warrant the higher price. We will try other brands and report back!