If you haven’t heard of a zero waste or low waste lifestyle yet, I’d be surprised. From fancy coffee mugs to pop-open reusable straws, many trash-reducing swaps are going mainstream.
What you might not know is many eco-friendly swaps are actually amazing for van life. Along with being better for the environment, eco-friendly alternatives are great for saving space and can save you money in the long run.
Even if you aren’t obsessed with reducing your waste like I am, I bet you’re interested in saving space in your van. As you know, every inch of storage is valuable when you live in a tiny, portable home.
In this post, I’ll walk you through 14 eco-friendly van life swaps you can make to save space and reduce your impact on the planet. One of my hobbies is researching how to be more sustainable and ethical, so I’m excited to share these swaps with you!
In this post, I cover:
- The Most Importants Tips for Eco-Friendly Van Life
- Eco-Friendly Kitchen Swaps
- Eco-Friendly Bathroom Swaps
- Final Thoughts + A Few More Tips
Note: I am not affiliated with any of the brands I list in this post. They are either brands I use and recommend or brands I want to try based on suggestions from people I follow and trust.
The Most Important Tips for Eco-Friendly Van Life
Before you read the following eco-friendly van life swaps, I want you to remember these two things:
- Buying something you don’t really want or need is not eco-friendly, even if it is a low waste alternative.
- The best way to reduce your waste right now is to use up what you already have.
Regardless of how low waste or sustainably made something is, it still has an environmental footprint. When you first learn about eco-friendly swaps, it can be hard not to buy them just to see how they work. But in reality, if you aren’t actually going to use that product, it’s way more sustainable to not buy it at all.
On a similar note, if you bring something into your home, the worst thing you can do is throw it away before it’s finished. This goes for any product, not just eco-friendly ones. The planet (and your wallet) will thank you.
Using up what you already have and only buying what you’ll actually use is essential to minimizing your waste.
Eco-Friendly Kitchen Swaps
The Beginner Trio
The beginner trio consists of the three easiest and most well-known eco-friendly swaps: reusable drink containers, fabric grocery bags, and reusable straws.
If you are new to eco-friendly van life, I recommend starting here.
- If you already have a reusable water bottle or coffee mug, you won’t need to buy a new one. The key is to take it with you everywhere to avoid single-use drink containers. If you need to replace your bottle, I hear Kleen Kanteens are great for both hot and cold drinks.
- Reusable grocery bags are sold at most major stores, or you can buy them online. You can also use bags you already have to save money.
- Straws aren’t essential, but if you like them, keep a few reusable ones around. I love my metal straws, and they take up way less room than a box of plastic ones.
Reusable Produce Bags
Avoid the plastic produce bags when you shop for fruits and vegetables and instead opt for a reusable version. I use small bags I already own (like the ones that come with a set of sheets), but you can also buy mesh or cotton bags specifically designed for produce.
You can also skip produce bags altogether and just place your apples in your cart. Just make sure you wash them before you use them!
Ditch Paper Towels
Paper towels may have their time and place, but that place probably isn’t in the van. They take up valuable space, create waste, and perform the same function as a hand towel. Ditch the paper towels, grab a washcloth, and enjoy a more eco-friendly van life.
This swap was (and still is) hard for me because I really like the convenience of disposable towels for cleaning up nasty messes (like dog vomit). To remedy this, I keep a stash of napkins (the ones you get when you order takeout) in the glove box. I’m not tempted to use them for little things like wiping off the counter but have them when I really need them.
If you aren’t worried about space and love the convenience of paper towels, check out unpaper towels. You can even put them on the paper towel dispenser!
Compostable Dish Brush or Natural Sponge
When it’s time to replace your dishwashing brush or sponge, opt for a more sustainable option like a bamboo brush or natural sponge. I use a random wooden brush I found at a store in my hometown, but I’m getting this one when I replace it.
I don’t use a sponge, but this one on Earth Hero has good reviews. It’s technically a loofa, but the reviews say it also works great for dishes.
Dish Soap Bars
Instead of buying liquid dish soap in a plastic container, consider purchasing a bar of dish soap. This one comes completely plastic free.
Some bars are specifically meant for washing dishes, but I’ve also heard you can use regular castile soap. When my dish soap runs out, I’m going to try a bar of castile soap because it can also double as my hand soap.
Eco-Friendly Bathroom Swaps
Bamboo Toothbrush
If you haven’t tried a bamboo toothbrush yet, I highly recommend it. I’ve been using bamboo toothbrushes for a couple of years, and I’ll never go back to plastic. Depending on the brand, bamboo handles are usually commercially compostable while the bristles are not.
I’ve heard great things about the brand Brush With Bamboo. Their toothbrush bristles are now 100% certified plastic free!
The toothbrush I currently use is MABLE brand. I like the toothbrush a lot, but the company doesn’t have the certifications other eco-friendly toothbrush companies have. Their toothbrush bristles are also made out of plastic.
Toothpaste Tablets
Toothpaste tablets are a great eco-friendly van life swap because they take up less room than traditional toothpaste and aren’t packaged in plastic. If you haven’t seen them, they look like little mints you chew that turn into toothpaste. You can also get toothpaste packaged in glass jars, like this one, or aluminum squeeze tubes, like this one.
I’ve never tried any of these options, but I follow many zero waste YouTubers that like them.
Plastic-Free Deodorant
All-natural and plastic-free deodorant has come a long way in the last few years. If you’re a fan of traditional deodorant applicators, don’t worry! You can get plastic-free applicators that apply the product similarly. Tins of deodorant balm are also available if you aren’t opposed to applying it with your hands (and want to save more space).
Native has all-natural deodorant with an applicator made out of paperboard. If you’ve tried a natural deodorant before and didn’t like it, I’ve heard great things about Native. That is the brand I will be trying next.
Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Shampoo and conditioner bars are great eco-friendly van life swaps. No plastic bottle + no added water = less of an impact on the planet. Bars also take up less room than plastic bottles, so you save a ton of storage space. It’s a win-win!
Shampoo and conditioner bars are more of an investment upfront but last longer than their bottled counterparts. Depending on the brand and size of the bar, a bar of shampoo is equal to about two or three bottles of shampoo. As long as you let your bars dry completely before storing them, they will last you a while.
If you’re not a fan of shampoo and conditioner bars, check out Plaine Products. They are an eco-friendly alternative to bottled shampoo, and operate on a reuse system where you send back your empty bottles when your new bottles of shampoo and conditioner arrive. Those bottles are then refilled and sent out again. They even send you a return label for your old bottles, so you don’t have to pay return shipping.
Plastic-Free Toilet Paper
Instead of buying plastic-wrapped toilet paper in the store, choose more eco-friendly options, like Who Gives A Crap toilet paper, that come wrapped in paper instead of plastic.
This swap won’t save you much room, but I like that they come individually wrapped instead of in one big block. You can also repurpose the paper wrapping as gift-wrapping paper or as fire starter.
Low Waste Laundry Detergent
Tru Earth laundry detergent sheets and Dropps laundry pods are great eco-friendly alternatives to traditional laundry soap. Between their plastic-free packaging and space-saving containers, they are perfect for eco-friendly van life.
I recently discovered zero-waste laundry detergent, and I’m here for it. Both Tru Earth and Dropps get raving reviews online. My sister uses Dropps, and she loves them. If you’re looking to save the most space, the Tru Earth laundry detergent sheets are the best option I’ve found.
If you have access to a dishwasher when you aren’t in your van, Dropps also makes eco-friendly dishwasher pods.
Final Thoughts + A Few More Tips
In some ways, it’s easier to be eco-friendly in the van. You become very aware of how much waste you create and what items are really necessary when you live with limited space.
The only eco-friendly van life swaps I don’t recommend are the ones you have to DIY. Unless you love DIYs or already have the ingredients on hand, buying 3 bottles of ingredients to make one bottle of cleaner is not a space saver in the slightest.
If you’re looking for an easy place to shop for more sustainable products, check out Earth Hero. They carry several low waste and fair trade brands, and they are very transparent about their sustainability practices. It’s like an environmentally-conscious Amazon. (This is not sponsored – I’m just a big fan!)
If you are just starting your transition to eco-friendly alternatives, start with one little change and go from there. I’ve been transitioning to a low waste lifestyle for years, and I still haven’t made all these swaps yet. Give yourself time to adjust, make slow changes, and don’t beat yourself up if you slip up or aren’t ready to make a swap.
Don’t feel like you have to make all these changes right away (or at all!).
And don’t forget, using up what you already have before buying something new is an important step to reducing your waste.
Are you trying to reduce your waste while living in a van? What eco-friendly van life swaps do you recommend?