The Best Reusable Products We Actually Love

We've tried a few silicone reusable bags to replace wasteful single-use one, like Ziploc. I love the W&P ones. The closure strip is satisfyingly thick, and they stay sealed. I use them for snacks as well as storage around the house, even to hold nails and thumbtacks. As long as you're careful to not pierce right through the silicone, it holds up. When you're done, turn them inside out and either hand-wash or put them in the dishwasher.

You can get a starter kit with 10-, 34-, and 46-ounce flat bags, and 36- and 50-ounce standup bags, or buy them individually. If you pick up one bag every few weeks, you'll be able to give up Ziplocs without spending too much money at once.

We're also big fans of Stasher and ReZip bags. ReZip is the cheapest of all three, with a five-piece set for $20. All three brands are freezer-safe, and W&P and Stasher are also microwaveable.

Plastic wrap is annoying. Why is it always getting stuck to itself and not to what you need it to stick to? WIRED senior writer Scott Gilbertson has been using beeswax wraps from the cleverly named Bees Wraps, and he loves them. This brand uses organic cotton and sustainably sourced beeswax (along with jojoba oil and tree resin). The beeswax makes them waterproof. Be sure to use cold water to rinse them; hot water could melt off the wax.

The company says a roll lasts a year, but Gilbertson has used his for longer than that. He says four to six large wraps are a good bet for fully replacing plastic wrap in your life. To wrap sticky things, like soft cheeses, he also suggests lining the wrap with parchment paper to avoid having to scrub the beeswax too hard when you clean it.

★ Alternative: I tried beeswax wraps from Public Goods ($10) and like them. If you're getting anything else from the company, it's a good thing to throw into your cart.

I recently tried several W&P products, and was impressed by them all, including the stretch lids and reusable silicone wrap. The wrap has more stretch to it than beeswax, but is still reusable. It works great covering bowls or other containers, but also works directly on leftover foods, like half an onion. The stretch lids cover anything they can fit, like food storage containers or mason jars. Both wash easily by hand, but you can even throw them in the dishwasher.

If you're planning on trying both, the Stretch Bundle pack includes three sizes of stretch wrap, six circular stretch lids, and three rectangular stretch baking lids.

Don't settle for wasteful and, frankly, awful-to-use plastic forks or spoons when you're eating lunch at the park or ordering from a food stand on the way home. Cliffset's plastic-free cutlery set is a favorite of WIRED senior writer and reviewer Scott Gilbertson. The fork, spoon, and knife are stainless steel and the set is easily portable thanks to the travel case that also keeps the cutlery from touching everything in your bag. Better yet, this starter kit comes with a bottle of its cleaning solution (made of 60 percent food-grade alcohol, water, and lemon oil) and a small refillable spray bottle so you can spray and wipe your utensils clean before putting them back in the case.

I couldn't get rid of paper towels entirely, but it's easy to use a lot while cleaning up a simple mess. WIRED writer Louryn Strampe recommends Marley's Monsters Unpaper Towels in her guide to eco-friendly cleaning products. They're super absorbent and durable, and they cling together, so you can roll them up like the towels you're used to. The price seems scary, but again, how many packs of disposable paper towels do you buy a year? Instead of filling your house with paper products in bulk, you can throw these in the wash.

★ Alternative: If you don't mind a rougher texture and a little more bulk, reviews editor Adrienne So uses bar mops as a paper towel substitute. They're absorbent, affordable, and come in a variety of colors to hide stains.

Reusable wool dryer balls help agitate your laundry in the dryer to prevent it from clumping, increase airflow, and let it dry faster. Friendsheep's dryer balls work well and are simply cute as heck, with designs like cats, the Earth, and bees in sets of three or six—or mix and match your own.

If you miss fresh scents from dryer sheets, you can also sprinkle essential oils on these before tossing them into the dryer. (Friendsheep sells essential oils, if you want a one-stop shop.) You should wash them separately every so often to keep them in shape and to help keep them from shedding. You might have seen spikey rubber balls used in the dryer. They help open up clothes to dry them and stop the cling. You can also use tennis balls.

Dish sponges get grimy fast, and even if you put them in the dishwasher to extend their lives, they last only so long. WIRED writer Simon Hill swears by these reusable ones, which have a rough side for tough stains like the sponges you're used to. They won't last forever, but Hill throws his in the washing machine once a week, and he says they last around six months before they start to fray and lose their scrubbing power.

If you have a cat or a dog who eats wet food, you may occasionally have leftovers that need to go in the fridge. Can covers have multiple rings to fit onto most standard can sizes, and having them on hand has saved me a ton of annoying plastic wrap. You can find silicone and plastic ones in varying packs on Amazon or at pet stores, but I have these and like them.

I slightly prefer this plastic one that's also available from Chewy, but stock is a little less consistent.

My siblings and I used to wrap our Christmas gifts in old newspaper (the funnies if we could), giving second life to something typically tossed at the end of the day. Not a lot of people get physical papers anymore, though, and while wrapping paper has its place, it's wasteful. If you're gifting someone you know will appreciate it (and reuse it), consider Keiko Furoshiki wraps. Furoshiki are traditional Japanese wrapping cloths, and here, the 25-by-25-inch colorful wraps are made from stain-resistant recycled polyester and can be used to wrap gifts or to wrap up your lunch box to bring to the office. When they're not holding a package? Put them in your hair, tie them to a bag, or display as wall art.

The brand's website has instructions on different ways to tie them and there's even a printable gift tag with a QR code linking to that page so giftees know what to do.

If you haven't already, it's time to switch to reusable grocery bags. They're typically more durable than plastic, so you can use fewer. Plus, many places have started to phase out plastic bags and add a small fee for paper. You can buy nice reusable bags from pretty much any grocery store you go to, as well as stores like TJ Maxx, but if you want a few to get started, we love Baggu. They're made of 40 percent recycled nylon and come in enough colors and styles that everyone can pick a favorite.

Each standard-size bag holds as much as three plastic store bags, but there are several sizes and bundles. They also fold into a neat little square pouch for storage.

★ Produce Bag Alternatives: I also tried Public Good's Small Mesh Bag ($6) and Mesh Tote ($10), the latter of which I particularly love for holding everything. Editor Adrienne So uses this set from Amazon ($17) for produce shopping.

When it comes to food storage, glass is easier to clean and lasts longer than plastic. But there are times when you want plastic. It's lighter and won't break, which is important for kids. In that case, you might consider OmieGo's Bio. The three-piece set is made of plant-based material, and they're durable. I like that the little containers snap onto the top of the longer one. Reviews editor Adrienne So packs her kids' lunches in the company’s Insulated Box ($46).

Some eye masks are infused with 24-karat gold or other specific ingredients that you may not have a bottle of sitting around. But if you're using them every morning, consider these reusable masks from Dieux instead. They don't come soaked in serum, but that means you can pair them with a product you already love, like a super hydrating cream or snail mucin.

You may have seen Dieux's Forever Eye Mask around TikTok. I had to wonder if they really were better than the $15 Pacifica eye masks I already tried. They are. They're thinner and more flexible, which means they're much more comfortable to wear. They also easily shape to your eyes without squishing your skin into a weird position—if I accidentally formed a fold in the skin while placing the Pacifica, that fold was there for a while after taking the patch off. That can't be good for wrinkles long-term.

★ Alternative: If you're main concern is soothing and depuffing, MakeUp Eraser's Cooling Clouds Undereye Patches ($20) are nearly weightless and work with just water.

Disposable makeup wipes are bad for your skin. They don't clean your skin very well, the ingredients might irritate sensitive skin, and the kind of scrubbing and tugging you do with one isn't good for skin in general. They're also wasteful.

Consider a MakeUp Eraser instead. It's basically magic, removing makeup with just water, and it's significantly gentler than a regular washcloth. If you take care of it, one should last about five years. No matter what kind of makeup-removing method you use, you need to actually cleanse your skin afterward, but this is a good first step. And for those nights when you simply don't have the will to do your whole routine, at least you've gotten rid of your makeup.

We shouldn't use cotton swabs in our ears to clean out the wax, but a lot of us do. You may also use them to fix or remove makeup or to clean dust and dirt away from little crevices.

Q-Tips are wasteful. The LastSwab is designed to put an end to that. They come in several styles, as well as in a beauty bundle, made of rubberlike TPE. The cases are made from ocean-bound plastic. They're easy to clean with just water and soap or rubbing alcohol.

★ More from LastObject: The company makes other helpful products, like LastRound ($16), a pack of seven reusable cotton rounds that should last 1,750 uses. I frequently use them to apply toner to my face or to remove makeup. I also like the LastPad ($18) mentioned below.

I didn't think a single-blade safety razor could cut it, but I was pleasantly surprised when I tried Henson Shaving's AL13 razor ($70). Not only did it completely remove the hair, but I didn't have razor burn (that has never happened for me with a regular razor). Henson's is a bit pricey, but the Merkur Razor ($36) is much more affordable and came highly recommended by product reviewer friends when I put together a shaving kit for my partner. Both are made of sturdy metal.

Depending on what brand of razors you used previously, buying a box of blades can be significantly cheaper than replacement heads, so it's a win-win.

Periods are annoying as is, so you should use whatever product you feel most comfortable with. But if you're sick of pads and tampons, there are many reusable products available. I've switched almost entirely to period underwear, and there is a steady stream (pun intended) of new styles.

• Of the more than a dozen period underwear brands I've tried, Knix ($24-$38) is my favorite. The Nylon is silky and thin, so they're actually enjoyable to wear.
• If you need a cheap option, Hanes has a set of three for $16. They're not as comfortable and feel obviously like not regular underwear. Be sure to check the size chart before buying.
• You can also try menstrual cups. The Intimina Lily ($31) is the best, most comfortable menstrual cup I've ever used.
• For reusable pads, GladRags ($13–$30) and LastObject’s Last Pad ($18–$24) are good options to start with. You can see the rest of our recommendations in our full guide.

My allergies are such that I've got a never-ending supply of tissues just to keep my nose in check. That is to say, a handkerchief is not for me. But for those with noses who run like normal, WIRED reviews editor Adrienne So recommends fancy little cloths instead. They're much more durable than a tissue, of course, and versatile. You can dab at watery eyes without getting tissue dust in them, but, as So says, you can also clean camera lenses, wipe off your glasses, or dry your hands if you find yourself in a bathroom without paper towels (or with only a gross hand dryer).

What you use is up to you. Bandanas or fancy scarves work the same, as long as you can easily throw them in the washing machine. LastObject also makes the LastTissue ($24), a pack of six cotton tissues that are washable and reusable like your standard handkerchief, plus a nice case to keep your snotty rags away from your hands.

I love to draw or write aimlessly when I'm bored or need to refocus my energy. It's usually not anything worth framing—I'll look down to see a bunch of cubes or my name written 45 times. I didn't understand the need for a Buddha Board until I tried it, but it gave me that opportunity to move my hand and create nonsense without wasting paper, and the brushes it comes with feel like expensive art supplies, creating perfect strokes. It feels like you're painting, but it's only water, and once it dries the board is clear to start again. The company describes it as being like an Etch-a-Sketch.

We've tested a few smart notebooks and Rocketbook is the only one we tried so far that's reusable. The entire range of notebooks, planners, and note cards work with an erasable Pilot Frixion Pen (one should come with whichever item you buy). You take notes, scan photos of them to the Rocketbook app, and erase the pages with the damp microfiber cloth.

The paper isn't as nice to write on as regular paper, but it's made to withstand the damp cloth. Technically, you can write in any old notebook with a pencil or erasable pen, take photos, and erase it, but that will eventually ruin the integrity of the paper. The Rocketbook app is also designed to keep everything together and easily send things off to Google Drive, Evernote, OneNote, and a handful of other options. If I took a ton of notes every day, I'd probably want really good paper, but I like that one notebook can last as long as you take care of it.

Yes, even your tooth-brushing routine could stand to be more sustainable. You're never going to use one toothbrush for life, but there are a few things you can get to help out.

• Oral-B Pro 100 Oscillating Electric Toothbrush for $50: Electric toothbrushes are less wasteful than manual ones, since the only thing you're tossing out is the brush head rather than the entire thing. We have a full guide on our favorites, but Oral-B's Pro 1000 is a reliable and affordable brush to get your teeth sparkling.
• Suri Sustainable Electric Toothbrush for $92: If you can spend a bit more, the Suri electric toothbrush company repairs and recycles brushes instead of letting them sit in landfills once their batteries reached their limits. The brush heads are made from cornstarch with castor oil bristles that should break down without leaving microplastics behind.
• Quip Refillable Floss for $17: I prefer floss picks to string floss, but that's a lot of unnecessary plastic being tossed everyday. This refillable pick from Quip offers the convenience without the waste, since you throw away the string but not the pick.The little case that holds enough floss to replace over 180 single use picks.
• Listerine Concentrate Starter Kit for $13: If you already use mouthwash daily, Listerine's newest product makes slightly less waste. You start with a normal plastic bottle and instead of tossing it when it's done, you fill it with concentrate and water. It doesn't eliminate plastic, but it minimizes it.

We can do a lot to reduce the waste we create, but most of us can't completely stop throwing things out. I don't know about you, but I'm not willing to wash my toilet paper or reuse a dog poop bag. For those instances, you can still make smarter choices.

• Give a Shit Compostable Dog Poop Bags for $13: Some WIRED dog owners recommend these bags for their pups. They're made of plant components and won't hang out in landfills long after the poop has hardened. Plus the company donates 10 percent of profits to the Soi Dog Foundation.
• Cloud Paper Bamboo Paper Towels for $45 and Toilet Paper for $47: WIRED writer Louryn Strampe tried these paper towels for her cleaning guide. Bamboo is renewable (it's the fastest-growing plant!), and it saves trees from being cut down to clean your counters or your tush. Louryn says the towels weren't the softest, so we can't guarantee the toilet paper will be what you're used to.

You don't have to be an environmental superhero. Us regular people don't fly our private jets down the street, which is doing more for the environment than some. If you take anything away from this guide, it's that a little goes a long way.

• Find a few reusable products you actually enjoy using. You don't have to replace everything.
• If you like to try new makeup, get samples whenever possible so you can avoid returning items you don't actually like (returns are often tossed). Sephora offers them as do most department store counters.
• Join a buy-nothing Facebook group. You can off-load some things you don't need anymore and even get a few cool free things you need in the process too.
• If you buy takeout and it comes with these plastic deli containers, keep them! They're perfect for reusing, freeze well, are stackable, and last a long time even with dishwasher use.
• If you don't want to give up paper towels or spend on the pricey Marley's Monsters, you can save the paper for really gross messes. For minor cleanups, use a reusable kitchen towel you probably already have and throw them into the washing machine.
• Ditch single-use coffee filters for reusable filters.
• Swiffer pads can be replaced with microfiber cloths. You can use your own cleaner with them too.