As we turned into our driveway, we could see a huge cardboard box that had been delivered on our doorstep.

The words: “Who gives a Crap” was clearly visible in big black letters on the side.

“It’s here!” I said enthusiastically as my husband looked horrified.

I’m sure the box was on the porch for at least an hour on a Saturday afternoon, (which was plenty of time for a whole lot of neighbors to drive by and see.)

“That’s the toilet paper I ordered,” I told my husband. He, unlike the neighbors, is well aware of my “weird”.

(*I actually started this post before the pandemic, when toilet paper was not being hoarded. I held off on posting because even this company had toilet paper on back order for a few months*)

Who Gives a Crap is one of the companies my sister told me about when I explained my desire to ditch as much plastic waste as possible in our household. This company produces 100% recycled toilet paper (toilet paper made from recycled materials), wrapped in adorable paper and also has a global impact.

On their website, Who Gives a Crap says it donates 50% of their profits to help build toilets for those in need. It’s research found 2.3 billion people don’t have access to a toilet and 800 children a day die from diseases due to those unsanitary conditions.

So at the start of the year, I ordered their 100% recycled 3-ply jumbo rolls. I got 48 for $48. It came in a recyclable cardboard box and – as I mentioned – no plastic wrapping at all.

A full 2 months in, and in a house full of girls, half of the shipment was still left.

In terms of pillow-softness… look, I care about a million things in this world. “Ply” isn’t one of them. But if you’re more snobby about your ply, try the bamboo premium. It’s a little more expensive, but has more of the “Charmin” feel.

I’m also guilty of digging through my own trash, recovering plastic bottles my husband tossed and chastising him for not recycling.

The facts about plastic pollution are shocking. Our bottle of shampoo or cleaning spray will outlive us in a landfill. And when we add up all of our waste, it’s over 3 million tons.

So, when I stumbled on a website, Public Goods, I was so happy to find an alternative. Their bottles are made of sugarcane-based bioplastics – which is much better for the environment than the petroleum based. The products on Public Good’s site doesn’t use harmful chemicals, you can find biodegradable products and they say they also plant a tree for every purchase.

I love the surface cleaners and soaps, bamboo razor and refills. The simple black and white packaging doesn’t clutter up the look of my cabinets and countertops. My only gripe?: The biodegradable trash bags were a little thin and ripped easily, so we didn’t use them for any heavy duty garbage.

It comes with a membership fee, though. $59 dollars for the year.

Let’s talk laundry. Most people don’t realize that fresh scent (and I’m someone who LOVES fresh laundry smell) is actually really harmful to the environment. Not only because of the plastic bottles, but the chemical compounds in your detergent reacts with phosphorus in the water, creating algae that then depletes oxygen and harms ecosystems.

That’s a lot to take in. And all I want to do is get that stain out!

So, I started subscribing to Dropps – totally plastic free laundry and dishwasher detergent. The detergent pods are biodegradable, the packaging is compostable and their shipping is 100% carbon neutral.

Starting with a 4 month subscription of 140 pods cost me $40. I feel like I’m constantly doing laundry (I don’t count the loads), but I ended up stretching the subscription to 6 months because I wasn’t making it through the box that fast.

And true to their word, the laundry and dishwasher pods came in a cardboard box, no other plastic packaging.

Look, the Earth’s ecosystems are suffering. If a few of my purchases go toward a healthier planet, a better place for my children to live, it’s the least I can do …. Now I’ll get off my soapbox – which is 100% biodegradable made with all natural materials.