12 Disposables You Need to Stop Buying Now

Zip-Top Bags

Plastic baggies are incredibly convenient because they’re easy to tuck in a lunchbox or purse. But after one use, they are fodder for a landfill heap. Using just two a week means throwing out more than 100 baggies—plus the money you spend on them—a year, says Lisa Beres, a building biologist and healthy home expert and author. And sending your kids to school with those bags every day makes the numbers add up even faster. Instead, use a reusable baggie like (re)zip, which are more durable but just as lightweight and compact as a disposable Ziploc. A two-pack costs about $8, so the savings will add up when you keep reusing instead of buying new.