Clean Smarter: Refillable Swaps at Walmart to Cut Plastic Waste

Single-use plastics are convenient for a moment but then create a burden that far outlasts their use. The problem is in their name: these bottles and boxes are intended to be used once, then tossed away.

Unfortunately, what that means for the planet is trash: lots and lots of trash. Single-use items comprise a whopping 89% of all plastic polluting the ocean, according to recent data from the United Nations Environment Program.

If you’re among the majority of Americans who want to reduce single-use plastics, you will be happy to know there’s an easy way to cut back: Walmart’s refillable and sustainable cleaning swaps.

The idea behind cleaning swaps is pretty simple: you start with a reusable bottle or dispenser for your household cleaning items, then you refill them with soaps and solutions that come in recyclable or plastic-neutral containers. Here are a few of our favorite sustainable suds from Walmart:

Clean Cult Liquid Laundry Detergent, Juniper Sandalwood

Large plastic jugs can take up major space in landfills, so “enlighten your load" with Clean Cult’s Juniper Sandalwood detergent, which comes in “100% recyclable, paper-based packaging." We love the refreshing woodsy scent; it’s a nice, gender-neutral smell that works for all seasons.

Clean Cult Dish Soap Refill in Lemon Verbena

Another pick from Clean Cult, this citrus-scented dish soap feels at home in the kitchen — and the brand also sells an eco-friendly glass bottle for it. Dish soap is one of those products most of us use several times a day, so it’s easy to blow through a bottle of bubbles; this is especially true for those of us without automated dishwashers. (The rest of you … hush up. We don’t want to hear it, congratulations on your success.)

GEKUPEM Reusable Cleaning Wipes

Kicking a paper towel habit can be easier than you might think. These sturdy, all-purpose cleaning towels can easily handle messy jobs. The fibrous cloth is actually better at picking up spills than simple paper towels, plus they’re machine washable.

(Another big perk of switching from paper towels to reusable towels is that you can save major cash. One roll of these costs about $6, far less than most of us spend on paper towels per month.)

It’s prohibitively challenging to fully eliminate single-use plastics from our lives, but switching to refills and reusables when possible can make a difference. The ocean is for snorkeling and taking selfies, not for soap dispensers.