We all can make a difference with what we buy.
Swedish dishcloths
This alternative to paper towels has been around for more than 70 years, created by a Swedish engineer who blended cellulose and cotton into a material that can absorb up to 20 times its weight in liquid. Replenish makes 6½-by-7½-inch dishcloths in a dozen stylish patterns. And you don’t use them once and throw them away. Rinse them out, then dry and use again. They also can be washed up to 50 times in your washing machine, and when the dishcloth is ready to be retired, it can be composted. They’re soft when wet, and they dry quickly. They even work well on cleaning mirrors and windows, leaving absolutely no streaks.
$6 per dishcloth, $16.99 for a pack of three dishcloths. Available at Amazon or replenishhomegoods.com/shop.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Deadstock coasters
“Deadstock” refers to material left over at the end of a manufacturing process. Most often, it ends up in a landfill. When Ella Lim of Verloop discovered a supply of deadstock yarn at her mother’s knitwear factory in the Philippines, she decided to turn it into a range of items, including beanies, socks, mittens, gloves and, for your glassware, 4-inch-square coasters in a squiggle pattern, available in lilac or lime.
$26 for three coasters. Order at shop.verloopknits.com.
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Keep produce longer
Utah-based Bluapple can help you keep produce fresh longer. The namesake product is an apple-shaped container that holds packets that help absorb ethylene gas, the natural ripening agent that can shorten the shelf life of your produce. Place the Bluapple in your vegetable crisper, where it will extend the life of your produce for two to three weeks. VeggieZips are produce bags with vents, so the ethylene gas emitted by the contents can escape. Testers said the bags slowed the ripening of produce, with greens, peppers and bananas still looking good after more than a week.
$10.88 per 10-pack of VeggieZips. $24.99 per two-pack of Bluapples and eight ethylene-absorbent packets, enough for one year. Order at Amazon and thebluapple.com.
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