Vanlife taught me to be more conscious of every aspect of my life. In this list of 10+ ecofriendly products for vanlife you can’t travel without, I will talk about my favorite eco-conscious products that still make my life feel luxurious!
By Bekah Whitney
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One of my favorite things about vanlife is the ability to live off the grid. From using solar panels for electricity to conserving resources, vanlife makes you rethink how much you consume. Although I have always been conscious of my waste, having a tiny trash can and no “curbside” trash service really forced me to rethink the convenience of things in the United States. Below are 10+ ecofriendly products for vanlife that you can’t travel without!
One of the things I hear most from people living on the road is that they invested so much money in certain parts of their builds, but skimped on their mattress, pillows, and bedding. I get it! At first we just put our old mattress from our home in the van, but it quickly broke down because it was getting more use than it did our home. I had heard a lot about how traditional mattresses contain many chemicals and I started researching alternative options, which is when I learned about natural latex mattresses, toppers, and pillows. After long debates, we decided to go with a natural latex mattress and shredded latex pillows from Eco Terra for our build and loved them even more than we thought we would!
With the constant changing temperatures we experienced from traveling the organic cotton, organic wool, and neutral latex were cooling in the summer heat and warming in the winter. We would suggest natural latex bedding to anyone we know!
Links to my favorite Eco Terra products:
Showering at gyms is one of the many things that you just get used to when living on the road, but that doesn’t mean you love every part of it. My biggest beef was having to carry large plastic bottles into the gym, even with a cute travel bag for all my products. I had already switched from liquid body wash to a bar soap alternative and was ready to find more sustainable options for my shampoo and conditioner. I tried, and disliked, a few brands until I discovered Ethique! Their products made my hair softer, and smell wonderful, all without bulky plastic bottles! Plus there are so many different options that I can always try something new. I haven’t found a “flavor” that I dislike yet!
Links to my favorite Ethique products:
I had been searching for sustainable beauty product line for a long time because it felt so wasteful to throw out an entire bottle every time I needed a refill of a product. That was until I discovered Activist Skincare! Instead of sending a whole new bottle each time, they send lightweight pouches that help cut down on carbon emissions from shipping. I also love that they have travel-sized bottles that are perfect for flying. I personally started with the Trial and Travel Kit because I wanted to test out which products I liked most and enjoyed the idea of having the small bottles for when I do fly.
My favorite Activist Skincare Products:
My home growing up was never really a paper towel home. It wasn’t until college that I got into the habit of using paper towels as they made cleaning easier and they were a good go-to for any pet accident. When I started thinking about cutting out waste, especially on the road, paper towels were a first to go. Instead I just used my kitchen sponge for everything and although it worked well enough, it didn’t leave things looking as clean as I wished. That’s when we started looking for another solution and found Notpaper Towels by Earthly Co. They work wonderfully, have enough in the roll that you don’t run out before the next time you do laundry, and make you feel great about less waste and saving money. The only downfall is that the designs are so beautiful that sometimes I don’t want to use them to clean up something that might stain! I still keep a backup roll of shop towels for any pet accidents, but other than that, I use my notpaper towels for everything!
Click here to to view the exact ones I have from Earthly Co!
I know I mention this in every post I write about being eco-conscious, but I do so because I see so many people who still use the provided plastic grocery bags at the store. There are so many wonderful reusable shopping bag options and they are usually available at grocery stores themselves! One thing that I recently discovered to add to reusable shopping bags is reusable produce bags! These are perfect for purchasing fruits and veggies that don’t come wrapped in plastic and they even have the tare weight on them so you don’t have to pay for the weight of the bag.
Click here to view the exact ones I have from Coco Stripes!
These are the newest zero plastic products that I have introduced into my life and I’m loving it! I absolutely cannot stand purchasing toothpaste in plastic tubes and floss in that little plastic box they come in, but listen, going to the dentist is much more expensive and painful than taking care of your teeth so I sucked it up. I had been curious about these tablets by Mintly for a while because of the sustainability factor and the lightweight nature of backpacking with them and I finally decided it was time to try them!
One thing I had to get used to was not spitting during brushing because I was so used to lots of foam with other tooth pastes. Once I learned that trick, I really loved the tablets! They left my mouth feeling nice a clean.
Links to my favorite Mintly products:
Getting takeout and using plastic utensils is so normal that it doesn’t even cross most people’s minds to do anything different, myself included. It wasn’t until I started using reusable cups everywhere I went that I started questioning using single-use utensils. Luckily, there are many online stores that sell high quality bamboo cutlery sets that usually come with a straw so you’ll have tons of options to choose from to find the perfect kit for you! I literally take them everywhere with me and even have a few backups that live in my car and backpack so that I am never without.
When we first started living on the road, a decent amount of our friends came out to camp with us. One thing we had to remind them was that since our house is tiny, we don’t have extras and they need to bring their own plates, utensils, and cups. This in turn taught us to always bring our own items when going out, to others camps, or to potlucks! I used to have a long list of items, such as a water bottle, hot coffee cup, cold coffee cup, wine tumbler, etc., but I learned that a good all-in-one options is this tall glass cup with a straw from CocoStripes. It doesn’t trap odors, is super cute, and is super easy to rinse out. I even take it to restaurants that give you single-use cups!
Click here to view the exact one I have from Coco Stripes!
Now, I’ve been using laundromats and/or coin-op laundry since I moved out of my parents house, so using laundry machines outside of the house was not new to me. I ditched lugging heavy laundry detergent bottles a long time ago, but was bothered by the plastic containers that pods came in. That’s when I did some research to find an eco-friendly solution and found laundry detergent sheets by EcoRoots. These sheets are lightweight and come in cardboard packaging making them perfect for eco-conscious van lifers!
Speaking of laundry, I used to love using dryer sheets. But guess what, they are full of unnecessary chemicals. It’s insane how many things are unhealthy that we don’t even think about that we use in our daily lives. When I went looking for alternatives, I found that many people who are sensitive to fragrances have been using wool dryer balls for a long time and love them. I can now add myself to that list as well!
Direct links to my favorite EcoRoots laundry products:
This is actually a brand new sustainable product one for me! I love lip balm and I literally always have it on me, probably because I grew up in the desert. The thing that always made me feel a little bummed out was that lip balm is predominantly in those little plastic tubes. While thinking about which products I wanted to add in my blog, I learned that a company I already loved offered zero plastic lip balms! Coco Stripes Soft Lips Kit, comes with a lip exfoliator and lip balm with sunscreen.
Click here to view the exact kit I have from Coco Stripes!
I want to remind everyone that the goal is not perfection, it is progress. I used to (and still sometimes do), get paralyzing anxiety when I go to a restaurant that uses plastic utensils and I don’t have my reusable cutlery on hand or am at the grocery store and they only have the produce I want to purchase in plastic containers. Although I firmly believe that choosing eco-friendly products and reducing my waste does matter, I have to remind myself that until the commercial industries change the ways they create waste, my actions are just a small dent. Guilting and shaming anyone (including myself) is not the goal. Love and kindness for each other, the planet, and the other species that inhabit it is the goal. Be kind to yourself and others on your eco-conscious journey.
Living on the road has changed the way I interact with the environment around me. I am more conscious than I have ever been about my impact on the world around me. I love thinking about how much waste I’ve reduced in my own life each year and, hopefully, the others I have inspired to do the same.
Leave a comment and let me know if you have tried any of these products and what you think of them! Also if there are any others out there that you absolutely love, share them with me. I’m always looking for the next thing that I haven’t thought of yet to reduce waste. Don’t forget to share with your friends and family!
Hi! I’m Bekah, but you can call me Beks, all my friends do! I travel full-time in a tiny home on wheels that my partner, Sawyer, and I built from a cargo trailer shell in 2019. We started out in beautiful Colorado and have been all over the United States over the years. This space is designed to inspire and guide the nature obsessed nomad, weekend warrior, and future roadlifer. I’m so excited you’re here!
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We wanted a watercraft for a long time, but didn’t quite know what to pull the trigger on. We wanted something that was durable and folded up nice and small. After watching videos of a jeep driving over the kayak and hit it with a hammer, we knew it was the one for us!
If you don’t already have a hammock, you really need to get on it! The Eno is a lightweight, packable, and durable hammock perfect for anyone living on the road. We have a single nest because neither of us seem to want to be in the hammock at the same time, but they do make a Double Nest if you are looking to cuddle up with your significant other in it.
Listen, everyone with photos of their van door wide open has flies. Adding a screen door was an absolute game-changer for us, plus it is attached through velcro so that you can easily remove it when you are ready to take those idyllic photos. If you haven’t hit the road yet, just get one. If you already have, this is the answer to your fly problem, you’re welcome.
18 Comments on 10+ Ecofriendly Products for Vanlife You Can’t Travel Without
Great tips. We don't travel via van, but most of your tips can be used for picnics, on hikes and even in general travel to cut down on plastic and waste.
Very informative article1 I love that you are more environmentally conscious since travelling in a van!
Not a camper, but I love your selection. I have been using bars for soap and shampoo for ages at home too, its just so much neater and garbage free. Some of these items I always take when travelling, especially cutlery and water bottles. Surprisingly light and very useful!
Great to read about all of these great eco-friendly products you found for van life. Most of these will be great for other travel and for day trips too. I understand how you might not want to use the pretty unpaper towels to clean up messes! I like the idea of seeking progress and not perfection. Every little bit makes a difference.
love this list of ecofriendly vanlife products! I myself am a big fan of the shampoo & conditioner bars. They are great for traveling!
Agreed! It took me a while to find good ones, but once I did, I was hooked!
A good mattress really must be such a huge factor in enjoying van life. With fewer places to sit or lounge, I can see how the mattress would get more use!
Yes! Our first mattress got destroyed so fast!
These eco-friendly vanlife products are a game-changer! 🚐💚
I loved this article. You've provided so many great eco-friendly alternatives. I've been using the dryer balls for years now and I love them. I'm still getting use to bringing my own bag into the grocery store though. Where I live in Ontario, many stores have stopped giving out bags completely and the only option is bring your own. My back seat of my car is full of bags since I always have to purchase new ones lol.
Great advice! Esp about the hygiene items.. I have heard about the shampoo bars before but am def checking ou t the dental hygiene items.. thinking these items would also work well for camping!
I like the idea of traveling with the bars of shampoo and conditioner. Your list of items applies well to boaters, too!
It seriously is amazing for all types of travel!