The average bathroom is a plastic problem hiding in plain sight. Take just one item off the shelf: roughly 20 billion toothpaste tubes are thrown away worldwide every year, and almost none of them are recycled. Multiply that across razors, bottles, floss, and swabs, and a single room quietly generates a steady stream of waste that recycling systems were never built to handle.
Personal care products get bought and tossed on a relentless cycle, and most are built from mixed materials that curbside recycling can’t process. The encouraging news is that durable, refillable, and plastic-free alternatives now exist for nearly every one of them, and for a growing number, independent research backs up the environmental case. Here are options for a lower-waste bathroom, along with what the science does and doesn’t say about each.
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our work.
Toothpaste Tablets
Toothpaste tubes are among the hardest bathroom items to recycle. Most are sheets of plastic laminate wrapped around a thin layer of aluminum, a fused mix of materials that conventional recycling can’t separate. Globally, that adds up to about 20 billion tubes trashed each year.
The industry has responded. Colgate spent more than five years developing a tube made entirely from #2 HDPE, the same recyclable plastic used for milk jugs, and shared the design with competitors. It began rolling the tube out under its Tom’s of Maine brand around 2019 to 2020 and pledged to convert its full portfolio by the end of 2025, a target it reports it has largely met, with major brands representing roughly 90% of the U.S. market committing to the same switch.
There’s a catch worth knowing: “technically recyclable” is not the same as “accepted curbside.” Few material recovery facilities currently sort toothpaste tubes, and in 2024 a federal judge allowed a consumer lawsuit against Colgate to proceed, alleging its recyclability labeling misleads shoppers whose local programs don’t take the tubes. Check whether your program accepts them before tossing one in the bin.
A simpler way to sidestep the tube entirely is the toothpaste tablet. You chew one until it forms a paste, then brush as usual. Unpaste Zero Waste tablets come in plastic-free, home-compostable pouches and are made without preservatives, dyes, or synthetic fragrances. Early zero-waste toothpastes skipped fluoride, which deterred anyone who wanted the cavity protection dentists recommend; Unpaste now sells both a fluoride and a fluoride-free version.
Biodegradable Dental Floss and the PFAS Question
Floss is a small item with an outsized chemistry problem. Conventional floss is usually nylon or a Teflon-type fiber coated to slide between teeth, and some of those coatings are made with PFAS, the “forever chemicals” that don’t break down in the body or the environment.
In a 2019 study in the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology, researchers at the Silent Spring Institute and the Public Health Institute measured PFAS in the blood of 178 women and found that those who flossed with Oral-B Glide had higher levels of one PFAS than those who didn’t. It was the first study to link a specific flossing product to a higher body burden of these chemicals. The finding is an association rather than proof of cause, the manufacturer disputed it, and Oral-B has since reformulated Glide to remove PTFE. The lasting lesson: floss doesn’t need PFAS to work, and most flosses tested didn’t contain it.
Lucky Teeth floss avoids the issue on both the health and waste fronts. Its original floss is 100% organic silk coated in candelilla plant wax with tea tree and peppermint oils, fully biodegradable and packaged in a refillable glass jar with paper refill boxes instead of a throwaway plastic dispenser. Silk isn’t vegan, so the company also makes plant-based PLA and bamboo-charcoal flosses in the same refillable glass packaging.
Bamboo Toilet Paper
Toilet paper has a forest problem. Much of the pulp in major U.S. brands comes from the Canadian boreal, the largest intact forest on Earth and one of its most carbon-rich, and the industry clear-cuts more than a million acres of it each year, in part to make a single-use product, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council’s ongoing “Issue with Tissue” reporting. Tissue made from recycled content or responsibly sourced bamboo has roughly one-third the carbon footprint of virgin-fiber tissue, and NRDC lists both as the sustainable alternatives.
Bamboo is a fast-growing grass that regenerates without replanting, which is why it has become a popular tree-free option. We’re big fans of Who Gives A Crap’s bamboo TP, and along with Rizzi Home No. 2 bamboo toilet paper is Forest Stewardship Council and Responsible Forestry certified, wrapped in recycled paper rather than plastic, with soy-ink printed designs. Rizzi also claims to cut down on “butt crumble,” which we’ll let you investigate on your own.
Bamboo Cotton Swabs
Plastic-stemmed cotton swabs are among the most common items found on beaches and in waterways, small enough to slip through filters and reach the ocean. The problem is significant enough that the European Union banned single-use plastic cotton bud sticks in 2021.
The Humble Co. makes a fully biodegradable swab with a handle of sustainably grown bamboo and a cotton tip with natural coloring, packaged in recycled paper. The dentist-founded brand notes its swabs are free of PFAS and BPA, and it funds dental care for underserved communities through its SmileOnU program.
Zero-Waste Shaving
Disposable razors are cheap, ubiquitous, and nearly impossible to recycle: the fused plastic handle, rubber grip, and metal blade can’t easily be separated. The most-cited figure, that Americans throw away about 2 billion disposable razors a year, comes from a 1990 EPA estimate the agency stopped tracking in 2019, so the true number today is unknown and likely higher. What’s clear is that a metal safety razor lasts for years and replaces a steady stream of throwaways.
Albatross reusable metal razors come with 10 replacement blades in a hemp bag. The stainless blades ship in a paper envelope, and the company runs a blade take-back program that accepts used blades from any brand, a genuine fix since most curbside programs won’t take loose razor blades and upcycles the steel into new products. Albatross also makes a shaving soap of plant-based oils in a recyclable metal tin, an alternative to aerosol shaving cream.
Bar Soap
Swapping a pump bottle for a bar is one of the better-studied bathroom trades. In a 2009 life-cycle analysis in Environmental Science & Technology, Swiss researchers Annette Koehler and Caroline Wildbolz found that, per wash, liquid soap carries a carbon footprint about 25% higher than bar soap. Liquid formulas take roughly five times more energy to produce the raw materials and nearly 20 times more energy to make the packaging, and people tend to use about seven times more liquid soap by weight per wash than they do bar soap.
The picture isn’t entirely one-sided. The same study found bar soap has a larger land-use impact, because it relies on farmed vegetable oils, and we tend to use more hot water lathering a bar. But on carbon footprint, packaging, and several toxicity measures, the bar comes out ahead. Look for bars sold unwrapped or in paper; Meow Meow Tweet makes a variety of paper-packed soap bars.
Natural Shampoo Bar
Shampoo doesn’t have to come as liquid in a plastic bottle. Solid bars strip out the water that makes up the bulk of liquid shampoo, which means less packaging and less weight to ship, and they often outlast a bottle.
Meow Meow Tweet makes shampoo bars and powder from organic plant oils and butters with steam-distilled and cold-pressed essential oils and organic botanicals. The bars are package-free and ship in a recycled cardboard box with compostable paper wrapping, labels, and tape, while the powders ship in a recyclable aluminum bottle.
Refillable Body Lotion
Some products just work best as liquids, and lotion is one of them, but you can still cut the plastic with a refillable container. Plaine Products’ body lotion comes in an aluminum bottle with a reusable pump. When you run low, you rinse the empty bottle, mail it back in a refill box, and the company refills and reuses it. The formula is plant-based and vegan, and everything ships in recyclable or compostable packaging.
Bamboo Toothbrush
Every plastic toothbrush ever made still exists somewhere. Americans throw out about a billion of them a year, roughly 50 million pounds of waste, and because the nylon bristles are fused into a polypropylene handle, they can’t go through curbside recycling. They persist for centuries.
A bamboo-handled brush swaps the plastic handle for a compostable one. It’s not a flawless fix, since the nylon bristles still have to be pulled out before the handle can be composted, but the life-cycle research is encouraging. A 2020 assessment in the British Dental Journal, the first to run a full life-cycle analysis on toothbrushes, found that manual bamboo brushes and plastic brushes with replaceable heads had the lowest environmental impact of the options studied, while electric toothbrushes had the highest. The Humble Co., maker of the swabs above, is one dentist-founded brand that makes a bamboo toothbrush.
Menstrual Cups
For anyone who menstruates, disposables add up fast. A person can use around 10,000 pads and tampons in a lifetime, and modern pads are more than 90% plastic that can take centuries to break down. A reusable silicone menstrual cup replaces nearly all that waste and lasts for years.
The environmental case is well supported. A 2021 UN Environment Programme review and a 2022 life-cycle assessment both concluded that reusable menstrual cups have the lowest environmental impact of any menstrual product across their full life cycle, lower than tampons, pads, and even reusable cloth pads and period underwear, which need more water to launder. Cups are the lowest-waste option; reusable cloth pads and period underwear still beat disposables, though by how much depends on how they’re washed.
Where to Take What’s Left After Use
Switching products keeps waste out of the bin, but the items you already own still need somewhere to go. For blades, tubes, and packaging you’re retiring, check what your local program accepts using the Earth911 Recycling Search, and see our guides to recycling toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes and recycling tin and steel cans.
Editor’s Note: Originally published by Jennifer Sokolowsky on July 23, 2019, and updated in July 2026 with current products, links, and supporting research.
The post Sustainable Personal Care Products for an Earth-Friendly Bathroom appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/living-well-being/sustainable-personal-care-products/
Green Living
Best of Earth911 Podcast: Adapting to Smoke Season’s Health Impacts With Dr. James Crooks
Smoke season is back, and getting more intense every year. Tune into this “Best of” discussion with James Crooks, Ph.D., an environmental epidemiologist with National Jewish Health’s Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics in Denver, who explains his research on the impact of wildfire smoke on the ozone concentrations at ground level in Colorado. Elevated ozone levels contribute to the rising incidence of asthma and diabetes, among other conditions. Dr. Crooks found that while ozone increased only 1% compared to pre-wildfire levels, the impacts are widely felt, especially in Hispanic and historically underserved communities. The advent of annual smoke seasons and rising levels of air pollution globally make this an important conversation. He shares his advice on how to protect family members from air pollution and the prospects for life in a warmer world, when smoke season will be common in many regions.
Smoke season isn’t just unpleasant, it’s killing too many of us. According to a recent study published in the journal The Lancet Planetary Health, air pollution was directly responsible for the death of 4.5 million people around the world in 2019. A McGill University study released in early May reported that people who lived within 31 miles (50 km) of a wildfire over a 10-year period were found to have a 10% higher incidence of brain tumors and 4.9% more lung cancers. You can learn more about Dr. Crooks and National Jewish Health at nationaljewish.org.
- Subscribe to Sustainability in Your Ear on iTunes and Apple Podcasts.
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This podcast originally aired on June 15, 2022.
The post Best of Earth911 Podcast: Adapting to Smoke Season’s Health Impacts With Dr. James Crooks appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/podcast/earth911-podcast-adapting-to-smoke-seasons-health-impacts-with-dr-james-crooks/
If you’re looking to finish your kitchen, bar area, or other seating arrangement with a set of sustainable bar stools (or counter stools) then you’ve come to the right place.
How To Source Sustainable Bar Stools and Counter Stools
I was looking for sustainable counter stools last year because my husband and I’s apartment had a large countertop and no room for a kitchen table.
We liked how the layout utilized the small space efficiently, making it feel like we had more space than we really did! However it’s not as easy to find beautiful counter stools as it is to find other sorts of dining chairs!
After borrowing my parent’s barstools for a few months, we came across the perfect set of mid-century modern-esque secondhand counter stools from the peer-to-peer resale app OfferUp.
There are many ways to source sustainable bar stools or counter stools. And which way is right for you depends on your budget and circumstances.
Secondhand Apps
This option is usually the cheapest, but may require a lot of time searching and picking up the items.
We used OfferUp, because we were on a budget, had the ability to wait (since we could borrow stools in the meantime), and weren’t ready to invest in our “forever home” — we don’t know if our future living spaces will require counter stools.
Curated Secondhand Sites
These tend to be the second most affordable option for counter stools, bar stools, or any other piece of furniture. You pay a bit of a premium over something like OfferUp or Facebook Marketplace, because the pieces are more curated, the photography is typically way better, and some places may even handle the shipping and logistics for you!
Here are a couple to check out:
- AptDeco: Advertised as the easiest way to shop secondhand furniture, AptDeco provides a professional delivery service, including pickup, delivery, and assembly within the contiguous U.S.
- Chairish: mecca for vintage furniture (typically more expensive)
New Eco-Friendly Bar Stools and Counter Stools
You may want to shop for new sustainable counter stools and bar stools if you don’t have as much time to hunt for treasures on the secondhand market, want to invest in a long-term piece of furniture, or have a very specific set of aesthetic preferences.
You might also look for new eco-friendly counter stool options if you want to make sure your stools are non-toxic, and made without harmful chemicals. You’ll see some certifications mentioned throughout. Here’s a quick cheatsheet on what they do (and don’t do).
FSC Certified: the wood sourcing was responsibly managed (not a finish, foam, or textile guarantee)
CertiPUR-US®: third-party verification that foam (like cushioned seat padding) is made without ozone depleters, PBDE flame retardants, mercury, lead, or formaldehyde, and meets low VOC emission standards; it’s a foam-specific certification, not a wood or fabric one
OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100: tests the finished textile (like wool or cotton upholstery) for harmful substances against human-ecological safety limits; this is a product-level fabric certification, and does not cover the wood or metal parts of the furniture
Below are some vetted resources for finding sustainable bar and counter stools! Transparency note: this guide contains affiliate links. As always we only feature brands that meet strict criteria for sustainability that we love — and that we think you’ll love too.
My Favorite Places to Find Sustainable Bar Stools & Counter Stools
1. Urban Natural
Best for: wide variety of premium sustainable stools
Materials: Responsibly Sourced Wood, Leather, Metal, Fabric Upholstery
Conscious Qualities: Artisan-Made and USA Made Options; FSC-Certified Options
Price Range: $499 – $2930
Urban Natural is mecca for sustainable furniture, including bar stools and counter stools. The brands they carry prioritize craftsmanship, design, quality, and sustainability. Many of the stools are made with FSC-Certified solid wood and eco-friendly production practices. Ethnicraft, for example, is a brand that uses zero waste production methods, repurposing any would-be wood waste.
2. What We Make
Best for: rustic reclaimed wood stools
Materials: Reclaimed Wood or Solid Hardwood, Steel
Conscious Qualities: VOC-Free Finish, Repurposed Wood, Made to Order in USA
Price Range: $425 – $755
Crafted in Chicgoland from wood harvested from torn down Midwestern barns, What We Make has rustic reclaimed wood or solid hardwood stools with character. Each bar or counter stool is finished with a VOC-free finish.
When selecting your wood on the product you’ll notice reclaimed options as well as solid hardwood options. Due to the nature of reclaimed wood, that option will result in slight variations, but I find that part of the joy of upcycled pieces!
3. Medley
Best for: stools made with natural non-toxic materials
Materials: Domestically Sourced FSC-Certified Solid Wood, CertiPUR-US®-certified foam, OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100-Certified Wool, Cotton
Conscious Qualities: Made-to-Order, Crafted in California, Solid Wood, In-Home Trial
Price: $1090
Handcrafted in California to your specifications with quality sustainable materials — like domestic solid alder, walnut, and maple wood — Medley’s sleek modern furniture is as sustainable as it is beautiful. The company has one eco-friendly counter stool available, called the Jasmi Counter Stool as well as other dining chairs.
4. Emeco
Best for: heirloom quality or commercial grade stools
Materials: Recycled Aluminum, Reclaimed Wood, Sustainably-Sourced Wood
Conscious Qualities: Durable, Repurposed Materials, Suitable For Outdoors
Price Range: $425 – $2120
Emeco has eco-friendly stools designed to last for a lifetime (or several). Their sustainable bar stools and counter stools are made in Pennsylvania from repurposed materials and are designed to commercial-grade standards.
Some options are also suitable for use as outdoor furniture.
5. Greenington
Best for: bamboo stools
Materials: Solid Moso Bamboo, Some Leather Upholstery
Conscious Qualities: Tree-Free, Uses Fast-Growing Bamboo
Price: $559 – $938
Greenington is among the most popular sustainable furniture brands for a reason. As a founding member of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, Greenington uses 100% solid Moso bamboo for their furniture — a material they claim is 20% harder than red oak. They offer eco-friendly counter stools and bar stools in a variety of finishes, though there are no stool designs with backs.
6. Pottery Barn Sustainably Sourced Collection
Best for: more affordable sustainable stool options
Materials: Reclaimed Wood, Recycled Aluminum, Recycled Plastic
Conscious Qualities: Natural and Repurposed Materials
Price: $249 – $399
Furniture brand Pottery Barn has recently been expanding their sustainably sourced collection, so you may just find your new eco-friendly bar and counter stools there. Their collection features stools made from reclaimed and recycled materials in a range of aesthetics, from farmhouse chic to mid-century modern.
7. West Elm Sustainably Sourced Collection
Best for: mid-century modern stools
Materials: Sustainably-Sourced Wood
Conscious Qualities: Quality Products, Use of Some Responsible Materials
Price: $499 – $599
Another larger furniture retailer with a sustainably sourced collection is West Elm. Their selection of sustainably sourced stools is small, but you can find an eco-friendly bar stool / counter stool made from FSC-Certified wood from responsibly managed forests.
Looking to complete your eco space?
Check out our full guide to sustainable furniture brands and our guide to non-toxic furniture brands.
The post 7 Sustainable Bar Stools and Counter Stools To Complete Your Space (2026) appeared first on Conscious Life & Style.
7 Sustainable Bar Stools and Counter Stools To Complete Your Space (2026)
A used dog crate can save you $80 and keep a perfectly good piece of gear out of a landfill. A used food bowl with a few hairline scratches can seed your pet’s water with bacteria for months. The difference between a smart secondhand buy and a risky one usually comes down to two questions: what the item is made of, and whether you can actually clean it.
Americans spent $158 billion on their pets in 2025, and a growing share are looking for ways to spend less; the American Pet Products Association found roughly 22% of owners cut back on pet spending last year. Reused pet gear sits right at the intersection of saving money and cutting waste. But pets add a wrinkle that used furniture or clothing doesn’t: some of the germs that ride along on old bowls, beds, and toys are remarkably hard to kill, and the popular vinegar-and-soap cleaning advice doesn’t do what most people think it does.
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase an item through one of these links, we receive a small commission that helps fund our Recycling Directory.
Why Buying Used Makes Sense
The resale habit that reshaped clothing is spreading to durable goods. Pet supplies are a natural fit: crates, carriers, and hard toys are built to last far longer than one animal’s use of them.
Keeping those items in circulation matters, because pet gear leans heavily on plastic. Pet products generate an estimated 300 million pounds of plastic waste a year in North America, according to Earth.Org, and most worn-out toys and beds aren’t recyclable through curbside programs. Every crate or bowl bought secondhand is one that didn’t have to be manufactured, and one that isn’t clogging a landfill.
A few manufacturers are building reuse into the product itself. West Paw runs a closed-loop reuse program called Join the Loop, which grinds down worn Zogoflex toys and remakes them, and Petmate now makes kennels from roughly 95% recycled polypropylene. When you can’t find a safe used version of what you need, durable, recycled-content, take-back-eligible gear is the next-best circular choice.
Start With the Material, Not the Price Tag
The single most useful rule for secondhand pet shopping is this: hard, nonporous items can be cleaned and disinfected; soft, porous ones often can’t. Stainless steel, glass, glazed ceramic, and smooth hard plastic have surfaces you can scrub and sanitize down to bare material. Fabric, foam, wood, rope, and sisal soak up saliva, urine, and whatever lived in them before, and no amount of wiping reaches all the way in.
Use this as a quick field guide when you’re standing over a yard-sale table:
| Item | Buy used with confidence | Think twice — or skip |
|---|---|---|
| Food & water bowls | Stainless steel, glass, or glazed ceramic with no cracks or chips | Any plastic bowl, or ceramic that is cracked, chipped, or crazed |
| Crates & carriers | Metal or hard-plastic crates with intact joints, latches, and no cracks | Cracked plastic, bent wire, loose handles; any airline travel crate (buy new) |
| Toys | Hard rubber and nylon chews with no gouges; treat-dispensers you can scrub | Chewed, gouged, or split toys; rope and plush toys from unknown homes |
| Beds & clothing | Machine-washable fabric you can run hot and dry on high heat | Foam beds you can’t fully wash; anything torn enough to be a choking hazard |
| Cat trees & scratchers | Frames you can wipe down; replaceable sisal or cardboard inserts | Carpet-covered posts saturated with another animal’s scent — usually not worth it |
| Aquariums & tanks | Glass tanks that hold water after a leak test; check seams and silicone seals | Tanks with cracked glass or failing seals; anything you can’t leak-test first |
| Leashes, collars & harnesses | Nylon or biothane with sound stitching and working hardware | Frayed webbing, cracked buckles, or rusted clasps that could fail |
Food and Water Bowls
Stainless steel, glass, and glazed ceramic bowls are ideal secondhand buys because they’re durable, and boiling water or a dishwasher cycle sanitizes them completely. Just check ceramic for cracks, chips, and crazing (that fine web of surface cracks in old glaze), any of which can trap bacteria and, in some imported glazes, leach lead.
Skip used plastic bowls entirely. Even hairline scratches in plastic harbor bacteria that can’t be removed by routine washing, and the bacteria that live in a pet’s mouth recolonize those grooves fast. For example, the Cornell Feline Health Center notes that 70–90% of cats carry Pasteurella multocida, a pathogen which can cause wound infections in people.
A new stainless bowl costs a few dollars and lasts for years, so this is one place not to economize.
Crates and Carriers
Metal and hard-plastic crates are among the best secondhand values in pet care. Inspect your options for cracks, sharp edges, missing screws, weak joints, and a carrying handle that’s loose or damaged. On wire crates, check that the door latches securely and the pan slides in flush.
Fabric crates need intact seams and zippers that fasten smoothly; a failed zipper on the road can lead to a lost pet. One firm exception: don’t buy a used airline travel crate. Most carriers require a new, IATA-compliant crate for animals flying as cargo, and a secondhand one may not meet current standards.
Beds, Clothing, and Soft Toys
Fabric items can be great buys if, and only if, you can launder them properly. Wash on the hottest setting the fabric allows and dry on high heat; a full hot wash-and-dry cycle kills fleas at every life stage, along with their eggs. Use a plant-based, pet-safe detergent so you’re not leaving fragrance and residue against your pet’s skin.
Inspect for rips and loose parts that could become choking hazards and be realistic about foam beds; if you can’t remove and wash the cover and you can’t wash the core, you can’t truly clean it.
Plush and rope toys are the least recommended soft items to buy used, because their fibers can hold saliva-borne bacteria and even worm eggs that laundering doesn’t fully kill.
Cat Trees, Scratchers, and the Scent Problem
Cats and dogs mark territory with scent, and a secondhand scratching post or cat tree can come pre-loaded with another animal’s signature. Some cats respond by refusing the item; others try to overwrite it, sometimes by urine-marking. Carpet- and sisal-covered posts are also porous and nearly impossible to disinfect.
Give any soft-covered item the sniff tests a cat would give it. If you can smell the previous animal, your pet certainly will. A better secondhand strategy is to buy a solid frame you can wipe down and add fresh sisal rope or replaceable cardboard inserts yourself.
The Cleaning Advice Most Guides Get Wrong
Here’s the part worth slowing down for. Soap and water, including natural Castile soap, and vinegar are fine for everyday grime and routine bacteria. Physically scrubbing an item removes most of what’s on it, and for gear coming from a healthy household, that plus a hot wash and sunlight is usually enough.
But vinegar is not a disinfectant against the pathogens that matter most in used pet gear. The viruses of real concern, including canine parvovirus and feline panleukopenia, are nonenveloped, meaning they lack the fatty outer coat that makes other germs easy to kill. That structure lets them resist most common cleaners, including vinegar and quaternary ammonium products, and survive in the environment for a long time.
|
The good news for anyone who came to secondhand shopping for environmental reasons: the most effective option is also one of the greenest. Accelerated hydrogen peroxide (AHP), which is sold to shelters and vets under the brand Rescue, kills parvovirus yet breaks down into water and oxygen, carries Green Seal and GREENGUARD Gold certifications, and doesn’t require the ventilation and skin protection bleach does. It’s the rare case where the responsible choice and the effective choice are the same bottle.
How Long Germs Actually Linger
Older advice often says viruses and parasites survive on secondhand items for “up to a month.” For the tough ones, that’s a serious underestimate. Canine parvovirus can persist in a contaminated environment for as long as seven months, according to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, and veterinary sources put its outdoor survival at up to a year under cool, shaded conditions. Fleas and their eggs can stay viable in bedding for weeks. That long tail infection potential is why an effective disinfection method, not just “give it a wash,” matters.
When to Skip Secondhand Altogether
A few situations tilt the math toward buying new, or passing entirely:
- You have an unvaccinated puppy or kitten. Young animals are most vulnerable to exactly the viruses that resist cleaning. Until vaccinations are complete, favor new, easily sanitized gear.
- The item comes from a home with a known illness. If a previous pet had parvo, panleukopenia, ringworm, or a flea infestation, skip any porous item and disinfect hard ones with an AHP or bleach solution.
- You can’t clean it to the core. Foam beds, saturated cat trees, and gouged chew toys can’t be reliably disinfected. When in doubt, they go.
- The damage is structural. Cracked crates, frayed harness webbing, failing tank seals, and chipped ceramic aren’t bargains, they’re hazards that can harm your pet.
Products Worth Knowing About
A short, practical kit makes secondhand pet shopping safe without much fuss.
- Accelerated hydrogen peroxide disinfectant (e.g., Rescue). The eco-forward way to kill parvovirus and panleukopenia on hard, nonporous gear.
- Enzymatic odor cleaner. Breaks down the proteins in urine and scent marks that plain soap leaves behind, which is useful for reclaiming a lightly-marked crate or hard scratcher frame.
- Stainless steel bowls. When a used bowl is plastic or questionable, a new stainless set is inexpensive, dishwasher-safe, and effectively permanent.
- A fine-tooth flea comb. A dollar-store tool that tells you fast whether a secondhand bed or blanket is carrying hitchhikers.
- Durable, recycled-content toys (e.g., West Paw Zogoflex). For the soft-toy gap secondhand can’t safely fill, and they’re take-back recyclable at end of life.
What You Can Do
- Shop by material first. Reach for stainless steel, glass, glazed ceramic, and smooth hard plastic; be cautious with fabric, foam, wood, rope, and sisal.
- Inspect before you buy. Check for cracks, sharp edges, frayed webbing, failed zippers, and chewed-through spots. Structural damage is a dealbreaker.
- Match the cleaning method to the risk. Hot wash and dry for fabric; scrub-and-sanitize for hard items. For anything from a home with illness, use an AHP or bleach solution at full contact time.
- Know when to buy new. Airline crates, food bowls to replace plastic, and gear for unvaccinated young animals are worth buying new.
- Close the loop at the other end. When your own pet gear wears out, donate what’s still usable, and check Earth911’s recycling search for options on what isn’t.
Related Reading
- A Guide to Safe and Sustainable Pet Products
- Eco-Friendly Laundry Detergents
- Reduce Rover’s CO2 Pawprint: Fruits and Veggies Dogs Enjoy
Editor’s Note: Originally published by Tammi Avallone, a writer and managing editor of FiveBarks.com, on June 30, 2022, this article was substantially updated in July 2026.
The post How Safe Are Secondhand Used Pet Supplies? appeared first on Earth911.
https://earth911.com/living-well-being/are-used-pet-supplies-save/
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