These Eco Hacks Ruled TikTok in 2021
Published Dec. 14 2021, 11:03 a.m. ET
TikTok is filled with entertaining, hilarious, and informative videos about just about everything you could imagine. And one of our favorite corners of the social media app is, of course, sustainability and eco-friendly living hacks.
As 2021 nears its end, Uswitch analyzed TikTok data and hashtags to determine the top eco hacks and products mentioned on TikTok, and we’re pretty pumped that videos about living sustainably had hundreds of millions of views this year. So, here’s a look into what Upswitch calculated to be TikTok's top 10 green living hacks of the year.
1. Creating ecobricks
According to Uswitch, the No. 1 eco-friendly TikTok hack of the year was creating ecobricks — a hashtag that had about 19,000,000 views on TikTok this year. Also known as bottle bricking, making ecobricks involves stuffing single-use plastic bottles with nonrecyclable trash that would otherwise go to landfill; the bottles eventually become so full and compressed that they can be used to build benches, buildings, and more.
2. Making fertilizer from old bananas
The blog HealthyGreenSavvy has a handy guide on using banana peels to make fertilizer.
3. Growing loofahs
Yes, loofahs are plants (no, not the colorful ones at the drugstore — those are made from plastic). And yes, you can grow them.
4. Making DIY envelopes
No need to buy envelopes when you mail letters or write holiday cards — there are millions of TikToks showing you how to make DIY paper envelopes out of upcycled printer paper, wrapping paper, or whatever paper you have laying around.
5. Reusing containers and jars
One of the central tenets of the zero-waste lifestyle is reuse — and on TikTok this year, people were evidently interested in tips for reusing jars, containers, and more.
6. Using coffee grounds to make fertilizer
Coffee grounds can make a solid fertilizer — but not in every instance.
7. Regrowing food with vegetable scraps
Kitchen scrap gardening is a great way to repurpose veggie scraps you’d otherwise throw away or compost. All you need is the end of a vegetable, such as celery, leeks, bok choy, or scallions, and a glass of water.
8. Making lip balm
Making lip balm and lip gloss at home is easier than you think!
9. Making eco-friendly cleaning products
With just a few basic ingredients, you can make your own eco-friendly, low-waste home cleaning spray, hardwood floor cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, and more.
10. Regrowing lettuce
Similar to No. 7, you can regrow lettuce in a glass of water by simply placing the end of a head of lettuce in a glass of water, and setting it down on a sunny windowsill. Make sure to change the water every day or two. You can regrow your lettuce in soil, too, according to DIY Thrill.
Other hacks to clinch spots 11 through 20 include: reusing brine to make more pickles, upcycling clothes (aka thrift flipping), making deodorant, making oat milk, and making DIY wax wraps to store food.
Uswitch also rounded up the top 25 eco products that trended on TikTok this past year, including: menstrual cups, natural deodorant, period underwear, shampoo bars, reusable period pads, reusable face masks, reusable baking mats, and reusable razors.
