20 Things You Definitely Should Not Buy in 2019

Supplements, herbal remedies and natural cosmetics have grown in popularity, but to meet the increased demand, many wild plants are now harvested through unsustainable practices. Some, such as American ginseng, goldenseal and wild yam, have been over-harvested to the point where these plants are now endangered in the wild.

Why are people ditching the term anti-aging? Here's why.

According to The Guardian, recent studies have shown that there is little evidence that omega-3 fish oil capsules can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, one of the most common health concerns in Canada. Moreover, the reduction industry, which processes fish into oil and fish meal, removes between 20 and 25 million tonnes of fish from the ocean every year: fish that could have been a great source of protein if you simply ate it.

Opting for that sugar-free, low-calorie diet drink is better for you than regular sugary drinks, right? Numerous recent studies have shown that this is not the case. In fact, diet drinks have been linked to metabolic syndrome, which can cause heart disease and diabetes, as well as to weight gain and other health problems. Of course this doesn’t mean you should drink litres of regular sodas instead. The healthiest thirst quencher remains water.

You probably know by now that disposable plastic cutlery is terrible for the environment, but cornstarch-based CPLA cutlery isn’t that much better. Bioplastics are one of those things that aren’t as green as you think because they require intensive agriculture, aren’t easily recycled and still take time to degrade. Instead, invest in a set of steel cutlery that you can carry in your bag for when you need it. It will last so long that your children might be able to use it one day too.

Of course it’s more convenient to simply open a bag and have your fruit and veggies washed, peeled and sliced, ready to use. However, pre-cut produce costs much more. It’s also likely to be less fresh and it comes in wasteful packaging that can’t be recycled. Preparing food from scratch is one of the ways to save $1,000 a month, so take the extra time to buy your produce from the local farmers' market and cut it up at home.

Many brands of tea still use polypropylene as a sealant. This thin layer of plastic means the bags aren’t biodegradable. It’s more environmentally friendly, cheaper and often tastier to invest in loose-leaf tea, which comes with much less packaging to boot. You can even make your own blends. If you can’t be bothered with reusable tea bags or strainers, you’ll love the convenience of a tea straw made of steel or bamboo.

How many disposable razors do you throw away every year? If you start doing the math, you’ll realize that disposable razors end up in landfills at alarming rates, adding more and more plastic to the environment. It’s more environmentally friendly to use a refillable razor, electric shaver or, if you’re brave enough, a straight razor. Eco-waxing and sugaring are even greener ways to get rid of unwanted body hair. Alternatively, join the growing number of women embracing their body hair and just let it grow.

Augmented reality glasses are available already and offer a variety of uses, from practical to purely fun. Instead of jumping on the bandwagon this year, though, wait until 2020. That’s when Apple’s next big thing, a super-light augmented reality headset, is rumoured to hit stores.

If you’re still buying bottled water, it’s time to stop. Now. According to Environmental Defence, about a billion plastic water bottles end up in landfills every year in Ontario alone. Instead, invest in a reusable water bottle that you can simply refill with tap water. Better yet, get a stainless steel, vacuum-insulated bottle that will keep your water cold, your coffee hot and will last forever.

We know, we know: the most expensive celebrity engagement rings are truly things of beauty. But these and other new pieces of jewellery come at a much greater cost than what’s on the price tag. Mining the precious metals and gemstones that make these pieces so breathtaking causes not only great environmental harm, but also social and political problems. If you love a bit of bling, dust off the family heirlooms or invest in vintage and antique jewellery instead.

Activated charcoal can literally be a life saver. In fact, emergency rooms often use it to treat overdoses and poisonings because it binds with the toxins in your gastrointestinal tract and prevents it from being absorbed into your bloodstream. However, adding it to drinks isn’t a great idea. It’s not only toxins that activated charcoal prevents from being absorbed into your bloodstream, but also vitamins and other nutrients, as well as medication. It can even make your contraceptive pills less effective.

A razor is a razor, but when manufacturers make it pink and add the words "for women" on the packaging, they can ask 11% more for it. This was one of the findings of a study by the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs, which found that on average, products "for women" cost 7% more than similar ones for men. If you stop paying the pink tax, you might save enough money over time to retire at 40.

Birthday cards, baby shower cards, get well soon cards, cards for the holidays — they’re a great way to say that you’re thinking of someone. In fact, according to WebRappers, Canadians buy about 600,000 greeting cards every year. If you spend $5 a card and buy 20 cards a year, you’ve spent $100 on pieces of paper that are, let’s face it, rather impersonal. Instead, you can send e-cards or a personal email or text message instead. If you prefer giving something more tangible, why not make your own cards?

Floor tile cleaner, shower cleaner, toilet cleaner, surface cleaner, dishwashing liquid — there seems to be a special cleaner for every possible purpose. All these specialized cleaners just take up space in your home and mean more containers will eventually end up in the landfill. Multipurpose cleaners do the job just as well, so reduce waste by buying one that is preferably environmentally friendly. Better yet, learn how to make your own, so you know exactly what goes into your household cleaner.

Unless you’re a professional photographer, you probably take photographs for your social media accounts and family album only. Do you really need a camera with 16 megapixels then? When viewing photographs on your tiny phone screen, the pixel count doesn’t make much of a difference. However, more megapixels mean larger file sizes, which eat up your phone’s memory. They also drive up the price of your phone. For everyday use or to have one of Canada’s best Twitter accounts, 8 megapixels are more than sufficient.

To make a ton of paper towels, it takes 17 trees and more than 75,000 litres of water. Then, after you’ve used a paper towel, it ends up in a landfill where it produces methane gas and contributes to global warming. By kicking the paper towel habit you can help make the world greener, so invest in reusable rags instead. Even more cost-effective and ecologically sound is to cut up old T-shirts.

With more and more companies producing recyclable coffee pods, there’s no need to worry about their effect on the environment anymore, right? The problem is that far too many of them still don’t get recycled. After all, who wants to go to the trouble of taking the used pods apart and washing them before putting them in the recycling bin? If you make your coffee the old-fashioned way instead, you’re not only doing the Earth a favour, you’re also getting a better cup of coffee.

Cheap clothes are usually imported from countries that don’t have the best record in labour and environmental regulations. Besides, they’re often of inferior quality so you’ll have to replace them sooner. If you want to dress more ethically, invest in Canadian brands that are made locally and will last longer. Otherwise, adopt vintage style and learn how to repurpose old clothes.

The internet of things, or IoT, is incredibly exciting because it connects your electronic devices via the internet and you can control everything in your home even if you’re not there. However, there are still questions about how to protect your privacy with the IoT. Until manufacturers of IoT devices can improve security and protect your information from hackers, you might want to wait before filling up your home with these gadgets.

Car manufacturers are currently working on an array of fully electric vehicles that will be available in the next few years. They include an updated version of the VW minibus, the Tesla Model Y SUV and a Tesla pickup truck. So, unless you really can’t do without wheels of your own, it might be better to use public transit or get a bicycle for now. Not having a car has the added advantage of it being one of the best ways to cut your costs.