At the beginning of the year, when single use plastic was firmly on the agenda, we decided to look at the day to day changes we could make in our household that would be a bit kinder to the planet. Here are some of the changes we made, as well as some things we were already doing – some require a little initial expenditure, but long term most of them will save you money as a bonus!
1. Laundry. Instead of buying laundry detergent in plastic bottles, invest in an Eco Egg. We’ve had ours for years and you just need to replace the inner beads every so often. You can add essential oil to the wash if you want it to smell – I use lemon and it makes the laundry smell lovely.
2. Buy a reusable bottle – again, you’re looking at an investment of £20-25 for a decent bottle, but if you were buying a bottle of water every day you’ll have covered your costs in a month. My favourites are Chilly’s – they are durable, come in a beautiful range of sizes, patterns and colours, and you can even personalise them. It keeps your water nice and cold too.
3. Buy food wraps as an alternative to cling film – or make your own using soy wax! These are great for wrapping up sandwiches in, leftover food, and a lid for cans or tins going in the fridge.
4. Make your own household products. You will save SO MUCH money and plastic doing this. You can invest in some fancy glass bottles or just reuse plastic ones. There are lots of different recipes for various household products, from household cleaner to fabric softener – all much gentler in your home, on your purse and on the planet.
5. Reusable period products – I wish I’d discovered these sooner. Again, a little expenditure at the outset will save you lots of money in the long term. Tampons and pads are really terrible for the environment and take a long time to biodegrade. There are so many choices of period products now, from these fab period pants by Ruby Love, which I can personally recommend, to washable pads, moon cups and sponges – check out Folksy or Etsy for these – the pads come in every design under the sun. Periods aren’t always super fun but can be made a little more so if you have pads that have pictures of carrots on them.
6. Washable nappies – same as tampons and pads, nappies are a nightmare for the environment. I was a little nervous the first time I used these on our daughter as I was convinced they’d leak or leave her with awful nappy rash. Neither was true – she ended up wearing them right through to potty training age two and a half, then passing them on to her baby brother – so we got five years out of them which definitely justified the initial cost. There are loads of brands to choose from – my favourite is Tots Bots – funky patterns and so soft and easy to use. Just add a nappy bucket and you’re ready to go.
7. Cloths instead of kitchen roll – this one is easy. Cut up an old towel into cloths. Chuck them in with your usual wash. Never buy kitchen roll again – I haven’t, for years.
8. Buy clothes from charity shops or swap them. New clothes bought in the UK produce more carbon emissions per minute than driving a car around the world six times according to a report from Oxfam. I’d say at least half my clothes are from charity shops – my best ever find was a beautiful Whistles dress in my size that I wear all the time. Or join a Facebook group like the Great British Clothes Swap so when you need something new and are having a clear out, you’re not spending money on brand new stuff.
9. Make do and mend! We’re so used to chucking clothes out when they’re ripped or stained when often they’re totally salvageable. If you can’t get stains out of clothes, I’m a big fan of iron on or sew on patches to cover the stain – I love these cute bee patches from Etsy. If you’re not the best with your needle, take a sewing class in taking up hems or mending ripped seams so you don’t have to throw out your favourite things.
10. Cut down on meat and dairy. I don’t think this needs any explanation – we all know how bad these things are for the environment. There are so many delicious ways to eat that don’t involve animal products with dishes that are bursting with flavour – including some of the recipes on this blog!