Sustainable Swaps

Here are 8 simple changes you may not have thought of that are practical household sustainable swaps.  These are ideal lifestyle changes that are affordable and easy to implement.

1. Reusable Shopping Bags

Reusable shopping bags

Taking your own reusable shopping bags to the supermarket or shopping mall can not be more straightforward with foldable bags or trolly bags you can store in your car boot/trunk for easy access. Traditional single use plastic shopping bags can end up in landfill sites and impact surrounding ecosystems. Fabric bags and trolly bags are stronger and more durable, lasting much longer than thinner plastic bags.

We like the Trolly bags for a big supermarket shop as well as the canvas reusable bags for a quick shop to the store from Paperchase.

2. Reusable food wrap

Reusable food wrap

Use reusable food wrap instead of cling film or foil that are easy to use as the warmth of your hands allows the wrap to adhere and are easy to clean; simply wipe with a cloth. Cling film is difficult to recycle in the UK, and where possible, it takes a massive amount of energy. It can also end up in the oceans and cause damage to marine life.

We like the alternative beeswax wrap which is available in organic cotton (in very cute patterns) coated in plant based wax, tree resin and jojoba oil by BeeBee and Leaf.

3. Reusable Water Bottle

Using refillable water bottles not only saves your pocket but is a convenient sustainable change. Worldwide, around 20,000 plastic bottles are bought every second...this cannot continue. This is a problem given that it can take over a thousand years for a plastic bottle to decompose naturally, leaving them piled up in landfill sites. Recycling rates are improving but the UK is still only recycling around 45% of our rubbish, a reusable bottle is stronger and may even encourage us to drink more water!

We like the stainless steel bottles as they keep drinks cold or hot and are leak-proof.  Our 2  favourites are from;  Proworks Bottles & Chillys Bottles.

4. Reusable Cup

Single-use coffee/tea cups are not always recyclable so why not take your own and some coffee shops even offer a small discount if you bring your own cup.  The reusable cups come in ceramic/bamboo/double walled glass/stainless steel.

Only 1 in 400 coffee cups are recycled in the UK...making a reusable cup a great solution!

We like the affordability of the ‘Now’ cup.

And the recycled cork bank that makes it easy to hold the ‘Keepcup’ or ‘Joycup’.

5. Reusable straws

Plastic straws are a massive contribution of plastic waste in the oceans and landfills, carrying a reusable straw in your bag is a small but mighty change!

Reusable glass, stainless steel or bamboo straws come with a cleaning brush that make cleaning an easy task. Traditional plastic straws can break into much smaller pieces when discarded and cause harm to animals and ecosystems, and they are an unnecessary pollutant. 

We like the reusable straws by the National Trust .

6. Reusable Cutlery

Use reusable cutlery for take outs, packed lunch or picnics instead of single-use plastic cutlery.

We like the ‘Hip’ reusable cutlery by Reyousable that comes with a purpose built case for easy storage and convenience and reusable, oxo-biodegradable and recyclable cutlery by ‘iheart this’ as a convenient take away alternative to single use cutlery. Reusable swaps also tend to be stronger, therefore more functional and provide more practical usage, same goes for cutlery!

7. Reusable bar soap

Swapping liquid soap for reusable bar soap will lessen the impact to the environment and is more cost-effective.  Liquid soap uses far more packaging with plastic bottles and pumps and uses a larger carbon footprint than packaging used for a bar soap.  As well as this, you are more likely to use per-wash, more than six times the amount of liquid soap (by weight) than bar soap. 

We like the ‘Wild Argan Oil soap’ from The Body Shop.

8. Reusable cotton pads

Swapping single-use cotton pads for reusable cotton pads is an easy swap to implement for your skin and the environment. Cotton pads are harmful to the environment for a number of reasons, but primarily because of the volume of pesticides needed to grow the cotton in the first place. These pesticides can work their way into the water systems and impact local environments.

We like the Tabitha Eve cotton rounds made from cotton & antibacterial bamboo

Written By: Caitlin O’Nions & Rumana Dhanji