The government's announcement that the single-use plastic items like plastic cutlery, plates and trays will be banned in England is certainly a positive step towards a wider plastic reduction strategy. In the meantime, no matter how eco you are, a quick glance around your home is bound to reveal more plastic than you’d like: in your bathroom cabinets, kitchen cupboards, in the fridge… While completely eliminating it altogether is a tall order, there are some simple ways you can cut down on your plastic waste – here are five to get you started.
Go squeaky clean
For a sparklingly clean house with none of the guilt, ditch your chemical-filled plastic bottles of cleaning products and get a subscription to Bide. Their Eco-Friendly Cleaning Box comes with a month’s supply of zero waste, environmentally friendly products – from dishwasher powder and washing up liquid to toilet cleaning bombs – all housed in 100% recyclable and compostable plastic-free packaging.
Watch what you flush
Not only does Who Gives a Crap have a brilliant name, it’s also a brilliant concept. The B Corp-certified brand makes toilet paper out of super-soft, sustainably-sourced bamboo and 100% recycled fibres, with each roll individually wrapped in paper to avoid plastic packaging. What’s more, all of the shipping is carbon neutral and 50% of profits go directly to charity partners working in water, hygiene and sanitation.
Switch up your cuppa
Did you know that many teabags contain polypropylene and that nanoplastic particles could be ending up in your cup every time you make a brew? That’s not the case at Hampstead Tea – its teabags are biodegradable, while the loose-leaf tea pouches are made from a renewable wood pulp, so once you’re done you can simply pop them in your food waste bin. The tea is also 100% organic and Fairtrade, so it’s kind to both people and planet.
Lather up
Swapping out plastic bottles of body wash and shampoo for soap and shampoo bars is one of the easiest ways to cut down on plastic waste in your bathroom. Family-run British brand KinKind do some of the best on the market, with its hand-made shampoo bars lasting for 50 washes – to date it has kept almost 250,000 plastic bottles from ending up in our oceans.
Got milk?
Sometimes, the old ways really are the best ways – or at least that’s the case when it comes to milk. Getting old-fashioned refillable glass bottles delivered to your doorstep by the milkman has become cool again, both thanks to its sustainability credentials and convenience. Milk & More delivers organic milk from British farms via its fleet of electric milk floats and collects your finished bottles to reuse them once you’re done, while Mlkman will deliver fresh vegan milk alternatives.
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