If you have followed my postpartum journey over on my social media accounts or even on this blog then you will know that I interestingly got a bit of a complex about the amount of waste we produce as a family. It was only when I looked at the mountain of nappies, the overflowing grey bin and the additional bags scattered around that I began to really think about how we could try and reduce our waste and become more conscious consumers.
I have also been on a decluttering and mindful home journey in the last few weeks and I have realised that I am not a conscious consumer at all. I like to think I have the basics down pretty well, wash clothes at 30'c and recycle everything you possibly can. But recently I've started thinking about the other little things we can do that could have a big impact!
One of the first changes we have made is the switch from plastic cotton buds to bamboo cotton buds. We made this switch back in June 2022 and we haven't looked back since. I decided to make this change as I stumbled across a video of a seahorse with its tail curled around a plastic cotton bud just floating in the water. Plastic pollution has become a huge problem and just because you have put your rubbish in a bin, sadly it doesn't mean it won't end up in the sea.
From Earth to Earth's bamboo cotton buds are £2.50 for a pack of 100, which is exceptionally good value! You can also subscribe and be sent your cotton buds monthly (or at a monthly interval to suit you) and save 10% on your order. All the packaging is plastic free and 100% recyclable too!
Whilst I started looking into using less plastic I took a quick inventory of the items in my bathroom and cleaning supplies that were plastic and realised that around 80% of what I owned and used was plastic. For example, quickly looking in the bathroom, my electric toothbrush is all plastic, my travel toothbrush is all plastic, my shampoo bottles and shower gel are all in plastic containers and our toothpaste too.
As my travel toothbrush has come to the end of its life (those bristles are ruined) I have now switched to the bamboo alternative. The bristles feel the same as the plastic one (not too soft, but not too hard either) and I have a feeling it will last me as long if not longer than the plastic one. The gift packs also come with a toothbrush holder (featured above), which is really handy and also small enough to be considered travel sized. I like knowing that when the bamboo toothbrush reaches the end of its life it is biodegradable and shouldn't be found polluting the sea!
Toothpaste is another product I have been seeking a plastic free alternative too. I've had a look at the tablet form of toothpaste, but wasn't 100% on board with this idea. From Earth to Earth have a wonderful alternative in their natural charcoal toothpaste (hello teeth whitening properties). It contains coconut, calendula and unique oils so it is anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial and leaves your breathe smelling minty fresh. It tastes like mint too, which is great as some charcoal toothpastes leave a bad taste in your mouth afterwards. I am really impressed with this toothpaste and at £3.99 it is on par with other brands but is vegan, eco-friendly and good for the planet!
From Earth to Earth do great starter packs, which feature a bamboo toothbrush, a toothbrush holder, bamboo cotton buds and toothpaste to help you begin your plastic free journey and for £9.99 it is great value for money and would make a lovely gift and can be purchased here.
As I mentioned above, I took a little look in our cleaning supplies too and realised that a lot of the products we were using were quite damaging to the planet. I've looked at what we can switch out for more eco-friendly alternatives when they see the end of their life. Of course, there is no point in throwing away a perfectly good product just because it is not the most eco-friendly option available. I always try to use what you have until the end of its life and then replace - that is how I have become more of a conscious consumer and its saved me ££'s too! Our plastic dish brush had seen better days so when I went to purchase a new one, I chose this bamboo version from B&M (other retailers are available). It feels very sturdy so I am hoping it will last me a while.
I didn't realise that sponges contain plastic (silly I know!), but they do. I am usually an avid Minky and scrub daddy fan for sponges and to be honest I do treat my sponges well so they last a while. However, I've recently been using my Seep sponges and I'm really impressed. I've featured Seep on the blog previously and the in-depth review can be found here. I've continued using them over the last four months and I'm impressed with their durability. Just try and keep them as dry as possible in-between uses, because I have found mine start to smell a bit funky (even after being treated to a bath). I've also put them through the wash accidentally a few times and they've survived so they get top marks for that.
I like to think that previously I was doing pretty well on reducing plastic use in terms of the cleaning products we own and use. I had been a big fan of the Ocean Saver cleaning range before and I'd taken huge steps to reduce the use of plastic in my cleaning cloths etc.
I was really excited to try out Green Scents anti-bacterial surface spray. I use it everywhere and especially on furniture and items used regularly by Alex. Steve has been down with a bad bug this week and touchwood, both myself and Alex remain well and I am basing that mainly on the fact that I keep disinfecting everywhere with this stuff! I also love the scent as well - fresh and clean and not bleachy which is the perfect combination. I am definitely a convert now and intend to switch all our products over to the Greenscents range (obviously once I've used up our old products). A 500ml bottle is £6.60 and can be purchased here. I use this spray daily on most surfaces in our home and so far I haven't used even 1/4 of the bottle and I have been using this for well over three weeks now. I am very impressed as a little goes a long way and is keeping everything wonderfully fresh.
Until Next Time
T
...............................
** This post contains gifted items, however all opinions and reviews remain my own!
Add your comment