5 easy swaps to be more sustainable

 
It's a sunny Saturday evening and I'm blogging. Ah, feels like 2012 again. 

A lot has moved on since 2012 though.

I've learned how the things I buy (or want to try) affects not only my purse, but the planet too.

As much as possible, I try to be minimalist and:

• don't buy stuff I don't need
• use what I've already got
• repurpose things

However, there's always going to be things I need to do like wash my face. I now try to go for more sustainable options.

I should probably note here, by way of disclaimer, that while I'm definitely eco conscious, I'm no expert. There are plenty of other people much further down the road than me. However, I know there are also a lot of people who are just taking tentative steps towards being more sustainable, or maybe haven't considered it yet. I know because that was me a few years ago. 

Being a bit more eco conscious doesn't have to be a massive lifestyle change though. 

So,  I want to share 5 easy ways you can be more sustainable. 

These are the things that've worked for me and were a painless swap from my earlier planet-damaging alternatives. 

Ditch the wipes for washable cloths

Previously, I used wipes to clean everything. I'd remove my makeup with wipes, clean with them, the lot. 

What's the average time you use a wipe for? A minute?

Well.

One wipe can take up to 100 years to decompose. It can harm wildlife and our waterways along the way. 

It's just not worth it.

Especially when there are better options.

Now, I remove my makeup with hot cloth cleanser. Not only am I saving countless wipes being thrown away, it's quicker, better at removing makeup and my skin is clearer. I've written about my Liz Earle skincare routine before - I just wash the cloth in the machine and reuse it time and time again.

Occasionally if I've had heavy eye makeup, I like using Liz Earle eye bright. Rather than disposable cotton pads, now I use a reusable cotton round. 

For housework, I've swapped wipes for good old hot soapy water. 

I've gone from using at least a dozen wipes a week (probably more) to using none!

Swap (back) to bars of soap rather than liquid

When I was a wee lass bars of soap were the norm. And I'm not even that old.

But liquid soap is the big player these days.

For something we use multiple times everyday (esp. with covid kicking about), think of the amount of empty plastic bottles being chucked away. 

Yet both kinds of soap do the exact same job.

Bars of soap are more planet-friendly - as long as they don't come wrapped in plastic (I mean- whyy?!) 

I was always a steadfast liquid soap advocate. Bars felt like they left a residue. But after a few days I didn't even notice a difference. Now all I use are bars of soap. And my hands aren't as dry.

Reusable period products

I've been using reusable period products for well over a year now and haven't looked back. I've been a bit reluctant to mention it here - I don't know why. Periods are natural, half of us get them, and the only way to break the taboo is to talk about it. 

There is so much plastic that goes into just one disposable sanitary product. 

I know not everyone's circumstances allow it, but if you can, I totally recommend making the switch. I prefer reusable sanitary pads which I got from Amazon. I think they were around £20 for a set of 6 bamboo towels. I have a friend who uses the mooncup and really recommends that. Find what works for you. 

I don't know why we treat periods as disgusting, and anything you bleed on must be thrown away. If I had a nosebleed or cut my finger and the blood went on my top, I wouldn't throw the top away. I'd wash it.

Reusable period products are definitely the way forward. I could go on and on about the pros.

I've seen you can even get period pants now. How cool! 

Buy products with recyclable packaging - penny power is a real thing

We know there's a climate emergency. But who is responsible for doing something about it? The government, big businesses, each of us as individuals. 

We live in a supply and demand economy. Businesses supply what people buy. 

If we give our money to brands who care about the planet and are actually doing something to minimise their carbon footprint, others brands will follow suit because every business wants to make money. 

I understand sustainable options are still sometimes more expensive so of course, again, you do you.

It sends a message and makes a difference when we support sustainable products, and stop buying products with excess packaging or containers you can't recycle.

So I've swapped to natural deodorant in a recyclable metal tin. It's been the easiest swap ever..

I still need to make similar swaps for other beauty/ body care products like shampoo and body lotion. One step at a time.

Say goodbye to plastic toothbrushes

I use a manual toothbrush. It was another super easy swap to move from plastic handle to bamboo. They're widely available now and cheaply too. I got my current bamboo toothbrush from Aldi's eco range.

My bamboo toothbrush unfortunately wasn't available for the photoshoot today, but I want to include it anyway.

When I saw a bamboo toothbrush for the first time (my cousin from New Zealand's - they seem way ahead of us in terms of climate action), I asked - yeah but what about the bristles? They're still plastic. Simple answer though. There's a lot less plastic to decompose in a bamboo toothbrush than a plastic one. 

This has been quite a beauty / hygiene / body care themed post, but I've made sustainable swaps in other areas of my life too. Let me know in the comments if you'd be interested in hearing about those.

On a final note, remember to use up what you already have. Going out and buying loads of sustainable products when you already have stuff at home defeats the purpose. I just buy what I need. First and foremost, reduce what you buy. Reduce, and if you can't reduce, reuse, and if you can't reuse, recycle. 

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. 

*the wee tin of ffs deodorant was gifted to review in another post