Trying to make sustainable choices can often feel like a bit of a minefield, but here are some simple switches you can make in everyday life to reduce your carbon footprint.
Cleansing Spray
It might come as a surprise to some people, but makeup wipes and baby wipes often contain microplastics which are harmful to both the environment and your own health. Cleansing spray is an alternative which helps to avoid this effect. The spray can be applied directly to crocheted or knitted pads to work the same as makeup wipes. When you’re done, you don’t need to throw them away, just pop them in the washing machine and they’ll be good to go again.
Rechargeable batteries
Disposable batteries are full of chemicals which are harmful to the environment and have a negative effect when batteries are sent to landfill. In the UK each year, around 600 million batteries are thrown away. Since rechargeable batteries can be reused from 500 to 1,000 times depending on usage, making the switch to rechargeable can not only help cut down on the number of batteries going to landfill, but it can also save you quite a bit of money long term.
Wax wraps
Cling film and sandwich bags are a lifesaver for everything from packed lunches to leftovers, but as we are all becoming increasingly aware, single-use plastics have a terrible impact on the environment. Wax wraps are an environmentally friendly and reusable alternative that can help you cut down on the amount of plastic your household is throwing away. Even better, unlike their clear alternatives, wax wraps come in all likes of funky patterns so you can make your leftovers look glam!
Bamboo brushes
According to the British Dental Association, in the UK alone, we dispose of 200 million plastic toothbrushes every year. That’s a lot of plastic going to landfill and taking up to 500 years to decompose. In comparison, bamboo toothbrushes are compostable and can take just 180 days to decompose, over 1,000 times less time than plastic. Toothbrushes aren’t the only brush you can switch over, as plastic hairbrushes are also easily replace with a more sustainable bamboo alternative.
Reusable coffee pods
Good news for coffee enthusiasts! You no longer have to choose between having machine coffee and being sustainable. Sadly, coffee pods are often made of plastic and have a harmful effect on the environment. Keurig now makes reusable coffee pods, which will fit into any machine that takes a K-cup pod. This reusable pod allows you to fill it with your preferred type of coffee grounds and wash the pod like any other utensil. Just make sure you compost the used coffee grounds when you’re done!