Don’t worry, this blog isn’t going to be full of scary facts and figures or ‘you have to change now’ tactics. But I do hope it might instill some sort of change in some of us (although, to be honest, mainly myself as most of you are even hotter on this topic than I am!).
The amount of waste our society goes through is beginning to scare me
I’m including myself in this as I am by no means perfect – the amount of disposable nappies we have gone through these past 8 months doesn’t bare thinking about – but this isn’t about pointing fingers or doing a complete 360 in 5 days. I hope that, by sharing a few things I am consciously doing to help the environment can open a discussion and others can provide tips and maybe we can change a few habits together.
I suppose some of the issue with a lot of ‘sustainable’ options are that they are pricey to set up, so I can see the issues with lower earning families and it’s hard to explain/believe that it will be cheaper/worth it in the long-run, especially if you are living day by day. A few of these options we’ve started to introduce gradually and will keep topping up every month to fully integrate it into our lives. For us, it can’t be an overnight process but it’s a start to cutting down on waste.
BATHROOM WASTE
I briefly mentioned Terracycle in my post on recycling and have since been looking into it further. You’d be surprised at how much waste can actually be recycled – huge brands such as Garnier and L’Occitane have partnered up with Terracycle so you can post or pop into store with your used shampoo/bodywash bottles (Garnier are accepting bottles from ANY brand, too).
Obviously, the next step is NO waste at all – I swear by hand soap in our house and have heard good things from Lush’s hair soap, but small steps here….
Toothbrush-wise, I use a bamboo one for my brace at night, and have a silicone reusesable one (I spent a small fortune on the Foreo one but am liking it so far) – it’s not 100% eco friendly but you only need to change the head once a year as opposed to every 3 months and its charge lasts 6 months).
I have just this week ditched cotton wool pads for these via Etsy (as recommended by a reader via Instagram!).
And now I’ve made the switch to Thinx pants
This was probably something unthinkable to me a year ago (period pants – gross!) but especially after having Peggy I was aware of how much waste I was going through during my period and post-birth (again, the pants are pricey and you still need to wear something extra during heavier flow days – I will gradually buy one a month to build up a stock of them). I have also switched to Ohne – 100% organic tampons (did you know that regular tampons even use harmful bleach to make tampons look prettier?!) with no plastic packaging or applicators and is the only reasonable item I can actually think of that I would ‘need’ on subscription!
A few friends have recommended the Mooncup, too, which is zero waste so this is my next step.
BABY WASTE
This has probably been the biggest turning point for me, as I am so aware of our household waste. We are starting to make more food for Peggy ourselves but it has been a slow and unnerving process, mainly because we’ve been scared as first time parents to give too much salt, not enough protein etc etc so have relied on a few pouches when out. For Ella’s Kitchen pouches you can download a prepaid label from Terracycle (Ellacycle), use a box from home and package up your pouches to help with cutting down on waste (they do take Lidl ones, too, we checked!).
But recently and going forward, we’ve invested in reuseable pouches from Doddle which have been tricky to wash but worth it!
I’ve got to be honest I am not ‘there’ yet with reuseable nappies, and selfishly it’s more the time it takes for me with working full-time, renovating and drying things in a building site kitchen etc….but for the time being we are looking into biodegradable nappies like Kit & Kin. And since even writing this post someone on Instagram has recommended Bumgenius and to start using at night so it feels like an easier transition – so off we go! For London dwellers, check out Real Nappies for London which offers impartial advice on making the switch to reuseable nappies and most London boroughs offer vouchers and incentives to help you to switch and start cutting down on waste!
We have finally made the switch to Cheeky Wipes
Instead of throwaway wet wipes – we bought the kit of white cloths for nappies and then use coloured ones in the kitchen for face and hands (we also use small muslins dipped in water at home). Again, it’s not cheap at first and we’ve had to buy a few gradually over time but in the long run, obviously, it does work out cheaper, too.
FOOD WASTE
For once, I can say proudly, we don’t waste food (but we obviously recycle shavings ends within our local council food recycling scheme). However, perhaps a little more right now as Peggy is starting to form opinions on food she doesn’t like! But in terms of packaging, again, it’s hard but we always take our own eco bags out everyday, and I’ve done this for over 10 years. We rinse and recycle as much packaging as we can and recently, have been buying more from market stalls using our own bags, too. This is an easy step towards cutting down on waste I’ve also been thinking about these reuseable sandwich bags once we need to start doing lunches for Peggy. Luckily for us, Wood Green has an abundance of great fruit and veg and meat stalls and you can buy a whole bowl of fruit for £1 and just tip it into your own bag.
A few people recently told me that Morrisons encourage shoppers to bring their own tupperware to the meat and fish counters, which is excellent, and there are a few zero waste stores opening up, and one even locally to me – Harmless – where you can take your own cannisters and fill up with grains and pasta etc – and we will try it this month.
We have switched to Eco Egg for laundry and absolutely love it, and use their bamboo cloths around the kitchen for spillages and quick cleaning instead of kitchen roll, and we have completely stopped using cling film and plastic straws therefore cutting down on waste.
On a side note: in terms of meat consumption, we actually don’t eat that much in our household. Mainly through budget, we started researching more tasty vegetarian meals and now they are often our go-tos. We probably eat meat about twice a week and it will be a big meal where we make a chilli con carne or a stew and save and freeze over the next few weeks.
I have completely stopped using plastic bottles of water, and now carry my own wherever I go – I love Chillys as they keep it cool or hot for up to 24 hours. And I have my own ecoffee cup, and when I forget to take it with me, I am not allowed coffee – so it pays to carry it! The only downside is that my bag is a lot bigger and heavier these days but luckily for the time being I have a pram I can hang it from!
OFFICE WASTE
Unfortunately, my job is probably one of the top producers of waste and excess packaging. I get sent a lot of products, and while I do have to try some as part of my job as ‘Tester’ and ‘Editor’, I am trying my hardest to cut down on what is sent to my office. I try and ask PRs to think about what is necessary to send, turn down a lot of ‘gifts’ which aren’t relevant or necessary for me to create content and then where possible, separate to give items to charities and have started saving for Beauty Banks.
Even small things such as consciously stopping myself from using vocabulary such as ‘need’ and ‘must-have’ is a step I’ve taken towards consumption, and avoiding the topic of Black Friday sales.
I reuse and recycle all packaging and boxes which go to my office and I am always asking questions when I meet PRs: what is this brand doing towards sustainability and packaging? We’ve got a long way to go but if we approach our jobs with these questions in mind, we can try and force change from the inside.
I think that’s about it! Wow, this actually made me feel a slight bit better about what we are doing to help. I know we have a way to go but research is definitely the answer here – and community – if we all encourage each other in a non-judgemental way then we can make a difference and work towards cutting down on waste.
I absolutely love reading your blog Alex! I swear by reusable produce bags for putting my fruit and veggies in. I’m based in Australia, so I use these ones
https://www.onyalife.com/product/reusable-produce-bag-8pack/
I’m sure there are similar in the UK though 🙂
Perfect! And was reading about reusesable sandwich bags on Goop the other day! x
I loved this post Alex! I like to think I’m pretty eco but have learnt a few tricks here! I’ve been searching for a soap which doesn’t give that ‘tight’ feeling to replace shower gel so if anyone has any suggestions let me know!
And with Christmas coming up it’s good to remember not to buy foil wrapping paper… as it isn’t recyclable! 😉
Oh yes – I’m trying not to wrap ‘too’ much and purposely didn’t buy the foil paper yesterday in Tiger! I have linked the free people shampoo and bodywash as think maybe I’d trust their stuff? x
Food for thought. Very interesting, thanks for sharing.
thanks for this! I have just purchased an eco egg because of you!
I had a huge collection of small cotton draw string bags which shoes, purses, jewellery seem to come in (or that I’ve been given to pack my underwear in when you travel!) – so we have started taking these to our fruit and veg shop and to markets, to put loose fruit/veg in these instead of using the plastic and paper bags on offer. Cuts down on lots of waste and makes us feel a little bit smug.
Yes and sooooo much chicer! x
Thanks for this. Really interesting, definitely paper towels. We go through a lot. Where we are are hood on recycling, but doing more in our life wn space is good too. You’ve inspired me to do more.
Yes we recycle loads but it’s still going somewhere (and have heard stories that we don’t really know what happens to it once it leaves our house) – keeping it inside and closing the loop is the answer xx
Wow, brilliant article! So many great ideas and much food for thought !
Can you provide link for the replacement cotton wool pads .. I would certainly start using those!
Many thanks!
It is linked – the navy blue Italic words are linked – so the word etsy – but have added it here (as probably a bit subtle – oops!) https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/576187431/reusable-cotton-pads-12-makeup-remover?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=reuseable+cotton+round&ref=sr_gallery-1-1&organic_search_click=1&bes=1&source=aw&awc=6091_1543311783_f98a076c19f6d6a5b830b752fe0a109d&utm_source=affiliate_window&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=uk_location_buyer&utm_content=136348
Such useful tips and so inspiring to read this! Thank you!!!
Thank you Alex! With the recent report released here in the US about climate change, we all need to do what we can. I’m sure I can do better and will find US products to follow your lead. 🙂
Oh yes, sorry to do only UK links – there are SO many amazing US brands doing great things xxx
This is brilliant. Like everything you write, you manage to make it relatable to everyone and you are also realistic. I love that you are using your platform to spread this message.
Thank you – yes there’s such a fine line between preachy and conversational! Relieved I found the balance xx
The Lush shampoo soap blocks are great. I’ve been using them for years. They last a long time and so easy to pack!
There was an interesting article in the FT weekend magazine a couple of weeks ago on the recycling industry and how it’s struggling since China decided to heavily cut down on importing our “recycled waste”. It’s an industry in flux.
Great blog!
Oh gosh it’s such an intricate topic! x
great post and so refreshing to see of late with a lot of people I follow on instagram going for the ‘red cup’ trend. All the little things we can all do will contribute and help 🙂
Yes it really is, odd, isn’t it?!
This is an amazing post, loads to take in and think about – thanks! One thing I have recently bought is a Face Halo from Boots: a reusable make-up remover instead of cotton pads, I’ve used it a couple of times so far and it’s great!
So I got loads of messages last time I used a microfibre cloth as apparently it releases things into water when it’s washed and kills fish and it’s made from non biodegradable materials….I know – it’s a minefield…! xx
I loved this post, did not know about bamboo kitchen towels, will definitely be ordering, and also want to try out the ecoegg.
Method are no longer considered to be an ethical environmentally friendly company unfortunately – they sold out to an American corporate who have a very bad history with cutting down forests for palm oil. Found this out yesterday from Enbrogue. However – you can put white vinegar, water and essential oils in an old method bottle and use that as a multipurpose cleaner – cheap and chemical free! x
I thought this was Ecover, and not Method? And do we know that this will 100% happen to Method, considering its origins and ethos? Just asking as know it’s very easy to assume….and I like to know all the facts before boycotting! x
Great article and useful tips! I’m buying the reusable cotton pads for all my girlfriends for Christmas! I think that’s what people are missing – education and easy ways to cut waste. Most people probably have no idea how to change their habits.
Yes, and i didn’t until recently and researching this post has made such a difference!
Hi! What a great post, thanks for the suggestions and encouragement!
I just want to make a note that real Christmas trees are better for the environment than fake trees! (Unless you use your fake tree for 35+ years). Real trees are farmed for Christmas and quickly decompose afterwards, but a plastic tree will be used for a handful of years and spend eternity in a landfill! Real trees are pricier and seem wasteful at first glance but in the long run are much better! Plus they smell lovely 🙂
Keep up the good work, it’s great seeing people promote small-medium changes in habits and lifestyle overtime, it makes a difference in the long run!
Xo
I have added that ours is second-hand so its stopping it from landfill – sorry! Forgot to mention which does change it slightly x
I love this post! I’m trying to be more aware myself, and I understand how daunting it is when you first start thinking about it but this post has lots of good ideas and if everybody began by just changing ONE thing the difference would be huge! I’m starting with our shower and aim to be plastic free by Feb (just using up what we already have) I’ve got shampoo/cond bars on my christmas wish list x
Amazing xxx
Thanks Alex, loved this post. Totally agree that although there are things we’ve been doing well for ages, there’s always a little more we can do. I’ve bought some Christmas presents from your suggestions as well as updated my own personal collection and contributions to better living!
Amazing x
Hi Alex,
Love this post, just a quick question about the Eco Egg – do you still use softner?
Thanks,
Chloe
Yes, but from method – or sometimes essential oils x
Food for thought the real vs fake tree argument. Supposedly real trees are better for the environment as they do break down. Whereas fake trees are plastic and while you do use them for years and years (well we do at least) when you finally do throw them away it is like any other garbage. I struggle with this one myself as we have had a fake tree for years and I am not just going to get rid of it but it is a tough one.
Great post with so many good tips 🙂
The New York Times wrote an article about real vs artificial trees yesterday which was interesting, with good debates for both sides. The Christmas tree farms provide a lot of good for the environment with clean air and good environments for animals. But I agree the tree skeletons that hang around on the streets in January are a depressing sight. An artificial tree used for +5 years will have a lower impact on the environment but most are made in China so shipping them over by plane or boat maybe doesn’t have a good impact and poor quality in the past meant a lot ended in a landfill (but I think you can get much better quality now to last decades).
For those who love a real Christmas tree (especially the smell of them), my mum has a potted one that lives in her garden. All you need to do is give the pot a wipe down, fling off any slugs and you are good to go every year. If you plant it in a terracotta pot it doesn’t look too much like Christmas year round in your garden and then you can just put a giant bow or tinsel on the pot when it comes in the house. You can support local farmers and provide a perch for birds, win win 🙂
Sorry for all the tree chat, I’m off to purchase some Thinx (already a mooncup convert) and the reusable cotton pads. The food tips were great too, as the excess plastic packaging makes me feel guilty everytime I open the bin.
No, this is great – I have added that our fake tree is one leftover from my parents house from years ago so we have hopefully helped in someway and will pass it on rather than throwing away! And yes, my parents have all our old trees in their garden x
Great blog post.
Have you heard of Pela? https://pelacase.com
They also send a weekly email with tips on how to be more eco-conscious etc.
x
No – it sounds amazing!
there’s really nothing difficult about resuable nappies – wish more people would getvon board. have you seen how lobg thsy take to even start to degrade, and human waste should not be put in landfill. and if your worried about the chemicals in tampons, think how much are in nappies and your putting them on tour baby’ s sensutive skin???
they’re so easy to use. a little liner goes in the nappy, so poo can be flushed away treated properly. and washing them couldnt be easier.
im a full time gardener, and i took my daughter to work with me til she was 1, and then she went to nusrery, and through out used wasable nappies.
its really not difficult, people need to get over the lazy factor – there are NO excusrs
I think everyone has their limits personally, and I know I am pushed to the limit myself right now mentally and physically – yes, these are excuses (and I have just bought some!) but we have to allow people to change one step at a time – we’re all trying our best x
I can vouch for Morrison’s supermarket- you just turn up with your own Tupperware at their deli counters and I think you get loyalty points for doing so as well. They have also switched from using plastic bags in the fruit and veg section to using paper bags instead.
The biggest switch I have done recently is starting to use a milkman again with glass bottles.
PS I’ve just looked at the georganics site and their bamboo toothbrushes are out of stock currently.
Fab! Makes me think of going to Morrisons again….!
I loved this! Realistic, thought provoking and relatable to anyone else going “how can one person make a difference?” It’s all about the bigger picture and if you’re able to make changes in your day to day with a small child and house renovations ongoing, then why can’t everyone else?
Thank you x
Hi Alex, thanks for the post! I’ve been transitioning to a “greener” life recently and was reading about Christmas trees. They said the best would be to have a DIY one (made of whatever you can think of that you already own) and if not have a real one! Mainly because the production of fake trees is so much worse for the environment (chemical, transport etc…). And for wrapping presents, I’ve discovered the “Furoshiki” to reuse cloths, it’s more work, but looks really nice! Xx
Oh yes – ours is actually one passed on from my parents’ so we’re stopping it from landfill at the moment but maybe we don’t even have a tree from now on?
Thanks, great blog. I managed to use reusable nappies for part of the time with my daughter. Tried to return to them now she is now only in nappies at night but she’s now rejected them as too big (fair point, they’re enormous!). I find old muslins are good replacement for kitchen roll.
Thanks Alex, this is so helpful. Will definitely check out Harmless, as we’re not far from Wood Green too.
I’ve been thinking about switching to reusable wipes for make-up and the Etsy ones look great. Do you use something with them to get mascara off, or do they work just with water?
Another thing we’ve done this year is spoken to family and asked for nothing plastic for Christmas! We have a 3year old and a 7month old, so plastic toys are always arriving…
Yes! A great vow! I will use my usual product to get the eye make-up removed x
Hello! Great read but I have to disagree with you re Christmas trees, artificial trees cannot be recycled and they are not biodegradable. So it will still be hanging around somewhere in landfill for centuries.
This is true, also! We’ll have ours for life and hope to never put it in landfill, however – ours is actually my parents’ old one so we’re doing our best x
This is is so awesome and perfectly timed, we’re also in a big drive to improve our waste this year. My best hack so far has been menstrual cups. I got into them just for environmental reasons but they’re so much better on all fronts.
This month has been “find a good bar shampoo month”. Haven’t got to trying the Lush one yet but I was introduced to these shampoo “cubes” (beautykubes.co.uk) by a girl running a stall at a market by Camden Common tube at the weekend and they are amazing. Definitely better than the bar shampoo I tried off Amazon and I think better than my expensive Pureology liquid-in-a-bottle one! I used the Shampoo and Body Wash, Normal Hair *without any conditioner at all* and it left my hair so bouncy and shiny. I also love that they’re made in Cornwall (yay for supporting small local businesses). Travelling at the moment and it’s brilliant not having to bring bottles of shampoo and conditioner or a wet shampoo bar!
No idea how to kick my biggest environmental guilty treats though – buying stuff on Amazon, flying and my love affair with our clothes drier…
Oh great! Thank you – yes next stop is shampoo bars (maybe I’ll start Chris first!!) x
Great article. Also good to see Thinx underwear avail in UK now. Can also say that Lush shampoo bars are fab . I’m planning a swap to ecoegg in laundry may be a daft question but do you use fabric conditioner still with yours?
I use essential oils or fabric softener (but Method – although a few people are saying they’re not as eco as they used to be!) x
This is is so awesome and perfectly timed, we’re also in a big drive to improve our waste this year. My best hack so far has been menstrual cups. I got into them just for environmental reasons but they’re so much better on all fronts.
This month has been “find a good bar shampoo month”. Haven’t got to trying the Lush one yet but I was introduced to these shampoo “cubes” (beautykubes.co.uk) by a girl running a stall at a market by Camden Common tube at the weekend and they are amazing. Definitely better than the bar shampoo I tried off Amazon and I think better than my expensive Pureology liquid-in-a-bottle one! I used the Shampoo and Body Wash, Normal Hair *without any conditioner at all* and it left my hair so bouncy and shiny. I also love that they’re made in Cornwall (yay for supporting small local businesses). Travelling at the moment and it’s brilliant not having to bring bottles of shampoo and conditioner or a wet shampoo bar!
No idea how to kick my biggest environmental guilty treats though. Buying stuff on Amazon, flying and my love affair with our clothes drier…
Hi Alex, Some interesting tips and links here – thanks for sharing! Babi pur and beaming babies also have great products for parents and babies, and it’s definitely worth checking out their websites. Also – it’s apparently very easy to make beeswax wrap as an alternative to cling film. 🙂
What are your thoughts on sustainable fashion and the clothing industry? While it’s great to make small changes to our daily habits (wipes, packaging etc.), our clothing habits and fast fashion industry produce so much unnecessary waste. Do you try to shop at vintage fairs? Pass on clothes to others? Buy in charity shops? It would be great to hear how you try to mitigate the impact of fast fashion. Thanks!
Yes to all of this – this post is specifically about household but I am a big recycler – have a read here https://the-frugality.com/re-use-re-wear-recycle/
Lots of good info but was waiting to read about changes you are trying re: fashion. Your blogs are often about buying clothes and given recent publicity about how un eco friendly fashion industry is , was looking forward to reading this.
I guess your job kind of depends on not tackling that to the same extent?
I imagine it to be quite a difficult place for a lot of influencers to find themselves
Hi Pamela, this post is particularly on household waste – if you want to read about my fashion ideas, try this post from a few months ago https://the-frugality.com/re-use-re-wear-recycle/
Sorry, tried to reply to Jade’s question about soap – but ‘reply ‘wasn’t working. I swear by Oliva soap, and my skin’s a lot better since I started using it. It’s 100% olive oil, doesn’t go mushy in a soap dish and available in places like Holland & Barrett – cheap as chips too and lasts ages. No chemicals , no fuss.
Hadn’t thought about wrapping, another thing to consider. Will be buying the beeswax paper in the small shop in Manchester, genius . Thanks for telling me about it.
Great post! I carry a bamboo spork everywhere as I’m constantly eating salads etc on the go. It’s small but efficient so it just goes in my bits and bibs wallet in my bag! It comes in a cute cork sleeve.
My other amazing discovery is ‘who gives a crap’…recycled toilet paper that comes wrapped in super cool paper with lots of different designs…you can take the wrapping paper off the roll and then reuse it for Christmas. Double win! They’re doing a free trial at the moment.
And I swear by my mooncup…so much less waste and faff and all in the comfort of your own home as only needs ‘dealing with’ morning and night.
And lush shampoo bars are ace! And convenient for hand luggage only – no liquid!
Yes you have to carry a lot more around with you but worth it! x
I’ve also started buying loo roll from Who Gives A Crap… sustainable & it gives 50% of the profits to charity… & it’s also in really cool packaging with zero plastic!
have heard a lot about this brand today!
Hi Alex- great article and very useful. Quick question… Any recommendation for nail varnish remover pads? I use cotton wool but don’t think reusable pads would work.
Thank you
No idea – that is a great question! Will try and find out x
Someone has just suggested this: This is for Emma (I couldn’t make the reply work) – ages ago I was told to use old stockings to remove nail polish and I have ever since. They work really well and as a bonus you get to use all up those pairs that annoyingly ladder the first time you put them on!
Tropic used to do an amazing cleansing body pebble, wrapped in paper. It was pretty cheap and lasted for ages. For some bizarre reason it’s no longer available and I can’t find out why ☹️