Easy & Simple zero waste swaps
The best place to start is on things that need replacing! Such as a toothbrush, clingfilm/tin foil, shopping bags, and other things you use on a daily/weekly basis.
Toothbrush:
A toothbrush is one of the simplest swaps we can make! A plastic toothbrush can take YEARS to degrade, and even then it is just broken down to smaller particles of plastic which can get into our oceans and drinking water. Instead, opt for a bamboo toothbrush which will only take around 6 months to compost, which goes back into the earth again (the good way). A lot of the bamboo toothbrushes still have nylon bristles, which should be pulled out of the head before popping into the compost bin/heap or even your garden waste bin. A single bamboo toothbrush will only set you back around £4, whereas a plastic one will range from £2-£6. Be mindful that you can buy a pack of bamboo ones, which work out cheaper per one.
If you use an electric toothbrush, you can buy heads which you can send back to the company for recycling. These can be found on Amazon for around £8 for two. These brushes are made with charcoal fibre bristles.
Food wrap:
There are a couple of items you can use to replace clingfilm and tin foil. Although metals are recyclable, why keep wasting money replacing it when you've run out, just buy reusable ones!
Fabric bowl covers are elasticated around the edge to keep the bowl sealed at the top, they are machine washable and reusable! These retail at around £8-£12, but why not try making them yourself?
You can also buy silicone bowl covers, which stretch and "stick" to the side of the bowl, however I've not actually found any that work as well.
Wax wraps are a great alternative, as they can be moulded in your hands around the item you are wanting to cover. You can buy beeswax or vegan wraps for £10-£20, depending on what size you buy. They normally come in packs of 3's, but you can buy specific bread/cheese wraps too to cater for your needs. These wraps are cleaned by simply running them under some cold water, be sure not to use warm water as the wax will melt away from the fabric.
This might sound like a lot of money for something you may buy cheap normally, but when you add up the amount you spend a year, these alternatives can last for 2-3 years, or even longer.
Shopping bags:
A simple swap you may have already started! Any shopping bag you reuse is great, but be sure to take them with you when you go shopping, whether it be food, clothes or any other form of shopping! You can buy fabric bags which can be folded or fitted in to a small pouch to keep in your bag, car or pocket.
Personally I prefer the cotton shopping bags, but I do have a number of the plastic "long life" bags from Tesco/Sainsbury's etc. which I use on a regular basis. Once these have outlived themselves, I will replace them with cotton ones which are more sustainable and plastic free.
Other swaps:
There are so many other swaps (which I have completed) which I find really simple, but I don't want to overrun you with information or make you feel you have to do them. For now, try things which you feel comfortable swapping and that need replacing. Remember, don't just throw away items which still have life in them and replace them with things which are pleasing to the eye, as this will only cause unnecessary waste!
I plan to create a post for each area of the house, such as bathroom, kitchen, to-go etc. so items in these areas will be talked about more in depth at a later date.
If you have any questions or topics you would like me to cover, please ask me in the "Requests and Questions" section.
Thanks for reading, Katie
Toothbrush:
A toothbrush is one of the simplest swaps we can make! A plastic toothbrush can take YEARS to degrade, and even then it is just broken down to smaller particles of plastic which can get into our oceans and drinking water. Instead, opt for a bamboo toothbrush which will only take around 6 months to compost, which goes back into the earth again (the good way). A lot of the bamboo toothbrushes still have nylon bristles, which should be pulled out of the head before popping into the compost bin/heap or even your garden waste bin. A single bamboo toothbrush will only set you back around £4, whereas a plastic one will range from £2-£6. Be mindful that you can buy a pack of bamboo ones, which work out cheaper per one.
If you use an electric toothbrush, you can buy heads which you can send back to the company for recycling. These can be found on Amazon for around £8 for two. These brushes are made with charcoal fibre bristles.
Food wrap:
There are a couple of items you can use to replace clingfilm and tin foil. Although metals are recyclable, why keep wasting money replacing it when you've run out, just buy reusable ones!
Fabric bowl covers are elasticated around the edge to keep the bowl sealed at the top, they are machine washable and reusable! These retail at around £8-£12, but why not try making them yourself?
You can also buy silicone bowl covers, which stretch and "stick" to the side of the bowl, however I've not actually found any that work as well.
Wax wraps are a great alternative, as they can be moulded in your hands around the item you are wanting to cover. You can buy beeswax or vegan wraps for £10-£20, depending on what size you buy. They normally come in packs of 3's, but you can buy specific bread/cheese wraps too to cater for your needs. These wraps are cleaned by simply running them under some cold water, be sure not to use warm water as the wax will melt away from the fabric.
This might sound like a lot of money for something you may buy cheap normally, but when you add up the amount you spend a year, these alternatives can last for 2-3 years, or even longer.
Shopping bags:
A simple swap you may have already started! Any shopping bag you reuse is great, but be sure to take them with you when you go shopping, whether it be food, clothes or any other form of shopping! You can buy fabric bags which can be folded or fitted in to a small pouch to keep in your bag, car or pocket.
Personally I prefer the cotton shopping bags, but I do have a number of the plastic "long life" bags from Tesco/Sainsbury's etc. which I use on a regular basis. Once these have outlived themselves, I will replace them with cotton ones which are more sustainable and plastic free.
Other swaps:
There are so many other swaps (which I have completed) which I find really simple, but I don't want to overrun you with information or make you feel you have to do them. For now, try things which you feel comfortable swapping and that need replacing. Remember, don't just throw away items which still have life in them and replace them with things which are pleasing to the eye, as this will only cause unnecessary waste!
I plan to create a post for each area of the house, such as bathroom, kitchen, to-go etc. so items in these areas will be talked about more in depth at a later date.
If you have any questions or topics you would like me to cover, please ask me in the "Requests and Questions" section.
Thanks for reading, Katie
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