Ideas to cut down on plastic

[LittleSilverBird]

What have you done/what do you plan to do?

So far I've;

-Stopped buying flavoured fizzy water and now just use squash (I can't stand plain water unfortunately so still squash bottles but I buy huge ones and it's still a vast improvement)!
-Switched to bar shampoo
-Switched to reusable sanitary towels
-Same with make up remover pads
-Bought in bulk (pulses/rice etc)
-Recycle plastic as much as possible and reuse margarine tubs/containers food comes in to store more food or for plants.

I'm not sure what to do next. Probably buy some reusable freezer bags. And try to find a decent conditioner bar same as the shampoo one-but I already bought conditioner in huge bottles to save on plastic use, and still have a lot of that left.

[Rainbowaftertherain]

I also bought some reusable freezer bags from Ebay which I am finding fantastic. The money saving is a big incentive for me personally, I hate wasting money even though I'm not particularly poor, it just seems daft to buy disposable things repeatedly when you dont have to!

[Rainbowaftertherain]

I'm using the shampoo bar recommended in this thread and it hasnt lasted very long. I wonder if they sell larger bars anywhere. I didnt get on with a moomcup but I use reusable bads now and think they're fantastic, for financial purposes if nothing else!
I'm looking at reusable razors too. Can anyone recommend one?

[idontlikealdi]

I bought a sodastream so am saving 7 two litre bottles a week, and we all use drinking bottles instead of buying drinks when out.

I also ditched my Dolce Gusto pod machine and went back to cafetiere coffee.

When the kids were in school we had just made the switch to beeswax wraps.

@FreshFreesias I don't have enough bags at home by a long shot! The Times has gone to paper wrap at the weekend instead of plastic and I don't buy bags in teh shops if I can help it. Our Sainsbury's deliveries are bagless and the butchers use paper.

[LittleSilverBird]

@Custardslice3

Instead of buying sandwich bags etc I keep the sealable bags that things like cheese come in, wash them and reuse. They are a much stronger plastic than sandwich/freezer bags, and can be reused many many times before eventually recycling. I also keep the plastic liners from cereal packets. They can be used as they are for storing some things with a clip on the end, or opened up and wrapped around things, or you can sew with them - I've made little pouches for my son to take snacks to school, or wraps for sandwiches - with cotton on the outside and the plastic inside, and a bit of velcro to close.

Also I use Salt of the Earth deodorant which works great, and last forever - I've had mine for a year and it's barely got any smaller.

Just ordered some of that deodorant, thank you.
I never buy cheese but fab idea for those who do. I'm still using clingfilm a lot although I do reuse marg tubs etc for freezing stuff in. Beeswax strips I will look into, are they decent for wrapping stuff to go in freezer?

[LittleSilverBird]

@FreshFreesias

I never understand why fellow dog owners buy plastic pop bags when most of us have loads of adequate small plastic bags from shopping, deliveries and encasing magazines and weekend papers.

Similar to a pp, my dog is enormous!
Also I go running a lot with a tiny pocket to put poo bags in. I just couldnt use carrier bags. The grocery bags are too small( I seldom use them anyway although I do re-use them when I do) and I dont buy newspapers.
One thing I do buy a lot of,is bagged Spinach and salad leaves. I'm trying to grow my own currently but is there a means of cutting down on this? I always buy the large bags. I guess I could recycle the packet somehow. Lettuce just isnt as nutritious or tasty or I'd definitely buy it whole if I used it.
Another bonus to bars as opposed to bottles is my bathroom isnt as cluttered now :)

[icebearforpresident]

I love Wild deodorant, 100% plastic free, natural ingredients and the packaging, including the sleeves the deodorant comes in, can be recycled. They smell gorgeous as well.

[PurpleWh1teGreen]

White vinegar for limescale & I have a couple of microfibre pads to use too. These are pretty good in taps just by themselves & we are in a hard water area.

[ChateauMargaux]

Look at how much plastic you are consuming and start with that, rather than look at how much plastic you have in the house. You might well have plastic bottle of things you buy once every year which is not worth focussing on, compared to perhaps buying plastic covered fruit and vegetables every week. For every piece of plastic you throw away, whether you recycle it or not, see if there is a zero waste option instead.

[purpledagger]

I've tried to cut down on the number of different types of cleaning products I buy. For example, I buy stardrops as a multi purpose cleaner and I use it for both the bathroom and kitchen. If I'm doing a deep clean, I'll fill a bucket with water and stardrops, I'll wipe down all of the surfaces in order of muckiness eg food surfaces, then door handles or skirting boards, then mop the floor. It means a bottle can last ages.

[Ultimateblends]

@FreshFreesias

I never understand why fellow dog owners buy plastic pop bags when most of us have loads of adequate small plastic bags from shopping, deliveries and encasing magazines and weekend papers.

I suppose it depends on the size of the dogs! I've got 3 giant breeds and thier poo is the size of cow pats. At home I try and re-use plastic from shopping etc, but out and about its just not practical to carry multiple bags from shopping etc... and fingers regularly go through the bags!

However, I also use newspaper to clean up at home, and that was an idea from someone who wrote in a thread similar to this one in passing.

Why it had never occurred to me to use newspaper to pick up dog mess at home, I dont know! Apparently, thats what people used to use before dog poo bags were popular.

[PurpleWh1teGreen]

Agree with beeswax wrap instead of cling film. I also have some clear, admittedly plastic, picnic plates that I use over meat & foods not suitable for beeswax

Buy whole lettuces. If you cut/tear them up and wash & dry in a salad spinner they keep in a Tupperware for 2-3 days and saves buying bagged salad.

[FreshFreesias]

I never understand why fellow dog owners buy plastic pop bags when most of us have loads of adequate small plastic bags from shopping, deliveries and encasing magazines and weekend papers.

[gospelsinger]

Custardslice3 that was the deoderant I was looking at. Thanks for recommendation

[gospelsinger]

I feel like I have done loads already but there's still lots of single use plastic in my life. Things I do-
*reuse old bread bags as sandwich bags or to store things in fridge.

• use old carrier bags (they still appear in the house somehow) as bin liners
  
• shop at refill store where available and convenient - this takes some planning - there are a few available locally for different products
  
• buy loose veg where I can
  
• grow own veg
  
• try and avoid excessively wrapped foods
  
• soda stream for fizzy water
  
• buy in an actual shop where possible to avoid delivery packaging
  
• avoid buying eggs in plastic boxes
  
• bars of soap instead of hand wash
  
• wash my hair less. Still use normal shampoo though as bar shampoo damaged my hair
  
  Things I would like to do
  *Take my own Tupperware to the butchers.
  
• write to supermarkets to give feedback - I actually think this will be more effective than anything else
  
• be more consistent with buying loose fruit and veg. I'm a bit hit and miss at the moment
  
• try an eco deoderant

[Custardslice3]

Instead of buying sandwich bags etc I keep the sealable bags that things like cheese come in, wash them and reuse. They are a much stronger plastic than sandwich/freezer bags, and can be reused many many times before eventually recycling. I also keep the plastic liners from cereal packets. They can be used as they are for storing some things with a clip on the end, or opened up and wrapped around things, or you can sew with them - I've made little pouches for my son to take snacks to school, or wraps for sandwiches - with cotton on the outside and the plastic inside, and a bit of velcro to close.

Also I use Salt of the Earth deodorant which works great, and last forever - I've had mine for a year and it's barely got any smaller.

[InsufferableLKIA]

Following!
This conditioner is really good for my long hair:
www.theplasticfreeshop.co.uk/conditioner-bar

[PuddleglumtheMarshWiggle]

Tooth tablets instead of toothpaste. Also, mouthwash tablets are available from Georganics.
I use my bread maker all the time now to avoid buying bread in a plastic wrapper. Have also bought a yoghurt maker to avoid all those hundreds of tiny yoghurt pots I was throwing out.
Always have a small, foldable shopping bag in my handbag.
Pre-covid I would take my own containers to buy fish and meat at the deli counter. Maybe I can do this again one day.
Instead of moisturiser in a plastic bottle I buy Nivea in a tin.
Paper wrapped toilet roll from Who gives a Crap
Paper wrapped chocolate Tony's Chocolenly from Sainsburys. Also slavery-free. Chocolate with a clear conscience!
Loose leaf tea made in a proper teapot. My mother would be so pleased!
Pre-covid I would also carry my own collapsible mug, cutlery and stainless steel straws to avoid all the plastic from cafe takeaways.

[lockdownshmockdown]

After some trial and error, when you find the right shampoo bar for you, it gives a much creamier larger than bottles. I tried conditioner bars for a while and some are lovely but I just don't need them.

[Lineofconcepcion]

I've stopped buying cleaning products for limescale and buy white vinegar in a glass bottle. Pour over your tap, hey presto, it's like magic, and works on toilets too.
I use laundry powder in a cardboard box.
We only buy loose veg, so no packaging.
I've pretty much stopped buying clothes. One item in 6 months 😁

[Leeds2]

Use beeswax wrap instead of clingfilm.

At my Tesco, when the meat and fish counters were open, you could take your own Tupperware container to put produce in so avoiding the plastic wrapping bags.

[Shaniac]

Really i want to eventually do a room by room review of what i can replace.

So bedroom- make up i want to find eco friendly alternatives.

Bathroom- shampoo, conditioner, soap, hand soap, shower gel, moisturiser, toner, face wash, tooth paste, dental floss, tooth brushes, flannels instead of cotton pads, deodrant, bubble bath

Kitchen- replace all harsh cleaners with eco friendly alternatives, laundrey powder and detergent and fabric softeners.


Earthkindrewind. Com is an awesome small business to look into. I have started buying more and more bits from her.

[LittleSilverBird]

I use hair removal cream down there. I'm not sure how that is environment wise?

[LittleSilverBird]

@thefourgp

What bar shampoo are you using?

www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3-IN-1-SOLID-SHAMPOO-CONDITIONER-SOAP-BARS-VEGAN-FRIENDLY-NO-PLASTIC-/323978059567?pageci=0e78c8a4-9f3f-4a43-ad6e-557d2bb51c49

This one from ebay. Took some getting used to, but now I just wet hair, rub it over top of my head for a few seconds, lather :)

[Ultimateblends]

I know the question wasnt aimed at me, but I can confirm safety razors are fine for the down below bits, i use mine with lathered soap for those areas, but does take practice!

It took me about a year to get it down to an art! I can go totally bare and in all the complex bits, using a safety razor!

[lockdownshmockdown]

[quote Skweeler]@lockdownshmockdown odd question about the razors: are they suitable for The Lady Garden?
I've got a bamboo toothbrush. Think it's called a Humble Brush. Feels good knowing when i need a new toothbrush, the old bamboo one will degrade quicker than a plastic brush. The dentist always assumes I use an electric one![/quote]
@Skweeler

I couldn't say! I go au natural

I don't see why not although I imagine you'd need to take you're time and practise. I remember I used to swish away no bother with disposable Venus razors on my legs and it took me a while to get used to the safety razor. Although now I'm just as quick.

I can imagine that for your skin's sake the disposable razors would be better down there. A safety razor is one blade but the disposables are usually 3 blades. So they cut closer which is better for avoiding ingrown hairs. Well it really depends how much you're shaving. But I find the safety razor perfect for legs and underarms so bikini line would probably be fine, but anything more comprehensive might be irritating for your skin.