Save the planet!!! What small steps have you taken today?

[Mrscog]

Following on from a thread where we were all discussing how we wanted to reduce our impact on the earth I thought I would start this thread for us to share ideas/motivation etc.

This is a non-judgmental thread and is about whatever steps you want to take to reduce consumption. None of us are perfect and we've all got to start somewhere.

My small steps today -

1. Morning school run incorporated as part of DH's commute.
2. Afternoon school run due to be done on foot.
3. Didn't bother going to Aldi as to be honest I have enough food in to cobble some stuff together.
4. Just used microfibre cloth with water to wipe down kitchen rather than dousing with chemicals (hadn't chopped any raw meat etc so no need to be too clean).

I’ve done two loads of laundry using my eco egg (still deciding about this - it isn’t great at stain removal so have had to wash some things twice (the second time with detergent)) and have wiped kitchen with reuseable cloths not paper towels.

I recently switched to a lunette cup (easy enough once the first attempt was out of the way!) We use bar soap for handwashing as it comes in a cardboard box instead of a plastic bottle and will choose glass over plastic where possible eg olive oil. We are lucky that the council provide a kitchen waste bin for veg scraps etc which they collect weekly, which is great. I'm also going to sew some reusable cotton pads for face washing when I have time, and am looking for some reusable bags for buying veg in (need to be lightweight so it doesn't add to veg cost when I weigh them). I'm really trying to stop buying disposable items as it's so wasteful.

I’ve just sorted through my fabric stash and cut some of the random pieces into napkins with my pinking scissors. I’m determined now to give up my kitchen roll habit So this is the first step.

We use foam sponges for washing up (get replaced each week) but I have bought some washable washing up pads made by e cloth. They seem to do just as good a job of washing up, not as good for mopping spills but we have a stack of old muslins for that.

I have purchased bamboo toothbrushes which arrived today (in a big van in a ginormous box 🙈). However I have reused the box in the kitchen cupboard 👍. I've also bought a huge tub of shea butter and intend to make my own body lotion after listening to a podcast by nadine Artemis on 'renegade beauty'. Also the added value of cutting out my petroleum jelly habit (terrible skin so I use it on my hands regularly) and also replacing use of plastic bottled moisturisers etc.

Have dug out my microfibre clothes to take my make up off with instead of using wipes.

Tempted to use them on ds during nappy changes but not sure I can...the thought of washing poop....Eugh. Maybe I’ll get over that.

We are using them in the bath with him though instead of cotton wool pads.

ememem I use small microfibre ones for Dd's face and hands but the cotton ones are best for bums! If you are squeemish about poo then start off using them just for pee nappy changes - every little helps!

You can cut up an old towel for bum ones if you don't already have cotton wipes.

Well my first go with the Lush solid shampoo and conditioner went well. Shampoo was super lathery and conditioner feels great.

imogen good idea re pee nappies. Hadn’t thought to do that. I may give it a go.

(I’m tempted to also try reuseable sanitary pads but again can’t kick the “ick” factor re washing them.)

Find MN all a bit odd tbh
Everyone trying on here and small steps make a difference
But elsewhere people who wash pyjamas daily, 2 knickers a day, shower after they bath to get clean ffs
What is this??

I was a bit concerned about washing pads too ememem84 but since I’ve switched I would never go back. I have a tub that I pop them in with salt and water and then they get a cold wash. Between nosebleeds (DH), occasional flooding (me) and all the pee, poo and puke (DCs) I’m immune now to the horrors of bodily emissions . Reusable pads are so much more comfortable than those hot, sticky plastic things. I wish I’d known about them years ago.

Might give them a go then, I’m also trying to save money so although I know they’re fairly costly to begin with they should save money in the long run.

my big step has been investing in a soda stream. Dh drinks gallons of soda and lime and now we won't need to buy soda water in plastic bottles. He tried it for the first time a couple of days ago and says it just tastes the same and is quite happy with the result.

For the soda stream, can you recycle the gas canisters? We go through lots of fizzy water and the bottles can be recycled but I'd prefer to use soda stream and make as we need if it's better environmentally speaking?
You must get more from the gas than one big bottle of fizzy water right?

You send the canisters back to re re-filled so worth getting two so that you don't have a gap while your first one is off being refilled. You get 60 litres from one canister

Using bar soaps and getting method refills for dishwashing.
BioD laundry liquid instead of Persil.
Can someone suggest good moisturiser for me please, DH has dry skin and goes through 3-4 Vaseline lotion a month.

Te the dry skin has your DH tried taking omega supplements?. If he regularly took fish oil or flax seed oil supplements he would probably find his dry skin improving.

I was wondering myself if the Lush massage bars would be a good non plastic moisturising alternative?

The massage bars are supposed to be good but I haven't tried them myself.

We have been using ecover laundry stuff and since starting on a new bottle me and 2 dcs have started with a rash that's itchy and stings. It definitely an allergy rash as the dc have had it with other brands before. Does anyone know of a good alternative to use?

I'm trying out the Lush scrub bar and bar deodorant and it's going well so far - will switch to massage and shampoo jars once everything else has run out. I haven't bought the tins to go with, just using Tupperware to keep them fresh. So far so good x

So I went to the shop today to pick up some bar soap. Spent ten minutes trying to find one that wasn't covered in plastic. Picked up a bar of pears soap in a cardboard only to find when I got home the soap inside is wrapped in plastic. It's like you can't win!

Luckily I have found a local health food shop that sells the soap without any packaging but will set you back £1.75 a bar. I think on something like bar soap that can be used for everything I will absorb the cost, but it is frustrating.

Lostmyemailaddress I would have recommended the Method super concentrated laundry liquid but it is being discontinued.

There is Splosh? And a friend of mine who has super sensitive skin uses Surecare (bit it is in plastic bottles).

I am thinking of reverting to laundry powder once my stocks of Method run out.

Ok thank you Rebecca will look into them.

I've just RTFT and will be switching to cloth pads & eco balls ASAP, as well as cutting plastic tubes in half, so thank you.

I've found that there's a branch of As Nature Intended not far from me, where they sell pasta, lentils etc loose. I'm going to visit it this week but I wondered if anyone else had any experience of them?