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 used splosh. It's a fantastic idea but they are still tweaking the practice side imo.

Worth a go.

Big green smile is fantastic. I've used it loads - order arriving tomorrow

I bought my first ever ethically made clothes. Paid over £100 for 2 pieces and am not entirely convinced by the quality, but somehow it still feels like I've done the right thing.

I'm also re-colouring my beloved Jasper Conran handbag for the second time as, after over a decade, the leather has started to look worn in places, so needs work on to make it look like new again.

Have been lurking on here for a while and have tried a few things.
Using wooden toothbrushes for me and DP.
Got some bar shampoo that I've just started using. Anyone got recommendations for next time?
We use bar soap anyway.
Bought big 5l of ecoleaf washing up liquid, which is really good.
Have some reusable pads and mooncup but haven't used them much yet. Work in progress on that one.
Bought soap nuts, yet to try them.
Using butcher more which uses a lot less plastic not organised enough to take my own receptacles yet.
Going to buy a proper razor next as my Gillette has broken.

I really wanted to switch to loose tea, but that was a great big fail! We usually drink Sainsbury’s own, but their loose leaf tasted almost savoury to me and dh found it bitter. It had to go in the bin!

We are slowly using up our stash of shower gels and shampoo and have switched to bar soap for hand washing. A local lady handmakes the soap and it is fantastic for my eczema.

My make up remover is running out and I don’t want to replace it. I don’t think soap is going to do the job, though. Is anybody using coconut oil or almond oil instead of make up remover?

I've tried coconut oil on face and hated it. I'm desperately looking for something ethical skincare and best I've found for my skin is Origins as they recycle it properly if you can drop the empties back to a store. Lush is good but I don't like their serum bar things either.

Any others found great ethical skin care ranges, I only want to commit to one if they really are ethical with plastic and not just these 'non-toxic' brands. I can't rely on my local council to recycle, they say they do but I'm not convinced!

I've given up serum ohHoly It doesn't seem that long ago to me that it wasn't really a 'thing' and we've been marketed into thinking we need it.

Acopy either of those works ok for me... Apart from being mascara off. Have so far restored to wearing mascara less often and therefore only using a little plastic bottle eye makeup remover

I think this is a fab thread idea so I will try and do one small thing extra each day. Today we walked to school this morning rather than driving. Last night I mended the hood on dd's coat. (But it has rained all day so the washing has had to go in the tumble dryer [sad when will it be summer!?]) I'm starting with baby steps, reusable water bottles and coffee cups, walking to school more often each week, laundry on 30, drying outdoors (when it's not raining!), caravan holidays rather than flying, socially conscious (although not "green" energy tariff), we don't have a dog (apparently their carbon footprint's are huge because of the meat heavy diets). It's a start.

We've made the switch to glass milk bottles. It's more expensive though so we can only be green when we can afford it. If we have to tighten our belts this will be one of the first things to go.
We've talked ourselves out of lots of purchases lately with green considerations being one of the top considerations.
While family eating much less meat.

I remembered that I can download magazines for free with my library card. I bet yours does too, frugal and green. I have spent a joyous half an hour with the newest country living magazine and a cup of tea.

Can anyone help solve a dilemma? I love Pepsi. Desperately. I've given up plastic bottles, and buy a smaller amount of cans. The cans sometimes come wrapped in film, which DH says is worse than bottles as it can't be recycled. I think he's trying to go back to bottles cos he's a cheapskate!

What do you think?

I'm not sure which is best Pickle but if you could switch your tastebuds to soda stream it would save plastic and £! You could look for a bargain on eBay. If you can't give it up then cans might be better than plastic but you could contact your recycling centre to ask. We have a good one in our borough so we can check what items can and can't be recycled as I'm never quite sure.

I have a soda stream which I try and use. Do you recommend a syrup?

I'm looking at reusable baby wipes at the moment. Cheeky wipes just seem so expensive though! And I'm not sure cheaper ones would be as good, plus they don't come with the boxes etc.

Any fleece blanket or terry nappy cut into squares will work. And a margarine tub.

I don't have any blankets to spare or terry nappies but I thought about buying some fabric and sewing some wipes myself, and getting some sort of Tupperware to store them in.

Pickle we find that just using normal juice concentrate or squash in with the Soda Stream water works just fine and is super cheap too. The bottles of syrup tend to be quite stingy and also quite expensive and wasteful in plastic.

Switched all my facial care to superdrugs, as they are ethical. Cruelty free however still plastic.

Thanks, new year. I do have it with apple juice or blended lemons, but I really miss coke!

I'm hearing weird stuff about Lush (their politics), not sure if I want to use them so can anyone recommend another company for solid shampoo, conditioner and soap.
I really liked their message bars also and not sure I can give them up

It was sunny yesterday so the washing went on the line. Today has rained but I did put one load in the airer and not in the dryer, (every little helps). We have eaten a lot of left overs rather than bin them. And I took all the recyclable plastic bags, (bread bags, the bags that magazines come through the post in, the plastic that looks rolls are packaged in etc) that the council won't take with the weekly recycling and put in the bag recycling at Sainsbury's.

Yesterday I used reusable menstrual pads for the first time. Been a mooncup fan for a while but tend to have very light flow now due to contraception and finally made the switch from disposable pads to these.

Why did I not find this thread sooner !Posted previously on AIBU about plastics then thought everyone had given up caring,Ishould have known better !I'm dismayed to read this morning that Sainsburys are starting on sell meat cut up in plastic pouches that can dispense it so people don't have to handle it.Apparently people are becoming more squeamish. I'm going to email them.
Along with the obvious things like using resealable containers rather than plastic bags,bar soap and shampoo,no bin liners anymore -just give the bin a good wash out my next question is at the local farmers shop where I buy meat.I've already declined them double bagging ,and extra bags for things in trays with cling film -hopefully if not a complete return to just wrapped in a piece of greaseproof paper.place, a bit less packaging.But then our household meat consumption has also decreased a lot,and I'm seriously considering a vegetarian diet.Would find giving up fish too difficult though.
The more we bombard the supermarkets etc with emails the better.And recently asked a lovely local cafe why they automatically gave a plastic straw with every drink,water included.Got a reply the other day to say they had stopped. And had sourced biodegradable straws that were being given out only if asked for.

I have switched to using my fountain pens, which I haven't touched for over 20 years. I'm hoping the bottle of ink will last me a good long time.

I have also made the switch to washable dish cloths. I usually use disposable all purpose cloths, but I'm giving these a try. Think I'll need to get a second set in a different colour for bathroom cleaning as I don't fancy mixing them up.

Made my own yoghurt in the slow cooker - no more plastic pots as when it starts running out you just use the last bit to make more (and the milk comes in glass bottles from the milkman). Feeling quite smug about this I'll admit as we go through tons of the stuff and I'm never sure what happens with the pots in the recycling.

Will also use the whey in smoothies and in the garden, it was so easy!