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).

Oh and use soda stream for all fizzy water/drinks

VulgarWheat I ordered my cheeky wipes pads today - loving this thread!
Any tips out there for breadmakers? Thinking of buying second hand but is it a faff? Might need to find a bakery that doesn't use plastic bags x

Can anyone recommend good bamboo toothbrushes?

I dont have mine yet but ordered a box from amazon. They weren't at all expensive either.

Having worn walking shoes until the top split, walked 2+ miles each way to the shop and replaced them (one in, one out). I have lots of less practical shoes.

Declined the offer of a smart meter as my existing meter works well, I know what I use thank you and a smart meter uses extra electricity.

Turned off Location Settings and lots of other power draining functions that serve no useful purpose on my PC.

Loving this thread. I am vegan already though DH and the 2 x Ds's are not but I have started doing them at least 3 meat free nights a week.

Today I bought my reusable straw to work and am going to start keeping one in my bag. I got the metal ones of amazon a while ago as the DC like them with their drinks and they are great.

Someone mentioned the work trays above - we have them here two so I have put it down as a topic for the next employee forum to see if we can use at least recyclable ones instead.

E-CLOTH ALERT : they break down into micro beads in the oceans. Back to knitted cotton dishcloths, according to the WI. But what about the evil effects of cotton production?
None of this is straightforward.

Or just cut up old T-shirts that are too shabby to send to the charity shop. Then you're not using any cleaning cloth that has required its own resource to produce.

Gazelle I've seen bamboo toothbrushes from these companies recommended in zero waste groups on FB (I don't use one myself as I like my sonic toothbrush, but am thinking about getting a bamboo one for travelling): Hawthorn Health (apparently about the cheapest you can get, but the single toothbrushes are out of stock atm), Boobalou, Earthwise Girls and Save Some Green. I've ordered other things from both Boobalou and Earthwise Girls before and been very happy with them.

I bought a reusable coffee cup that's made of bamboo and compostable when it reaches the end of its life.
I've swapped my plastic water bottle for a toughen glass one.
I only buy seasonal loose veg at the supermarket.
My face scrub has small bits of bark in it instead of micro beads.
I've downloaded the beat the micro bead app (you can scan items to see if they contain micro beads)

Next problem is that I found out yesterday that teabags contain plastic (in the mesh bag) so I need to find a brand that doesn't use plastics!

Oh and I noticed the other day that Waitrose have got rid of paper bags with the plastic window for bread items and now they're just brown paper bags

Teabags contain plastic? Why? How weird.

It's used to seal the bags

www.pfree.co.uk/tag/non-plastic-tea-bags/

Steaksauce I'm in the process of switching to loose tea, but have heard that tea pigs are one of the few brands whose teabags don't contain plastic.

teapigs, that should say

I've made loose leaf tea in my teapot! I've used it for years because I prefer it. Never realised teabags contained plastic, I thought they were compostable, but pleased my loose leaf is environmentally more friendly. It also comes in a cardboard compostable carton with no plastic wrapping.

Yes I've heard that teapigs are an option, but they're really expensive! I may make the switch to loose leaf, I just need to find a tea strainer.

Gift for DH for Xmas arrived with a ripped cover, company offered to send another but I asked for a partial refund. He really won't care about the rip when I explain and what would I do with the wasted spare.

Can put the refund toward reusable sanpro!

Thanks Steak
Will switch to loose
I should start writing to these companies
I bet they didn't always use plastic to seal tea bags

Walked with my shopping trolley to fetch a sack of cat biscuits.
I have also just ordered some 'cheeky wipes'.

Clipper teabags with the string and tag attached don't contain plastic as they're sealed in a different way, but their square bags do.

This thread make me think of my Brownie promise 'to do a good turn every day'.

I promise to do my best and 'to do a green action everyday'.

Got public transport. Took my own lunch to work and recycled the packaging.

I finished off a bag of home- frozen fruit from the freezer and I washed out the bag to reuse. It's now drying above the radiator in the kitchen - the towel rack above my mum's kitchen radiator was always festooned with bags like this from the enormous chest freezer (she had an allotment). But it's never occurred to me to do the same until this thread!

Am definitely liking the idea of a random act of greeness every day . And am learning lots from this thread - I didn't know that about e cloths!

I've ordered some reusable shopping bags. I'm terrible for buying plastic bags and it's such a waste. I'm going to start using bamboo toothbrushes and bar soap too.