Things you've found you can live without

[DontFundHate]

I no longer buy body scrub (I make my own from used ground coffee), I've decided I'll try to stop using bubble bath, maybe a bath bomb for the occasional treat. Instead I'm using some essential oil. I very rarely use kitchen towel, foil and cling film now. Instead I use beeswax wraps, plates on top of bowls in the fridge, tupperware that I already had to carry sandwiches etc. I'm really surprised by how much I've been able to reduce my consumption of things that actually aren't all that necessary for me anymore. What have you stopped using?

Facecloth
Fabric conditioner
Hair conditioner
Make up
Anything with microbeads
A tumble dryer
Hairdryer
Hair straighteners

Perfect Thankyou - added to my wish list. (Gosh my Christmas presents are going to be luxurious this year!)

Nesssie instead of cotton buds I use an old thin cotton t shirt chopped up into little squares.

I have also given up:
using tissues - I invested in a load of hankies.
Hand wash - I decant cheap bubble bath into the bottles
New crockery - I use charity shops for replacement plates etc

I'm 99% sure that Johnson & Johnson cottonbuds are paper stemmed now and the come in a cardboard tub (albeit with plastic lid) but less plastic than the Waitrose ones which are cardboard stemmed and come in a plastic tub 🙄🤦‍♀️

Magazines
Recreational shopping
Being dissatisfied with the things I already own (due giving up the above)

Shower gel. Soap is far better.

• deodorant in winter- I literally don’t sweat and I asked my bluntest friend if I smell. She said no so I think I’m good
• shower gel- soap instead
• Washing powder- bought an eco egg. It works
• tumble dryer- have a Lakeland heated dryer instead
• red meat. Working on the rest. Aim to be vegan by 2020.
• cling film. Just use plates on bowls or tupperware
• Also going to get reusable contact lenses as figure the bottles of solution have to be better than the plastic pods the disposables come in.

Can I ask what's the problem with washing powder? I thought as they come in cardboard boxes they'd be okay from an environmental perspective?

For those who've given up fabric conditioner, how do you stop your clothes from going stiff / cardboardy?

We've given up liquid soap and use soap bars instead. I've also made the switch to reusable cloth sanitary pads / panty liners

A tumble dryer- gave it up over ten years ago
Liquid soap
Cling film
Kitchen towel

I've never used fabric conditioner so maybe cardboardy is normal to me?? In fact, towels that have been conditioned can feel to soft and a bit slimy to me sometimes

Give them a shake when hanging out might help.

Cotton wool and kitchen roll (use the fab eco egg washable kitchen roll for both)
Shower gel (use soap)
Never had a tumble dryer
Straws
Carrier bags
Microbeads
Fabric softener

Have just bought a load of stuff from Splosh, hopefully it will be good.

Just bought a wireless thermostat as I think we have a tendency to have our heating up too high.

Have asked for a washable sandwich wrapper for Xmas from DD, in an effort to reduce cling film use.

Straws - got some metal ones for the children.
Shower gel - switched to bar soap but need a soap saver pouch
Trialling a bar shampoo next
Got an eco deodorant I am loving!
Bubble bath for the kids - I plan on putting soap ends in some old tights under the running water and hoping it creates bubbles.
No meat in the house - I’ve been veggie a lot of years but cooked meat for DH and the children but we’ve now switched to a veggie Home. They can choose what they want at school.

Shopping locally - we moved to a small village from a big city and its great to be able to walk to the local grocer/bakery etc.
Tampons - love my mooncup now!
Bottles of shampoo and conditioner - the lush solid bars are apparently great for my hair too.
Shower gel - soap is much better for everyone's skin, no more breakouts.
Fizzy bottled water - bought a sodastream which is brilliant!
Meat - been pescatarian/mainly veggie for almost 2 years, which means that my boys are eating less meat too.

I do need to do something about my diesel usage, but I have a 4 hour daily commute which is much easier, cheaper and reliable by car. Hopefully I'll get a job nearer home this year.

@Soconfusedbylife what deodorant are you using? I’m looking for an eco friendly one.

Loving this thread, just put some of the bamboo kitchen roll in my amazon basket for later.
Intrigued by the beeswax wraps but do they work for wrapping up things like sandwiches and melon slices for lunch boxes?
Next on the list is to get a pulley maid for the utility to try and reduce our tumble drying.
Haven’t worn makeup really in years, used melon cup for years, never used fabric conditioner do already ticking a good few boxes.
Any ideas on how to reduce plastic containers from yoghurts? I’ve 4 year old twins who love yoghurts for breakfast and I don’t fancy my chances of weaning them off the ones they love... was thinking maybe getting the big pots of plain yoghurt and tricking them into eating it by reusing some of the empty pots from the ones they love? Think they’re a bit too savvy for that though ☹️

@sepsisandAKI I use Lush Aromaco solid from or so sometimes DIY:
1tbsp bicarb
4-6tbsp corn flour
2-3tbsp coconut oil
(Few drops essential oil)

...Lush Aromaco solid deo or sometimes DIY
(Too early in the am!)

Hellbentwellwent how about trying to make your own? We use the Easiyo kit and its great, easy and a pot lasts for ages. My ds loves helping to make it and there are loads of different flavours.

if you have a thermos flask you can make your own yoghurt- a wide necked one is ideal- warm the milk to blood temp, stir in a good dollop of plain yoghurt, leave it for ....er...till it's done, say 8 hours- hey presto, yoghurt. You can strain it through cloth to get a greek style. Or add milk powder at the start to make it thicker. Then flavour with jam or fruit puree.

I'd be interested to know if anyone had made their own beeswax wraps

thanks for info on the bamboo kitchen roll, I will probably get some

newtlover I had wondered about making our own yoghurt but since there’s no milk delivery service local to us in terms of plastics I don’t think there’s any benefit to just buying one of the big litre pots of plain yogurt since we’d be buying the milk in plastic containers anyway. I’d love to swap to glass bottles delivered and returned but no one appears to be doing it round here.
Kids might enjoy it though so I’ll give it a bash and see if they like it and if so we’ll stick at it, just a shame I can’t totally but the dairy plastics out but hey ho.
On another note though, I’ve started using our local greengrocers and butchers more to try to avoid over the top plastic packaging, I’m really disappointed though that there’s still a fair load of plastic involved! Has anyone found any alternatives for meat packagaing to bring with you? I get why plastic is great from a hygiene perspective for the butchers but are there any suggestions for washable meat bags (not a great description but you get what I mean!)

Shower gel (soap instead)
Makeup and remover, cleanser, toner (more soap)
Food processor, toaster
bottled water (reusable bottle)
Alexa / Siri / whatever

In Germany you can get large glass jars if yoghurt - would these be sold in Aldi or Lidl in the UK?

Hellbentwellwent that's the good thing about the Easiyo kit, you just use water, not milk, to make it.

I suppose you could buy dried milk and make it up
I remember when my mum used to make it she used to use sterilised milk which came in glass bottles with beer bottle type caps, not sure why that was

re buying meat, I have seen on TV people take tupperware or similar to the butchers

iamfrau no Aldi where we are (NI) but could try Lidl.

bearfoxbear I had a look at the easiyo, but it looks like a lot of plastic to invest in to start off with if the kids don’t like it! Also not sure about the single use packaging for the powders as an environmental choice.

I’ve had a happy half hour researching yoghurtmaking though and think I’ll try to make some thick Greek yoghurt with the kids with some milk and if it’s fun and they like it we might stick with it and keep an eye out for milk delivery services popping up.

Has anyone invested in a soda stream to replace fizzy water (that’s a total guilty pleasure of mine)