5 Ways to Reduce Plastic Use in Your Home

Unfortunately plastic use has grown over the past year, which is not ideal for a planet drowning under tonnes of non-recyclable waste! But there are some simple ways to permanently reduce plastic use in your home without compromising on product quality. Here are our 5 ways to reduce plastic use in your home.

turmeric soap
sandalwood and black pepper air freshener

1. Use bar soap instead of liquid soap

Yes, we make soap, so we’re biased……but swapping to use bar soap instead of using bottles of liquid soap really does make a difference. On average a bar of our soap lasts around 3 months, whereas a large bottle of liquid soap goes down much faster, so you’re using even more plastic than you think.

We know that recycling plastic bottles is a good start, but if you avoid using plastic altogether then you also reduce the energy used to recycle plastics which have only been used once. Most bar soap is wrapped in eco-friendly packaging, and it looks nicer too!

Did you also know that bar soap usually contains fewer chemicals than liquid soap and is much kinder on your skin? So swapping to a bar benefits both you and the planet.

neroli and bergamot soap
Cedarwood and juniper soap
Ylang Ylang Soap

2. Swap your plastic air fresheners for wax ones

Most regular air fresheners are packaged in a plastic case or a plastic plug in container. However, there is a plastic-free alternative. Wax air fresheners act like any fragranced product and release scent into the air. As they have minimal (card) packaging, they’re much more eco-friendly than an air freshener in a plastic case.

These air fresheners are excellent to keep a small space fragrant. They also contain fewer chemicals than a commercial air freshener, which can only be good for the air we breathe.

Wax air fresheners can also be used in a wax melt burner once the scent begins to fade – so you get a 2 in 1 product.

wax air freshener lavender
wax air freshener english rose
wax air freshener jasmine and patchouli

3. Buy products in glass bottles rather than plastic

Back in the last century we were much better at reusing jars and bottles – just think of the milkman bringing your milk bottles every morning. Or taking beer bottles to the recycling and getting 5p per bottle (this may be quite a while ago!).

These days we often buy our milk in plastic bottles, but there is currently a resurgence in delivery-to-your-door groceries and many of them also use glass milk bottles. This is an easy swap as it also saves you time at the grocery store.

Another simple swap is to use products packaged in glass instead of plastic. Some cosmetics are in glass jars and can be reused. Some foods in the supermarket are also in glass pots (I’m thinking of a certain pudding brand) and those pots can be reused for all kinds of things.

One other good change that’s happened lately is that many supermarkets are moving away from plastic ring holders. They’re now simply sticking bulk tins or cans together with glue. This is a really good thing – for the planet as well as the wildlife which gets stuck in the rings.

4. Buy from local farmers’ markets

Farmers’ markets have had a resurgence in the past decade and are a great place to buy fresh produce. Take your own bags and pick the amount of fruit/veg you actually want, rather than buying a plastic-covered set amount.

Most produce at a local market isn’t covered in plastic so you can be sure you’re helping the environment (and a local small business) while shopping.

5. Swap your face wipes to reuseable ones

Using disposable face wipes to remove make up is an easy way to clean your face. Unfortunately it’s not so great for the environment as the wipes often contain micro plastic. A popular and easy swap is to use washable face wipes instead and buy a cleanser (in a glass bottle).

Reuseable wipes are easy to wash in your machine and are soft and gentle on your skin. You can even buy them in packs of 5 or 7 so you’ve got one for every day of the (work) week.

reuseable face wipes
roses face wipes
reuseable face wipes

So those are our suggested 5 ways to reduce plastic use in your home. We hope they’ve been handy for you!

Follow us

Free delivery over £35 spend. Smell our soaps with a free Smellivision card

X
[]