Sustainable Swaps.
Today's blog post is about what sustainable swaps I'm going to be making in 2020. Some changes just aren't possible for some but if everyone even makes one small change then it makes the biggest difference. Studying Fashion, sustainability is included in most conversations as the industry is one of the worlds biggest polluters, so it is a topic which is always at the back of my mind. I don't want to sound too 'preachy' so I'll begin with the small swaps I'll be making this year!
1. A reusable water bottle.
I'm always buying a plastic bottle at lunch and I know that every week this is just wasting more and more plastic. So instead I'm going to buy a Chilly's reusable water bottle and bring this everywhere instead of buying bottled drinks.
2. Reusable bamboo cotton pads.
These I actually already have and love, they are so soft and work even better than a usual cotton pad as they don't soak up as much liquid. They're so easy to wash as they come with their own bag so none mysteriously dissapear. The pack I've got include 15 so I'm never without one!
Amazon / Primark (In Store) / Holland & Barrett
3. Another one I've already got are metal straws.
I did buy bamboo straws originally however they ended up a bit discoloured and never fully clean as the bamboo sort of soaked up liquid I was drinking... Not the nicest. I have since switched to metal straws and they're great, better than buying a pack of 100 throwaway ones!
Boots / John Lewis / Amazon
4. Getting a reusable lint roller.
A bit of an odd one but I use a lint roller pretty much everyday having 3 pets, and with this one I don't need to throw away multiple strips of plastic covered paper everyday. Also, by the looks of the videos online they do a better job of removing fluff than the traditional ones anyway.
5. Refusing a takeaway cup / brining my own.
Whenever I'd go to a cafe I used to love getting a takeaway cup which was always useful incase I didn't finish the drink however now I just see this unnecessary plastic and if I can't drink the whole thing I clearly need to stop wasting my money and get a smaller size! This is such an easy change to make and will reduce my plastic usage greatly.
6. Carrying a reusable bag.
Ever since the 5p plastic bag rule came into effect I've been using a reusable bag. This seems so obvious but even I still get caught out and end up having to buy plastic bags which end up useless because I then don't use them. Similarly, getting larger bags for life from your local supermarket is another great way to save on plastic usage, and is still just as annoying to forget!
7. Buy less!
Overall I found myself thinking back to last year and realising just how much I bought, of everything. As I commuted into university and worked within a retail park I was passing by a shopping centre of some sort almost every day which meant I was exposed to soo many options to buy. This year I've made a large conscious effort to not but excessively and just to buy the things I really need. So far it's going well!
8. Using matches.
One I don't think people think of much as lighters do seem to last, but whenever I light my candles I use matches now as they can be thrown onto the fire downstairs afterwards instead of throwing the lighter away and buying a new one.
8. Don't use the plastic bags they give you for food and try to pick up fruit and veg without it.
Obviously some food does need protecting or wrapping so it doesn't go off, but fruit and veg which have a natural protector that you don't actually eat don't neccasserily need to be then further wrapped in a plastic bag. Shops such as Aldi are now selling reusable bags you can use to pack up your food in if you'd prefer and I'm sure they sell them on amazon and eBay etc.
So there you go, this is my list of just a few of the many changes you can make to reduce your plastic and wastage to be more sustainable. I hope you enjoyed!
Grace
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