Hello everyone, June 5 is World Environment Day. Why not trying to go plastic free at home as your individual action? It’s much easier to control our own environment and there are many straight forward swaps that can be implemented nearly immediately.
When I started my plastic-free journey, I found it quite daunting. And I’m definitely not there yet. But with inspiration from other bloggers and friends I realised that it can be easier than initially thought. In this blog there are a few ideas to consider for your own home. And if you’re still not sure, here are reasons why to try:
- Streets next to you will look nicer when plastic free.
- It’s a way to save you a few pennies.
- Your health matters to you, no doubt.
- It’s a way to support your local community and businesses.
- And yes, it’s good for the planet.
5 plastic-free swaps for your kitchen
1. Loose leaf tea
I love tea but often box and actual tea bags are made of plastic. They might look pretty but are polluting and also bad for you.
Plastic tea bags shed billions of microplastic particles into the cup
New Scientist
Having experimented with various brands, I now drink mainly loose leaf tea. I brew it inside a tea ball, but you can also use tea infusers and tea strainers.
2. Coffee cafetiere
Those who know me are aware how much I need my coffee in the morning. I used to enjoy convenience of coffee machines. Insert a coffee capsule, press start and it’s ready. But I realised that many of coffee containers simply cannot be recycled. Today we’re using a coffee cafetiere and ground coffee and our coffee machine was given away.
3. Glass containers
While I kept all the plastic tupperware that I have at home, I’m now simply saving pretty looking glass jars to store food. They last longer and are safer when it comes to any chemical leeching. They’re also transparent so you can see what’s in them to avoid wasting food. I’m simply reusing jars having eaten what is inside, as opposed to buying new ones.
4. DIY food
My daughter loves her afternoon biscuits. But majority of them are packed in plastic. A simple idea is to reuse your leftover oat pulp (if you make your own oats milk) and make your own cookies or muffins. You can prepare a big batch and freeze the rest.
Another easy step is to reuse dry bread to turn it into bread crumbs. It honestly is very simple and I try to do it as I struggle with finding it packed in something else than plastic.
Dry bread chunks 
Bashed 
Ready
5. Home made cleaning products
My kitchen sink area used to be full of cleaning sprays and liquid soap. But guess what? Each of them comes in a plastic bottle. It really takes 10 minutes to make your own cleaning spray. Mixing water with white vinegar and baking soda couldn’t be easier. I wrote a separate post about natural DIY cleaning products.
5 plastic-free swaps for your bathroom
1. Soap bars
There are so many soap types to choose from. But essentially the idea of going plastic free is to go for solid soap bars packaged in paper or recyclable boxes. I focus on buying organic ones and try to avoid any harmful ingredients. To stop any watery spills, I started hanging my soaps on cotton strings to easily access them when using a sink or taking my shower. This way they can keep dry and last longer.
2. Multi-use razors
Whether you’re a woman or a man you most likely use and buy razors. It’s only recently occurred to me how many I must have bought so far in my life, and consequently used and threw to the bin. And I never looked at other options, even if they’re so easy. And I don’t mean growing out your armpit hair, unless it’s your thing. Just type in Google and you’ll see so many durable options, epilators or electric shavers.
3. Natural air fresheners
They often come in plastic containers that can only be partially or not at all recycled. And they’re packed with chemicals. I started experimenting with natural air deodorisers ideas using essential oils. My mum also suggested to simply hide baking soda as it’s know for killing odours. Or why don’t you try a bit Christmassy but so nice orange and cloves ball? I’m also planning to test one day a homemade candles.
Air inside our homes can be more polluted than air outside our homes.
Made Safe
4. Durable tooth brushes
I tried bamboo toothbrushes but they seem too soft for me. For now I am sticking to an electric toothbrush. Although it’s made of plastic, it’s durable and only heads needs changing.
5. Lasting ear buds or tissues
I’m currently searching for good replacements for these commonly single use items. LastObject has recently popped up in my search feed and this could be a potential option, unless I find something local. In the meantime, I started carrying tissues in a cotton bag, as opposed to buying packets wrapped in plastic. The easiest swap out of all the ones I listed above.
More plastic-free swaps
If you’re interested in more ideas, follow my two favourite eco Instagram accounts: Eco warrior and The zero waste guide. They both post snaps with ‘investment’ and ‘on the budget’ eco conversion ideas. I often scroll through and save their tips for later.