First Five Steps to a
More Sustainable Home
Making the decision to cut down on waste it easy. Actually knowing where start is really hard.
So here are my recommend first five steps to take within your own home.
1. Goodbye Plastic Bottles, Hello Bars, So Many Bars
Switching from liquid soap to bar soap is a good place to start, when trying to lower the amount of plastic in your shower. I like to use my bar soap with washcloth or loofah in the shower and I find it works just the same as liquid. A bar of soap will also last a lot longer than liquid soap which can make it a big money saver. Then don’t be afraid to take it to the next step and try out shampoo, conditioner, facial and shaving cream bars. Although they may sound weird and intimidating, they have same benefits as bar soap. Cardboard packaging, easier to use than it sounds, lasts longer and saves money! These more usual bared shower items are also not that hard to find, Boots, Lush and Plastic free shop are good places to look.
2. Tea Towels Galore
Stop using paper towels and just use tea towels instead. It seems easier to grab a paper towel and throw it away when you don’t want to dirty a tea towel. Instead invest in growing your tea towel collection, that way you can change them out more frequently. If you really like having a roll of paper towels, unpaper towels are another option. There are a lot available on Esty or I have heard you can make them.
3. Ditch the Cling Film
Cling film is usually never recyclable and is generally only used once before being thrown away. When I have leftovers in dishes that do not need to be stored air tight, I tend to just drape a tea towel over the dish and it works just the same. When food does need to be completely wrapped up use tin foil instead, tin foil is 100% recyclable as long as it is relatively clean. Reusable beeswax wrap is also a popular cling film alternative however, I do not think it is necessary to buy given the more affordable options.
4. Use Containers
Owning containers is a must, especially when ditching cling film and plastic baggies. Tupperware containers are great for storing leftovers, food scrapes that can still be used, taking a packed lunch and storage for food in general. Also, there is really no need to buy fancy stainless steel or glass containers unless desired. Wash out and reuse jars, or any other container you would recycle after one use. If you do have to buy things that come in plastic containers you might as well get the most use out of them.
5. Consider Composting
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Food wast going to the landfill is a serious problem because it will not decompose and will just create more green house gases. Composting is the best way to dispose of food waste although it can be easier said than done. Home composting is not an option for everyone, especially if you do not have a yard. It is worth looking into if your local waste collection service has a food waste pick up service, you might be surprised I know I was when I found out I had this option. If not there are other ways to compost when home composing is not an option. Trash is for Tossers has a great guide on home and commercial composing.
Bonus Tip!
Do not throw anything away to make room for any of these swaps, always use up what you already have first. Example, if you have plastic tupperware containers, it would be more wasteful to throw them away and replace with non-plastic tupperware, rather than to just continue using the plastic ones.