I have to confess, I’m not an eco warrior. I do like to do my bit to help the environment when I can, but I have to say, since having children, my standards have slipped slightly.
I found that getting less sleep and having more to think about all the time was making me take the easiest, most convenient option rather than the most environmentally friendly.
I realized how bad it had become when I was buying a plastic bag full of individual portions of cheese wrapped in plastic for my toddler. So much plastic! I decided that things had to change.
Once I’ve started on something, I find it very difficult to stop. I began to see how much waste I was creating every day and how simple it would be to make changes.
Unfortunately, simplicity and affordability are not necessarily the same thing. Some of the switches I’ve made over the past few months haven’t cost me anything, or very little. Others are more pricey. I don’t mind paying a little more where I can and where I think it makes a real difference, but the reality of having four people living on a single income is that I have to prioritize, so some changes won’t be made just yet, and some may never happen. But, every little helps, so I won’t beat myself up over the single-use plastic I am still using.
The other day I was thinking how great it would be if someone created a tool where you could see the impact of various different uses for plastic and the cost of alternatives, so you could see how much bang you get for your buck. Maybe when I have more time/energy/information…
Anyway, as it’s plastic-free July, here are a few of the changes I’ve made over the past few months:
Cloth nappies
I’ve been using cloth nappies and wipes for the past year (first with my daughter for three months until she was potty trained and now with my son) but I stuck with disposable nappies at night time because I was worried about leaks. A few weeks ago I decided to take the plunge and ordered some fitted nappies and a couple of absorbant boosters. We’ve been using them every night since and have had no leaks. (I use these nappies if you’re interested.)
I find cloth nappies extremely easy to use. I do a wash about once a day with normal detergent (at first I used an eco detergent but unfortunately it didn’t get the nappies clean enough) then I tumble dry the inserts and line dry the shells. It really is that simple.
I’m not going to lie, shaking poo out in to the loo is not the most glamourous task, but if it’s a choice between shaking poo and having a bin that stinks of pooey nappies, I know which one I’m going for, especially if I’m saving the penguins too.
Bar shampoo
This, this, is a revelation.
I have horribly greasy hair (thanks, Dad!). I’ve never found a shampoo that I am 100% pleased with, so I was happy to give bar shampoo a try. I already use bar soap instead of shower gel so why not go the whole hog? I had a quick shufty on the internet and found a reasonably priced, all natural, locally made shampoo at Rocky Mountain Soap Co.
I was impressed. I still am. I wash my hair with it once (with my other shampoo I always had to wash twice to get it clean) and then put on a squirt of Liz Earle hair oil to condition while it’s still damp and my hair doesn’t need washing again for 48 hours. Fantastic. I’m still on the lookout for a bar conditioner that doesn’t break the bank.
Reusable cups
An easy win. Ideally, I would give a lot less money to Starbucks (and other caffeine-based establishments) but with two small children who have a strange aversion to sleep, my coffee intake was increasing quite considerably. Although I sometimes had my thermos with me, more often than not I would get a disposable cup. For the past couple of months, I’ve just made an effort to remember to take my reusable cup with me and voilà, less waste.
Beeswax wraps
I’d seen these on various social media channels but hadn’t got round to investigating further. Then I had my cheese epiphany. I wanted to be able to take a few slices of cheese with me as a snack for the two-year old but I was looking for something to replace all the plastic. Beeswax wraps are perfect. More expensive than clingfilm, but worth it.
And you know how clingfilm always clings to itself but never to what you want it to cling to and you end up with a little ball of scrunched up plastic that you try to prise apart and stretch over your sandwiches and get really frustrated and then your sandwiches are all falling out of the clingfilm and you get crumbs all ove your bag and arrrrrggggghhhhh? That doesn’t happen with these. Much better for my blood pressure on busy mornings.
Silicone baking mats
I’ve started using silicone baking mats to roll out gluten-free pastry instead of a layer of clingfilm. It works well and the baking mats can go in the oven, so there’s less transfer and less mess, as well as less waste.
Packaging-free supermarkets
I’ve seen a few of these have been opening up here and there, and I thought they were a great idea so I’ve tried one in Vancouver called Nada. (See what they did there?)
I really love the concept. You take your own jars, or you borrow some, or you buy some and then you weigh them, tag them and fill them with whatever you need.
They have quite a good range of flours, grains, pulses, teas, coffees, oils, household cleaning products, toiletries. Some of the products are the same price as you would pay elsewhere, some are more expensive.
I’ve been twice now and the product range changed slightly between the two visits, which was slightly inconvenient, but understandable considering the limited space.
At the moment it’s not going to be where I do my weekly shop, but I would really like to see the idea of bring-your-own-container become more widespread.
Update July 2020: due to COVID-19, you can no longer take your own jars to the shop, however, Nada have started doing online orders using reusable packaging.
But there’s still so much more I could do!
I could stop using handwash and washing up liquid and use bar soap instead.
I could buy a reusable cotton bud.
I could get meat from a butcher instead of buying it in styrofoam trays.
I could (and intend to) buy some produce bags to replace plastic vegetable bags.
I would love Liz Earle to make a plastic-free Cleanse & Polish.
I want to find an alternative to rubber gloves.
I could use toothpaste tablets.
I could stop using disposable razors.
The list goes on and on. Plastic is everywhere in our day-to-day lives, so much so that I didn’t even really notice how much until I started trying to cut down. But really, what we need is for the big companies to get on board. If they’d stop using so much plastic packaging, this war would be almost won.
The Mulberry Bush 