Howdy everyone :)
So as I've been researching and delving into the crazy world of zero waste I've put together a little post to hopefully make things easier and inspire you to make some simple changes.
It's always daunting to adopt a new lifestyle all at once and the best way is to ease yourself in gently. I've made a few swaps already towards a more eco-friendly lifestyle and I will continue to do so.
I thought you'd like to see some more stylish, sustainable options and the benefits of making some money and planet saving swapsies :)...
Cotton farming is one of the most polluting industries on the planet. If you think about all the energy of growing, picking, packing and transporting the cotton wool for us to effortlessly sweep it across our face for-ooh 30 seconds then it goes straight in the bin. It really is a huge waste of the planet's resources not to mention the backbreaking conditions the exploited workers are expected to work in.
The solution? These face scrubbys! They look beautiful in a bowl in your bathroom and work in exactly the same way. Although when you're finished cleansing you can just rinse with hot water! I'd recommend putting them in the washing machine once a week to get them so fresh and so clean.
Swap your leather purse for: A Cork Purse
Being of a vegan persuasion I don't buy leather anymore. I have my Dr Martens and a leather belt that I've had for years and I intend to wear them until they wear out and I can find a vegan alternative.
Vegan leather is usually a plastic based synthetic which is fine but I'm looking for zero waste alternatives. Cork is a natural material made from the bark of a tree and when it's been treated it has a beautiful texture and durability to it. I love these purses and they look really chic and minimal.
Swap your plastic toothbrush for: A Bamboo Toothbrush
Ok, so there's approx 64.1 Million people in the UK, say everyone listens to the dentist and swaps their toothbrush every 3 months. So that's around 256.4 MILLION plastic toothbrushes every year! It's just a crazy figure to even think about. Plastic doesn't decompose for hundreds of years so we are filling up the land with grotty toothbrushes. Such a simple switch to a bamboo toothbrush. Mine was £2.50 so it's not even much more expensive than a regular one. If you're enticed by tongue cleaners and toothbrushes with a whitening pen inside watch this:
Bamboo is biodegradable and a sustainable raw material so give one a try! You can get different strength bristles and kids ones like 'regular' toothbrushes. I think they look much nicer too than the weird, bumpy, garish plastic ones.
Swap your Tupperware for: A Steel Lunchbox
Essentially Tupperware is much better than cling film or sandwich bags that get thrown away after one use but in some cheaper plastic containers the chemicals used to make them can seep into the food-gross huh!
So a steel lunchbox is a brilliant alternative. It keeps cold food cold and hot food hot so that's a bonus. I think untreated steel looks pretty swish and professional if you take a packed lunch to work. If you enjoy the whimsy in life there are some beautiful handpainted ones available on Etsy for the cutest lunch ever! Taking this yellow box out my bag would instantly cheer me up even more so if it was filled with vegan treats!
Swap your disposable razors for: A Safety Razor
Hair removal is so annoying. I try to avoid it for as long as possible without getting mistaken for a werewolf.
My original issue before zero waste was even a thought in my mind, was that I hated buying Gilette and Wilkinsons Sword because these nasty companies test on animals. When I bought own brand disposables like Superdrug's own they were so crap that I was using one per leg (I do have long legs!) but it was ridiculous!
My next investment will be a safety razor where the refills are about 15p per blade instead of almost a tenner! I'm a wee bit dubious about this switch because A) I'm lazy and B) I'm lazy and have a wondering focus haha. So I'm not sure how safe I will be with a safety razor. I have been told that it's much easier and the shave is so much closer so you don't have to do it as often (result!) I love this rose gold model and it looks so sophisticated compared to a plastic 'I'm gon-cut-you' Venus :')
Swap your plastic bottles for: A Metal Water Bottle
Ok, mentally prepare yourself for this one. We dispose of 15 million plastic bottles EVERY DAY (!!!) in the UK alone. That's just an insane figure to me. There are some companies who have revolutionised the recycling of plastic and you can get fleeces and bath sponges made from recycled bottles which is really innovative. It's just so SO much easier to carry a metal bottle around with you instead. I know I'm lucky and the water up here in the lake district is delicious. I'm well aware that city water is minging and taking tap water isn't really an option. Buy a water filter and keep it in the fridge and it tastes just as good I promise. Persuade your employer to buy a water cooler for the health of the staff!
Has this post inspired you to swap any of your daily habits? Please let me know if it does!
Thank you so much for reading :)
Rachelle xxx
