5 Swaps To Be More Eco-Friendly Blog Header Image

Five ways to be more eco-friendly

Making choices that are kinder to the environment can feel overwhelming. It’s easy to think it’s too difficult or expensive to make eco-friendly changes that will make much of a difference.

But actually, it can be easy to switch to eco-friendly products that save you money. Switching to reusable products is a simple way to be kinder to the environment we live in and to our pockets.

Thank you to Suzy from www.wemadeawish.co.uk for this guest post.

Reusable wipes

Changing to reusable wet wipes, kitchen roll and make-up removal pads is a no-brainer. They reduce the amount of waste going to landfills or being pumped into our oceans and can be used time and time again. They’re also kinder to our skin as there are no chemicals involved.

If you still want the ease of ready-prepared wet wipes, put a number of wipes in a reusable container, add some water and a few drops of your favourite essential oil. You’ve then got lovely-smelling wipes ready to be used. Keep a separate box with a few drops of oil in to put used wipes in. Then throw them in the washer and use them again.

Reusable coffee/tea cups

If buying a coffee to go is your guilty pleasure, make sure you’ve got an eco-friendly reusable cup to take it away in. Many single-use cups sold in popular coffee shops aren’t actually recyclable because they’re lined with plastic or wax to prevent the liquid seeping out.

So treat yourself to a stylish reusable cup you can take with you and get it filled with your favourite coffee or tea, time and time again.

Reusable period products

Period products have (thankfully) moved on a lot since their modern invention in the late 1800s. There’s now a wide range of products on the market which are reusable.

Moon cups, reusable pads, period pants and reusable tampon applicators are just some of the products you can use that reduce waste. They’re kinder to the environment but still provide the high level of protection and hygiene women need during their period.

Reusable nappies

If you’re a parent, or soon to become one, reusable nappies are a great way of reducing the amount of waste that goes to landfill. It’s estimated that disposable nappies take up to 500 years to decompose. That’s a horrifying figure.

Reusable nappies have moved on a lot from the terry towelling squares I remember from my childhood, that were held together by a safety pin.

They come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and colours with a choice of all-in-one or two-piece products that will see you through from birth to potty training.

From birth to potty training, it can cost as much as £1000 for disposable nappies. Reusable ones may seem expensive initially, but at around £300, they’re much cheaper in the long run. 

Reusable bags and food containers

In 2018-19 1.11 billion single-use plastic bags were sold by retailers in the UK. While many can be recycled, a lot end up in landfill or being pumped into our oceans.

Switching to reusable shopping bags and food containers is a stylish and economical way to reduce the amount of waste that enters our environment.

There are so many options when it comes to reusable shopping bags from supermarket ones to designer brands, so there’s a bag to suit all tastes and budgets.

Sandwich and packed lunch boxes come in all shapes and sizes and are another easy way to reduce single-use plastic usage.

For even more eco-friendly swaps have a look at how the Unicorns & Dinosaurs household are getting on with our eco-journey.

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