Alternatives to plastic are usually far more beautiful as well as kinder to the pocket and the environment. According to the Greenpeace Energy desk news, the UK government quietly reduced recycling targets for plastics last year- meaning that even more plastic is finding its way in to landfill.
Concern over plastic in our food is highlighted in the BBC’s ‘Trust Me I’m A Doctor ‘ – in the programme scientists drew attention to how plastic leeches into our food and disrupts our endocrine system, or in other words, our hormones. These disruptions can cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other developmental disorders. The episode particularly drew attention to the need for pregnant women to be careful about eating food wrapped in plastic.
A great start to reducing plastics at home begins with swapping your single use items for their more beautiful alternatives:
Bamboo toothbrushes ( available from here), baking soda, body lotion ( made by the lovely Clare) and crocheted cotton rounds. Similar from here
Cloth napkins, tea towels, knitted dishcloths, cotton food covers.
gorgeous bamboo sanitary towels, made in the UK from recycled fabric- sadly no longer available, but similar here.
Shopping bags
Soft, laundered vintage handkerchiefs
Air fresheners and medicine cabinet.
These lovely items enhance our home environment and ensure that no waste is generated. If properly cared for, these items should serve us for many years to come ( and personally they just make me smile every time I use them).
The Good Life from a terraced house 
Just found your blog. It’s great!
I’m planning on switching to bamboo toothbrushes this year but haven’t found anywhere local that supplies them yet.
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Thank you, that’s so very kind. Online is also worth a try, just make sure that you request paper packaging and it should be fine.
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Great post, love your ideas and pictures. I’m trying to use more environmentally friendly products too.
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The bathroom one got me – that photo is gorgeous and just seems so serene. Almost thought about starting to wear eye make up just so I have a reason to make myself some of those adorable make up remover pads. Great take on something that people tend to think is so ho hum and homeley.
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I try to recycle or reuse as much as I can, but I’m still horrified by how much ends up being sent to landfill, thanks for sharing some ideas for other ways to reduce waste I hadn’t seen before (bamboo toothbrushes and sanitary pads). 😊
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Great blog post on zero waste. I’ve been trying to remove as much waste as possible. It’s a continuos journey.
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