How often have you got to the supermarket and realised you have forgotten your bags for life? Or stopped off at Costa, but left your reusable cup at home? Or forgotten to pack your water bottle for a day out?
It happens to us all. The easiest way to make the shift into daily reusables is to make it part of our every day life. So it becomes a habit, just like brushing our teeth in the morning.
Switching to reusables becomes super easy once you are in the habit of using them everyday and replacing your single-use items.
The range of reusable products is expanding every day, as many of us aim to have a more sustainable lifestyle. Your first step is to stop buying or using fewer single-use plastic products.
Would you like some inspiration? Here are some of our top recommendations for reusables and how to get into the habit of using them:
The classic reusable water bottle. How many times have you left your bottle somewhere, only to find it stained and moldy? If needed, why not invest a little more into one that works for you. Stainless Steel options are very durable and long lasting and can help keep your water cool too. They are also fully recyclable. Make it a part of your routine before you leave the house: Phone, keys, wallet, reusable water bottle and bags.
Kitchen storage; clear out your fridge and cupboards and try creating a system in your kitchen. See if you can reduce the single-use plastics in your pantry and fridge. Swap to reusable containers and label them with specifics or food items such as dairy, meat, nuts, pulses etc. When cutting up fruit and vegetables or cheese, ditch the plastic clingfilm. As an alternative, why not try our very own Beeswax wraps, Stainless-steel snack pots or reusable silicone storage bags!
Reuse glass jars for storage in your kitchen, whether that is to keep all of your utensils in one place or for cooking ingredients. You can even reuse them outside of the kitchen for things like pens or craft supplies or even your makeup brushes. Why not use glass jars as a vase or planter, you could even decorate them and fill them with fairy lights for home décor.
Go reusable when you go shopping and you will save yourself a lot of plastic of waste. Organic Cotton Produce bags or canvas bags are a great must-have for Zero-waste shopping . By using these to store your loose fruit and vegetables, you can avoid the plastic wrapping they normally come wrapped in. Have you tried visiting your local refill shop? You can bring your reusable bags and containers and stock up without any extra packaging.
Similarly to a reusable water bottle, a reusable coffee cup/ mug is a great reusable option if you often have coffee when out and about. Get into the habit of taking it into work with you in the morning or when you are out for the day. Use the cup for your mid-morning coffee or tea break instead of the disposable options. Most coffee shops are more than happy to fill your own cup and often offer discounts for this too. Britain gets through 2.5 billion of disposable cups every year, and the number is set to increase. Many of these end up in landfill and are likely to produce an annual carbon footprint equivalent to over 152,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide!
Let's not forget our bathrooms! Up to 2 billion razors end up in landfill each year, that’s a lot of waste! So why not switch that plastic razor for a reusable one; the blades are made from stainless steel and can be recycled when you are finished with it. With the correct treatment and care, they can last you a lifetime.
A Single person menstruating goes through thousands of single-use products in their lifetime and not only does this cause a drastic amount of waste it can be very costly. To reduce waste and cost, it is definitely worth investing in long-lasting reusables. There are so many options available to you; you could try a menstrual cup, washable pads and panty liners or even period pants, all options are very easy to use.
Yet another reason to switch to reusables. Did you know that 93% of sewer blockages are caused by wet wipes? Not only are they are wasteful and costly, one single wipe can take up to 100 years to decompose. Why not try reusable makeup remover cloths that are a great sustainable swap for wipes. No products are needed, as you simply use water. They are long lasting and super soft and can be reused over a 1000 times. A great daily reusable habit to start today!
What reusables form part of your daily habits? We would love to hear from you in the comments below!
