Our Eco-Friendly Swaps to Date
My journey to be more eco-friendly has really ramped up this year. After discovering cloth nappies and wipes in 2018 I was more determined than ever to add to this over the coming years and I am pretty pleased with how much I have tried, I have achieved and I have persuaded my husband to go with too!! (Lord knows that was the hardest part of it all!) So, instead of rambling on in another post on how to do this and that I thought I would just give you a very quick list of our eco-friendly swaps to date.
Cloth nappies
Cloth wipes
Buying more second-hand (this has really helped with Christmas this year)
Homemade surface cleaner- Lavender and vinegar
Eco-egg
Compost bin
Growing own strawberries
Compostable washing up sponges/brushes etc
Soap
Natural deodrant
Shampoo bar
Conditioner bar
CSP and moon cup
Flannels for faces
Eco-friendly skincare from Beeutiful
Reusable water bottles
Reusable coffee/tea cups
Reusable sandwich bags
Beeswax wraps
Brown paper for wrapping presents
Reusable wipes for around the home
Bicarbonate soda for cleaning
Vinegar for cleaning
Citric acid for tackling limescale
Bamboo cotton buds
Bamboo toothbrushes
Reusable tea bags
Recycling far more
Reducing meat intake
Tote shopping bags
Reusable produce bags
Recycled toilet roll from who gives a crap
Eco washing machine
Being far more aware of what products contain and choosing more eco-friendly options
Choosing available compostable items
Being more aware of lights being left on
Upcycling old furniture rather than buying new
Fixing clothing rather than throwing it out
Hand me downs for the younger child
Paper straws
Smol dishwasher tablets
Reusing what we have and only buying what we really need
Switched to a milkman for milk and juices
And I think that is it, all of our eco-friendly swaps to date… unless I’ve missed any?
And yet there is still so much more I could be doing! Even though all of this comes with research and planning as well as a lot of experimenting to find out what works for us, it has actually been a project I have really enjoyed. With each change I make a feel positive that it’s a step in the right direction and for each person who messages asking where they can get something from proves that by just talking about it daily, I am spreading this eco message further. It doesn’t matter how small your eco-friendly steps are, the important thing is that they matter. By walking just once to school rather than driving, choosing a holiday in your home country rather than taking a plane, by turning off power to anything that isn’t in use, by reducing how much red meat you eat, by just simply talking to your children about the importance of it all. Every tiny swap will make a difference for their future.
And for next year?
I would love to be able to continue with all of these. I want to completely rid my home of the toxic chemicals for cleaning. I want to shop more secondhand and on pre-loved sites. I will reduce my plastic use even further. We won’t be flying abroad in 2020 and if I can muster the energy to walk more I will most definitely be leaving the car at home more often.
How about you? What have you done to be more eco-friendly to date? I’d love to hear from you.
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