So you’re thinking of ways to reduce your use of single-use plastics? I’ve compiled a list of here’s of the products that I use/have used, these are my top ten Zero Waste brands that I think are worth investing in!
1. Bamboo Cutlery for £10.99 – from The World Of Bamboo – This portable bamboo cutlery set offers functionality and style while still protecting our planet. By cutting down on single use plastic and using reusable, eco-friendly products instead will enable us to preserve our oceans and outdoor environment.
The set comes complete with a knife, fork, spoon and a specialist cleaning brush in order to keep the wooden eco tableware clean. At 87 grams the cutlery set is so light you won’t even notice you are carrying your new wooden tableware utensils around in your stylish world of bamboo pouch!
2. Reusable Cup… my favourite brand is KeepCup. I’ve been using KeepCup reusable cups for about 2 years now and I absolutely love mine.
KeepCup was the brainchild of Jamie and Abigail Forsyth. In 1998 they started a cafe in Melbourne just as disposable cups were entering the public landscape. They became increasingly concerned about the volume of disposable cups that were being consumed especially as they were lined with polyethylene making them non-recyclable. Deciding to tackle this head on, in 2007 they created a barista standard reusable cup for people to enjoy better coffee on the go.
To quote KeepCup: The goal was always to kick start behaviour change, from discard to reuse – to deliver a positive global campaign that would change the status quo. KeepCup has grown from a solution to a problem, to define a product category. Today, KeepCups are used in more than 65 countries around the world. KeepCup users divert millions of disposable cups from landfill every day, and through their actions inspire others to do the same.
3. Chilly’s Reusable Bottles – Chilly’s was founded in 2010 by James Butterfield and Tim Bouscarle, with the aim of providing people with the ability to always have cold water on-the-go, without having to buy single-use plastic water bottles. The result was the Chilly’s Bottle. A modern and stylish product designed to combine the convenience of a plastic water bottle, with the high performance technology and eco-friendly benefits of a traditional flask.
4. Reusable Shopping Bag – you can get these when you go into the supermarket of course but if you’re looking for something more natural then you could think about a jute or canvas shopper.
5. String Produce Bags – organic cotton string bags are naturally super strong, taking up to 40g in weight. Ideal for fruit and produce and the perfect alternative to plastic bags in the grocery aisle.
6. Bamboo Hair brushes – Obviously, there is the environmental impact or plastic hair brushes but there is also a benefit to your hair too! Have you ever noticed your hair goes frizzy when you use a plastic brush or comb? Plastic hair brushes increase the electrical charge of your hair, and as a plastic brush glides through your hair, the increased electrical charge leads to static. This will show up as fly-aways, tangles and frizziness. Wood and bamboo has a neutral to negative charge so static is reduced, allowing your hair to stay nice and smooth. This also means that you will need less product on your hair in the dryer months, which will help the overall health of your hair and scalp.
7. Bamboo tooth brushes – Bamboo toothbrushes beat the race compared plastic tooth brushes, quite simply because plastic toothbrushes are made from polypropylene plastic (handle) and nylon (bristles), which are both sourced from non-renewable fossil fuels. They are essentially indestructible, which means that the first toothbrush we had when we were kids is still hanging around in some form, somewhere polluting Mother Earth*. and when you’re done with your toothbrush, here are a couple of other uses for your toothbrush too!! https://thebamandboo.com/blogs/the-bam-boo-blog/6-ways-to-reuse-a-bamboo-toothbrush
8. Metal Straws – how many times have you been to a pub, bar or restaurant and ordered a drink and then had it arrive with a plastic straw? Probably not so much now probably considering a lot of companies have invested in paper straws, but again, they are disposable. I was at a pub in Cornwall a few years ago and a local patron was using a bamboo straw, when I asked him why, considering he was one of very few people I’d seen with a non-plastic straw and his response was simple.. I don’t want to pollute the seas.
9. Metal/Bamboo Lunchbox – I recommend BamBox, they’ve designed a range of quality lunchboxes that don’t compromise on style and don’t come at the expense of the Earth. There are plenty of other companies that offer bamboo or metal lunchboxes but what I love about Bamboo is that it is ‘the fastest growing plant in the world, ready to be re-harvested every year, and is a really versatile material, making it a great alternative to plastic. It also releases 35% more oxygen into the atmosphere than other trees and it is naturally antibacterial, making it a great material for storing food‘*.
10. Beeswax Wrap – do you use cling film or tin foil? Well stop and use beeswax wraps instead! I think we’re conditioned to think that wrapping food in clingfilm or tin foil is going to keep the bacteria out or the food fresh. When I was in France I remember buying some brie cheese and instead of them wrapping it in plastic, they used what I thought was greaseproof paper and there were no issues. It stayed nice and fresh. The texture of these wraps is a bit weird, they feel like mini plastic table cloths but they are a little bit rougher actually. They come in a range of different patterns and they actually ‘wrap’ really well. I’ve been using mine for about 4 months now and I use them pretty much everyday, the only thing that I can’t wrap is meat – but lucky that I am now a vegetarian so I don’t even need to worry about that!! In terms of keeping them clean, you just have to wash them in warm soapy water and leave them to dry and they are ready to use again.
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