I’m going to start with the obvious… Plastic bags are the devil! String, cotton or fabric bags are an amazing alternative to these destructive single-use plastics. Keep one in your handbag and in your car, and you’ll never need another plastic bag again!

And if you have any old clothes, you could also turn those into tote bags to be even more sustainable – getting creative with what you already have is lots of fun.

If you go on picnics, eat a lot of takeaway or just need some cutlery for your lunch at work, then this is the swap for you!

Bamboo is a very sustainable material and can constantly be reused, unlike traditional plastic cutlery. This little pouch comes with me everywhere and helps me to avoid unnecessary plastic even when I’m least expecting it.

Even though traditional coffee cups are said to be recyclable, less than 1% actually end up being recycled… Crazy huh?

They are produced in such a complex way which means that recycling them is much harder than what’s often assumed, leaving them with no other option but to be thrown into landfill. It’s even worse if they’re made of styrofoam… That product is deadly!

So, if you like to grab a morning coffee on your way to work, why not bring your own cup instead? It’s much nicer for you, and the environment too!

Shop for reusable cups here!

Bees Wax Wraps / Fabric Covers

Flimsy plastic wrap may be incredibly convenient and easy to use, but this single-use product ends up sitting around the environment for years and years to come. It sits in landfill and never biodegrades, it floats around in the ocean for our marine life to consume, and it continues to be destructive to the environment each and every day.

In order to replace cling wrap in your kitchen, try out beeswax wraps, cloth covers or tupperware instead. They work 10X better too!

Shop for food covers here!

An estimate of 2 billion razors are thrown away each and every year…

These pesky little things are totally non-recyclable, meaning that they will live hundreds of years in a landfill once you throw them in the trash.

To avoid your contribution to this issue, a safety razor is the best plastic free product you can have. They are entirely made of stainless steel (some have a silicone sleeve), but the materials are far more earth-friendly than those that are single use. The upfront price is $30+, but after that, you only have to pay a dollar or two for the replacement blades.

It’s not as easy to use due to the lack of plastic and inbuilt moisturiser, but it does exactly the same job! I’m obsessed.

Shop for safety razors here!

This was a recent change for me, and I’m currently loving it. I took the homemade toothpaste recipe from ‘Trash is for Tossers’, and it’s most definitely doing the trick! The texture is quite different from traditional toothpaste as it doesn’t foam up, but the taste is very similar.

Before making the switch, I would recommend speaking to your dentist/health professional for advice to make sure this is suitable for you!

Coming from someone who used to be a full-time cosmetician, I know exactly how much waste these tiny products produce.

All you have to do to make a zero waste alternative is switch to reusable bamboo or cotton pads! You can either make your own out of old clothing or purchase some from a local Etsy store.

When they’re dirty, you just chuck them in the wash in a delicates wash bag and they’ll be good as new!

Shop for more reusable wipes here!

Not only does traditional makeup remover always come in plastic packaging, it’s also full of ingredients that are chemically produced. To avoid both of those things, coconut oil is the perfect zero waste alternative! 

It’s completely natural and does a great job at removing any makeup and dirt from the skin. Use it on a reusable wipe, finish off with a cleaner and you’re good to go!

I used to work in skincare and thought that I needed 101 different products in order to have clear skin… Now, this is all I use!

A face cleansing bar and a natural face lotion. Both are zero waste as the bar comes in compostable packaging and the glass jar is recyclable (although I will most likely clean it out and repurpose after use).

Shop the Yay for Earth face lotion here!

Yes I know, you’re not technically supposed to put cotton buds in your ears… But they are good for a lot of other purposes such as makeup application/removal and cleaning other small areas.

The problem with traditional buds is that they are made from plastic and often end up in the ocean. I’m sure you’ve seen the famous seahorse photo, right?

Bamboo cotton buds are 100% biodegradable, home compostable and come in plastic free packaging – Woo!

Shop for bamboo cotton buds here!

Patch is an incredible brand making wound care made from 100% organic bamboo fibre! They are biodegradable, cruelty-free, vegan-friendly and free of plastic, parabens, latex and other nasties.

These plasters are infused with a lot of amazing natural ingredients such as coconut, aloe vera and charcoal to help heal your wounds as quickly as possible! 

The plaster and the backing paper are 100% compostable, but the plastic casing needs to go into your soft recycling. 

Shop Patch Strips here!

I once thought that bars of soap were so old fashioned and outdated. Liquid soaps seemed to foam so much better and were much easier to use… Oh, how times have changed! 

Now, I am addicted to bars of soap and actually think they are so much prettier than the so-called “desirable” plastic bottles. Most will come in plastic free packaging too!

Shop for soap bars here!

When you think of hairbrushes, you generally think of one with a plastic handle and hundreds of plastic bristles… But bamboo hairbrushes allow you to keep your mop neat and tidy whilst being sustainable too.

My favourite is from BASS, which allows you to evenly distribute the natural oils in your hair, and feels like a head massage too!

Shop this Bass Hairbrush here!

If you’re like me and you prefer to drink dairy-free milk, making your own will drastically reduce your waste. Almond, cashew, oat or my personal fave, coconut, are super easy to make with just a few items.

My personal favourite is homemade coconut milk made using organic coconut cream. It’s very simple to make, by mixing one can of coconut cream with 4 cans of filtered water – pour it into bottles and you’ll have a week’s worth of milk.

Tin cans are infinitely recyclable too, which makes this zero waste alternative so much better than plastic bottles or tetra packs.

The natural alternative to laundry detergent… All you have to do is place 5 wash berry shells into the wash bag that is provided with your purchase, and when these berries become agitated with water, they produce a foam that washes your laundry just like any other chemical detergent.

Not only is this an incredible zero waste alternative, it is also very cost effective too!

Shop soap berries here!

Traditional pads and tampons create hundreds of pounds of waste per person. But with these new reusable products, your period can be zero waste too!

Reusable pads are made from organic cotton or bamboo and can be reused by simply soaking them in water after use, throwing them in the wash and hanging them out to dry… A bit like cloth nappies! It may sound gross at first, but not as gross as hundreds of pounds of menstruation covered plastic sitting around in the earth… Right?!

As for the menstrual cup, this little innovation does the same job as a tampon. When full, you simply empty the fluid out, give it a rinse and re-insert. The average person will only have to purchase 3 of these in their lifetime in comparison to thousands of disposable tampons.

How amazing is that?

Shop for more earth-friendly feminine care here!

Billions of ballpoint pens are disposed of around the world every year, and billions of trees are cut down every year for paper.

I never thought about how stationary could impact the planet, but thanks to Knick Knack Collections, I’ve learned that writing things down on paper can still be done sustainably.

This brand has pens and pencils made from recycled newspaper, recycled cardboard and bamboo, as well as cards, planners, notebooks, notepads and prints made from 100% recycled paper.

The packaging is home compostable, the ink is vegetable based and the brand is vegan-friendly… Need I say more?

Shop Knick Knack Collections here!

Discovering how to properly store my produce has been a game changer for me. Leaning how to extend the life of your fruit and veg means that you’ll never have to throw out produce before it gets eaten.

With a few small tips such as floating carrots in water and putting broccoli in a cup of water (which as you can see in the image, I obviously need to refill) it can save a lot of your produce from going bad too quickly.

For more info, check out this guide to storing your fruits and veg!

One of the biggest lifestyle changes I’ve made in the last year, was making the pledge to only buy from sustainable/ethical brands.

First, I look to see if I can find the item second hand, and if not, I’ll look for the brands that are eco-friendly and with responsible intentions.

Fast fashion is a major issue and one of the leading causes of environmental pollution – I used to be addicted to new clothes, but with a simple change of habit, my impact on the planet has drastically reduced.

If you are looking to purchase something new, look for items in materials such as glass, cardboard, aluminium, linen, cotton, bamboo, hemp etc. Avoid plastic and synthetic fabrics.

For example, if you go to the supermarket and need peanut butter, purchase one in a glass jar instead of plastic. If you’re on the hunt for a new t-shirt, look for one made of linen or organic cotton instead of synthetic material.

Every little action counts!

Buying less is by far the easiest way to be more sustainable. I’ve made a habit of only purchasing items that I really need, or that I know will add value to my life. If you already have plastic products around your home, don’t throw them away to buy a more sustainable material… Use what you already have until its life has well and truly been lived!

Reduce, REUSE, repair, repurpose and then recycle – Consuming less is key!