QT1 has been into saving the planet since primary school so now she is seriously re-training us.

Here are some examples:  Re-usable coffee cups (thank you Waitrose); sandwich wraps, loose vegetables not pre-packed in plastic bags (some of the big supermarkets have lost our business over this as no loose veg and fruit); bamboo toothbrushes, chilli style metal water bottle (thank you TK MAXX); and re-using kilner jars with mouldy thrown away lids to keep pot pourri in.  Also (not pictured!) flour, sugar, dried fruit, rice, cous cous etc in large glass sealed jars (sub kilner) and will re-fill from the zero waste stores locally.  Also replacing shower gel and plastic hand soap bottles with body bars and real soap.  Also eco-friendly household cleaners in recycled plastic bottles and biodegradable cotton buds.

QT1 also has reusable makeup remover cloths (used with water instead of wipes and liquid in plastic bottles) which can be washed in the machine, and cloth make up pads (rather than disposable cotton pads), toothpaste powder, reusable kitchen paper (material) and is looking to buy beeswax wraps instead of clingfilm.  That will be my next pay-day purchase I’m guessing, sadly all of this isn’t cheap.

It does seem as if every family did just some of these things (the water bottles and sandwich wraps as well as the loose veg and fruit are an excellent and easy start) then perhaps serious inroads could be made in the plastic battle – at least so that it doesn’t worsen.  This should be helped, presumably, by the fact that wipes and cotton buds are all being banned from next year.

If anybody has any other light-bulb ideas which are perhaps a little less pricey then please do let me know.