5 Ways To Reduce Your Use of Plastic

At Eco Passion we’re constantly working to reduce our use of plastic and some things are definitely easier to implement than others. If you’re thinking about making this the year you reduce your plastic waste then take a look at these tips for using less plastic in your daily life.

1. Use powder clothes detergent

Probably like me you’ve used powdered clothes detergent in the past and are not too sure why you switched to liquid. Well, now it’s time to switch back. Ditch the big plastic bottles and cups and go back to the cardboard boxes. Both can be recycled, but if the cardboard ends up elsewhere then at least it will biodegrade. The powdered form can often be cheaper too so the money you save can be used toward buying a more eco brand that won’t be so harmful on the environment. We hope to soon be able to offer you eco-friendly detergents, so watch this space.

2. Use a bamboo toothbrush

We’ve started testing our new eco products and can wholeheartedly recommend the bamboo toothbrush from Hydrophil. It’s made from fast-growing bamboo that’s sustainably sourced in China and used to make a variety of brushes for both adults and children. If you buy bamboo toothbrushes for children you are potentially saving a lifetime of single-use plastic from hitting landfill or, even worse, the ocean. Our family has converted this year, will yours? Admittedly there is still some way to go before we have an environmentally sound solution to using nylon for the bristles, but one small step is the brush handle and we think that’s a big step in the right direction. Buy your bamboo toothbrush here.

3. Use re-usable fruit & veg bags

How many times have you been to the supermarket with your bags for life or tote bags but have struggled to come up with a solution for bagging up the loose fruit and veg? When I used to get home with those extra plastic bags I didn’t want or need, it prompted me to find a solution. Our favourite solution at Eco Passion is using Bitsybags. These are lightweight, strong and stylish bags that are fully manufactured in Portugal from engineering grade nylon. They are so versatile and don’t have to be solely used for fruit and veg. They are a great reusable alternative to plastic you can use on many occasions. They are likely to last you a lifetime, which is a LOT of plastic bags saved at the supermarket.

4. Use solid soaps instead of shower gel

Sometimes it is a small shift in behaviour that you just might not have thought of before that will lead to hundreds of plastic bottles being prevented from ending up in landfill or worse. If I do the small calculation of using one shower gel bottle a month over my life so far from age 18 to now – that’s at least 264 plastic bottles I could have avoided using and I don’t plan to ever buy another plastic bottle of shower gel in my lifetime. That’s just one person and one example, but it ALL makes a difference. Of course, what will make even more of a difference is switching to solid shampoo and conditioner – look out for a separate article about that coming soon but you can take browse our personal care products in the meantime.

5. Use non-plastic air fresheners

This one would not have applied to me at all a while ago, I have never liked the smell of any type of air freshener in my home. But something has changed recently and I now like to have a gentle scent wafting about the place. This again might be an obvious one, but if you start to change your focus on one area then it naturally spreads into others. I am currently using the scent diffusers with wooden sticks and after sniffing every single one in the Natura shop in Málaga recently, I have finally found one I like. I use the Cerabella Mikado No.6 (Orchid & Patchouli) which comes in a cardboard tube with a glass bottle and wooden lid.

Let us know in the comments what changes you have made toward plastic-free and low waste living.