Ditch disposables, make the most of reusables

Disposables are, well, disposable. We buy them over and over, wasting money and valuable natural resources on items that often end up in the landfill.   

 

 

Many of us are beginning to understand the negative impact our disposable lifestyle is having on our planet. Images of wildlife tangled in plastic garbage is a heartbreaking reality of this disposable lifestyle, not to mention the enormous amount of energy and natural resources used to sustain this lifestyle. The time has come to ditch disposables items and make the most of reusable items! Swapping out disposable items for reusable alternatives is a simple way to lessen the impact we have on our planet. It's important to remember, however, reusable items also have an impact and must be used many times over to reach their full use potential. So don't stockpile reusable items, like bottles and bags, if you have more than you can use regularly consider sharing them with a friend or donating underused items so they can reach their full use potential. 

 

Disposable items can easily be replaced with reusable items:

 

• Disposable razors - safety razor

• Cotton rounds - face cloth, washable cotton rounds (available at many of the stores listed on our Home & Beauty page in our Shop Local section)

• Paper towels - microfibre or cotton cloths

• Paper napkins - cloth napkins or cloths 

• Dish sponge - cotton cloth or wooden natural bristle brush

• Tea bags - loose tea and a tea strainer/ frenchpress

• Coffee pads/ filter cones - frenchpress/ reusable coffee filter cones or pads

• Baking parchment - grease the cake pan or a reusable silicon mat

• Tin foil/ cling film - store leftovers in a food container or jar, or wrap it in a dish towel or 

• Paper bags/ plastic bags - bring your own tote bag

• Disposable lunch bags - stainless steel food containers, mason jars, dish towels

• Bottled water - reusable bottle and tap water

• Cleaning wipes - microfibre or cotton cloth and homemade vinegar cleaning solution (1/4 cup distilled vinegar + 1 cup of water + (optional) few drops essential oil) 

 

If items breaks repair them or have them repaired. Mend clothing, upcycle items you would otherwise toss, and buy second-hand. Think outside the box, some items you don't have to own it may be sufficient to have access to them such as movies, music, books, tools, and even cars and office space.