I have been looking to reduce my waste for a while now and I have been doing it gradually. It is not something that happens overnight and every little step counts.
You are maybe wondering how changing small things could make a big difference so I am going to share a few reusables I have been using on a daily basis that helped me to reduce my waste. Hopefully you’ll find something that will help you too 😉
They replaced the disposable cotton rounds.
These are the first reusables I got 2.5 years ago in a cooperative shop in Brussels. I have been using them ever since to remove my make-up, and to wash off face masks.
I have 12 of them and wash them in a 40°- 60° cycle or put them in boiling water for 15 minutes with a teaspoon of baking soda and a drop of essential oil (any one I have available).
Here are some similar ones, I can’t remember the brand of mines. In 2.5 years I would have used at least 900 cotton rounds, and now I only use 12!
This isn’t a reusable per say but it replaced the liquid shampoo and the plastic bottle it comes in. I started to use it for my travels, under the advice of a friend of mine (shout out Jess!) to avoid any spilling in my luggage. Not only are they handy in that sense, they are also made with natural ingredients and make my hair feel really clean and it avoids throwing between 10 and 12 shampoo bottles per year. I call it a win-win!
I have been using commercial shampoo again during the last month because I got a bunch from a friend that cleaned hotel rooms where he found a lot of bottles still full. So I am going to use those first but I can’t wait to go back to use solid shampoo because my hair doesn’t feel clean for more than one day right now.
I love this one by Lush, I smell like jasmine for two days after the shower!
It replaced the usual non recyclable plastic toothbrushes.
I wish I had done this swap long ago, because it is a very easy one. Honestly nothing changes from any other toothbrush except that you can put it in the compost or burn it in your fireplace/wood-stove !
Just be aware that most of the time the bristles are made of plastic so make sure they are BPA-free and to pluck them and separate them before you throw the handle in the compost.
It replaced the disposable razors.
I never was one to wax, because… well I don’t like to suffer, so I used a lot of disposable razors which are non recyclable. This swap will save me a lot of money and save a lot of plastic from going to landfill.
I bought this one from Parker, I like how it looks and the handle is not too bulky and offers a really good grip in the slippery shower. Note, my hands are quite small so the length of the handle is perfect for me, but you might want to go with another length if your hands are bigger.
The blade I use is the Shark blade from Lord Co. and I change it every month, or every 5 uses. I clean my razor with dish washing soap and an old toothbrush after every use and let it air dry. I am collecting the used blades and will see how to dispose of them in the future. It is forbidden to put them in the recycling or in the general bin because they can be a safety hazard to the sanitation workers that will sort out the trash. I’ll let you know when I find out how to dispose of them.
This one I also have been using for 2.5 years. I mainly got it because I was tired of buying tampons and sanitary pads every month, it gets expensive ! On the plus side there is also that I create less waste during my period.
I started using it sporadically to get used to it and now I use it every time. It takes a bit of getting used to just like tampons. It is great because you can leave it on safely for 12 h so if you have busy days you deal with it in the evening when you go home!
Before and after the period I put it in boiling water for 15 min with baking soda to sanitize it. During the week I just wash it thoroughly with soap.
Voilà, here are some of the things I use to reduce my waste!
Tell me what you do to reduce yours! Do you have any favourite reusables, any useful tips?
Let me know 😉
