Easy eco-friendly swaps part 2

¡Hola amigos! (I'm learning Spanish at the moment)

I am back with part 2 of the swaps you can do at home to become more eco-conscious. I forgot to say in my last post but the first thing I suggest you do before you buy any of these products, is reuse whatever items you already have. Only buy the alternative eco-friendly products once your current item is broken or used up so you don't produce any unnecessary waste. 

That said, if you are looking to replace an item in your home that has been finished, with a more environmentally-friendly product, then look no further!

Recyclable gift wrap

Unfortunately, wrapping paper that is sparkly, shiny, glossy or crinkly is not recyclable and will end up in a landfill where it will contribute to large amounts of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is because the film over the paper that makes it glossy is made of Mylar, which is a plastic film coated in aluminium. 

But don't worry, you can still wrap your gifts in colourful paper as long as it is matte. You can also be more creative and wrap your presents in colourful fabric bags or tea towels which adds a bonus gift! Or you can be fancy and use gift wrap that grows into wildflowers when you plant it! A nice touch is to decorate the gift with raffia or some flowers from your garden as well. 

You can find gift wrap that grows on Amazon and cards that can grow on Faithful to Nature.
There are many colourful wrapping paper alternatives on Faithful to Nature.

Eco-friendly cleaning supplies

Instead of using harmful chemicals to clean your home, try out some green cleaners. The ingredients in detergents and cleaners are often dangerous to human and animal health and they can leach into the sea and even your own garden. There are so many natural alternatives to surface cleaners and laundry detergents that you can buy from your local supermarket or you can make your own! 

I have done some research into green cleaners and because the market is not as strictly regulated, sometimes not all the ingredients are listed on the bottle so be careful when you purchase these items. 

You can find all sorts of natural cleaners on Amazon and Faithful to Nature and also at Pick n Pay. The photo below shows one of the brands we use, ProBac, where all the ingredients are naturally sourced and it is completely biodegradable.

You can make your own surface and glass cleaners by adding three parts water to one part vinegar (white spirit vinegar is commonly used). You can add small amounts of lemon juice as an antibacterial and baking soda to get rid of tough stains. By mixing in some essential oils, you can also make your cleaners scented.

Click here for a few more recipes.

Rechargeable batteries 

Batteries are one of those things that always ends up being a headache...from having tonnes of batteries that have run out (see above), to having every size of battery but the one you need. An easy fix is to buy rechargeable ones! That means that you don't have to buy batteries all the time and figure out how to recycle them safely. You can simply plug them in once they have run out and save yourself any worry. You are also able to buy rechargeable lighters instead of using butane-filled lighters or matches.

You can find them on Amazon and Takelot.

Bamboo toothbrushes

Toothbrushes are such a menial item to think about when it comes to being environmentally friendly but you would be amazed to see how wasteful toothbrushes can be. Thousands of toothbrushes end up in landfill and the ocean and are detrimental to the environment. If you would prefer to stick with your current toothbrush, eco brick them so they are not producing unnecessary waste.

The picture below shows all the plastic toothbrushes we have in our house and there are only four of us!

Another option to consider is to buy a bamboo toothbrush as they are compostable and do not harm the environment at any part of their manufacturing process. Bamboo grows incredibly quickly so buying and using bamboo products puts no strain on the natural resource. Bamboo grows very well without the need for pesticides and harvesting bamboo requires very minimal equipment. This means that these toothbrushes are a great eco-alternative to the common plastic ones.

I hope that these ideas have inspired you to think of interesting ways in which you can help the environment and that you stay tuned for ways you can reduce your food waste. My friend helped me come up with cool eco-friendly swaps so shoutout to Fatima! Share your own tips or try out the ones in this blog post and tag me on Instagram @erincoullblog.