Packaging. There is so much of it in our everyday lives that it can become easy to overlook our part in creating so much waste, every day.
Plastic, plastic, everywhere. We have certainly become so dependent on it and I just can’t see that as a good thing, I’m afraid.
So I have spent quite a lot of time over the years, looking for alternatives to a few of my pet gripes of plastic use and waste here in my home. Here I will share with you some really easy swaps we have made over the last 20 years or so. Some of the swaps will seem initially more expensive but have, in the long run, proven far less draining on the wallet than the conventionally accepted plastic wraps and packaging options that might offer cheap convenience at the time but really cost us all in the long run – in more ways than one.
1) Plastic food wrap/Cling wrap/Glad wrap
Whatever you call it, it’s all the same….a single use piece of plastic that might only be used for a couple of hours at times (we’ve all done it – taken a salad to a BBQ and covered the bowl with cling wrap). It is one of the most overlooked areas of packaging waste in the home and there are so many ways we can avoid it:
- Glass clip lock lid containers for leftovers and for transporting foods or the Pyrex glass containers with lids.
- Even good quality, BPA free plastic reusable containers would be an improvement on cling wrap
- Stainless steel containers for foods/leftovers/packed lunches….When my son was tiny and we were needing to pack food with us (and then later with him to go to preschool and school) I bought us all a set of stainless steel lunch containers. They ranged from $20 -$35 per container. That was 14 years ago and we have used them every day since and they are still perfect. They do not wear out! It’s an investment for a lifetime of use – no throw-away.
- Washable, re-useable beeswaxed cotton wraps – what a wonderful alternative!! These come in a variety of sizes and are brilliant!
- Silicone pouches for storing foods in fridge/freezer. These have been a more recent addition for us but they are proving to be super handy. They come in lots of sizes and they seal well – I have frozen soups, bone broth, baked goods, stored frozen ice cubes of lime and lemon juice in them….all sorts of things. And they are sturdy, washable and reusable. Unlike the little sealable plastic bags which are flimsy and often develop holes or breaks in the freezer.
2) Shampoo, Conditioner, Body lotion – and all the plastic bottles they come in
This might seem like an unavoidable packaging issue but there are actually a few really great eco-conscious companies out there doing great things in this space.
Solid shampoo and conditioner bars have become our replacement for the conventional liquid options and we WILL NEVER GO BACK!! Admittedly, it has taken us a few tries at a few different brands of shampoo and conditioner but we have found what works for us (Ethique) and have been using them for a few years now and loving them. This particular company also offers solid bars of moisturisers, face cleansers and scrubs and they have recently come out with the option of mixing up your own liquid shampoo, conditioner and body lotions from solid bars. This appealed to me for the body lotion and, upon trying it, I am a convert – no more plastic bottles of moisturisers for me…I mix up one of their body lotion bars (designed to make into liquid) with boiling water until it’s completely broken down and creamy and keep it stored in a re-purposed screw top glass jar I’ve saved. The boxes the bars come in are all recyclable and their ingredients are also eco-friendly. Win, win! I would definitely encourage you to look into the solid shampoo and conditioner bars at least – we have been surprised and thrilled with the swap.
Something else I have done for years is to actually mostly just use the pure oils for moisturisers rather than the commercially available moisturiser blends. I love Rosehip oil for my face – just 3 drops mixed with a little water and thoroughly massaged into the face and neck. Perfect! I’m a fan of coconut oil for my body, although I have also used Almond oil, Apricot kernel oil, and a mix of these with calendula oil. Pretty much anything you can eat, you can be assured will be safe to rub into your skin. I keep them in glass jars or bottles in the bathroom and I literally fill them up from the larger jars and bottles I keep in the kitchen for use in our meals. It’s lovely to apply them after a shower of an evening, pop the pj’s on and settle into bed to let your skin soak it in.
There is also the option of taking you re-usable containers to your bulk supply store and filling up there with the shampoo, conditioner, moisturisers, etc on offer. So much less waste!
3) Packaged foods
This is one area that many of us find it a little harder to shift the dial on packaging waste. But it’s also an area that doesn’t need to be so difficult if we just think outside the box….or the package, to be exact.
Purchasing pre-packaged food-like products has become a habit many have settled into for the convenience that it provides. But when we actually contemplate the amount of waste we are creating from these purchases, perhaps we’d realise it isn’t so convenient afterall.
Some of the ways that we have tried to minimise the packaging we bring into the house via the grocery shop are:
- Growing our own vegies and herbs and whatever else we can!
- Purchasing mostly whole foods that don’t come in packets
- Using re-usable bags or containers to collect up our goods at the store.
- Purchasing from bulk supply stores where we are able to bring our own containers to fill up with flours, nuts, seeds, beans and pulses, dried herbs, oils, etc, etc
- Never purchasing packets of packets of things….you know what I’m talking about. Those large packages filled with single serve snack foods. Never. I just can’t do it.
- Baking our own biscuits/muffins etc and storing them in the freezer ready to pop into containers when needed. You can even make your own crackers pretty easily too…
- Cooking from scratch – simple, but the best way to avoid A LOT of packaging. Especially when the produce and products used in the meals are whole foods that have not come into the house packaged in the first place. Not only is the packaging reduced or eliminated – the food will be far better for us without the long list of flavourings, preservatives, colourings and other additives ubiquitous to the pre-packaged foods
- Purchasing from the butcher rather than from the supermarkets where just about everything is pre-packaged in A LOT of plastic
- Using loose leaf teas with either teapots or single cup re-usable infusers rather than tea bags and also loose coffee grinds in one of the many coffee making options rather than throw away pods (you can even purchase stainless steel reusable pods now for almost every pod machine on the market, so there is no excuse to keep using the over-packaged commercially prolific throw away pods)
- Washing and re-using any glass jars we bring into the house for storing bulk supplied food stuffs, leftovers, bathroom items.
- Washing and re-using certain plastic containers/packaging for storing certain foods in the freezer
- Choosing glass or cardboard/paper packaging over plastic where possible
- Choosing recyclable packing where possible
4) Avoiding single use cups/plates/cutlery
Admittedly, this isn’t always possible. Sometimes when out and about we are caught without our re-usable coffee cups or I might forget to re-pack the collection of forks and knives and spoons I keep in the glovebox from the last time we used them and washed them up, but I think the key here is to start to become aware of just how much we could be saving from going to landfill if we simply became a little more conscious of our usage.
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to put in place a few of the following strategies to help us on our way to becoming more conscious consumers when out and about:
- Keep a container of forks, spoons, knives in the car so that if you order takeout to picnic somewhere you don’t need to use the plastic offerings of the takeout shop. Maybe you could pick up some cheap second hand cutlery at an op shop to use for these times. Once used, bring them into the house upon your return, wash them up and be sure to put them back into the car for next time
- Keep a re-usable cup with you – in your bag, in the car, at your office – and remember to use it, wherever it’s possible, in favour of single use cups
- Opt to have a cuppa in the café where possible - this way you will usually have the option to enjoy it from a ceramic cup which can be washed and reused a million times
- Consider using your own crockery and cutlery and glasses etc when hosting larger gatherings at home. I know, I know – throw-away plates and cutlery etc mean less work on the day. They are quick and easy. I get it.
But I really think it is past time that we start to be honest about the real cost of these choices we make. And let’s be honest – if we are hosting a gathering, there are usually extra hands on offer to make the clean-up quicker and easier anyway, for far less cost to our environment- and those times at the sink with friends usually lead to some great conversations, plenty of laughs and, if it's that kind of a party, a chance to do all of this over a shared bottle of bubbly as we get the job done!
- Use a reusable water bottle and take it everywhere you go! This ought to be a no-brainer.
5) Laundry/cleaning products
Again, this one can often be tricky for people. But in actual fact there are a lot of options out there for us – it comes down to giving things a try.
So many of the cleaning products on the market are more of an exercise in excess than in actual need. It is amazing what can be achieved with a little bicarb soda, vinegar, water and lemon juice and perhaps a few essential oils. And, of course, a little elbow grease. Often times, simplifying our cleaning products is the first step….
But if making your own concoctions is way out of your comfort zone, I would encourage you to investigate your local bulk supplies store, as many of them nowadays provide you with the opportunity to bring in your re-usable containers to fill up with (often times eco-friendly) dishwashing liquid, laundry liquid, all-purpose cleaning solutions and more. Even handwash liquid, shampoo and conditioners too.
I have also recently seen laundry sheets come onto the market – small sheets of dehydrated concentrated laundry liquid (I guess), which we can use in the washing machine in place of liquids or powders. I’ve not yet tried them but I’m keen to give them a go – a huge saving on packaging, as they come in a cardboard box and are bulk packed.
So there you have it. Just a few suggestions I’ve come up with over the years as I’ve tried to minimise the amount of waste we bring into our home via the foods and products we use regularly.
By no means is this a definitive list! And by no means are we a family of eco-warriors who make all the best choices every single day. Far from it. But we are conscious that our choices every day do make a difference, just as yours do. We can choose what is often the easy option but we need to be aware of the real cost of these choices. It doesn’t stop with the monetary price we have paid for the item, that is for sure.
Not all of these suggestions will be doable for some. And not all of these suggestions will even be attractive to some. But just beginning to think about our choices and starting to investigate other options is something that we can all do. And, like all things, small changes can lead to bigger ones.
Creating less waste surely couldn’t be a bad thing, right?
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