Sustainable shopping choices

Trying to make sustainable changes to your lifestyle can seem like a mammoth task, but it doesn’t have to be. Starting small and working your way up is the best way to make your lifestyle more environmentally friendly!

I recently started to make changes to my lifestyle that are more friendly towards the environment – this can be through not driving everywhere, eating veggie meals, or making changes to what you buy. To help you get started I’ve compiled a helpful list of some quick and easy changes you can make to what you buy that aren’t too expensive!

Shampoo bars

These are a great way to reduce plastic and aren’t too expensive. Lots of brands do them and they have a wide range to choose from that caters to all types of hair. These are great for travelling and are really easy to use!

Metal straws

Metal or paper straws are one of the most common ways to reduce plastic and are so easy to get hold of. You can grab them from Amazon, supermarkets, or places on the high street. They come with a pipe cleaner and are easy to store as well! This is such an easy way to reduce plastic as you can reuse them forever!

Reusable makeup wipes/cloth

For anyone who wears makeup, this is such a good change to make! Getting reusable cotton pads and a reusable cloth to take off your makeup with can help reduce lots of waste. I personally combine use the Chamomile makeup remover from The Body Shop by rubbing it onto my face and then using the cloth to wipe off my makeup with warm water. It’s so easy and actually ends up being more cost-effective as you don’t have to keep buying wipes and cotton pads!

Refillable shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel bottles

For people who aren’t a fan of the shampoo bars and want a different way to wash your hair whilst still benefiting the environment – this could be for you! These metal bottles can be refilled forever and are recyclable as well. I use the Body Shop for my refillable bottles but there are many other brands and places that have a similar concept. You can also get refillable shower gels that work in the exact same way!

Reusable vegetable bags

These are great for when you go shopping and get loose veg! You can use them every time and they can be washed as well. This avoids having to use unnecessary plastics to keep the veg in that will inevitably be thrown away when you get back home.

Reusable bags

This seems like a pretty obvious one nowadays but we’re all guilty of forgetting them! Try putting reusable bags in places you will remember them and taking them with you when you nip into town as you never know what you’ll pick up! You could even try getting some tote bags as these can be great to pop bits and bobs in that you grab!

These are just a few of the things that you can do to reduce how much plastic and waste is thrown away – but there are lots of options and these are just a few examples of how you can get started! The key is to start small and not feel overwhelmed!