Sustainability is becoming an increasingly important issue, and many people are looking for ways to reduce their impact on the environment.
Products marketed as ‘eco-friendly’ can be costly, and give the impression that sustainability is only for the few that can afford it, but this isn't entirely true. In fact, we’ve compiled a list of five easy, sustainable swaps that are affordable.
1. Reusable Water Bottle
One of the easiest and most affordable sustainable swaps is to switch to a reusable water bottle.
Single-use plastic water bottles are a major contributor to plastic waste. In fact, humans use about 1.2 million plastic bottles per minute, and the amount of plastic produced in a year is roughly the same as the entire weight of humanity, according to Earth Day.
It doesn’t have to be fancy, either. Get down to Big Asda and grab a reusable bottle for as little as £1, which is actually cheaper than a single-use bottle in most cases!
2. Cloth Napkins
When I read this, I wondered who uses paper napkins at all - but this is exactly why this is such a great swap. You won’t notice the change.
This article from Treehugger goes into great depth about how much waste cotton production contributes to, and compares it to the environmental impact of single-use paper cloths.
You can take this one step further and ditch the Plenty sheets for a reusable cloth to mop up spills.
3. Reusable Bags
You know the drill.
Use your bags for life, and remember to bring the million-and-one plastic bags you have stored under the sink to the shop with you!
If you drive try putting reusable bags in the boot of your car, and skipping the bags at the checkout - instead, pack your bags at the car.
4. LED Light Bulbs
Switching to LED light bulbs is another affordable and sustainable swap.
LED bulbs use less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, which can help reduce your environmental impact and save you money on your energy bill. LED bulbs are also more durable than incandescent bulbs, which means you'll need to replace them less often.
Plus, you can get them in loads of colours!
5. Reusable Food Containers
Single-use plastic food containers are a major contributor to waste, and switching to reusable containers can be a great way to reduce your environmental impact.
You can even pretend you’re as cool as the ‘TikTok Bento Moms’ like @sulheejessica when you pack your bate for work or school - or maybe that’s just me?
While it might seem like little swaps don’t make much of a difference in combating excess waste and climate change, taking a second to think can really put things into perspective - what if we all made just one easy swap?
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