Recently I’ve been getting much more into zero waste, and have made a few transitions already to products that are much more sustainable, as my instagram shows. The opening of 2 bulk and zero waste shops accessible to me has really urged me on, as well as hearing about lots of shops like Iceland starting to consider using less plastic packaging.

However I feel that I can make even more transitions to sustainable products once my current items are used up – so I’ve made a list of things I already do and a list of things I would like switch to this year!

For a free printable download of my 2018 zero waste checklist head to the bottom of the page!x

Things I already use or do:

• Period Cup & Reusable Period Pad
• Block soap with paper packaging/unpackaged
• Bamboo Biodegradable Toothbrush
• Handkerchiefs where possible over tissues. Tissues in a cardboard box are also better than ones in plastic wrappers!
• Body Brush and salt scrub rather than microbeads or a plastic loofah
• Using re-selling sites like ebay/gumtree – I found my camera and lense on gumtree brand new for far cheaper than normal!
• Using charity shops – how I’ve bought my purse, many clothes, some of my mugs
• Using a refillable water bottle rather than buying single-use ones. Mine is metal & a fun pattern which I love
• Reusing gift wrap or using recyclable gift wrap
• Using a reusable coffee cup instead of single use ones
• Having online bank statements and shop updates rather than paper ones
• Using more glass than plastic, e.g. buying honey in a glass jar not a squeezy plastic bottle
• Using a cafetiere (french press) rather than one-use coffee filters
• Keeping a scrap paper pile + use both sides of paper/receipts etc. before recycling. This also means less notebooks/pads/sticky notes to buy!
• Using tote bags/bags for life/making bags out of old fabric or t shirts to do groceries
• Walking or using public transport instead of driving
• Washing things when they are actually dirty, not every time I’ve worn them

Things I would like to look into using or doing:

• Reusable cotton wool pads, e.g. for makeup removal
• Using biodegradable or reusable cottonbuds instead of plastic ones
• Going to bulk supermarkets and stalls more frequently, and bringing my own containers
• Using coconut oil from a glass jar as a makeup remover
• Finding recycled and plastic free toilet roll, maybe from Who Gives a Crap
• Using glass spray perfumes rather than aerosols/plastic sprays
• No straw! I’m also looking into metal/glass ones
• Swapping things with friends/family and taking them to car boots before donating them. Charity shops are great, but often things don’t get sold – for example coats/socks might be useful at a homeless shelter, or a local playgroup might want second-hand toys, instead of everything ending up in one unspecific shop
• Scrapping plastic packaged face masks and opting for ones in glass jars, or better still, diying them. Same with things like lip balm
• Carpooling is also rising in popularity and is something I’d like to look at
• Buying things in paper if I can’t buy them in my own containers – bread and mushrooms are some examples
• Adopting a much more minimalist approach when buying – do I really need 25 t-shirts?
• Getting rid of single-use kitchen items: cling film, single-use washing up liquid bottles, cleaning sprays, paper kitchen towel
• Making my own or bulk buying washing powder

A downloadable checklist: 2018 Zero Waste Checklist