By now we are, or should be, well versed in using reusable coffee cups and water bottles, saying no to plastic straws, taking our own bags to the supermarkets and picking up the huge amount of discarded packaging littering our countryside and beaches. But we don’t have to stop there. We can make a difference before we’ve even left the house.
If you look in your cupboard under your sink you will see a sea of plastic bottles housing your cleaning products. Plastic bottles make up for 14% of all plastic waste (versus plastic bags 1%). Although most of us pop our empties in the recycling bin, the majority will be unaware that household product bottles are ‘down-cycled’ rather than recycled due to the ‘taint’, which is product residue left in the bottles.
So, where do you start? Firstly, think about the different kinds of cleaners you are using. Do you really need a different product to clean your work surfaces, bath, sink, hob etc? Buying a multi-purpose cleaner for all these jobs will half your plastic wastage just like that, and free up a lot of cupboard space too!
However, don’t stop there. For less money, less throw away packaging, plus reducing the toxins in your home, water and air, why not make your own? Manufactured products can also agitate allergies and even poison people and animals in your home. If you check the back of some of your bottles you will notice warnings such as: Keep out of reach of children, avoid breathing spray, keep away from eyes etc. This can be avoided if you know exactly what is going into your concoctions.
So what are you options?
Homemade recipes with natural ingredients
