{"id":16733,"date":"2025-09-11T21:35:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T21:35:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/16733\/"},"modified":"2025-09-11T21:35:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T21:35:12","slug":"its-better-than-plastic-and-cheaper-20-sustainable-swaps-that-worked-and-saved-you-money-homes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/16733\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018It\u2019s better than plastic and cheaper\u2019: 20 sustainable swaps that worked (and saved you money) | Homes"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a constant cycle of studies reveal the harm plastic does to our health \u2013 from particles found throughout our bodies<\/a> to the chemicals in plastics being linked to disruptions in our sleep<\/a> \u2013 it\u2019s no wonder many of us want it eliminated from our lives.<\/p>\n

The Guardian\u2019s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link.\u00a0Learn more<\/a>.<\/p>\n

However, after global talks on a treaty to tackle plastic pollution<\/a> were left deadlocked, it\u2019s clearer than ever that if you want to reduce your plastic consumption, it\u2019s an issue you\u2019ll have to tackle on your own. And many of you already are. We asked for eco-friendly swaps that have stuck, and you gave us plenty of tips: from reducing plastic in your grooming routines to savvy ways to cut down on food waste.<\/p>\n

Sustainable swaps that workedLive forever (or just a lot longer): eco-swaps can make sense for the environment and your budget. Photograph: Anna Puzatykh\/Getty ImagesRefillable containers<\/p>\n

I found Life Supplies through a targeted ad and thought I\u2019d try its refillable eucalyptus deodorant when I realised how much single-use plastic I was recycling, probably avoidably. I was amazed to discover an effective and pleasantly fragranced sustainable alternative exists. The glass bottle (with metal lid) is a pleasing thing, and the refillable pump to store your future supplies looks nice in the bathroom. Charlie<\/p>\n

Refillable eucalyptus deodorant<\/p>\n

From \u00a316 at Life Supplies<\/a>Compostable sponges and cloths<\/p>\n

I swapped to Seep for my cleaning sponges, cloths and dishwashing sponges several years ago, and have never looked back. Its products are great. Judith<\/p>\n

Seep sponge scourers and bamboo cloths, one-year supply<\/p>\n

\u00a332 at Seep<\/a><\/p>\n

For more, check out 33 easy plastic-free kitchen swaps<\/a><\/p>\n

A sturdy dustpan<\/p>\n

A metal dustpan. This one is really well made with magnets to hold the pieces together. It also works well. I\u2019m 75 and remember the original metal dustpans of the 50s and 60s being replaced by new plastic ones that were colourful and promised so much, only to find they always split or broke. Jo<\/p>\n

Ecoliving mini dustpan set<\/p>\n

\u00a313.99 at Natural Collection<\/a>\u00a315 at Amazon<\/a>Period pants<\/p>\n

I used to use panty liners to cope with occasional small post-menopausal urine leakage, then I discovered period pants. I find them comfortable and great for travelling. No more panty liners. Morag<\/p>\n

Wuka stretch midi brief<\/p>\n

\u00a316.99 at Wuka<\/a><\/p>\n

For more, check out the best period pants, tried and tested for comfort, style and absorbency<\/a><\/p>\n

Paper bin liners<\/p>\n

Kitchen bins are typically lined with plastic bags. Now that much plastic, glass and food waste is separated out for recycling elsewhere, the rubbish in our \u201cgeneral waste\u201d bags is often dry and capable of being collected and stored in something other than plastic. Large recycled paper bags are available quite cheaply on eBay, and elsewhere, and work for most purposes. Phil<\/p>\n

Paper waste sack 66 litres, pack of 50<\/p>\n

\u00a332.08 at Staples<\/a>\u00a334.06 at Euro Office<\/a>Concentrated cleaner<\/p>\n

I buy my cleaning products from HomeThings: the AllThings cleaner is very good in the kitchen. It comes as a small paper-wrapped pellet that is dropped into any clean reusable spray bottle. Then just add tap water. Anne<\/p>\n

Cleaning spray starter kit<\/p>\n

\u00a319 at HomeThings<\/a>Shampoo bars<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve really cut down on buying products in plastic bottles. I\u2019ve been using Gr\u00fcum\u2019s shampoo and conditioner bars for a few years now. The products are excellent, the bars last for ages, and my hair is in great condition. Anne<\/p>\n

Nourishing shampoo bar with coconut oil<\/p>\n

From \u00a36 at Gr\u00fcum<\/a>\u00a36.95 at Fruugo<\/a><\/p>\n

Nourishing conditioner bar with coconut oil and cocoa butter<\/p>\n

From \u00a37 at Gr\u00fcum<\/a>From \u00a310 at Amazon<\/a><\/p>\n

Shampoo bar carry tin<\/p>\n

\u00a33 at Gr\u00fcum<\/a>Rewrapping cheese<\/p>\n

I worry about clingfilm and have made my own beeswax wrappers, but I\u2019ve come up with a much simpler method, especially good for rewrapping cheese. I open the wrapper with scissors, and after cutting off a chunk to eat, I fold the wrapper like you would to wrap the end of a present and secure it with an elastic band. Adele Zaslawska<\/p>\n

A great book of tips<\/p>\n

I am changing my habits thanks to Nancy Birtwhistle. A Great British Bake Off winner, she\u2019s also written a number of books on a more eco-friendly way of life. One recent discovery through Nancy is that bicarbonate of soda is a great stain remover. Kerry<\/p>\n

Clean & Green by Nancy Birtwhistle<\/p>\n

\u00a39.89 at the Guardian Bookshop<\/a>\u00a310.02 at Amazon<\/a>Bulk-buy household staples<\/p>\n

A big reduction in packaging in this house has been to buy all our staples \u2013 flour, rice, sugar, dry beans, dried fruit, washing-up liquid, hand soap and laundry powder \u2013 in large quantities at about two- to three-month intervals and decant them into smaller containers as necessary. Anonymous<\/p>\n

Lemon washing-up liquid 5 litres<\/p>\n

From \u00a332.99 at Faith in Nature<\/a> Photograph: Lee Avison\/Alamy<\/p>\n

Organic spelt conchiglie 4kg<\/p>\n

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\u00a330 at Hodmedod\u2019s<\/a>Coir brush scrubber<\/p>\n

For washing-up, there is nothing better than this scrub brush. It\u2019s better than plastic ones, cheaper and more effective. It lasts for months and then you can compost it. The pan scraper also takes off badly burned sauce and shouldn\u2019t mark non-stick pans. One lasts about a year. Henry Richards<\/p>\n

LoofCo mini scrub brush<\/p>\n

\u00a32.50 at Bodykind<\/a>\u00a32.50 at Natural Collection<\/a><\/p>\n

LoofCo washing-up scraper<\/p>\n

\u00a32.90 at &Keep<\/a>\u00a36.38 at Amazon<\/a>Face soap<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve discovered face soap, and one bar has lasted me at least 16 months, so it\u2019s economical too. Being green saves money \u2013 perhaps that\u2019s a message that not enough people get. Christine<\/p>\n

Gallin\u00e9e prebiotic cleansing bar perfume-free<\/p>\n

\u00a311.30 at Notino<\/a>\u00a313 at Look Fantastic<\/a>Cotton cleaning cloths<\/p>\n

These things are absolutely brilliant for washing-up. They\u2019re made of 100% cotton looped-pile towelling, which is stiffened to give a firm and rough texture. They don\u2019t get clogged up with food the way a sponge scourer does, but I chuck mine in the wash with the towels every week to keep it fresh. Maggie<\/p>\n

Kilo non-scratch scourer, set of three<\/p>\n

\u00a312.87 at eBay<\/a>\u00a39.99 at Amazon<\/a>Organic vegetable box<\/p>\n

For years we\u2019ve been exasperated to see that organic foodstuff is never supplied without plastic ties, nets and wrapping in supermarkets, which are impervious to complaints. The only way to sidestep this problem is to order zero-packaging deliveries via firms like Riverford, or to grow our own. Market gardens are long overdue a revival and organically produced food available in a nearby grocery should not be the sole preserve of the rich. Anonymous<\/p>\n

Seasonal fruit and veg boxes<\/p>\n

From \u00a317.95 at Riverford<\/a>Cleanser and flannels<\/p>\n

Instead of using throwaway wipes, fancy expensive designer muslin cloths or exfoliating scrubs, I massage cleanser on my face and gently wipe away with a traditional towelling flannel cloth, wrung out with warm water. It gently exfoliates and is cheap and reusable. Melanie<\/p>\n

Anyday white flannels, pack of five<\/p>\n

\u00a35 at John Lewis<\/a><\/p>\n

Pure cotton face cloths, pack of seven<\/p>\n

\u00a35 at M&S<\/a>Toilet paper gel<\/p>\n

I have switched from using toilet wet-wipes to using Wype gel on toilet paper. Excellent alternative. Jenny<\/p>\n

Wype toilet paper gel and reusable applicator<\/p>\n

From \u00a310.99 at Wype<\/a>\u00a310.99 at Boots<\/a>Shaving with soap<\/p>\n

Growing up, I watched my father shave, and all he would do was rub a bar of soap over his stubble. As I began to shave and saw what flatmates around me did, I experimented with various shaving foams, soaps and oils. But after trying it, I stuck to a bar of soap, like my dad. Over the decades, how much waste have I not created? Neil<\/p>\n

Friendly soap fragrance-free shaving bar<\/p>\n

From \u00a32.80 at Bodykind<\/a>From \u00a32.80 at &Keep<\/a><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t try to do zero-waste shopping all at once, but pick a specific target \u2013 zero-waste breakfast or grains, for example. This is more manageable and doesn\u2019t require you to find a large number of containers at the off. Jeff Tupholme<\/p>\n

Find a refill shop at Local Zero Waste<\/a>Cotton soap sacks<\/p>\n

I crocheted soap sacks out of cotton yarn, to put a bar in for washing in the bath and shower. We also use a milkman, who delivers in glass bottles. Danielle Jackson-Couldrey<\/p>\n

Natural collection exfoliating soap bag<\/p>\n

\u00a33 at Boots<\/a><\/p>\n

Milk delivery service<\/p>\n

From \u00a31 a pint at the Modern Milkman<\/a>Scrap-fabric hankies<\/p>\n

An eco-friendly swap that\u2019s stuck for me is hankies and reusable cloth wipes. We\u2019ve managed to eliminate tissues from our household. Our hankies aren\u2019t fancy \u2013 they\u2019re bits of cut-up old T-shirts or bed sheets or scraps of fabric from sewing projects. They\u2019re useful for mucky faces and hands, for when you\u2019ve got a runny nose, or just as a napkin at the dinner table. They\u2019re stronger than tissues and you can use them wet. We use them once and pop them straight in the washing machine. Linda Tai<\/p>\n

Have you made an eco-friendly swap that\u2019s saved you money? Let us know by emailing us at thefilter@theguardian.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As a constant cycle of studies reveal the harm plastic does to our health \u2013 from particles found…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16734,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[273,111,139,69,147],"class_list":{"0":"post-16733","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-environment","8":"tag-environment","9":"tag-new-zealand","10":"tag-newzealand","11":"tag-nz","12":"tag-science"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16733","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16733"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16733\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16734"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16733"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16733"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16733"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}