Are you on the journey to reduce your environmental impact? Here are some simple buys to make your home more Eco friendly:
1. Kitchen Compost bin: A kitchen compost bin can be used to recycle kitchen waste, they are readily available and you can choose a bin with the right shape, size and style to suit your kitchen design. Reduce the amount of material being sent to landfills by collecting your organic waste.
2. Compostable bin bags: line your compost bin and when it’s full put it straight into an outdoor compost bin. Compostable bags are made of natural plant starch, and do not produce any toxic material. Compostable bags break down readily in a composting system through microbial activity to form compost. In order to be classified as compostable they must meet the Australian Standard for compostability AS4736 and will have this symbol.
3. Hemp dish scrubber – compostable – no plastic: sadly today most of us don’t even know about hemp. Many people mistakenly assume hemp as the same thing as marijuana. Others aren’t even aware of its existence. Let’s start with what hemp is? Hemp, or industrial hemp, is a variety of the Cannabis sativa plant species that is grown specifically for the industrial uses of its derived products. It is one of the fastest growing plants and was one of the first plants to be spun into usable fiber 50,000 years ago. It’s biodegradable and it’s being sourced as a solution to plastic. Made from natural, wood-based cellulose and woven hemp fabric, there is no plastic in this sponge at all making it a perfect choice for a zero waste kitchen.
4. Reusable steel straws – Make more environmentally friendly decisions and cut down on the amount of single use plastic you’re using with the help of these Reusable Stainless Steel Straws. There are a range of options available from glass and stainless steel to silicone and hard-wearing, BPA-free plastic or Bamboo.
5. Bathroom bins which separate general waste and recyclable waste. Our bathrooms are filled with shampoo bottles, toilet rolls and cleaning products which could easily be put into our recycling bins when finished with. Here are some examples of recyclable waste which comes from a bathroom: Plastic shampoo, conditioner and shower gel bottles, plastic moisturiser bottles (such as hand cream and body lotion), glass face cream pots (plus the cardboard packaging they come in), perfume and aftershave bottles, bleach and bathroom cleaner bottles, toothpaste boxes and toilet roll tubes. These bins can be used to easily segregate the items that can be recycled:
6. Bamboo toothbrush – compostable once bristles removed. Bamboo toothbrushes are better than plastic ones because the handle (and usually the packaging) is biodegradable, you can put it into your compost after you’re done with it, or reuse it in your garden as a plant stake. What’s more, bamboo is a very fast-growing plant, needs little care and doesn’t require pesticides or fertilisers for cultivation.
7. Reusable Silicone food covers – The perfect alternative to cling film, Silicone Food Covers are the ideal replacement for single-use plastic wrap to seal dishes, bowls, cans, cups or fruit and vegetables. The harmful toxins in plastics make cling wrap an unhealthy choice for food storage. Reusable food covers made from silicone, on the other hand, can withstand heating and freezing without leaching or off-gassing, hazardous chemicals. Silicone is durable, recyclable and more ocean-friendly than plastic.
Making small changes together, we can have a big impact.
