The world, as we know, is becoming increasingly more geared towards environmentally friendly and greener practices all in an attempt to make the Earth more sustainable. Not to mention, the increase in disposable protective PPE has been enforced to reduce harmful bacteria contaminating and spreading throughout our biosphere. Further practices that have been recommended is the use of biodegradable tissues and electric powered vehicles to reduce carbon emissions. As such, this article is going to discuss 5 environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday products that you should consider incorporating into your lifestyle today.
1) Reusable Shopping Bags
To start our list of environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday products we have reusable shopping bags. Fortunately and perhaps unfortunately, locations which readily stock plastic bags such as supermarket chains or retail stores offer plastic bags for as little as 5p. This is hugely beneficial to the consumer when transporting their groceries or shopping items to their car or home, but if the same consumer decides to simply discard the plastic bag into the Earth’s environment, it can take anywhere from 500 – 1000 years to decompose. The reason why this is a problem is because plastic bags are derived from crude oil. This is a major problem because crude oil emits significant amounts of pollution. If this gets into contact with the Earth’s landscape, it can cause wildlife to be wiped out or wither away.
Thankfully, this is where reusable shopping bags come into play. Reusable shopping bags completely eliminate the temptation for users to simply discard their plastic bags. This is because, as the name suggests, the bags can be reused over and over again. What’s also key here is that reusable bags are inexpensive with some going for as little as £2 in today’s market and can last you a lifetime.
2) Bamboo Toilet Rolls
Next on this list of environmentally friendly alternatives to everyday products we have Bamboo toilet rolls. Bamboo toilet rolls are a fantastic alternative to the standard loo roll you often see in home bathrooms. This is because they are made from 100% bamboo which is a highly sustainable resource due to its fast growing properties. Not to mention, it requires no fertiliser and self-regenerates from its own roots meaning it doesn’t need to be replanted. This is clearly a better alternative to obtaining paper from trees as tree consumption is momentous in today’s modern society with 80,000 acres of forests disappearing from the Earth every day! Finally, bamboo toilet roll is naturally antibacterial, anti-fungal, odour resistant and hypo-allergenic, which means it is also kinder to the skin than regular toilet paper. A win-win for everyone.
3) Reusable Coffee Cups
Next on our list we have reusable coffee cups. Coffee has been a UK staple in recent years with approximately 3.9 billion pounds worth of coffee drinks bought every year with regular coffee drinkers having, on average, two cups of coffee everyday. Consequently, there is a huge potential that a large volume of plastic polyethylene coffee cups are discarded and circulated into the Earth’s landscape and harming the environment. This is where reusable coffee cups come in. Reusable coffee cups are typically made out of 100% food grade silicone so that you can be sure your coffee does not become contaminated within the product. Not to mention, as the name suggests, they can be reused over and over again so this eliminates the need for them to be carelessly thrown away to the natural environment. Finally, reusable coffee cups are also typically made to barista’s standards, so they fit perfectly on the machine of your favourite coffee shop.
4) Recycling Toothbrushes
Recycled toothbrushes are yet another environmentally friendly alternative to everyday products that you can easily incorporate into your lifestyle. Generally speaking, most recycled toothbrushes are made from 100% food-grade, post-consumer recycled plastic. It is well documented that in the UK alone, 264 million brushes are thrown away every year and for each of those plastic toothbrushes that go into landfills or oceans, they will take over 450 years to decompose. Clearly this is not an environmental method of living which is why recycled toothbrushes are the go to alternative when trying to combat this. Recycled toothbrushes, especially those made from bamboo, can also be put in compost and will decompose back into the earth within 4-6 months which is ideal for maintaining environmentally friendly practices.
5) Rechargeable Batteries
Last on this list, we have rechargeable batteries. Rechargeable batteries are made up of a variety of chemicals, some of which are toxic and can cause the Earth’s soil and water to be prone to pollution. For this reason alone, they can be incredibly harmful to wildlife and the sea. Thankfully, the innovation of rechargeable batteries has meant that users no longer are required to throw their batteries away and instead, can reuse them multiple times over. Simply put a compatible charging cable into a rechargeable battery, leave to charge for a few hours and you are good to go.
