Pat Kane is a sustainability educator, writer and speaker, and the founder of reuzi.ie, a minimal waste store that hopes to promote ethically sourced, eco-friendly products to enable change.
By now, most of us are familiar with plastic-free alternatives for day-to-day products - think bags, water bottles, straws and coffee cups.
But what else can we do?
1. Handwash with a good old soap bar
Have you ever thought about the number of plastic bottles in your house that could be replaced by a humble bar of soap?
We often have bottles of hand wash in every bathroom as well as bottles of shower gel. If you want to cut down, soap bars are a super simple solution.
The good news is that there are some fabulous independent Irish soap makers out there, making sustainable soaps that are good for you and good for the planet – check out Janni Bars, Dalkey Handmade Soaps, Foami Connemara and Soap Out Loud.
Read more: 6 reasons to ditch plastic bottles and try a shampoo bar
2. Clingfilm for beeswax wraps
You can simply a plate on top of bowls of leftovers to keep your food fresh, but if you want to add to your zero waste supplies, have a look at beeswax (or soy wax) wraps – either make your own or buy some jazzy ones by Hanna’s Beeswax Wraps.
3. Conventional deodorant for natural deodorant
Conventional deodorants tend to come encased in plastic that might not be easily recyclable.
An easy switch is the plastic free, organic deodorant tube, Jannis Bars or Wild Rose Botanicals have incredible options. Their tubes are made from cardboard and are completely compostable.
If you are keen to try something a bit more different, grab a deodorant bar by Soap Out Loud. They work wonders and my favourite one is the Lavender and Tea Tree Bar.
4. Shampoo bottle for a solid shampoo bar
Back to the bathroom where even if you’ve made the switch to soap I’m willing to bet there are still single use plastic bottles a plenty.
Try out solid shampoo bars to replace your regular bottle – Janni Bars and Soap Out Loud make solid shampoo bars that feel as good or better than your traditional bottled shampoo.
5. Ditch the lunchtime single use plastic
If you have young children of a certain age, you might find yourself with endless empty pouches of pureed food hitting the bin each day or worst: Ziploc bags coming bags in their school bags. Every single day.
Check out re-usable replacements from KeepLeaf and Roll N Eat – the convenience of a pouch without the plastic price tag for the planet. They can also be washed in your dishwasher.
Alternatively, ditch the plastic juice bag or carton for a reusable water bottle. Irish brand Mother Reusables does the job!
There is no one big action that will save the planet overnight, but your everyday smaller actions all add up to being more sustainable – often with surprising results.
For more sustainable tips, visit www.reuzi.ie/blog.
