NEWS ABOUT THE state of the environment is at the top of everyone’s news feeds every day, and most of us are eager to make changes in order to cut down on waste and plastic in our own homes in order to help give the environment a fighting chance.
But figuring out which changes to make – and which ones will last – can be daunting.
A lot of us are considering the changes we can make around our own homes, like switching to low-energy light bulbs or switching to a sustainable energy source, and it’s helpful when we can see what our peers are doing in their homes to make them less wasteful.
We talked with six people who have made small changes in their homes to help make their lives a little greener. From swapping plastic straws for a reusable option, to changing toilet paper to a recycled paper brand, here are six ways you can make real changes in your home – right now – to help the environment.
1. Change up your beauty routine
One of the first things I bought was a bamboo toothbrush from the a stand at Bushy Park Market last year. Solid toothpaste tabs are also useful – you can refill the bottle of tabs instead of throwing away a toothpaste tube each time. Or I’ve found that some toothpaste tubes and boxes are recyclable if the tabs just don’t cut it.
For my hair, I pop to Lush to pick up bars of shampoo and conditioner – they also sell little tins to keep the bars in, so they are great for travelling. I rarely use dry shampoo, but if I want a blow dry to last a little longer, I dust my hair with some flour, leave it in for a few mins and brush it out. I use a stainless steel safety razor for shaving.
Instead of bottles of body wash, I use solid soap. I just started cleansing and moisturising my face with products from a shop that does refills. I don’t use cleansing wipes, just facecloths.
- Anna
2. Swap out plastic straws for a reusable option
We’re using reusable straws for the kids now. We chose the silicone ones as I was afraid to use the metal ones with the kids. They come with a special brush for washing and I found them very good.
I hated the plastic ones, and the kids didn’t want to use them either – they talk all green at school, which is a good thing! The paper ones get soggy fast, so we decided to try silicone instead.
- Magda
3. Just stop buying sandwich bags
I stopped buying plastic sandwich bags, and I told myself I would buy them again if I needed to. It was an easy way to cut the plastic out, without it feeling permanent. I bought a small package of beeswax wraps which have been helpful. I still have one box in the bottom drawer, but they are generally out of sight, out of mind.
- Rheagan
4. Switch to cloth napkins
We switched to cloth napkins about two years ago. It was one of the easiest but more impactful things we’ve done!
- Joanne
5. Trade dryer sheets for wool dryer balls
We use wool dryer balls instead of dryer sheets. I purchased them on Amazon and I always put some lavender essential oils on them when I dry my sheets and towels.
- Colleen
6. Change out your toilet rolls for an eco-option
We’ve switched to recycled toilet paper. Each roll is made from recycled paper that comes from books or companies’ paper. They are individually wrapped in paper, no plastic packaging anywhere!
- Yolene
Another great way to be kinder to the environment is to switch to Calor BioLPG, a 100% certified renewable energy, available all over Ireland. Made from sustainably sourced renewable vegetable oils and waste materials, it is delivered, stored and used in exactly the same way as conventional LPG. Calor BioLPG can reduce your home or business carbon emissions by at least 50%, helping you to make a small change for the better.
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