Over the last few years I’ve made some fairly major changes to my way of life. There’s so much more to do and sometimes I feel like I’m really not doing enough. I’ve written this to remind myself of all the things I no longer buy and to show other people how easy it can be to make a few changes. My outgoings have gone down immensely over the last year purely because I refuse to buy single use items, wherever possible. I look for a suitable reusable option for almost everything these days.
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21 Things I No Longer Buy
1. Washing up Sponges / Dishcloths
This is one of the first things I stopped buying. I used to buy the yellow sponges with the green scourer attachment, but I decided to invest in some white cotton dishcloths 3 years ago. Although they came in plastic, so do washing up sponges and I’ve not had to buy anymore. I feel it’s much better to wash the cloths rather than constantly buying new sponges. When they become a bit tatty I use them for other things, like cleaning windows, and I keep some in the car as well. When your dishcloths are no longer reusable there are plenty of alternatives to washing up sponges available.
2. Kitchen Roll
Kitchen roll can be handy, but I realised I didn’t really need it. You sort of get into the habit of using them. When you spill something, instead of using kitchen paper, just use a reusable cloth instead. The only thing kitchen roll is really useful for is when you’re trying to remove excess oil from food. This is rarely an issue for me, but I do recommend looking into reusable paper towels or ‘unpaper towels‘ if you feel the need for a more eco-friendly replacement to kitchen roll.
3. Plastic Drinks Bottles
Another thing I gave up buying a few years ago were any drinks that came in a plastic bottle. I haven’t bought bottled water for a long time and I always carry my reusable water bottle if I’m going to be out and about for a while. Giving up plastic drinks bottles also meant I’ve given up sugary fizzy drinks, and that’s not a bad thing. If I do fancy something like that I find a drink in a glass bottle instead. Yes it’s more expensive, but fizzy drinks are a treat for me so I don’t mind buying one every now and then.
4. Takeaway Coffees
I’m ashamed to admit that when I worked in an office I would buy a large coffee on the way to work and at around 11am I’d buy another one. That’s 2 disposable cups a day, 5 times a week. What an absolute waste of money and an appalling amount of rubbish that couldn’t be recycled. These days I rarely buy coffee when I’m out and about (and I work from home so I can just drink it at home). If I do buy coffee I either sit down and enjoy it out of a proper mug, or I use my reusable coffee cup (essential when I drive long distances). If I’ve forgotten to take my reusable coffee cup with me and I don’t have time to sit and enjoy the coffee, I don’t have one, simple as that.
5. Pre-Packaged Sandwiches
This one is also easier for me as I work from home, but if I’m out for the day I avoid a convenient plastic wrapped sandwich for my lunch and will instead buy something fresh. Although I’m not a huge fan of subway at least their sandwiches come in a paper bag and not plastic. I normally try to buy from independent cafes though and being vegan my options are normally limited anyway, quite often I’ll go without lunch and just eat loads of dinner instead! If I work in an office again, I hope I’ll stick to this and take in my own packed lunches, which would be much cheaper than eating lunch out every day.
6. Plastic Bags at the Supermarket
There’s really no excuse for buying plastic bags at the supermarket. It’s incredibly easy to always have a reusable bag with you at all times. Cotton bags fold up small, and even plastic bags can be stored in your pocket or handbag. My tip… always leave a couple of reusable bags in your car and at least one in your coat pocket or handbag just in case you end up buying something you hadn’t planned.
7. Plastic Wrapped Fruit & Vegetables
This should be much easier than it is, but unless you have a farmers market or greengrocer near to you, and not everyone has, it can be quite difficult to buy loose produce. In fact you’ll notice I’ve specified fruit and vegetables and that’s because with most salad items, lettuce and cucumber in particular, I haven’t found many places where they can be bought without plastic. And if you want tomatoes you’ll often be limited to one variety being sold loose and all the others, including my favourites cherry tomatoes, are often not available without plastic. It’s easy enough to buy potatoes, carrots, broccoli, onions, courgettes, bananas, oranges, apples etc loose, but some fruit and vegetables are only available with plastic, so my diet can be a bit limited. My other issue with fruit and vegetables is that I’d prefer to buy organic, but the organic option normally comes in plastic, in supermarkets anyway.
8. Cling Film
One of the worst inventions, which admittedly had good intentions. I’m not sure I know anyone who actually likes cling film. Fortunately beeswax wraps and other reusable wraps are an excellent substitute.
9. Bottled Shampoo
Around a year ago I had a look around my bathroom and saw numerous bottles on the shelves. All plastic. I decided there and then that once my current shampoo had run out I’d buy shampoo bars instead. If you decide to try shampoo bars my only advice is to try several different ones, just like you would with normal shampoo, to find one that you like and that’s good for your particular hair type and water. Some shampoos are not as good in hard water as they would be in soft water. It took me a little while to find a shampoo bar I love, and I’d never go back to bottled shampoo again.
10. Liquid Soap
Just like the shampoo I realised that although liquid soap is extremely convenient, it really wasn’t necessary. We always used to use soap bars with no problem, it’s very easy to switch back to them. Just be aware that some soap bars come in plastic or cardboard box with a plastic film. There are so many places to buy good quality and reasonably priced soap bars though.
11. Fast Fashion
I’ve never been particularly fashionable but I have spent money on clothes that I didn’t really need, and it turned out that I didn’t really wear very often either. These days I only buy something if I really need it. I try to buy second hand clothes from charity shops, or for some things, like underwear, I’ll buy new but I’ll buy sustainable materials from an ethical clothes company.
12. Knick Knacks
I have a house full of stuff. Some of it I really love, some of it is gifts I’ve received from people over the years, but none of it is particularly useful. I now make a conscious effort not to buy anything unless it’s useful or unless I really, really love it. If I see something I really love I don’t buy it straight away, I leave and if I’m still thinking about it the next day I’ll consider actually buying it. For most things I’ve forgotten about them within a few hours so I’m glad not to have wasted my money on something I wasn’t particularly bothered about and which would have been consumerism for consumerisms sake.
13. Glass Cleaners
You might have noticed that when you go down the household cleaning aisle of a supermarket there’s something specifically designed for each individual cleaning job. You can buy a shower cleaner, a glass / mirror cleaner, a hob cleaner, a kitchen surface cleaner, furniture polish and bathroom cleaners. We’ve been convinced that we need to buy specific solutions for specific cleaning jobs, but that’s rarely the case. One of the cleaning solutions I no longer buy are glass cleaners. You can use vinegar or just water to adequately clean glass.
Check out the eco-friendly way to clean your bathroom.
14. Bleach
Bleach is pretty toxic and the only reason I ever used it was to clean the loo or to unblock drains. I don’t buy it anymore because it’s really not environmentally friendly and baking soda and vinegar work just as well and aren’t harmful to marine life.
15. Bread
I was getting really fed up of buying bread from the supermarket that always came in plastic. Even their ‘fresh’ bread had plastic. At the time I had no local bakery so I started making my own bread. I tend to eat less bread these days as my loaves are more filling than shop bought. Over time my bread has improved as well. I’m saving money and buying far less plastic just by baking my own bread!
16. Meat, Fish and Dairy
This has probably got to be one of the two biggest changes I’ve made in 2020 so far. I decided to go vegan having never really been much of a meat eater. I made the change gradually, which worked for me. My only regret is not having done it sooner. Going vegan is as hard or as easy as you make it and eating less meat, fish and dairy is not only good for the animals, it’s good for the planet too. Even cutting down helps. Maybe changing to a plant milk could be a first step for you. There are numerous resources available to help you to go vegan.
17. Toilet Paper
This is the other massive change this year. Yes, it’s true, one of the things I no longer buy is toilet paper! Instead I use Cheeky Wipes which are a reusable ‘toilet paper’. It took me a while to come round to the idea because it all sounds a bit icky, let’s be honest. But I couldn’t be happier! If you want to buy a Cheeky Wipes Toilet Kit or a Cheeky Wipes Baby Wipes Kit use this link for 15% off your first order over £40.
18. Tampons / Pads
This is another thing I don’t buy which over time has saved me a lot of money. I now use menstrual cups instead of single use tampons or pads. Some people say they can’t use menstrual cups so I recommend looking into all of the plastic free period options that are available instead.
19. Things For People
In the same way that I don’t buy knick knacks for myself, I try not to buy other people gifts either. We all get into the habit of buying people things because we think we should, or because it’s expected, rather than buying them something they actually want or need. I’d rather treat them to a meal out, or an experience, regift something to them or make them something from things I have at home. This makes it a bit more personal too.
20. Slug Pellets
4 years ago when I moved somewhere that had a decent garden I spent money on some lovely plants. They kept being eaten and I was convinced to buy slug pellets. I would never buy these ever again. There are plenty of wildlife friendly alternatives to slug pellets you can try out instead.
21. Spring Onions
This might seem a strange one to include, but I no longer buy them because I regrow my spring onions not because I stopped eating them. There are several different vegetables that you can regrow, spring onions are the first I’ve tried, I hope to add many more to this list. Regrowing vegetables is a simple and easy way to reduce how much money you spend on groceries.
I’ve made lots more changes in the last few years, including reducing my food waste, not using Amazon and instead using independent retailers, I changed to an ethical bank and I’ve planted wildflowers to create an insect friendly garden. Every single one of us can make a difference to the planet and our wallets. What are some of the things you no longer buy?
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