4 Sustainability Tips For Your Daily Routine

Key takeaways:

• Reinvent your self-care routine by washing your face differently.
• When hanging your clothes, forget about plastic hangers; choose wooden ones.
• It’s time to stop using plastic containers; beeswax containers are an alternative.
• Resist the urge to shop for something new; buy refillable or second-hand products.

“Constant dropping wears away a stone“, a Greek proverb says. This means that consistent small actions, simple drops, even if they seem insignificant alone, can break through what seems unchangeable, a rock!

Today, one of the biggest „rocks“ we face is the lack of sustainability in our world, leading to many challenges. But why can’t we improve this with simple „drops“ of effort?

Here are four tips to make a difference in our daily lives.

Self-care: Switch to reusable cotton pads

What if we said that taking care of ourselves could also mean looking out for the planet?
Many cotton buds, pads and face wipes are often single-use products that are harmful to both us and the environment. They contribute to environmental issues by ending up in landfills or waterways, with wet wipes alone counting for about 93% of the material that causes sewer blockages. [1]

So, our first “drop“ is to go for reusable cotton pads and face wipes. They benefit us by being more gentle on our skin and helping the environment, as you can simply throw them in the washing machine with your laundry.

Home care: Organize your wardrobe with wooden hangers

But these drops don’t just stay on our pads, do they? They also need to impact the space we live in – think about our hangers, for example. They could be made of wood instead of plastic. Wooden hangers are not only better for the environment, they are also stronger and last longer.

Finding them has never been easier. Go on Google, and you’ll find online e-commerce sites or local household stores just around the block from your home.

Cooking: Stop using your plastic containers

Ensure your precious drop of olive oil doesn’t end up in a plastic food container.
While preparing meals or storing leftovers, it’s easy to reach for plastic containers or cling film – think twice! These products contribute to unneeded household waste.

Instead, choose beeswax wraps. These natural cotton sheets have a wax coating that molds to the tops of your bowls, containers and around food. With proper care, they can last up to ten years. After that, you can place the wraps in your compost bin to biodegrade.

Shopping: Don’t shop new; shop refillable

It has been demonstrated that a shopping session can release dopamine in our body. Yes, even at the supermarket. While we may not have control over its release, we do have the power to choose which products to buy. Rest assured that the pleasant effect of the shopping session will not fade.

Household cleaning products are frequently packaged in plastic containers. That’s why you should really switch to reusable containers. According to Unilever research, only one out of every six people buys refillable household products. Why don’t we make them two or more?

Would you like more sustainability drops?

All four drops of this article are taken from our free e-book, “Sustainable Tips for Your Daily Routine”. You can find many more tips in the white paper on our website by visiting this link. 

[1]  “The true cost of flushing your wet wipes” available at: https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/this-is-the-true-cost-of-flushing-your-wet-wipes_uk_5a2fa5d0e4b0789502834130 

[2] “This is your brain at the mall” available at: https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB113382650575214543 

[3]  “Refill at home” available at: https://www.unilever.com/news/press-and-media/press-releases/2019/cif-innovative-at-home-refill-will-remove-1-5-million-plastic-bottles-from-uk-supermarkets/

Author: Tommaso Corso & Federica Paolucci