*AD. These products were gifted but all views are my own.
Climate change is a huge problem and is continuously threatening our planet. I think that even though Covid has dominated our lives during the past 2 years, the climate crisis still needs to be addressed.
I am more aware of the impact I have on the planet now after thinking about what I buy or the habits I practise really affect the planet. In the past year or so, I have made more of a conscious effort to learn more and change some of my habits and what I am purchasing, to reduce my negative impact on the environment and planet.
Upon investigating and reading more about the climate crisis, the information I have found is both scary and shocking. The last decade was the hottest in 125,000 years; as a result we are losing 1.2 trillion tonnes of ice each year, which I think is completely terrifying; moreover, CO₂ levels are at their highest in 2 million years. These facts are so worrying, but if everyone makes small and easy swaps in their daily lives, we can all make such a positive change.
Making small changes does not have to be a struggle’ it is much easier than you think. I have compiled a list of small swaps you can make moving forwards. You can start making these changes today, read how with 8 easy swaps.
1. Swap Disposable Face Wipes/Cotton Pads To Reusable Face Cloths
The average woman uses 3 cotton pads per day, which amounts to over a 1,000 per year being thrown away, leading to a huge amount of waste in landfill; this could easily be avoided. Reusable face cloths are the perfect and inexpensive way to eliminate cotton pad waste.
Cheeky Wipes offer a range of luxury, patterned, padded plush and bamboo reusable make-up removing cloths. They have a soft plush on one side and bamboo on the other. You can use these with an oily and soapy cleanser. They also offer pads that are for micellar water and cleansers. These pads are machine washable, so you can use them as many times as you want.
2. Swap Meat-Based Dog Food To Plant-Based Dog Food
It has been calculated that meat-eating by dogs and cats creates the equivalent of about 64 million tons of carbon dioxide a year, which has around the same climate impact as a year’s worth of driving from 13.6 million cars! So making the swap to vegan food for your dog can have a positive impact.
Dog parents need to be aware that some conventional dog food can also contain other ingredients besides pure meat such as: blood, skin, bones and other parts of the dead animal. Dogs have a different digestive tract and both their small and large intestines are much shorter. This means that the more plant-based a dog’s diet, the longer its digestive processes will last. One example of this is Bramble, a Border Collie, who lived until he was 25 years old (the average age for a Collie is 14!) on a plant-based diet.
THE PACK provides a science-backed, nutritionist-crafted food that puts your dog’s health above all else. Their blends have pulses, proteins, seeds, fruits, vegetables and superfoods to give your dog the healthiest meal.
THE PACK has the ‘No-Cluck Casserole,’ ‘No Moo Ragu and ‘No-Fishy Dishy’. There are so many key ingredients that all provide benefits to your dog’s overall health. Be sure to head to their website where you can find out more and tips on how to transition your dog over to a plant-based or a flexitarian diet.
3. Swap To Bamboo Products
Bamboo is 100% biodegradable and can be easily regenerated which is the reason why a lot of companies who want to be sustainable and more eco-friendly use bamboo as one of their raw materials. It is important to remember that bamboo products are eco-friendly as long as they haven’t been chemically processed.
Bamboo is eco-friendly as it requires no pesticides or fertilisers and needs little water to grow. Bamboo actually releases 35% more oxygen into the air compared to other trees of the same size. It grows fast and actually matures within 7 years.
Panda is a brand that produces beautiful bedding ad homeware made from bamboo. Using bamboo’s natural properties, it makes it highly breathable in the summer as well as warm in the winter. It helps Panda create soft, antibacterial and hypoallergenic products that are suitable for all.
Panda offer a bamboo eye mask that helps you to shut out ambient light in order to enable you to have a great night’s sleep. It is made from 100% bamboo; it is breathable, hypoallergenic as well as silky-soft to the touch. The mask keeps out all light, so no matter what time of the day it is, you can enjoy your sleep. Check out the eye masks in a range of colours as well as the beautiful bedding on their website.
4. Swap To Reusable Period Pants
Disposable menstrual products (pads, tampons and applicators) generate 200,000 tonnes of waste per year. There are so many period products available that are reusable and therefore a cheaper alternative as well as being kinder to the planet. Cheeky Wipes offer a range of reusable period pads and period pants which are machine washable, so you can use them again and again.
The period pants are available in a choice of styles such as hipster, high-waisted and mid-rose with varying flow types too, so that you can choose what will work best for you. The pants are made from cotton and elastane and have a waterproof layer of OeKo-Tex certified TPU and have a stretchy outer layer. You have 4 layers of protection as well as being paraben free and completely vegan. If you are thinking of trying them, here’s a sizing tip – they can be tight around the leg, so you may want to size up! Check out their full range on their website.
5. Swap To Vegan Body Wash And Body Lotion
No vegan sector is moving faster than vegan beauty. Of all the new vegan items launched in the UK in 2020, 82% of them belonged in the beauty category, which is really encouraging and optimistic. The Vegan Beauty Takeover report was released in October 2021 and included the insight that 97% of UK shoppers were saying that they wanted more vegan cosmetics and toiletries – amazing news!
Unnaaty’s mission is to create a space where products with a reduced impact on the environment contribute positively to everyone’s well-being as well as providing fair work opportunities for people with various disabilities.
Unnaaty has a great range of vegan body care products like body washes and body lotions. For example, the Relax Body Wash and Body Lotion contains the fragrances of lavender, geranium, ylang-ylang and orange. The essential oil selection is a stress relieving combination.
The body wash is made by using 20% of COSMOS certified organic ingredients and the body lotion is made by using 56%. Both products are vegan friendly, environmentally friendly and are paraben free. Check out their products on their website.
6. Swap To Vegan Face Cleansers
Q + A is a natural, clean and ingredient focused skincare brand which is on a mission to demystify skincare by simplifying it and explaining your skin needs through their unique Q + A checklist. All their products have been formulated with our skin type in mind. Their skincare products are completely vegan and 98% natural. No silicones are used and their products are not distributed in territories that require animal testing.
The Grapefruit Cleansing Balm helps to melt even the most stubborn make up as well as daily pollutants. It has a soothing combination of oils, gentle cleansers and grapefruit aroma. The cleanser is suitable for all skin types. The key ingredients are grapefruit, cocoa butter and natural squalene.
The Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Cleanser is super hydrating, using gentle and smoothing cleansing agents. This product boosts your skin’s moisturisation, so that it doesn’t become dry or tight. The key ingredients are hyaluronic acid, coco betaine and Aloe Vera. I have been using the cleanser and it is really gentle which has been really helpful for my dry skin. This brand is super affordable and a perfect place to start when switching to vegan skincare.
7. Swap To Vegan Notebooks
When you think of notebooks, you don’t necessarily think about whether they are vegan or eco-friendly. However, since I have earned more about the ingredients in notebooks, I have made a conscious effort to source eco-friendly ones. The brand that I feel is leading the way is Dingbats.
Dingbats is an eco-friendly stationery brand which makes handmade notebooks using vegan, recyclable and biodegradable materials. They are the first and only notebook brand to hold the EU V-label certification that they are 100% vegan. They have a large range of notebooks suitable for everyone’s needs and you can use them as: bullet journals, diaries, executive notebooks, sketchbooks or even as a simple notepad. The notebooks come with dotted, lined, squared or plain pages, so you can choose the right style for you.
The Dingbats A5+ Wildlife Orange Tiger Notebook is one of my favourite designs because I love big cats. This design is the latest addition to their signature collection. It has 192 pages of 100 gsm silk cream, acid-free and fountain-friendly paper. Check out their huge range of designs on their website.
8. Swap Plastic Bags For Reusable Tote Bags
More than 1 million plastic bags end up in the rubbish every minute. 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags. Up to 1 trillion plastic bags are used worldwide each year which is 160,000 per second. I was completely taken aback by the statistics on plastic bags and how damaging they can be for the planet and its wildlife.
Swapping plastic bags to tote bags or reusable shopping bags stops you from using more plastic as well as saving money. Having reusable or tote bags in your handbag, pocket or car will ensure that you are not caught off guard without any bags and then having to pay for plastic ones.
These are just 8 small swaps you can make in your life that will be better for you and better for the environment. It isn’t going to cost you more money – being eco-friendly is affordable.
What eco-swaps have you made in your life? Or what eco-swaps do you want to make in the future? I’d love to hear in the comments.
8 eco-friendly swaps will make the future bright in 2022. Thank you 😊🌍
good list, though I am not sure if I am quite ready to switch, particularly the period pants.. wouldn’t they be even messier?
I switched to menstrual cups and I haven’t spent a dime on any period products for a year! I’m happy to not have trash bags full of pads anymore.
That’s awesome!
Not at all, they are amazing!
I personally wouldn’t not give my dog meat – especially as he has some specific dietary requirements which he needs special food for. But everything else I’d be happy to swap. I’ve tried reusable cotton pads before and I always struggle with them because after a couple of weeks they just stink of damp, despite washing and drying them. Any suggestions?
That’s very interesting because I have been using cheeky wipes ones since I worked with them in February last year and they wash great and never smell damp. It could possibly be what they are made from as some other ingredients could be causing it.
Thanks for sharing this list.
I would probably try all the swaps on this list. Not too sure about the period pads though. I have looked at things like bamboo toothbrushes and soap bars!
Your list provides some swaps I wouldn’t even think to make, like the notebook. It’s great for us all to be in the mindset of sustainable living.
Thank you for reading and commenting. The period pants are awesome!
My husband, who grew up in a guilt-heavy family, works out some of his issues by refusing to use reusable tote bags because he feels like grocery stores try to guilt him into doing it. I know working thorugh trauma takes time, so while I wait for him to heal enough to let go of this habit I’ve started using the plastic bags we accumulate for dozens of other second or even third uses. Right now, instead of buying baggies to clean up after my dog, I use a lot of our plastic grocery bags for that. It’s not ideal, but it’s a way I can balance my love for the planet and my love for my husband as he struggles out of 20 years of abuse. I think how we stress the importance of planet care is about as important as the fact that we do stress it. If we’re harming each other in order to protect the planet, is that really what we want to achieve? It is possible to heal hearts and hemispheres (yes, iw orked hard for htat aliteration) at the same time.
That is understandable. You have to do what is right for you and your family. Thank you for sharing.
I use bamboo paper towels but also use washable cloth for napkins. I also use reusable shopping bags but when I do get plastic I save and reuse them.
That’s great. Thank you for reading and commenting. X
We’ve made a few eco-friendly swaps (bamboo toothbrushes, re-usable tote bags, bar soaps rather than liquid soaps) but it’s always good to see where else you can make sustainable changes. The dog food one is an interesting one! x
Thank you for reading and commenting. Xx
Never heard of a reusable period pants before, I’m actually curious about it. This lists are really helpful, thanks for sharing
They are great, I recommend you looking into them. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Awesome resuable swaps and it will save money too. Great suggestions and we will try to swap.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Great info here. I’ve been using bamboo cutting board for years, it’s better than any other product. I haven’t heard of reusable period pants, that’s mmmmmmm I don’t get a period any more 🙂 but that’s pretty interesting. I do use plastic shopping bags but I reuse them as garbage bags. I hadn’t bought garbage bags for a few years, but then the pandemic hit and I had no choice for a while there, I’m back to using the grocery bags for garbage. Thanks for posting this xo
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and what you use. Xx
Amazing suggestions here! I’ve been trying to make some more sustainable swaps and this seems like the perfect place to start. I’ve wanted to try period pants for a while now but haven’t actually done it yet so I’ll definitely be checking out cheeky wipes! I definitely want to get some vegan notebooks too, as someone who uses so many haha. Thanks for sharing x
Definitely give them a try they have so many different underwear styles. I recommend Dingbats Notebooks they are beautiful x
Love these ideas! I already use bamboo toothbrushes and reusable cloths but I’m always looking for more sustainable ideas. I’m very tempted by the bamboo sleep mask!
Saph x
http://www.simplysaph.co.uk
It is so soft and comfortable. I definitely recommend!
I made the swap to reusable face cloths/reusable cotton pads and they are so much better than the ones you buy in supermarkets. These are perfect eco friendly swaps to make x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
They really are! Thank you for reading and commenting.
I get these dog treats made of bugs – they’re not vegan but they are more eco-friendly than meat. I am going to check out some of the dog food for sure!
I never even thought about the impact of my face wash on the environment. I’m going to investigate my products and maybe make some changes!
Thank you for sharing this!
That’s awesome. It is so shocking when you do your research. If you have a blog please comment the link so I can read.
Swapping to bamboo is a great idea, and I love these sustainable swaps that make being environmentally friendly a little bit easier x
Thank you for reading and commenting.
These are all fantastic suggestions! I already do some of these such as using reusable makeup pads, period pants & tote bags, but I am intrigued by the vegan notebook!
This year I’m hoping to make some swaps in the kitchen as my partner uses plastic wrap & alumium foil all the time plus so much food we buy comes wrapped in plastic
That’s great you are making changes this year. Thank you for reading and commenting.
The cotton make-up pad removers are so, so useful! I use them for applying liniment in addition to removing make-up, and avoid the guilt of throwing away way too many cotton balls. 🙂
That’s great you already use the reusable ones! Thank you for reading and commenting.
Our carbon footprint will cause serious irreversible damage if you do not make mitigating changes. This is an excellent and illuminating post. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for reading and commenting.
It is so great that there are so many swaps we can make to help take care of the planet — thank you so much for sharing them. I’ve got a bit of a way to go before I reach the kind of sustainable living I’m aiming for but all these little changes build up to that. This was a really informative post!
Every small step makes a huge difference. Good luck on your sustainability journey. Thank you for reading and commenting.
These are great eco swaps to make. I already do a few of these, but have a bit more to do to reach all of the swaps in this post.
Thanks for sharing!
Aimsy xoxo
Aimsy’s Antics
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I’ve actually done a lot of these! I’ve switched to reusable cotton rounds, period underwear, tooth paste tabs instead of tubes of toothpaste, and soap bars instead of liquid soap! There are so many small great things you can do to be more ecofriendly in your day to day life. Great post xxx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Toothpaste tabs I haven’t heard of. Thank you for reading and commenting! Xx
Great ideas! I do love bamboo!
I recently swapped to hemp washing up sponges, they’re fully biodegradable and actually better than the old plastic ones.
That’s great! I use konjac face and body sponges which are probably similar. Thank you for reading and commenting.
This a great post especially with the recent announcements on the climate crisis! I feel particularly stressed about this issue because as ordinary people we can only do what we can like the very easy ways you suggested! I have already made the switch to a bamboo toothbrush and Using vegan products so it’s great to add some more things to the list <3
Every small change changes a lot. Thank you for reading and commenting. Can you link your blog if you have one?
I am glad you are promoting ecofriendly products.
Thank you for reading and commenting.
Great and easy swaps! I’ve recently swapped to reusable cotton rounds and period pants. I was pleasantly surprised by how comfortable period pants are. Thank you for sharing.
Yes to all of these! Especially period undies – by far the best thing I’ve switched in the past 2 years!
I just seen this recommended post on Karalee’s newest post so I wanted to comment 🙂
I have been using a regular wash rag for my face lol, but something like cheeky wipes would probably be a lot better lol. I can’t comment on the dog food because I don’t have a dog lol, but I had no idea bamboo could make so many different types of products. I’ve been thinking about switching but I have many worries tbh. I should at least buy one to try it out though. I’ve been using vegan shower and beauty (bc I am vegan) products, but I recent switched to bar shampoo and conditioner bars (also vegan) and I am so glad I did.
I need to do more research on what I use, because I just use regular spiral bound notebooks and loose notebook paper to see if that is actually vegan. I switched to reusable shopping bag a few years ago, and not only does it help make the planet happy, it is easier to put groceries in to cars, in house, and you take less steps which better for safety if you are alone. Sadly, sometimes I forget the bags, or I don’t bring enough to the store, but effort is better than no effort.
It sounds like you are making and have made some great changes to help the planet. So glad you can relate to this post.