Do you give a sh*t about the planet?
If you do - you’re in the right place.
If you don’t - you’re in the right place.
“The world is being inundated by plastic. More than 400 million tonnes of plastic is produced every year, half of which is designed to be used only once. Of that, less than 10 per cent is recycled. An estimated 19-23 million tonnes end up in lakes, rivers and seas. Today, plastic clogs our landfills, leaches into the ocean and is combusted into toxic smoke, making it one of the gravest threats to the planet.
Not only that, what is less known is that microplastics find their way into the food we eat, the water we drink and even the air we breathe. Many plastic products contain hazardous additives, which may pose a threat to our health.”* - World Environment Day
What can we do to help minimise our impact on the planet, especially when it comes to plastic use?
We can make swaps from disposable, plastic, non recyclable products, to reusable products, made from naturally derived materials, or at the very least are recyclable.
From choosing metal cutlery over plastic, to bamboo food containers or beeswax wraps over cling film, or a reusable water bottle instead of buying disposable ones every time you go out, to reusable menstrual products instead of disposable. There are so many options and it can be overwhelming.
Let me help you make one swap though - from disposable face wipes or cotton rounds, to reusable face wipes made from natural fibres that are not only kinder to the planet, but also kinder to your skin and bank balance.
Reusable wipes are one of my favourite items to make - they’re fun to sew, and it makes me smile knowing someone has made the decision to switch from disposable to reusable (even if it’s just a partial change)!
Not only are the wipes I make plastic free, they’re handmade in the UK by little ole me. The towelling is often newly made as I have struggle to find a deadstock supplier, but the printed cotton is neither deadstock, vintage or second hand to me.
Fun facts about Sew Last Summer reusable wipes:
🎍Made from 100% bamboo or cotton towelling in a choice of colours on the soft side (depending on your preference)
🧡100% cotton on the pattern side - again, no plastic here and no nasty chemicals!
✨Large size - instead of using two, three or more disposable cotton rounds (or small reusable pads) most people only need one of these! They measure approx 4in x 4in.
💧Use them with just good ole water, or your favourite cleanser or remover
♻️Reuse again and again and again! Just pop them in the wash and hang dry. I have wash bags for them too!
🫶Multi use - use on the face or body, as a glasses cleaner wipe, for polishing or cleaning surfaces and even polishing metal
💰Cheaper in the long run as you don’t have to keep re buying them!
Like I said, it can be overwhelming to make eco swaps, when so many things are disposable, non-recyclable (corporations need to be doing better with this, take Absolut Vodka for example, who have recently launched a new paper and recyclable plastic bottle for their vodka!)
Remember though you don’t have to replace everything in one feel swoop, when your deodorant runs out, consider using checking our this great article on ZeroWasted, or reuse the plastic containers some takeaways come in for taking lunch into the office.
Ditch the disposables for good, and show some love to your skin (and the planet)!