My top easy Eco-friendly tips!

It’s official… the Queensland Government made a landmark decision to ban single use plastic bags from 1 July 2018:

The Queensland Government is taking action to protect our unique environment and wildlife through the introduction of a ban on the supply of single-use lightweight plastic shopping bags on 1 July 2018, and a container refund scheme on 1 November 2018.

I’m your average girl. I want to be ecofriendly. I try my best… but I also enjoy convenience and don’t want to spend lots of money (as you’ve probably noticed from my top money saving tips post).

In light of this, these are my top easy ways of being a bit more ecofriendly without taking a big hit to the wallet, or to your time!

1. MULTIUSE GROCERY BAGS

Everyone’s lifestyle is different so here’s a few options:

• Buy some from your local Woolworths or Coles – my personal favourites are ones with flat bottoms because you can store a lot more in them!
• Get a Shopping Trolley – It channels the “grandma chic” look but it’s really useful to have wheels when you’ve got heavier items like milk and canned goods! You’ll definitely blend in if you shop at the Rocklea Brisbane markets as everyone has one. My wheels are this little black beauty from Big W. It’s like my corolla, really sturdy and reliable. Also like my corolla… You can fit so much stuff in there!
• Boomerang Bags – a community that gives away free bags for you to use! Check out if there’s any available in your area.
• Carry stuff in your hands – Not being facetious… if you’re just buying one or two small things, you could just carry it and save on a bag. Tim zipped up some chip packets inside his jacket the other day, taking this tip to the extreme… or maybe to emphasize the abs? 😛
• Take a backpack – I carry a black backpack and it’s great for fitting in extra stuff. 
• Reuse promotional tote bags – I’ve got a collection of all sizes, colours and designs from UQ, Ecco, QLD government. They’re good to stash in different places because they tend to be thin and easy to fold up. 
• Sew your own! If you’ve got some spare fabric lying around and basic sewing skills, you can whip up some bags pretty easily. There’s heaps of free patterns. This is one that I sewed for my mum:

2. PRODUCE BAGS

Many astute people have noticed that single use grocery bags are banned, but not those thin plastic bags for your veggies and produce.

Here’s a few different options for carrying your produce:

• Onya Bags – They cost a bit initially to buy, but these reusable mesh bags are awesome! I like how they’re transparent so you can still see your produce when you put them in the fridge. The zips also keep your produce from falling out.
• SWAG bags – I haven’t personally tried these but they get amazing reviews. They’re cotton bags that keep your produce fresh for 2-4 times longer and they are washing machine friendly.
• TIP: Use mushroom bags if you forget to bring your own produce bags! Just grab a brown paper mushroom bag and use them instead of the thin plastic ones. It’s better for the veg (allows them to breathe) and you can recycle the paper bag.

3. RECYCLING

Most people recycle paper goods and hard plastics through the yellow recycle bins which is fantastic. Here’s a few extra ideas to recycle more tricky items:

• Composting food scraps – Save up your food scraps and make a compost pile! You could get a compost bin (I’m hunting on gumtree for one) or you could DIY by digging a hole in your backyard or drilling holes into a plastic tub. Just remember to keep the ratio of scraps and browns.
• TERRACYCLE – This scheme is really cool because you can send boxes of stuff to Terracycle (FREE postage) of items that are typically hard to recycle. I’ve done a couple of boxes of used makeup items but there’s heaps of other categories.
• Red Cycle – Save up your soft plastics and put them into a Red Cycle bin at your local Coles or Woollies!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Clothes swap afternoon – Grab some friends and swap clothes and accessories that they don’t want anymore. So much fun!
• Buy or sell second hand stuff from op shops, Gumtree, eBay, Facebook Marketplace or local buy/swap/sell groups on Facebook. My tip is to set your region to nearby suburbs (eg. Brisbane South West). You’re much more likely to buy and pick up stuff that’s only 5-20 mins drive.

4. EASY SWAP OUTS – USE LESS PLASTIC

Some of these will cost more per item then other brands, so I’ll let you weigh it up. Hopefully this will change as consumers put pressure on companies to produce goods that are more ecofriendly.

• Who Gives a Crap toilet paper and kitchen rolls – These little beauties are plastic free, they arrive in paper packaging and a cardboard box. Also supports a good cause as 50% of profits go towards building toilets for those in need. Win win! This is my referral link if you want to get $10 off your first order.
• Buy a keepcup for your coffee – There’s so many brands out so you’ll be spoiled for choice. Keepcup does lovely glass ones.
• Glassware: Plastic is fantastic but glass will surpass… It’s more durable and it’s recyclable. :p
  • My personal favourite glass water bottle is the Zulu Sports Bottle which has the coolest pop up lid function!
  • Op shops often have lots of glass bowls and trays
  • Decor, Sistema and Pyrex have lots of options. I like to wait until they are 30-50% off.

• Wooden chopping board – These look great in your kitchen and are much more durable than plastic ones. I bought a $10 one from Target and I love it!
• Beeswax wraps or containers rather than gladwrap – Super easy way to avoid gladwrap. Grab yourself some cool beeswax wraps or just pop your goodies in a container instead.
• Period stuff for the monthly visitor 😉
  • Tom’s organic cotton pads – They come in a cardboard box and their pads are made from organic cotton… win!
  • Cloth pads – Heaps of brands out there with awesome fabric patterns. You might want to consider getting organic cotton.
  • Menstrual cups – OK this is actually plastic but it’s reusable, so it’ll save you lots of money and plastic in the long term! Lots of brands but I hear that the original Diva Cup is great.
• Paper disposable plates and cups – If you’re throwing a party, an easy way to use less plastic is to use paper disposables rather than plastic. You can get affordable ones with really cool designs. Easy peasy.

 

Kudos to all my wonderful friends for sharing many of these tips with me!

What are your top ecofriendly tips?