Ohelo | Ohelo Life
7 easy eco-friendly swaps for Plastic Free July (with some amazing discounts)
Plastic Free July is a global movement with the aim of tackling plastic pollution. It is a great time to refuse single use and look for planet friendly alternatives that you can use instead. To us it does not make sense to have a single use item that lasts 100’s of years after one use – so we have put together our top 7 easy swaps you can make this Plastic Free July.
1. Reusable water bottles
7.7 billion single use plastic bottles are still used in the UK every year, with only 57% being recycled. The remaining 3.31 billion single use plastic bottles are littered, go to landfill, or are incinerated. Reusing these single use plastic bottles is also not a good idea as the plastic may break down, releasing harmful chemicals into your drink of choice.
Investing in a reusable stainless steel bottle is not only better for the planet but can be better for your purse. The average cost of a 1l bottle of water in the UK is 65p. In contrast the cost of 1l of tap water sits at only 0.1p. Considering the average person in the UK buys 2.24 plastic water bottles a week (that is 117 a year), that amounts to nearly £76 a year difference – more than enough to cover the cost of a great reusable bottle and have some money left over! Grab yourself an Ohelo bottle now and cross this easy swap off your list for good 😊
2. Beeswax wraps
More than 1.2 billion metres, equating to 745,000 miles of cling film, is used by households in the UK each year. That is enough to wrap around the world over 30 times! Cling film is difficult to recycle, so most of it still ends up in landfill where it takes 100’s years to degrade. Consider replacing this with a reusable option – either invest in some storage containers that you can pop those leftovers in or try using reusable beeswax wraps (you can also find vegan friendly wax wraps now). Check out our favourite brand It’s Good to Bee.
3. Plastic free straws and single use cutlery
Single use plastic straws have thankfully already been banned by the UK government. However, some people prefer using a straw for their drinks and some have genuine medical needs that require them to use a straw for hydration. Luckily, there are a whole range of reusable straws out there, from metal to silicone, from bamboo to pasta – there is sure to be an alternative suitable for everybody. The same can be said for single use cutlery, with many reusable versions coming to the market recently that are easy to carry or are biodegradable. For a range of plastic free alternatives for all your picnic and party needs check out Stroodles where you can save 10% on your next purchase with code PF10 this July.
4. Laundry & House cleaning products
From plastic packaged dishwasher tablets to the single use sprays for household cleaning this is an area that has significant plastic waste. Luckily, there are some great alternatives that are planet and purse friendly. Some of our favourites are smol for laundry products and Purdy & Figg for household cleaners. Save 10% on your 1st order with Purdy & Figg using the code OHELO10 this July.
5. Coffee cups
2.5 billion single use coffee cups are used in the UK every year. What is even worse is that currently 99.75% of these are not recycled. That is right, only 0.25% of single use coffee cups are recycled in the UK. Despite increased efforts by some coffee chains to collect these cups for recycling – their plastic linings make this a difficult process and the lack of collection points once people have consumed their drink make this a difficult challenge.
The best solution to this is to eliminate this single use cup altogether and invest in a reusable coffee cup. Not only is this better for the planet, but many coffee shops also offer discounts on drinks when you bring your own cup – so it will soon pay for itself if you take it with you! Check out our Ohelo tumblers and sign up to our newsletter to be the first to know when they are next re-stocked!
6. Deodorants
Single use plastic has been used for a long time for a variety of bathroom products, including deodorants. The average person will get through 272 deodorants across their lifetime – so changing to a more planet-friendly version would definitely help reduce that single use plastic consumption. Luckily, there are a few brands creating natural deodorants using compostable refills – our favourite is Wild.
7. Soap
An average person gets through six liquid body soaps a year, which means for the UK that is the equivalent of 402 million single use plastic bottles filled with the stuff. Swapping to hand bars of soap / shower gel can eliminate the single use plastic from your daily cleansing routine – as bars have significantly less packaging it means more of your money is going towards the product ingredients, resulting in a higher quality product to use as well. Many companies producing these bars are also small businesses, so you also get to shop small at the same time. Check out one of our favourites the Little Soap Co for a small brand offering great scents for their plastic free bar soaps.
We hope you join us in the fight against single use plastic pollution by introducing some of these swaps into your everyday life. Grab yourself an Ohelo bottle today for a people and planet friendly alternative!
