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We see it all the time online, pictures of plastic waste polluting the seas and harming our wildlife, and if you’re like me you say ‘I really need to cut down on waste’. But how many times have we said that, but never seem to make changes to our lifestyle that actually make a difference?
I’ve been really trying recently to do just that – make small changes to my everyday life to try and make a difference to the wider world. If you’re wanting to do the same, I’ve come up with a few small changes you can make to your everyday routine, and some products you can switch to.

Takeaway coffee cups
One of the mostly commonly seen sources of litter are coffee cups – I don’t know the last time I went for a walk and didn’t see one in a bush or on the pavement. 600 billion single use cups are thrown away each year. I was recently sent this Circular Cup reusable coffee cup to try out and I really love it! It is made from recycled single-use paper cups (6 per cup) and recycled plastic, and is 100% leak free. It has been resigned for 10 years use, and after this time it is 100% recyclable which is great as there is no waste produced. In under 2 years, Circular&Co. were able to recycle 5.4 million single use cups into Circular Cups, and after just 6 uses it offsets it’s carbon footprint.
It has a really clever lid design, where you push it in and out to drink and deal it. I’ve never seen a cup like it before and I think it’s a really cool feature.
Every purchase of a Circular&Co. Reusable Coffee Cup funds a sustainable solution to global waste.


Carbon offsetting for pets
I mentioned this is my small animal Christmas gift guide, and I think it’s a really good idea if you’re wanting to become more carbon neutral. This is a company called ZeroSmart, who can from £5 make a pet carbon neutral for a year via carbon offsetting. Each purchase funds top-quality verified climate-positive projects and planting trees to immediately remove more carbon than you contribute to the atmosphere. This is also a great gift for somebody if they are eco-conscious, and the recipient will receive a personalised digital certificate of being carbon neutral included.

Toothtabs
A product that I tried out last year are toothtabs by the brand Reco, which you can read all about here. I think these are a great alternative to toothpaste as there is no waste involved. They’re essentially toothpaste in tablet form, which come in a little biodegradable pouch so there is no tube left at the end to go to landfill.

Reusable face pads
If you have seen my April skincare haul you will have seen that I picked up these reusable face pads from Amazon. I really love using these and they are a great way to reduce the amount of waste produced during a daily skincare routine. Switching to these also saves money in the long run.

Decluttering your home
It’s that time of year where we all want to go through our homes and have a major declutter – but instead of just throwing these things out, try and either sell it or donate it to a charity shop. This way someone else can get some enjoyment out of it instead of it going straight into landfill.

Reusable face coverings
During this current world crisis, I have seen so many pictures of the blue disposable face masks littering the streets and animals getting caught in them. I always see at least one on the floor whenever I go out. Right from the beginning I have been using a reusable face mask – mostly because they were easier to get hold of at the time, but also because I didn’t want to go through loads of disposable masks and it would save me money in the long run. You can get these almost anywhere these days, but my favourite one is from etsy, as you can get so many nice prints.

Until next time.
XOX
Some really good tips, I’m trying to be more conscious about waste, some of these things I have already done but there are others I will definitely be trying, thank you for the ideas
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Great tips here. I wear reusable masks. I get sick of seeing mask litter on our streets!
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I think that this whole pandemic situation has shown just how much we need to be more concious about waste. Whenever i walk anyway I see so many masks and gloves littered about in hedges, roadsides and it’s about appalling! Its so much cheaper to buy a few reusable masks than keep buying disposable ones! One of the businesses I like to buy masks for also makes reusable face pads so I bought some of those too and they’re great! Definitely enjoying branching out into different products! Great post- tooth tabs are particularly intriguing! Xx
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Great tips here! I’ve been trying to live a more sustainable lifestyle – and like you, I love reusable makeup pads xx
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These are all great suggestions! I’ve used the Reco tooth tabs before & I regularly use reusable face pads! I bought reusable masks from Etsy too because the single-use ones seemed so wasteful especially when everyone throws them on the ground…
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I’ve seen lush do some toothtabs and the reviews of them are all so good, something i want to try! I also don’t have takeaway coffees that often but when i do i make sure to take my reuseable cup, although not sure if they’re currently letting you use them atm!
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I have one of those takeaway coffee cups as well and love it – even though they are a bit difficult to clean so I am still on the lookout for a great one.
I really need to get some of those bamboo pads, everyone seems to love them.
x
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Such an interesting post to read! I loved all the little tips and tricks you mentioned. I’m a huge fan of shampoo bars, which also reduce the amount of plastic waste 🙂
xoxo Annaleid
http://www.actuallyanna.com
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I’ve got a similar travel mug to yours – I got mine about 2 years ago and I absolutely love it! These are great ideas and there are tons of reusable masks on Etsy if you can’t make your own xx
Caroline | https://envirolineblog.com
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I’m always buying reusable face masks, watching people chuck their disposable ones on the ground after they’ve used them is disgusting, it’s shocking how many I find on the pavement when I’m walking outside. I love buying travel mugs, that’s become a new obsession with me right now! x
Lucy | http://www.lucymary.co.uk
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Great Post. I am always looking at more ways to be more sustainable where I can. A huge advocate of the reusable Cup and bamboo lunchbox. I do want to try some reusable face pads as well as sanitary products!
I recommend ‘No more plastic’ by Martin dory it’s a really interesting read with some good tips.
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The tooth tabs really intrigue me. I also feel like with travel they are very convenient 😊 thanks for sharing
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Great post! I’ve been using a reusable cup for years now. I might add that grinding beans and not relying on Starbucks and other shops for my coffee on the go has also been a massive boon as well. The toothpaste tabs look interesting. I’m going to check out options for that.
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Love this post! It’s crazy how such small changes can make such a huge difference!
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I use reusable face pads and really love them! I’ve tried toothpaste tabs before and I’m not a hugeeee fan but they definitely take some getting used to! I love my bamboo toothbrush though. Great post with some great tips! x
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Amazing tips! I think it is so important for us all to be looking for ways to be more sustainable and leave a smaller carbon footprint. I drink a lot of coffee and the circular cup looks perfect! I think I may have to invest in a couple! Thanks for sharing.
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Love this post, some really great ideas here and some easy ones to implement in to our daily lives too. I really need to get my reusable coffee cup out again actually! 🙊 Xo
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I love this and have made big steps to reduce waste (I have also written about reducing single-use plastic and household waste on my site). I love my reusable coffee cups and facial pads and am so glad I made the switch! Thanks for highlighting this important issue!
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Yes! Some really great tips! It’s just getting in the habit of remembering to bring my reusable cup for me! Need to be better at remembering! x
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I am always looking to live more sustainably so this is a very helpful post! Great tips.
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I really want to get some Reusable face pads, but these are some great tips! I wish supermarkets would make non packaged fruit and veg more widely available!
Katie | katieemmabeauty.com
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Thanks for sharing these ideas of how to be more sustainable, I have a re-useable coffee cup which when things better back to normal, I hope to use 🙂
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Loved reading this, thank you for sharing. I have quite a lot of the Youtubers have switched to the reusable cotton pads and spotted them ones on Amazon, currently have them in my shopping basket. I also have reusable face masks, I bought a pack of 5 black ones – one for each day of the working week as I haven’t really been going out on weekends. I did see some silk face masks which I might have to invest in as my skin is really taking its toll with the masks x
http://www.nadinealex.blogspot.com
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Reduce waste and live sustainably. Thank you 😊
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Great tips! Anything reusable is a big win for me 🙂
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