The COVID-19 pandemic saw a boom in the use of single-use plastic.  Take-away coffee in plastic-lined cardboard cups replaced our reusable ones. Single-use masks, plastic aprons, gloves and anti-bac wipes were everywhere. That’s just scratching the surface.  So with “Plastic-free July” upon us, we’ve put our heads together to share our favourite plastic swaps. Here they are:

Abbie Baynes

“My absolute go-to is a double-wall vacuum insulated reusable water bottle. How did we survive without it?! I can often be spotted sporting my Hydro Flask 32 oz (in a pastel colour – this season, I’m loving Pineapple). I will also always take my LifeStraw Go with me when abroad to make the tap water safe to drink”. 

Jo Lowe

“It has to be Beeswax wraps instead of clingfilm for me.  They’re made from sustainably sourced materials and have a usable life of around a year.  You simply use the heat of your hands to release a natural self-sealing finish to keep food fresh.  An additional plus point is that they come in vibrant colours and lovely patterns. They can really brighten up your fridge and cupboards.  Oh, and gone are my days of doing battle with the clingfilm dispenser”.

Stephanie Briggs

“I’m enjoying the return of the teapot and loose-leaf tea.  There’s something about the occasion of making a pot of tea that makes the whole experience more enjoyable. Compare that to dunking a tea bag in a cup and you’ll get my meaning.  Alternatively, Pukka’s standard teabag is plastic free – if you’re not sold on the teapot!”.

Naomi Prictor

“I’ve recently invested in The Body Shop’s aluminium reusable shampoo and conditioner bottles. I’ve been heading to their refill stations to top the bottles back up when I run out. This simple swap means that rather than buying new plastic shampoo and conditioner bottles every month, I can just reuse the same bottles. It really helps to reduce my plastic waste. The Body Shop relaunched their product refill scheme in 2019 and their aim was to roll out refill stations across 800 of their shops globally. By our reckoning, those refill stations should be just about established now, making it even easier to refill and reuse”.