This blog post has the best tips for avoiding plastic packaging in your life!
All brands and products linked in his post are my own recommendations and I receive no financial compensation for them.
Plastic packaging has become part of almost everything we buy, even when it isn’t necessary. It has useful properties, but those benefits are outweighed by the incredible damage it is having on our environment and health. A lot of this comes from habits of convenience and overconsumption, which means we often end up with plastic on products that could be packaged in simpler, lower waste ways.
I have a few other blog posts with ideas for zero waste swaps and avoiding single-use plastics, but this post focuses specifically on avoiding plastic packaging though shopping habits and purchasing swaps.
Reducing the plastic packaging you buy is not perfection, as it is not always possible to be 100% plastic-free (yet). It’s about choosing a few changes at a time that fit naturally into your routine and slowly letting those good habits build. These ideas are all easy to try at home and can help you cut down on plastic without feeling like you are giving up convenience or comfort.
17 Tips for avoiding plastic packaging at home
1. Buy in Bulk
Buying staples like rice, pasta, nuts, and oats in larger quantities (like 10 kg bags of rice) cuts down on how much plastic you bring home, saves money, and makes your kitchen feel more organised.
2. Choose Package-free Produce
Choosing loose fruit and veg and bringing your own small produce bags helps you avoid unnecessary plastic and keeps things fresher for longer. And if you forget your reusable produce bag, leave the single-use bags at the store and just pop it into your basket, you will wash the produce at home anyway!
3. Try Refill Shops
Refill shops let you top up essentials in your own containers so you can avoid single use packaging altogether. Resources like Refill list all available refill shops in your area to help you find one.
4. Reusable Bottles & Cup
A classic zero-waste tip is to carry a reusable bottle and coffee cup with you, so you can stop having to buy disposable plastic ones. Some coffee shops even give you a discount if you bring your own cup!
5. Use Glass Containers for Food
Glass jars and containers are long lasting and reusable, making them perfect for food storage. These are great in combination with bulk buying or to keep plastic-free packaged food good for longer. Try not to buy perfectly matching new sets of jars and containers, but instead reuse glass food jars or go thrifting.
6. Try Out Dish Soap Bars
Solid dish soap bars eliminates the plastic bottle that liquid dish soap comes in and work just as well with a brush or sponge for everyday washing up. Find a 100% natural version like castile bar soap for an even more environmentally friendly option.
7. Refillable Cleaning Products
There are a number great cleaning products on the market that are tablets or sachets that dissolve in water to make eco-friendly and effective cleaning products. This way you only have to buy 1 bottle that you can refill over and over again. I personally use Smol and I love them, but there are many other options like Neat and Ocean Saver
8. Plastic Free Laundry Pods
Eco-friendly pods packaged in carboard or laundry strips avoid the plastic tubs and films that are difficult to recycle. I use Smol’s laundry pods, they deliver them through the mailbox in 100% plastic free packaging!
9. Refillable Toilet Cleaner
Similar to the previous points, try to find a toilet cleaner that offers plastic-free refills or get a bulk size refill. I get a 5L refill toilet cleaner from Miniml that sits in my bathroom cupboard ready for when I need it, I haven’t had to buy any new in over a year!
10. Natural Plastic-Free Cleaning Products
Simple, natural ingredients like white vinegar, baking soda, soda crystals, and oxygen bleach can replace toxic cleaning chemicals and are often available in plastic-free, biodegradable packaging. I get mine from Peace with the Wild and Eco Living.
11. Zero Waste Sunscreen
Choosing sunscreen in metal tins or solid sunscreen in carboard tubes are a great alternative to regular SPF. At minimum choose a mineral over a chemical sunscreen to protect reefs and avoid toxic chemicals. Solid sunscreens are also great for travelling since they don’t go towards your liquid allowance!
12. Reusable 100 ml Travel Bottles
Refilling your own travel bottles from the products or samples you already have at home means no more mini plastic toiletries. This picture is my own collection of reused old bottles I use every time I travel!
13. Refillable Solid Deodorant
There are a lot of sustainable solid deodorants on the market now which come in cardboard or refillable cases so you can ditch the plastic ones. And most of these are natural deodorants which are much kinder on the planet and your skin. I personally use Fussy, but there’s many other great ones like Waves or Wild.
15. Shampoo and Conditioner Bars
Try out Shampoo and Conditioner bars which can work just as well as the traditional plastic bottled versions. They are also more concentrated (since they are solid instead of liquid) so they often last the same amount of time as two or three plastic bottles.
16. Toothpaste Tablets or Jar
Did you know you can get toothpaste in the form of tablets? I have been using them for years and they work just as well as regular toothpaste, prevent a lot of waste, and are super practical for travelling. If tablets is not your thing, you can also find toothpaste sold in glass jars instead of plastic tubes.
14. Soap Bars
A bar of soap lasts well, is easy to store, and usually comes packaged in paper instead of plastic. Place it on a cute soap dish and it becomes a piece of décor too!
17. Refillable Soap
If you don’t like using soap bars for washing your hands, try to find a refillable version. This lets you keep the same dispenser for years instead of buying new plastic bottles. I have a cute glass soap dispenser which I refill with a bulk refill from Miniml.
I hope you found these tips useful. Now all you have to do is pick a few and get started! Don’t worry about being perfect, trying a few swaps at a time is all you need to make your life more sustainable and plastic-free.
