From Thermos flasks to wooden brushes: everything that helps you use less plastic

The Guardian

17-03-2025

When we asked readers of the Filter to tell us how they use less plastic, it's fair to say few were quite as dedicated as Helen Mann. 'I only buy Clipper teabags [which are plastic-free],' she told us, 'and I grow my own nettles, nasturtiums, dandelions and mint, then dehydrate them and use the leaves in organic cotton teabags.
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'I have replaced plastic soap dispensers with glass ones, and other household items such as clothes horses with wooden ones. My washing-up bowl is stainless steel. I buy bamboo dish cloths and use wooden brushes to wash up. I use aluminium-free bicarbonate of soda and distilled vinegar to clean the house; fresh lemon juice and bicarb for the floors.
'I garden organically, and buy grains and lentils in bulk, most of which come in sustainable packaging. I make my own bread and all my meals from scratch. The only processed things I eat are biscuits and the odd chocolate bar to give my body something to do!' It's inspiring.
Plastic waste is a huge, and growing, problem. Plastic bottles from Russia are washing up on Guernsey beaches; the health impacts of microplastics – from premature births to breast cancer – are coming into sharper focus; they're also damaging plants' ability to photosynthesise, according to a new study, and contaminating our bodies.
Trying to reduce your plastic usage isn't easy. But when we asked friends, colleagues and readers for all the ways they've reduced their plastic use, we felt unexpectedly hopeful. Whether it's a water carbonator that saved on buying fizzy water or period pants that actually work (and save on sanitary products), we hope these ideas inspire you, too.
But reader Liz Price has been doing all this for years. 'It's difficult to cut down any more as I started the anti-plastic trend long before it was fashionable,' she wrote to us. 'Supermarket cashiers gave me strange looks when I took my own bags 40 years ago and avoided the dozens of plastic bags they'd put on the checkout for me.
'I took a Thermos to work. I've never bought a 'coffee to go' and always avoided places that didn't serve coffee in proper cups. My tea strainer is 54 years old this year (a wedding present!) and is in daily use at home as I always make proper tea with loose leaves. So I feel I've been doing my bit for a very long time.'
Hats off to you, Liz. And everyone else, do let us know other ways you're using less plastic by getting in touch through the email below.
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