Whilst we are bombarded with messages every day about how we need to cut down on the plastics in our home and reduce our carbon footprint, we are rarely given any personable benefits other than ‘it’s good for the environment’. Whilst climate change and environmental degradation are very real threats, human beings are inherently selfish creatures. With that in mind, here are 4 of the immediate benefits you will see if you ditch the use of single-use plastics in your home.
- more time for leisure with less spent on ‘housekeeping’
Time is precisions. And spending the majority of yours on stuffing plastic bags into a recycling bin when you could be using a simple cotton bag is not a good use of it. Making the switch to reusable goods like metal water bottles, cotton bags and electric razors will save you time and money in the long run. This leads us nicely onto point number 2.
- a BIG money-saving effect
We get it, 5p for a plastic bag here, 1.50 for a bottle of water there; it doesn’t seem like a lot. However, if you buy say 4 bottles of water a week, and use 5 plastic bags for your weekly shop, that adds up to 325 a year. Now if you bought 5 cotton bags for a 1 each and a reusable water bottle for 3 you could bring that figure down to, you guessed it, 8. Similarly, reusable cosmetic packaging can save you a heap of money, with products like shampoo, conditioner and shower gel being much cheaper when you refill your own bottles.
- a healthier diet (if done right)
A lot of the pre-packaged goods we get from supermarkets when we are in a rush can have added ingredients like sugar and fat which are not good for our overall health. Making the commitment to avoiding plastic-wrapped goods naturally leads you selecting whole foods like vegetables and fruits.
Using these foods and making sure you perform adequate meal prep will help you live a healthier lifestyle. Doing your revamped with weekly shop with cotton bags will ensure you keep your food shop sustainable.
- you inadvertently buy more quality products
When you are considering the packaging of a product and the useable life it offers this often leads to you buying goods you feel will last longer. This puts more quality items in your home and reduces the amount of stuff you have to throw away. Cotton bags are a great example of a high-quality product that will outlast its plastic counterpart.
If you are looking to cut down on the amount of poor quality plastic products you buy it is essential that you find the right supplier of your new products, whether they be reusable water bottles or cotton bags.