small eco things

My biggest g-o-a-l for 2019 was to be more *eco*.
I've become hyper aware of plastic–I'll be in the bath and all I can see is the amount of plastic that surrounds me. Or in a bar and everyone's using plastic cups and plastic straws and all i can think is 'this shit isn't going to go anywhere'.
Oh man, being in Tesco is the worst.
I've taken a few easy (and probably, on the scale of human destruction, relatively ineffective) steps to try and cut it out, and hey maybe my single actions won't do that much, but at least I'm doing something.
Plus these products are actually generally better for us because who knew, plastic is actually quite toxic.
I'm still on the look out for more alternatives and there are still so so many things I could do to limit my damage on the world (i.e. cut down on chewing gum consumption) and be more conscious, but this is a start. And we have got to start.

Shampoo bar
I mean I never really know what to say when I write these. Other than these r gd. I haven't used this specific one before, however my mum bought me a green one for Christmas and it left ugly green slime all over my shower. So I figured this might be a better bet. Shampoo bars are great because no plastic, nd (despite my preconceptions) they actually do the job!

Conditioner bar
My mum posted this to me a few months ago and I'm yet to use it. But I'm hoping for good things. And its got even less packaging, wowee. My only question with these bars is its transportability. I don't want them to sit in a sludge in my shower. I think the lush metal tins could be the answer to such a conundrum, however its all experimentation.

Period pants
My mum was on an eco hype at Christmas. We were inundated with eco alternatives–and these were one such example. I'm not fully fully converted, purely because of the washing issue (I don't do enough washing at uni to use them for a full period) but they are super hassle free (u just rinse until all the blood has gone then wash 'em) and so comfy and liberating to just wear a pair of pants and nothing else. Well, trousers. But u know. So, whilst I think I need a little more practice, these are a winner. Especially if diva cups freak you out (thats me).

Cotton pads
Whilst I have been deliberating and testing out the pants, these have provided an eco alternative. Also a very healthy and necessary alternative. Lets be real–bleached, synthetic pads and tampons are not good for your vagina and, environment aside, we should all be using more natural stuff. These are 100% cotton and biodegradable (inc. all the packaging) which is ace for days when period pants just are not an option (or when I haven't done any washing in 3 weeks lmao). They are pretty spenny (like £3 for 10) and so deffs not viable for everyone but a) I think if you can you should, b) if we don't show there's a consumer desire they won't reduce in price (capitalism y'all!) and c) the above pants, whilst are expensive for the first purchase (£15ish), are (almost) entirely cost free after that.

Keep cup
I'm such a keep cup knob in the library but boy do I love it. It means I can procrastinate by making a coffee, get money off and just feel way more put together than I actually am (not when its sat unwashed in my bag for 4 days yum). But slowly the world is coming to realise single-use coffee cups r just not the one. It's a small change, but undeniably easy.

Bamboo toothbrush
I think this might be my fave. A plastic toothbrush takes 400 years to decompose. And u don't even think about it. My mum has tried many a bamboo toothbrush (lol) and I can vouch that these are like actual toothbrushes, they just feel normal but also natural. Get one!!! (they can vary so much, the best ones we've found are 'banaboo' but i can't find them anywhere online fml)

Obvs these things won't change the world. But if everyone takes small steps, like these, it might actually make some difference. There are still so many things I do which are detrimental nd I'm still hunting for alternatives, but we're slowly beginning to see.