Loose-leaf tea or plastic-free tea bags
Many tea bags are sealed with polypropylene or made from PLA mesh, which does not break down in a home compost heap.
Families
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Skip glitter and microbead products
Glitter and microbeads are microplastic by design; rinse-off microbeads have been banned in the UK since 2018 and the EU is phasing out loose…
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Microfibre bag or washing machine filter
Every wash of synthetic clothes sheds up to 1,240 mg of microfibre per kilogram of fabric; a Guppyfriend bag or inline filter catches most…
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Natural fibres instead of polyester and acrylic
Cotton, wool and linen shed too, but their fibres biodegrade in months to years while polyester and acrylic persist for centuries.
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Refill or concentrate cleaning products
Spray bottles are mostly water; refill stations, concentrates and dissolvable tablets cut the plastic to a single bottle you keep.
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Laundry powder in cardboard or refill instead of liquid bottles
Laundry liquid bottles are among the heaviest plastic items in the home; powder in cardboard, refill stations or sheets avoid them entirely.
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Buy dry goods from bulk or refill stores
Rice, pasta, nuts, cereal and cleaning products from refill stores go into jars you already own and cut hundreds of packets a year.
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Returnable glass milk or bigger bottles
A returnable glass bottle only beats plastic if it is returned and refilled many times; if that is not on offer, buy the largest…
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Loose fruit and vegetables
The EU will ban single-use plastic packaging on fresh produce under 1.5 kg from 2030; choosing loose produce now avoids about a kilo of…
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Stainless steel lunchbox instead of cling film and zip bags
A steel lunchbox and bottle replace a daily set of wrap, bags and cutlery for a school child or worker for years.