Plastic is everywhere you look. In our homes, cars, buildings, trains, and, sadly, the environment. Our plastic addiction has led to a huge plastic waste problem.
According to the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL), only 9% of all the plastic that has ever been produced has been recycled. Another 12% has been incinerated.
The remaining 79% is either still in use, buried in landfill, or littered in our environment. And with plastic being one of the most used materials, according to the European Environment Agency, the problem will continue to grow.
The UN estimates that plastic production will triple by 2060, if nothing is being done. While fundamental policy changes in all countries in the world are needed, everyone of us can do their bit by reducing the amount of plastic we use.
So to help you help the planet, we have put together a list of the 10 best plastic-free swaps that you can easily make, not just during Plastic-Free July but any time of the year.
1. Soap, Shampoo, And Conditioner Bars
Shampoo, conditioner and shower gels are a staple of our personal care routine, but they come in plastic bottles. Switching to solid shampoos, conditioners, and soaps is easy, and you don’t have to compromise on anything.
There is a wide range of pH-balanced shampoo bars available in the UK, that are basically a straight swap from your liquid shampoo. They aren’t soaps, as they contain surfactants just like a liquid version, but plant-based ones.
They come in plastic-free packaging, many of them only use natural ingredients rather than synthetic ingredients, which themselves have a negative impact on our environment.
Generally speaking, a solid shampoo lasts about twice as long as a liquid one, which means you can save two plastic bottles with one bar.
We have put together a list of the best shampoo bars made in the UK, where you’re sure to find the one for you.
3 Top-Rated Shampoo Bars:
| Shampoo Bar | Value For Money | Range | Results | My Rating | Review | Website |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Excellent | Great | Outstanding | 4.90 | Review | Visit |
 | Outstanding | Good | Excellent | 4.90 | Review | Visit |
 | Excellent | Great | Outstanding | 4.90 | Review | Visit |
Conditioner bars are also a straight swap, but again, many only contain natural ingredients, and don’t come packaged in plastic. Although, I found that since I switched to natural shampoo bars I don’t need to use a conditioner any more.
Given that I have very thick long hair, this is no mean feat. So I save four plastic bottles with just one bar.
Soaps have been used for hundreds of years before someone decided a gel or cream in a plastic bottle would be better. Let’s go back to soaps and get rid of more plastic bottles in our bathrooms.
Eco HomeLife Tip: if you’re worried about dropping your soap, get a soap bag or make your own. This will make the soap less slippery and it even helps to gently exfoliate your skin.
We have changed to solid shampoo and soap years ago and wouldn’t go back for anything in the world. This is the easiest swap you can make, hence why it’s on the top of our list.
2. Compostable Cleaning Sponges
Plastic sponges are one of the worst items you probably use in your kitchen. While they are useful for cleaning and washing dishes, they have a huge environmental impact.
Every time you use such a sponge, it will relase tiny particles, so called microplastics, which get into our environment. They aren’t readily biodegradable and therefore accumulate in our ecosystems.
Microplastics have been found in all sorts of animals (Baalkhuyur et al., 2018, Hernandez-Gonzales et al., 2018, Provencher et al., 2020), including in us humans (Liu et al., 2024, Zhang et al., 2024, Massardo et al., 2024, Saha et al., 2024).
While scientists aren’t yet sure about the impact of this plastic in wildlife and our bodies, they are very concerned. And there are studies that have been able to show some negative effects already.
From soil biodiversity loss (Larinfela et al., 2024) to alterations in development, reproduction, metabolism, and cellular repsonses (Debnath et al., 2024) have been found.
The good news is, it’s simple to get rid of plastic sponges in your home. Just switch to compostable sponges. I made the switch some years ago and haven’t looked back since.
For me, the best compostable sponges are celluose sponges. They are made from plant fibres and can be composted at home in your compost bin.
But what I love the most is that they can be refreshed in the dishwasher or washing machine. This means you can use them again and again, unlike a plastic sponge. My cellulose and sisal sponge lasts for around three months.
I have also tried a cellulose and loofah sponge that lasted over three months. And after that I cut them up and throw them on our compost heap. Zero waste, zero plastic, perfect!
And don’t worry about performance either, because compostable sponges work just as well as plastic ones, but minus the negative environnmental impact. So it’s another straight swap.
3. Reusable Cleaning Cloths
Like sponges, most commonly used cleaning cloths are made of plastic, including cleaning wipes. As they are used, they shed microfibres, which are similar to microplastics and can cause the same harms.
Many plastic cleaning cloths are only used a few times before being thrown away. Wipes are even worse, because they are single-use plastics that are disposed of after only one use.
Sure, they are very convenient, but at what cost to our environment? According to Waste Direct, single-use plastics are a key contributor to plastic waste.
The solution is to switch to reusable cleaning cloths made from renewable sources, such as cotton, bamboo, or hemp.
I have knitted some for my home, using organic cotton wool. They can be washed and used again and again. I use them to clean the kitchen, bathroom, dust, clean up spills, clean the windows, the car, and outdoor furniture.
Of course, if you aren’t handy with needles, you can buy plastic-free, reusable cleaning cloths for all you celaning needs.
It’s a simple swap, but one with a huge impact, not just for the planet, but also for your bank account. Because reusing will save you money compared to buying new single-use/disposable items all the time.
4. Reusable Plastic-Free Shopping Bag
While the UK has brought in a ban of free single-use plastic bags in shops a few years ago, you can still buy them if you need a bag to carry your shopping.
And while the number of these bags being sold has steadily gone down every year, according to UK Government data, in 2023/24 340 million single-use plastic bags were sold.
That’s still an awful lot. The same data also shows that in the same year 7 bags were sold per person of the population. And these figures only include the retails that voluntarily provided infromation.
So the chances are, the real figures are higher still.
Stop this madness and be part of the solution. Get in the habit of having a plastic-free, reusable shopping bag with you at all times.
I made one myself, but if you aren’t as handy as that or just don’t have the time, you can buy reusable shopping bags made from recycled cotton or jute.
Make sure you have your trusty bag with you at all times, like in your car, your bag, or you jacket pocket.
5. Plastic-Free Safety Razor
For many, male or female, shaving is a necessity. Whether you shave your face, legs, armpits, or anything else, most of us can’t do without a razor.
However, most shavers that you can buy today are made of a mix of plastic, with the blade cartridges also containing this material. Because of the mix of plastics used, they aren’t readily recyclable, and certainly can’t be put in the recylcing bin at home.
While there aren’t concrete figures out there, it must be billions of cartridges that are thrown away every year world wide. And then there are disposable razors, which you use a few times and then throw away.
They aren’t reyclable either, and they produce even more waste, because it’s not just the baldes but the handles too.
By switching to a plastic-free safety razor, you can get rid of plastic in your shaving routine in one clean sweep.
The handle is made of metal or wood, mostly bamboo, and the double edged blades are made from stainless steel. The blades can be recycled at your local recycling centre in the UK with other scrap metal.
Ok, it’s not as easy as putting it in your recycling bin, but you can collect you blades for years and then make a trip to the recycling centre make it worth it. That’s what we do.
We collect them in old metal tins, so all we have to do is drop the tins in with the scrap metal and it’s done.
I’ve been using my safety razor for two years now and I love it. It’s not just that it’s plastic-free and zero-waste, but it also gives me a much better shave.
So much so, that my husband has recently bought his own plastic-free safety razor and he loves it and would never go back to a plastic one.
This plastic-free swap isn’t just a straight one, but actually a better one. Don’t dilly-dally, make the switch for a better shave and a cleaner environment.
6. Bamboo Toothbrush
Brushing your teeth is vital for oral health, but plastic toothbrushes are a big contributor to plastic waste. According to Get Real On Climate Change, 71 million manual plastic toothbrushes are thrown away every year in the UK alone.
Add to that 141 million electric toothbrush heads and you can see why it’s such an issue.
A simple swap could reduce this amont of plastic waste: from plastic to bamboo toothbrush. Now I have to make a disclaimer here: this swap won’t get rid of plastic completely.
The bristles will still be made of plastic, because at the moment there is not plastic-free alternative. But the head and handle can be composted at home or put in the garden waste bin.
For some electric toothbrushes, you can even get bamboo toothbrush heads. What’s important is to make sure there isn’t any hidden plastic. Like in the neck of the toothbrush head.
I have tried a manual bamboo toothbrush and I found it worked well compared to a plastic one. So it’s a swap worth making to reduce the amount of plastic in your bathroom.
7. Plastic-Free Toothpaste Alternatives
While we’re here, toothpaste tubes are also commonely made of plastic. And the vast majority isn’t recyclable, because they also contain a layer of metal, unless sent to specialised facilities.
And some companies have started to make plastic toothpaste tubes that can be recycled at home, like Oral-B. But we can’t recycle our way out of this plastic pollution crisis. Firstly, over 90% of plastic is made from fossil fuels, according to CIEL, which is unsustainable.
Secondly, plastic can only be recycled 2-3 times according to a BBC article, before its quality is too poor to do anything else with it. So it will end up in landfill eventually and we will continue to need a stream of new plastic.
The good news is that there are quite a few plastic-free alterantives:
- Toothpaste that comes in a pure metal tube or a galss jar, both of which can be recycled indefinitely
- Toothtablets that come in a metal tin, which can be reused and then recycled forever
- Toothpowder that comes in a glass jar, which can be reused or recycled indefinitely
- Toothsoap that comes in a recyclable cardboard box
You can read more about these various alternatives in my article about alternatives to toothpaste tubes.
We have opted for toothtablets, because they are easy to use, can be bought in plastic-free refills, and are great for travelling.
Get rid of plastic in your oral hygiene routine while still keeping your teeth healthy.
8. Plastic-Free Food Wraps And Storage Containers
Plastic is a very versatile material and has found many uses in our kitchen to store food. Whether it’s plastic tubs, plastic bags, cling film, or plastic lunch boxes, when it comes to food storage, this material reigns supreme.
And while some, like plastic tubs can last a very long time, once they are no longer usable, they can’t be recycled, so will end up in landfill. That’s why we have started to replace them with metal storage containers, made of stainless steel.
They can be put in the freezer and some can even go in the microwave, although you want to make sure by checking with the manufacturer.
Plastic bags can easily be swapped for natural cloth bags, which can be washed and reused again and again. I have started to use recycled cotton bags to freeze my bread in.
Before I found this plastic-free solution, I used plastic bags. But ever time I had to throw a bag away I felt bad. So now there is no more feeling bad.
Cling film is another plastic item we use in our kitchen to keep food fresh. Apart from it being plastic, it’s also a single-use item, which makes it even worse. Because single-use plastics are a big contributor to plastic waste.
The solution is swapping to beewax wraps. These are cotton fabrics treated with beewax and plant oils to make them a perfect plastic-free swap for cling film.
They can be washed and used again and again and again. Once no longer usable, they can be composted, providing precious nutrients to your garden soil. And they are zero-waste too, which is the icing on the cake.
9. Reusable Water Bottle And Coffee Cup
According to government data, 12 billion plastic drink bottles are bought every year in the UK, many of which aren’t recylced and end up in landfill or as litter in our environment.
What’s so annoying is that many people buy bottled water, when our tap water is perfectly safe to drink here in the UK.
And there is a very simple swap you can make: get a reusable plastic-free water bottle. Metal bottles are great, because they will also keep your drink cool for longer.
It won’t just save a huge amount of plastic bottles having a reusable one with you when you’re out and about, it will also save you a lot of money. Nowadays there are many places you can fill up your water bottle for free.
Not sure where? Use this handy app to find places: Refill Return. It shows you where you can fill up drinks bottles for free near where you are. It’s one of my favourite eco apps.
You can also use it to find coffee shops where you can use your reusable coffee cup on this app. This is another easy swap you can make to reduce the amount of plastic you use.
The takeaway coffee cups you get in shops have a plastic lining, which means they can’t be recycled. And many of them end up as litter, as I wittness myself every week on my morning runs.
Not a week passes by where I don’t see a new coffee cup along the country roads a I run. It’s heartbreaking. And I see lots of drinks bottles and cans too.
So make these two easy swaps today and join the refill revolution and save plastic and money.
10. Plastic-Free Hair Brush And Comb
If you have long hair, a hair brush or comb is essential. But like so many things in our lives today, most of the brushes and combs you can buy are made of plastic.
Yes, they tend to last quite a while, but once they are no longer usable or break, they can’t be recycled and are thrown away. If you need a new hair brush or comb, get plastic-free alternatives.
I have recently replaced my plastic hair brush with a bamboo one. It’s completely plastic-free, as even the bristles are made of bamboo. And the lack of plastic is just one benefit.
A study at Deakin University has shown that bamboo has anti-static properties because wood doesn’t conduct electricity like plastic. This means no more static hair that fly about.
I love my new bamboo hair brush and wouldn’t go back to plasic for anything in the world. I’m even considering getting a small one for my bag, for when I’m out and about or travel.
Another easy straight swap that gives you extra benefits. So when you need a new brush or comb, think bamboo not plastic.
Final Thoughts
Completely plastic-free living sounds great, but it’s just not attainable. With plastic being one of the most used materials in our times, it’s everywhere.
If you would attempt to live fully without it, you would soon find you’d struggle. From electrical cables to kitchen appliances to water pipes to clothes, plastic is embedded in our lives, if we like it or not.
BUT, that doesn’t mean that we can’t rid ourselves of unnecessary plastic and make conscious choices away from this material. Our plastic-free swaps give you a starting point to purge your home of plastic you don’t need.
While they might seem like small changes, they do add up. And the more people make these swaps, the bigger the impact.
So switch to plastic-free alternatives today and get your friends and family to do the same. Together we can change the world!
If you have cats, check out our guide about the best plastic-free cat toys to keep your feline friends happy.
