Top 10 Zero Waste & Plastic-Free Everyday Swaps

It’s no secret that at Man Wants – we like to keep things green! Our recent article ‘Green Grooming – 5 Tips For Plastic-Free Grooming & Skincare’ explored plastic-free and eco-friendly alternatives to our grooming and skincare routine. Making clever swaps from a disposable, plastic razor to a traditional, metal safety razor and ditching bottled shampoo for an organic shampoo bar – not only helps save the planet, but ensures you don’t have to compromise on quality men’s cosmetics.

In a bid to keep it green, plastic free and zero waste – we’re back with some eco life-hacks to help you, help the planet during your working day. These helpful tips will help eliminate waste, support the plastic-free agenda and make sure you are getting value for money EVERYDAY.

1) Plastic-Free Morning Routine

First thing’s first! Start your day right with a plastic-free bathroom routine. We like to call it green grooming and it means finding plastic-free alternatives to heavily packaged cosmetics. Swap disposable razors and toothbrushes for more worthy investments and ditch bottled shampoo, shower gels and deodorant for plastic-free bars and tubes. For more help on discovering a plastic-free morning routine and conquering green grooming – check out our article ‘Green Grooming – 5 Tips for Plastic-Free Grooming & Skincare’.

2) Re-Usable Coffee Cup

Can anyone really start their day right without a decent coffee? If you’re a sucker for coffee chains and shops, which use disposable cups – you may have to think twice! Disposable coffee cups are designed to be heat and leak-proof, meaning that 99.75% of coffee cups can not be recycled. In 2011, 2.5 billion coffee cups were thrown away because of their plastic lining. Re-usable coffee cups are taking over and will help you save the planet & money. Ceramic, bamboo and glass coffee cups and thermal flasks can be used instead of disposable cups and will keep your brew fresh for longer.

3) The Last Straw

As we address the problem of plastic-pollution, many companies and organisations are putting a full ban on the use of plastic straws. In 2018, we need to realise that single use plastic is a real no-go. However, the straw doesn’t have to be gone forever. Great initiatives like ‘ecostrawz’ are a fantastic alternative. Disposable, biodegradable, compostable, non-toxic and chemical free straws produced from bamboo, stainless steel, glass or titanium are taking the place of their single-use, plastic predecessors.

4) Glass Storage Alternatives

Unfortunately, many food products are still packaged in plastic bottles, tubs and tubes. Use glass storage instead of plastic storage to minimise waste and ensure your Tupperware doesn’t end up in a landfill.

5) Plastic-Free Packed Lunch

Are you guilty of using cling film? A single use plastic, which sticks around for a very, very long time. If you need to keep your food fresh, you can use a range of alternatives which won’t contribute to a global crisis. Old glass jars, are perfect for soups and salads and reusable ‘food kozy wraps’ are an excellent choice for sandwiches. We’re big fans of the increasingly popular, beeswax wraps. Beeswax wraps are made from sustainable hemp and prevent mould and bacteria from getting to your lunch.

6) Bottle Up

An oldie, but a biggie! Plastic Water and Drinks Bottles are another single use plastic, which we’ve all been guilty of using. Invest in a drinks bottle, which you can use regularly without it ending up in a landfill.

7) Invest in Cutlery

Say no to plastic cutlery. Like plastic straws, plastic spoons, forks and knifes will not be recycled. You can now purchase handy, travel-cutlery sets made from metal or bamboo. These nifty cutlery sets can be kept in your bag or briefcase and will help you minimise waste, if there’s ever a risk of having to use plastic cutlery.

8) Investment Pens

So we might get a few uses out of our pens at work but once you’ve used all the ink, your biro or papermate will end up in a landfill site without being recycled. Keep it plastic-free and invest in a fountain pen with refillable ink cartridges. It’s the little things that make the big difference. You can now even buy bamboo fountain pens to further minimise plastic waste.

9) Bag It

Since the UK introduced the carrier bag charge, we have all been collectively working towards minimising the use of plastic carrier bags. However, how much use do you get from your ‘bag for life’ before it’s broken? Swap out a plastic carrier bag for a fabric alternative, with more mileage.

10) Recycle

Are we as conscious about recycling at work, as we are at home? Consider making your office, workshop or organization go green by recycling accordingly. Remember, paper, organic produce, metal, glass and some plastic can be recycled. Make it count.

If you have any helpful tips to support us our agenda for a plastic-free planet, please feel free to comment on the post or get involved in the debate over on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.