How you can save money buying reusable sustainable products

We all know that natural, reusable and sustainable products are awesome for the planet, that's why you're reading an eco blog right now, but eco friendly products are often misrepresented as being expensive alternatives to our traditional products. 

In truth sustainable products can actually be super economical. Okay, so the initial cost may seem like more but when you take in to account that you're not having to replace products constantly and you're getting longer use from them, it's actually far more cost effective to buy reusable eco products. 

Take a look at our examples below and see just how much you can save by shopping sustainably. 

Silicone Lids VS Cling Film

Silicone lids are a great alternative when it comes to covering leftovers, open tins or cut fruit and veg. The stretchy lids keep food much fresher for much long than cling film (which can actually make food sweat) by providing the perfect airtight seal. They fit around most shapes, not just circular. 

After use simply wash and store away ready for next time. You'll produce much less waste and they'll last for years and can even be used with microwaves or freezers. 

Reusable Drinks Bottles VS Single Use Bottles

Single use drinks bottles are a major problem around the world. The convenience of being able to grab a cold drink where ever we go has led to our oceans, countryside and streets being littered with single use plastic, plastic you're paying for time and time again. 

Reusable bottles thankfully are now more readily available and come in every colour, design and size you can think of, some are even collapsible meaning you can fit them in a bag easily. There are also insulated options too, so if you do need to keep that drink cold or hot on the go, it's easy to do so.

If you do need to buy a drink when you're out try and buy it in a reusable glass bottle or metal can. 

Shampoo Bars VS Bottled Shampoo

Switching to shampoo bars will not only cut down your plastic waste but it will save you £'s. The average bottle of shampoo will give you around 25 washes where as a shampoo bar will provide 40+ washes. 

Shampoo bars are typically made with natural ingredients which are much better for your hair and scalp. In fact, using shampoos with all natural ingredients keeps your hair feeling cleaner for longer, meaning you can get away with washing it less. There's so many on the market now and they're available for every hair type. 

Compostable Sponge Kitchen Roll VS Paper Kitchen Roll 

Composable sponge kitchen towel can be used just like its traditional counterpart to mop up spills, absorb grease and clean surfaces but the difference is the sponge roll can actually be wetted and used as a cleaning cloth too. 

Aside from being super versatile it can also be washed either in the dishwasher or washing machine, hung to dry and reused over and over. Once it's come to the end of it's useful life, it can be composted rather than binned. 

Bamboo Travel Cutlery Set VS Plastic Cutlery 

If you're having a picnic, planning to have a take away on your next day out or grabbing lunch on your break, consider investing in some reusable cutlery rather than using single use plastic. The sets are really compact and most come in their own handy carry bags. 

Dish brush with replaceable head VS Replacing the Whole Brush

Plastic handled dish brushes typically come with plastic bristles as well which work their way out of the brushes and down the drain into the waterways. They never last very long, either breaking or losing all their bristles and therefore cleaning ability. 

Our dish brushes with replaceable heads come with natural fibre bristles and a sturdy, natural handle. Each one lasts longer than a traditional brush and is more cost effective thanks to only having to replace the head rather than the whole brush. 

Baking Mat VS Aluminium Foil 

Tin foil is one of the most difficult metal products to recycle given it's usually in small quantities and is almost impossible to decontaminate before the recycling process. However you'll no doubt want to protect your baking sheets and tins when you cook. A reusable baking mat is the perfect solution. It's non-stick silicone material stops food sticking to bake ware which means you can use less oil too!

Simply wash after use and it's ready to be used all over again with the added benefit of being dishwasher safe, they're far more versatile than foil too. 

Reusable Safety Razor VS Disposable Razor

Even using the cheapest disposable plastic razor can prove costly considering you're replacing them constantly. They're bad news for the planet too as they're too difficult to recycle due to the mix of plastic and metal. By switching to a reusable safety razor you're cutting out a huge amount of plastic waste and saving yourself some serious money. The replaceable blades will cost you around 10p each but can be used around 6 times before being replaced. They're easily recyclable too, simply make sure they're clean and put them in a closed metal can. 

Toothpaste Tablets VS Toothpaste Tube

Apart from being messy, getting clogged, lost lids and an actual physical battle to get that last bit out (Seriously... pet hate!), traditional tubed toothpaste can be costly. The average tube lasts around 40 uses if used sparingly. Toothpaste tablets on the other hand mean no mess, no waste and absolutely no fight to get the last of them. Each tablet will cost under 5p each and come in totally plastic free packaging or offer a storage solution with refills available. 

Other ways to save money whilst saving the planet. 

As well as making product swaps there's so many other ways you can save money whilst living sustainably. 

• Buying second hand clothes and furniture. 
• Repurposing old sheets and towels to make cleaning cloths and flannels. 
• Growing your own produce. 
• Switching to LED lightbulbs
• Using up leftovers. 
• Buying loose dry items such as rice, pasta, flour etc. 
• Using reusable shopping bags. 
• Using starchy cooking water to water plants and flowers. 

There are endless ways that by helping our environment we can help ourselves by saving our hard earned cash. What are your top money saving tips when it comes to sustainability? Comment below to help our awesome readers.