12 Ways to Go Zero-Waste as a Family for Plastic-Free July

It’s Plastic-Free July, and time to embrace the opportunity to find ways to reduce the amount of plastic in your life. If you have kids, you’ll know that being a low- or zero-waste family can be tough. It can be tempting to go with convenient plastic-laden options, but wonderfully a slower, simpler way with children is less stressful and more rewarding. 

As I said back at the beginning of Plastic-Free July in this Instagram post, you don’t have to be perfect to make a difference. If you’re only at the start of the journey, that’s ok! Do what you can, make little changes, and before long you’ll be living differently. Here are 12 small changes you can make towards a zero waste family life.

1. Buy less

This is the ultimate way to go low-waste - buy less in the first place! Working towards buying fewer things, and buying intentionally, can go a long way to reducing the amount that we end up throwing away. And there are bonuses too - a simpler way of life, that’s more affordable and ultimately lower stress.

2. Use soap instead of packaged shampoo and bodywash

Babies and children love simple toiletries. They often have sensitive or delicate skin which really benefits from a natural soap like Castile soap. We particularly love Castile soap because it’s simple and gentle, and can be used on hair as well as bodies. You can either buy it in bulk as a liquid (check your local zero waste shop), or in bar form from someone like Dr Bronner. Make sure you look for one that’s free of (or has sustainably sourced) palm oil, and if you want plastic-free, make sure you check it won’t be delivered packaged in plastic.

3. Use coconut or olive oil instead of lotion

For little ones with dry skin, using a simple oil can be really wonderful for their skin. By buying in bulk, you can really cut down on the amount of waste you produce compared to buying bottles of moisturiser from the drug store. We really love coconut oil - it’s suitable for even the most sensitive of skin, and it smells delicious. Plus a little bit goes a really long way. 

4. Try a bamboo toothbrush

Not only does a bamboo toothbrush look super cute in the bathroom, they’re also much more sustainable than a plastic equivalent. Bamboo grows very fast and doesn’t require a huge amount of resources, and importantly, it won’t take hundreds of years to biodegrade once you’re done with it. Truthbrush and brushd make excellent quality kids’ ones.

If your little one uses an electric toothbrush, try a sustainably made toothbrush head like this one from brushd. It can even be returned to the company for recycling!

5. Buy secondhand clothes

Charity shops and car boot sales are often chock full of barely worn children’s clothes, from over-enthusiastic grandparents or well meaning friends. By shopping secondhand, you’re reducing the market for new clothes, and saving garments that might have been sent to landfill. For the best finds, head to expensive neighborhoods where high quality brands are abundant.

If you’d like to read more about shopping sustainably for kids’ clothes, you might like this post.

6. Avoid synthetic (plastic) fabrics

There is a place for putting your kids in synthetic fabrics (like a raincoat, for example!) but where it’s not necessary, try to look for natural, biodegradable options. Plastic fabrics come in many different guises - it can be known as polyester, polyurethane, PET, acrylic, nylon, lycra … to name just a few.

Instead, go for organic (GOTS certified) cotton, hemp or linen. If you’re not vegan, wool and silk might also be options.

Where plastic is the best choice, try to go for recycled options. Brands like Patagonia, H&M, and some of the childrens’ brands in this post are known for using recycled materials.

By shopping secondhand, you’re reducing the market for new clothes

7. Source toys sustainably

Toys are another item that can be found plentifully secondhand. Charity shops are full to bursting with preloved options with lots of life left, so taking a look there is always the best place to start. If charity shops don’t work, you can always take a look at online marketplaces like Facebook, eBay and Gumtree.

Another option is to borrow toys from a local library or an online service like Whirli. Whirli is a monthly subscription service where you can borrow toys for as long as you like. This is a great way to test out whether a toy is a keeper, and worth investing in, and can also be an excellent option with kids that are prone to getting bored of their toys.

If you’d like to try Whirli you can get £5 or 15% off (whichever is greater) using the discount code QMQ4OP1W.

If you do come to buy new, try to shop for local or more sustainable brands. You can find my favourites in this blog post.

And finally, don’t forget that kids are super inventive when it comes to toys. Often they’ll be more interested in the packaging than the toy itself, so make the most of the items around your house before you bring loads of toys in!

8. Use a plastic-free or recycled changing mat

Don’t forget that the most sustainable option is always the one you already own, so if you have a plastic changing mat, don’t rush out to replace it. However, if you’re buying, consider getting on that’s plastic-free or recycled. My favourite is this one from Olli Ella, but if you look carefully you might even be able to find an antique basket that would work!

9. Buy one or two reusable nappies

You know I talk a lot about reusable nappies here, and sometimes it can seem like a big change that would be very difficult. If that’s you, why not think about replacing buying just one reusable nappy. Every time you use it, you’ll save one more disposable nappy from landfill, making a huge difference over your child’s lifetime.

I would usually recommend filling in this form for personalised advice, but a simple, quick drying pocket nappy works really well for a wide range of people, so you might like to start with a Baba + Boo nappy. You can read my review here.

10. Switch to reusable wipes

Even if you don’t want to use reusable nappies, cloth wipes are still worth doing. On top of the environmental benefits, they’re so much more effective at cleaning, yet are more gentle on baby’s skin. There are loads of different options for wipes out there, but I like Close, Baba & Boo and Little Lambs.

11. Make your own snacks

One of the biggest sources of plastic waste is food packaging, and this can be particularly true for children, where individually wrapped packages are very commonplace. Instead of buying packaged, consider making your own from scratch. There are plenty of easy, quick recipes that are healthy and can be divided for easy snacking through the week. This oat granola bar recipe is one possibility.  Buying (or growing!)  local, seasonal fruit and vegetables is always wonderful too - they’re nature’s own snacks.

12. Try bamboo and metal tableware

If you’re looking for children’s tableware that won’t break when it’s dropped, you’ve probably considered plastic, but there are other options available that are more sustainable. Bamboo plates, cups and spoons are pretty durable, dishwasher friendly and often quite beautiful too! I love these by Liewood. 

For cutlery, try metal right from the start. It’s durable, recyclable and actually quite easy for children to use.

Other Ways to Live Sustainably

Of course, living sustainably doesn’t stop at going plastic free. You can make huge changes to your impact as a family by making changes like reducing your use of your heating, switching to electric cars, or cutting back on food waste.

For more suggestions for living sustainably with a baby, you might also like this YouTube video.

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