Cartridges 4 Planet Ark

Date: 21-Jan-16
Author: Rebecca Gredley

Reusable coffee cups, drink bottles and green bags are well known alternatives to their single use counterparts. If you're a subscriber to our newsletter we're guessing you already use them.

Replacing single use products with reusables, diverting tricky items from landfill and swapping to lower impact products are all ways to reduce your mark on the environment. Here are three other products with greener alternatives. By just changing your habits with these items, you can reduce waste and make the planet happier. 

Toothbrushes

It’s estimated that over 30 million toothbrushes are disposed of in Australian every year, which amounts to 1000 tonnes of landfill. By altering how you approach just one productyou can stop contributing to this waste.

Terracycle offers the Oral Care Brigade in partnership with Colgate, a recycling program for toothbrushes, toothpaste tubes, toothpaste caps, floss containers and their outer packaging. It's a great program to set up at work or school. 

There are also now alternatives to plastic toothbrushes on the market, which are made out of Bamboo. The toothbrushes are biodegradable, so can be put in the compost rather than contributing to landfill. There are a few options on the market, including the Australian company The Environmental Toothbrush.

Cleaning Products 

Switching to environmentally friendly cleaning products is an easy option to be kinder to the environment. When choosing products, it’s important to consider the methods used to create the products, as well as their impact after use, especially on waterways.

Aware Environmental ensure their products are palm oil free by using coconut oil as the base ingredient. By doing so, they hope to weaken the demand for palm oil and shake up the industry. 

It’s vital to consider the impact that cleaning products have after they’ve washed down the drain, but considering how they are made is just as important. Browse the range of Aware Environmental Products here, and find your nearest stockist here.  

Plastic Wrap Alternatives

Rather than using cling wrap in the kitchen, consider using an alternative such as reusable beeswax wraps. They are large squares of cotton covered in beeswax, so they can be wiped clean and shaped to cover bowls or food items. 

Learn how to make them yourself here or here. Alternatively, keep an eye out for them at your local markets, or purchase them online from a variety of Australian producers. 

HoneyBee wraps are handmade in Byron Bay, Gingham and Wax are handmade in the Blue Mountains, and BeeKeepa are made in Melbourne.