The world seems to be slowly moving into a more environmentally friendly place. We’re introducing the plastic bag ban, and keep cups are way more common than they used to be. But there’s still a way to go to make our consumption habits more ethical.

If you feel good when you take your own bag to the store, here are some other green alternatives you can try.

Natural Deodorant

Switching to a natural deodorant has numerous benefits for your health and the environment. Sweating is a natural and healthy part of living, we are meant to sweat! When we spray aerosol deodorants we are clogging our pores and stopping the sweat coming through. It’s not masking the smell, it’s stopping our bodies from functioning how they’re supposed to.

Our BO is just sweat coming into contact with our natural bacteria. With a natural deodorant you can stop the smell while allowing your body to function how it’s supposed to.

Aerosol cans and roll-on sticks also aren’t reusable, so think of how many cans and bottles we throw away and how many aren’t biodegradable. By making your own deodorant you’re not only able to reuse the jar you store it in, but you’re also saving money and helping the environment!

You can purchase a DIY-Deo Kit from Kate Nelson, who lives a proudly plastic-free life. You can also search ways to make your own deodorants, or you can purchase them online from sites like Ecodiva.

BYO 

Single-use plastics are getting out of hand. We went from plastic bags to plastic straws, to plastic cups, to plastic packaging on our fruit and vegetables! The sad thing is they’re used once or twice, thrown out and end up in landfill.

Some plastics are said to be biodegradable, however they never fully breakdown. They then become micro-plastics, and these micro-plastics end up in our oceans.

To avoid adding to the issue of plastic build up we can invest in things such as Keep-cups, reusable bags, metal bottles and metal straws. I Go Topless is also a great movement to get involved with, so if you happen to forget your keep-cup at the café, just skip using the plastic lids.

Natural Beauty

Using environmentally friendly beauty products isn’t just good for the earth; it’s better for us too. Most of the time, eco products are chemical and cruelty free meaning we can feel extra good about using them.

Products you can try include wooden/bamboo toothbrushes and hairbrushes, diva cups, beeswax lip balm and homemade body scrubs and facemasks. Not to mention the 100 uses for coconut oil! Everything from hair masks, moisturises, lip balm, cooking and so much more.

Go Jar Crazy

Once you stop using plastic products, you’ll realise the value of glass jars. The best part is being able to reuse the old sauce jars for storing your rice or flour and using old salsa jars for your shampoos and conditioners.

It’s also a good idea to go shopping at wholefood shops so you take your jars to fill up on things like rice, oats, nuts and seeds. Or you can always use the paper bags they have instead of buying the plastic-packaged goods at the supermarket.

(Lead image: Abi Porter/Flickr CC)