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How to reduce the amount of plastic at home

Want to do your bit to help cut down on plastic waste? Try these simple, yet effective, tips to decrease the plastic you and your household use - and make your home as eco-friendly as possible.

Taylor Wimpey hallway

Bag some nifty bag storage

How many times have you reached the supermarket checkout only to realise you’ve forgotten a shopping bag? Of course, it only costs a few pence to buy a carrier bag but that doesn’t help with your quest to cut down on plastic. The answer? Keep a stash of tote bags handy, so you can grab one or two on your way out of the door.
Customers using recycled bags

Cut down on cling film

Want to keep food fresh in the fridge without using reams of clingfilm? There are a couple of great options. Invest in a stack of reusable wax films. They work as well as clingfilm, but without the polluting plastic. Alternatively, increase your tupperware or jar collection to ensure you always have a lock-tight container available to store fresh foods and leftovers.
Taylor Wimpey kitchen

Grab a coffee cup

Another hallway must-have is a reusable coffee cup that you can pick up quickly as you leave the house. Invest in a couple, so you have one clean one in the hallway and a spare in the dishwasher.
Taylor Wimpey hallway

Stay hydrated

If you’re partial to a glass of chilled water it can be tempting to stock up on mineral water. For a low plastic eco alternative, consider purchasing a filter jug that you can keep in the fridge. The filtered water will taste just as clear and fresh as the bottled version, but you’ll avoid the plastic bottles piling up in the recycling bin.

It’s also worth investing in an attractive glass bottle or jug that you can fill with water from the filter jug and serve to guests at the dinner table.

Sink in kitchen

Look beyond the obvious

As well as those plastic objects we all see everyday, there are some unexpected sources of plastic pollution you might not be aware of. Many tea bags, for example, contain plastic as does chewing gum and glitter.
Customers in kitchen

Wash with care

If you wash clothes on a cool wash and avoid tumble drying, you’re well on your way to an eco-friendly laundry routine, but there is something else you can do to help the environment. Many synthetic fabrics contain plastic and release microfibres when they’re washed. These small bits of plastic can end up in our rivers and the ocean. Some garments, like fleeces, shed many more fibres than others.

You can prevent this by choosing clothes made of natural fibres or by buying a special wash bag to capture microfibres during the wash cycle.

Customer hanging laundry