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4 Tips for a Plastic Free Laundry Room

4 Tips for a Plastic Free Laundry Room

by Catherine Earle in News

Whether you’re just getting started on your plastic free journey or you’ve been on the path for a while there’s always another step you can take to reduce your reliance on plastic.

Reducing this reliance may be as simple as ditching your much loved dryer sheets or, on those sunny days, skipping the dryer altogether. Not only will these steps reduce your reliance on plastic, they’ll also reduce your environmental footprint.

Hanging your clothes to try instead of using the dryer means you’ll be not only saving on your power bill you’ll be taking small steps to help save the planet too. A win for you and a win for the environment.

1. Choose Stainless Steel Pegs

Who hasn’t gone to place a plastic peg on the line only to have it snap apart in their hands. The best way to tackle this unfortunately very common problem? Make the switch to a plastic free peg, opt for Stainless Steel Pegs instead.

Those bits of plastic that break apart in your hands can’t be recycled. They are simply another useless piece of plastic that’s headed straight to landfill.

Stainless Steel Pegs won’t break apart in your hands like plastic pegs do.

Stainless Steel Pegs won’t burn your hands in the hot sun – they’re made from one single piece of wire with a hole at the top which allows air to flow through them, keeping them cool.

Stainless Steel Pegs are very strong and hold well to the line, even in windy weather.

The big question everyone asks is “will these pegs rust”? When you purchase 316 Marine Grade Stainless Steel Pegs you can be assured they won’t rust on your clothes line. If you want more information on the longevity of Stainless Steel Pegs visit our blog post on Environmentally Friendly Clothes Pegs.

Switching to Stainless Steel Pegs means you’ll be purchasing one less item of unnecessary plastic, and stainless steel pegs will last you a lifetime.

2. Add some Wool Dryer Balls to your Clothes Dryer

Our next tip for ditching the unnecessary plastic in your laundry room is say goodbye to laundry dryer sheets and hello to Wool Dryer Balls. Yes those laundry dryer sheets are simply single use plastic. You pop them into your clothes dryer then, then toss them after the laundry is done. It’s kind of amazing when you think about how wasteful they are, how they made it onto the market in the first place. But … here we are in a world full of waste.

Wool Dryer Balls are simply wool all bound up into a tight little ball. These balls have many functions, they bounce around with your clothes in the dryer, sucking out the water while allowing air to be added to the clothes. This process not only reduces static, it also reduces drying time and creates soft fluffy fabric. Reducing your drying time means a reduction in your electricity bill. Did we mention that’s a win for you and a win for the environment?

The best part about wool dryer balls is that they can be safely added to your compost once they start breaking down (this could take several years with regular use). You can also add some essential oils onto the balls for a beautiful fresh scent.

3. Spot Clean with Laundry Soap

Have a small mark on your laundry items? Instead of reaching for the bottle of liquid stain remover, or one of those fancy plastic laundry pens — pull out your bar of laundry soap. Laundry soap contains coconut oil which is a great for removing stains. Simply run the bar of laundry soap over the stained area — add water, rub fabric together gently to create suds. You can continue this process until the stain has been removed. For stubborn stains, soak the garment in cold water overnight. If necessary repeat the process above.

Just make sure when you purchase your laundry soap it doesn’t come wrapped in plastic!

4. Hang Your Clothes to Dry

Our last tip on creating a plastic free laundry room, isn’t necessarily only a plastic free tip but one that will save you money, reduce your power bills and reduce your reliance on electricity — one that Mother Nature will love. Unless it’s pouring rain, or you simply have nowhere in your home to hang your clothes to dry — skip the clothes dryer and hang your clothes to dry.

It really is that simple to switch to a plastic free lifestyle!

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Countdown to an Eco-friendly Christmas

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The first steps to making you Christmas Plastic Free The horrors of a plastic Halloween are over — it’s now time to switch gears to Christmas. But it that doesn’t mean we have to endure another overload of plastic. Christmas can be eco-friendly and plastic free, but it does require a bit of planning. We’ve put together some tips to help you reduce your plastic consumption this Christmas. It all starts with making a list and checking it twice. GIFT WRAPPING It’s time to get that box of “Christmas stuff” out of the cupboard. Hopefully you have wrapping paper stored from last year. If not, when you’re seeking out paper this year look for FSC paper and one that’s not wrapped in plastic wrap. Out of sticky tape? Now is a great time to switch to a biodegradable tape. Or take it one step further and wrap your gift the traditional Japanese way. Furoshiki uses a single piece of cloth to wrap a gift — no tape required. Bonus: it looks pretty special. Ribbon is nice but we’re looking to avoid plastic so unless you’re opting for a cloth ribbon, hit the hardware store and pick up some twine, this creates a nice, natural eco look. Do you have Christmas cards you were gifted last year? Cut the cards to make your own unique gift tags. Fire up the dehydrator — cut up the lemons and limes (and any other fruit you have available) and get drying. A slice of dried orange is a lovely addition to your gift or as a Christmas tree decoration. Gift Wrapping Shopping List: ✅ Brown (recycled) wrapping paper or last year’s wrapping paper✅ Biodegradable sticky tape✅ Material for wrapping that extra special gift✅ Twine and dehydrated lemons and limes for a natural touch✅ DIY gift tags from recycled Christmas cards ECO CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS Christmas decorations are usually pretty special items and are used year after year. When you’re adding to your decorations this year look for something that’sa) not made of plastic andb) something you know will last for generations to come. Christmas Tree Decorations Shopping List: ✅ Plastic free✅ Will create memories✅ Will last for generations to come CHRISTMAS PARTY DECORATIONS Christmas parties is where we see a whole lot of plastic — some you cannot control and some you might not want to (aka boxes of chocolates or wrapped treats) but there are things you can do to lessen the plastic pollution impact — especially if you’re the host. If you’re hosting a party this festive season choose to refuse and choose to reuse. We’re talking about all things here but specifically disposable cups, plates and cutlery. Sure it might be easier to clean up when you use disposable items but as Christmas is all about spending time with the family and friends, so is spending time in the kitchen. Washing dishes is all part of that quality family time — you won’t get that with disposables. We know it’s common to put balloons outside the home, (or inside the office) to indicate that’s where’s the party is at — but this practice really need to stop. We’re lead to believe they're biodegradable, but balloons really are just single use plastic — especially foil balloons. Make a big paper sign, put out some lights — choose anything but balloons. When you’re selecting your decorations for home or office parties — ask yourself: once Christmas is over will this simply be headed for landfill? If the answer is yes: put it back on the shelf. Natural items look great on tables, such as a bowl of nuts or cinnamon sticks wrapped in twine. Decorating with scented candles are always popular at Christmas time — just be sure to buy candles that aren’t wrapped in plastic. Small gifts for your guests are nice, and handmade makes them even more special. Bake some cookies and place them in a glass jar, add your homemade tag — it’s the perfect way to say Merry Christmas. Now you’re all set with the gift wrapping, decorations and party preparations it’s time start shopping for eco-friendly gifts. If you’d rather get the gifts before you even think about wrapping them, then bookmark this post and check back when you’re ready to get wrapping. Looking for some plastic free gifting inspiration? Check out our blog post on Gifting without the Unnecessary Waste. Enjoy the start of this crazy Christmas season — and remember to keep calm and keep it plastic free.

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The Yearly Christmas Debate: Real or Fake Tree?

The Yearly Christmas Debate: Real or Fake Tree?

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Buying a real tree you will be not only supporting your local economy, but also supporting forests, that support the air that you breathe — it’s pretty hard to argue against that! Once the Christmas festivities are over a real tree can be turned into mulch and reused. If it’s stored in a pot over the Christmas period it can be repotted or replanted. Nothing beat the smell of a fresh pine tree. You can’t compare a fresh plastic scented tree to a fresh pine scented tree. One is nostalgic as a crisp, fresh evergreen and the other — well it smells like plastic. Christmas trees take approximately 10 years to grow to height of 6 feet. During that growth stage, they provide a habitat for wildlife and capture carbon from the atmosphere. Let’s be honest aside from there being less mess — there are no real benefits to having a plastic tree — it’s going to eventually end up in landfill, polluting the environment.

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Eco-friendly gift wrapping for any occasion

Eco-friendly gift wrapping for any occasion

Eco-friendly Christmas gift wrapping doesn't have to mean simply wrapping in brown paper and adding a gift tag — although it does make for a nice gift! You can spice up that brown paper by adding your own Christmas stamps to the paper, you can add a colourful ribbon, add some leaves or natural elements to the gift, or you can simply add an old Christmas decoration you received in a Christmas Cracker. The options are endless and are most definitely not "boring". If you're not into the traditional meaning of Christmas, but like to participate in the gift giving because it's fun, or you'd really like to share a gift with your loved one to say thanks for all they've done this year — then skip the traditional green and red paper and opt for something that will pique their interest. Does your loved one like to take long trips in the car? Do they love boating or long for a far away trip? Take and old (or new) map of your recipients favourite (or most desired) location and wrap up your gift in that. Purchased some fishing gear for your husband and he's always wanted to take a fishing trip to the Great Barrier Reef? Wrap up the gift in a map of the reef, I guarantee he'll be itching to know what's in the box! Furoshiki: Gift wrapping with fabric When you opt for eco-friendly gift wrapping, often it means you can easily skip the plastic, especially if you choose to wrap your gifts the traditional Japanese way. Furoshiki is the name given to cloth that Japanese used to transport clothing, gifts or other goods. Not only is this style of gift wrapping 100% plastic free, it's also a beautiful way to wrap a gift. Further more you don't necessarily need to wrap all your gifts in the fabric, you can also add a little plastic free gift on the outside. To assemble your furoshiki gift, take a piece of fabric, bring the opposite sides of the fabric together (top left and bottom right), and tie in a a knot. Then repeat the process on the other side. You may want to use a tea towel or apron to wrap your gift in, making it a two-in-one gift. As it's Christmas time, you may want to add a little extra effort to your gift and add another gift on the outside. We recommend eco-gifts such as a Long handle dishwashing brush, a wooden spoon, a bamboo hair brush or comb. Make it a Two-in-One-Gift Wrapping your gift in a gift — or adding a gift to your wrapping gift is the perfect two in one gift. If you've been following Eorth for a while now you'll know we are big fans of of the two-in-one gift. We mentioned a few two-in-one gift ideas in our post on Gifting Without the Unnecessary Waste. Don't forget that eco-friendly / plastic free gift wrapping doesn't end on Christmas Day. If you want to have a truly eco-friendly Christmas this year then remember to save all that wrapping paper, ribbons and trinkets so you can reuse them next year. You just saved yourself some time and money for next year's Christmas. Want to make your kids super anxious on Christmas Day? Take your time when unwrapping their gifts to you. Unwrap your gift ever so carefully so that you don't rip any of the Christmas paper. It's a great way to watch those paper tearing types go crazy — plus you'll know that you can fold that paper up at the end of the day and place in your "next years wrapping paper" box. It's a win for the environment and a win for your pocket. Gifts that require no wrapping at all If you won't be seeing your loved one for Christmas but still want to send them a gift — or you're looking for a last minute gift that doesn't require wrapping then electronic Gift Cards are the very best choice! Of course we recommend that you select a gift card that will allow the recipient to purchase gifts that won't harm the environment — or better yet buy a gift card for something that will help the environment such as a plant a Rainforest e-card. Whatever choices you make this Christmas, think eco-friendly and plastic free and you and the environment will be looking forward to a happier healthier eco-friendly New Year.

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