House Makeover-Sustainable Swaps!

Hi everybody!

Quick task: Look around the room which you are currently in. What do you see? I can almost guarantee you that you can see some objects which maybe aren't that eco friendly, or could be swapped for something a bit more....sustainable!?

Don't worry. You are not alone. We all have items in our homes which aren't eco friendly. Some of the items we need for survival! For example, plastic isn't very eco friendly, but many first aid equipment is made from plastic, and that can be life-saving!

The Eco-Friendly Challenge: A Sustainable Home Makeover!

Let's start things off with a challenge- take a tour of your home and identify 5 items which fall under the "non recyclable" category. It could be anything, be creative! It could be as simple as some plastic straws, or bottles or even old batteries!

Get creative, and think about how you could swap your non eco friendly product, to something more sustainable!

Here are some ideas:

1. Plastic Straws 🥤 -> Paper Straws 🌿

We all need water to survive, and some people prefer drinking with a straw! You don't have to trash the straw idea to be eco friendly, you can simply pick a better type of straw. How about using paper straws, or even better, metal straws? If these ideas aren't creative enough for you, then why not turn the plastic straws into something else, and reuse them? If you are struggling for ideas, then consider cutting the straws into small peices, so you can use them as beads for your next art project!

2. Single-Use Water Bottles 🧴 -> Reusable Water Bottles 💧

Tired of carrying around a boring plastic bottle which you got from the petrol station? Then why not try out a snazzy stainless steel bottle instead? They come in different designs, and you can find one which matches your style! And if you are really eager, then instead of scrapping your old plastic bottle, re use it and turn it into something else, such as a plant pot, or bird feeder!

3. Magazines📰 -> Paper Mache 🎨

Have you ever had any leaflets come through your letter box, and you don't find them very useful, so you end up binning them? Or do you have a pile of magazines stacked up somewhere and you haven't yet found a use for them? Then why not turn it into paper Mache, and get creative by making something out of it? Magazines can also be turned into paper tote bags-just, make sure not to get them wet.

4. Non-Recyclable Packaging 📦 -> DIY Storage Solutions 🌟

If you enjoying buying new things, then you probably have a stash of cardboard boxes lying around your home. And you are trying to find a way to reuse them because you don't want them all piling up in the bin. Well here is a solution! Why not decorate the cardboard boxes, and turn them into some personalized organizers, perfect for your desk and stationary!

5. Makeup waste👝 -> Makeup makeover!🤩

Do you apply a lot of makeup? If you do, then you have probably realised that you have lots of empty makeup bottles and waste around the house. There are some simple but effective solutions to reduce your cosmetics waste!

Has your lip balm run out? Why not store your hair pins in an empty lip balm container. (make sure to wash any leftover lip balm out first).

Or if you want to go really simple, just use any leftover makeup bottles as containers for other things, and you can customize them so they completely match your style!

Why are Sustainable Swaps important?

Hopefully, you enjoyed the Sustainable Swaps challenge, and gave your house an eco makeover! Nobody can go fully eco, its almost impossible. But what we can do, is make sure that we are doing everything we can to encourage a sustainable lifestyle.

There are lots of ways to reuse things, and in the future, why not make a pledge, that you will try and have more frequent sustainable swaps?

Share your Sustainable Swaps!

It would be great to hear about what Sustainable Swaps you have tried! Go to the comment section down below, and write what your Sustainable Swaps have been. And if you enjoyed this challenge, then click the like button too, so I can make similar content.

Thank you!