How to Cut Back on Plastic in Your Home

Most of us are aware by now that the mass production of plastic is a huge global problem. Most plastic products are single use, meaning they’re not able to be recycled. But even recyclable plastic products can only be recycled a finite number of times. In fact, only 9% of all plastic gets recycled. What happens to the rest? It ends up in landfill or in the sea, harming the ecosystem. 

Though it might not seem so, making small, gradual changes to how you live and shop makes a broader difference. Opting for reusable – instead of single-use – products in the home is one way. 

From glass soap dispensers to storage pots, Pretty Little Home consciously produces a variety of reusable, glass homewares in place of single-use plastic products. 

We hope that by encouraging you to use aluminium, wood or glass dispensers we can all contribute to a more eco-conscious world.  

Here are some of our favourite glass products which you can buy and use time and time again. Plus, we show you where you can get hold of environmentally-friendly refills. 

Patterned glass soap dispensers

Instead of getting caught in a cycle of buying endless plastic soap containers, stick to reusable glass soap dispensers. Ours come as a pair – so you have the option to fill one with soap and the other with moisturiser, to keep your hands soft after washing. 

They also come in a variety of on-glass prints; in different coloured glass (we have black and amber soap dispensers too) and with different coloured pump tops (black, silver, white or gold, to suit your taste and interior decor). 

When you buy a set of our glass soap dispensers, we’ll send you two pump tops in different colours, so you have the choice. 

So, what about the soap itself? Well, nowadays there are a variety of eco-friendly soap refill options online to ensure you never even have to touch a plastic soap dispenser ever again!

Glass storage jars

Not only are Pretty Little Home’s glass products the more sustainable option but the more stylish one too. 

Glass jars and dispensers look better, chicer and tidier than the plastic alternatives. Our Heart Storage Jar is made from glass with a bamboo wooden lid and can be used to store anything from biscuits, to pasta to grains. And we have glass storage pots for tea, coffee and sugar.

Of course, this begs the obvious question: what about the packaging the food comes in? How do we tackle plastic packaging in the first instance? Well, sometimes there is no avoiding that when you start out. However, once you adopt eco-friendly kitchen solutions and discover where to refill your pantry sustainably, you don’t necessarily have to buy plastic packaged dried goods again. 

Nowadays, zero waste, plastic-free food shops are steadily setting up across the country. Their primary purpose is to stock refills of dried goods which you take away in your own container. You simply fill up, weigh and pay. 

This is still a growing trend, however, so you might not have a local refill shop – yet. If that’s the case, there are a few excellent online plastic-free retailers – Zero Waste Bulk Foods is one of them. They pack and send back your dried goods for you either in your own bags/containers or in one of their own compostable bags. 

Glass oil and vinegar dispensers

What about non-dried foods? Unfortunately, not all refills of cupboard staples are in the mainstream yet and stocks of oils might be a little harder to come by. Though, they do exist online: Refill and Go sells plastic-free bottles of oil. 

Once your olive oil or balsamic has arrived, consider for our super stylish glass drizzlers complete with long pouring stems so you can make like Jamie Oliver!

For more gorgeous glass dispensers and other homewares click here.