Eco friendly edit: November buys

The leaves are falling off the trees, winter coats are officially out of hibernation and the last remaining pumpkins from Halloween lie on the streets awaiting their unsightly end in the dustbin, or with any luck a compost heap. It can only mean one thing, November is here!

My adventure into zero waste should be a slow process of replacing what I already have with its eco friendly alternative. But I’m always excited to try out new zero waste items when the time comes to replace something I’ve bought previously. I’d like to give a shoutout to my local zero waste shop and family run business The Cleaning Cabinet, where I bought these items. They’re based in Loughborough but also have an online shop where you can get 5% off your first order.

Ku.tis vegan natural deodorant

Ku.tis natural deodorant in lavender and geranium

After my quite frankly disastrous experience with Wild natural deodorant (read about it here), I was a little nervous about trying out a new vegan eco friendly deodorant. I’d been recommended Ku.tis by a friend who told me they’re a small company based in Wales that use natural and mostly organic ingredients. It always feels good to support a small local business so it felt like the right company to try. I went for the scent lavender and geranium, it smells divine and almost reminds me of Old Spice. In fact, I love the scent so much that I would buy it as a solid perfume.

It’s still early days as I’ve only been using Ku.tis for about two weeks but so far I’m impressed. The scent lasts for most of the day, but as it wears off you aren’t left with the smell of BO. The formula is light and absorbs well into my skin, and I’m pleased to say that it hasn’t left any marks on my clothes yet. During these cold months the deodorant may become quite firm and difficult to apply, but holding it against your armpit for a few seconds warms it up so it can be easily applied. So far so good, but as I discovered with Wild, the real test for a natural deodorant will come in summer.

Ocean Saver kitchen cleaner

Ocean Saver kitchen cleaner in citrus kelp

Ocean Saver is a revolutionary brand that makes super concentrated cleaning products that come in a pod called an ‘EcoDrop’. You pop your EcoDrop into a clean spray bottle and give it a shake, the lining of the pod will dissolve without leaving any micro or nano plastics – amazing! For every pod you use, one less plastic bottle is needed. Just think how many bottles this would equate to if everyone switched their cleaning products to Ocean Saver. The brand has a huge range of products for all different types of cleaning jobs from bathroom spray, glass cleaner to mop liquid. Their formula is plant-based and non-toxic, plus they offer a fabulous range of scents such as rhubarb, pomegranate, lavender and apple.

I tried their kitchen spray in citrus kelp. You can buy 750ml spray bottles directly from Ocean Saver but I used an old spray bottle I already`had, which they encourage. The EcoDrop dissolved into the warm water without any trouble, the first thing I noticed was that the product wasn’t a bright neon colour like most shop bought sprays are, but it still has a strong citrus smell. I put it to the test on some sticky BBQ sauce and some other mystery splotches and Ocean Saver worked brilliantly. Our kitchen surfaces are white, which can make it a little difficult to see where I’ve sprayed Ocean Saver, but I’m sure I’ll get used to this. Ocean Saver works as well as any other kitchen spray I’ve used but is so much better for the environment so I’m happy to make the switch.

Hydrophil soap pouch

Hydrophil soap pouch with a Faith in Nature dragonfruit bar

Is it just me or do bars of soap seem to disappear rather quickly? I switched to soap bars back in 2018 as one of my first zero waste swaps. I’ve always found that some brands last longer than others but it was getting to the point where I felt like I’d blink and a bar of soap had been used up. So introducing the soap pouch… A biodegradable pocket with a textured surface that lathers up your soap and exfoliates your skin. By making it foamier, your soap goes a longer way and the pouch ensures that little bits of soap don’t break off and end up down the drain.

I’d wanted a soap pouch for a while so when I spotted one in The Cleaning Cabinet I was pretty chuffed. The pouch feels sturdy as it’s made from sisal, a natural fibre which is more durable than other natural fibres. It initially took a little while for my soap bar to foam up but once it got into the swing of things, there’s no doubt that the soap pouch creates an abundance of foam I wouldn’t have been able to create otherwise. And the exfoliating nature of the pouch is such an added bonus. I love the feeling of gently scrubbing away dead skin cells and being left with soft, smooth skin after a shower.

And have you heard..?

Supermarket giant Asda are trying a new way of shopping with a sustainable trial store, which recently opened in Leeds. The shop boasts 15 refill stations, offering customers over 30 household products they can take away in reusable containers. Food and drink items on offer include various Kellogg’s cereals, PG Tips teabags, Lavazza coffee, plus Asda own brand rice and pasta. There are also a selection of cleaning, laundry and hygiene products for shoppers to refill.

Asda hasn’t stopped there though! They’ve taken away plastic packaging from canned multipacks like Heinz beans and soups, as well as 53 items of fruit and veg. Plants and bunches of flowers are wrapped in paper instead of plastic and Asda has promised that these greener options won’t cost more than their plastic packaged alternatives.

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The clothing section is getting an eco friendly make over as well! George is to bring out a sustainable clothing line made from recycled polyester, and will display their denim without using coat hangers. Asda have even teamed up with Pre Loved Kilo to provide a selection of vintage, branded and second hand clothing on display. In addition to the changes inside the store, there’s a big recycling facility outside where normally difficult to recycle items like crisp packets, toothpaste tubes, cosmetics containers and plastic toys can be recycled.

This trial store is a HUGE step forward for a sustainable future. I really hope Asda rolls out these changes nationwide as they may prompt other supermarkets to step up their environmental game. The more support these changes get, the more affordable zero waste shopping becomes – which is a win for the planet and a win for our pockets.