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A lot of us are looking for ways to use less plastic. But did you know that doing so could save more than the planet – it could also save you money? Here are five ways you can save money at the same time as helping the environment.
Buy a re-useable coffee cup
It’s not unusual for an office worker to have a couple of cups of coffee a day. Five days a week. 48 weeks a year. And if they’re buying them in disposable coffee cups, that’s 480 cups that get thrown away each year. A re-usable coffee cup can wipe out all that waste, and some cafés are offering discounts to enviro-friendly customers. So getting a stylish new cup can also save you money (particularly if you can find a café which gives a keep cup discount!).
A “one in, one out”wardrobe policy
Today’s fast fashion brands make it easy to look sharp for not much. But a lot of those clothes end up contributing to the millions of tonnes of textiles that are thrown away every year. One way to help avoid this is to adopt a one in, one out wardrobe policy. It’ll help you consider what you buy more carefully, and stop you wasting money on things you’ll only wear once. And the one out? You can sell it online or donate it.
Pick up a re-usable water bottle
It’s the same principal as the coffee cup, but with one difference – you’ll never pay for water again. In fact, the more you think about it, the more paying for a plastic bottle makes absolutely no sense. You’re creating plastic waste and paying hard-earned money to drink something that’s freely available almost everywhere.
Bring your lunch to work
Bringing in your leftovers for lunch is a tried and tested way to save money. And, let’s be honest, a home cooked meal usually tastes better than whatever’s on offer at the local food court or café. But with so many takeaway meals served in plastic containers, those thousands of meals served to hungry office workers take a toll on the environment. So bringing your lunch in makes sense for the planet as well.
Buy a safety razor
Disposable razors aren’t something we think about a lot. And why would we? They do a job. We get new ones. But the plastic they’re made of is a problem. Switching to a safety razor with metal blades is not only a great way to stop that cycle of plastic waste, it can also end up saving you cash. The razor itself can last years– and the blades do the same job. Some people think the results are even better, but we’ll leave that up to you to decide.
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