Living sustainably with Lesley
I’m not an eco-warrior, I’m more a ‘every little helps’ kind of person when it comes to looking after the planet. So, with that in mind I thought I’d do good and ordered two biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes and some cotton buds from SaveMoneyCutCarbon.
Fantastic service
The personal service was impeccable. I accidentally filled in some wrong details online and the next day I got a call to check that was what I meant. It wasn’t, so everything was confirmed, and I got my order in the post a couple of days later.
The website was helpful too. I was worried about what happens if all the bamboo is used up on products like this (those poor pandas do need a lot of it), but the site explained how great an eco-resource it is, so no more worries.
Like a little present to myself
I loved the packaging (I’m a sucker for craft paper and cardboard) – it felt classy and not in any way wasteful. We haven’t used the cotton buds yet, but the toothbrushes are great. I really liked the attention to detail, like the coloured base to stop the end getting mouldy when it sits in the toothbrush glass. It was a bonus that they came in two different colours, so we don’t get them mixed up (yuck!). They feel a bit like craft pencils, so were more like a little present to myself than when I get a plastic toothbrush from the supermarket.
I like that the nylon bristles can be extracted for recycling. They’re a nice texture for teeth-cleaning – the only thing I’d say is I do like my bristles a little firmer, so options on the hardness would be great if possible. They feel nice to hold, my teeth are shiny, and I can feel good about myself every morning and bedtime. Can’t be bad!
Loved seeing the beeswax wraps in the fridge
OK. Weird fact: I hate clingfilm. Not for any eco reason (although that’s not good either), but because it’s a monster. Every time I use it, I end up wrestling with it, getting tangled up in its clingy tentacles, and shredding it to the wrong size as a result. It doesn’t stick when I want it to, and sticks when I don’t. It is therefore known in our house as the Clingfilm Monster!
So, I was dying to try out beeswax wraps. The packaging made a great first impact with lots of tips on how to use and look after your wraps. The wraps themselves were pretty. I loved seeing them in my fridge. It looked like someone had left me a little present every time I opened the door.
The feel reminded me a little of the oilcloths you used to get on café tables, so they had a hint of nostalgia about them. They do have a faint smell to them (but a nice one), so I was interested to see whether that transferred to the food…it didn’t!
The different sized sheets were handy for different things. The little ones were good for half-used veg. The first thing I tried it on was a courgette. It stuck well, and then came off without leaving a trace. Perfect. The middle size was great on opened packets and stuck better to them than clingfilm normally did. The largest sheet was great for covering bowls.
I’ve used them all a couple of times now, washing them in between with cold water and washing up liquid. They’re just as sticky the next time you use them.
So, that’s it, I’m converted. It made me realise I need to use reusable containers more to supplement the beeswax wraps, rather than just reaching for the clingfilm. I don’t know if we’ll get to the point where we do without the Monster entirely in our house, but we’ll give it a good try!
