One of the real joys of buying #plasticfree is sourcing the stuff in local shops. The excitement when you see milk in glass bottle in the newsagents is beyond words.

But sometime you have to buy on line. And then you come up against the prickly problem of packaging

There is nothing that enrages plastic activist in me more than researching a product that claims to be plastic free and environmentally friendly, purchase online, wait eagerly only to find it comes plastic packed.

Plastic free and plastic reduced products are of course a great step forward in the battle against plastic. But when I am buying a product I want to know how the product is packaged. There is little point buying a wooden comb if it comes in a plastic bag.

If it comes via an online, postal service, onward packaging needs to be stated. I want to know how the product will be packed and the more information the better. Down to what kind of tape is used (whether it is plastic or not) and whether the invoice will be in a plastic bag on the front of the box.

Which is why I like he following companies who offer plastic free products but also consider the onward packaging.

N.B. But no matter what I say, check and double check for yourself. One mans plastic free is another’s little bit of sticky tape.

These guys are super keen plastic free suppliers

Loose Foods

This is stuff that that normally comes plastic packaged like beans, dried fruit and pasta.

While there are an increasing number of shops selling loose food they are still few and far between, not everyone has local shops and supermarkets love plastic packaging. Don’t despair if there is nowhere near you selling rubbish free food, you might be interested in this option. It is possible to buy food online loose and plasticfree. You can even use your own cotton produce bags for some things. Read more here

N.B. Prefer the high street? You can see  if a shop near you sells food loose via this  list of towns

General, Household & Personal

From soap refills to soap dishes, almost everything you need for a plastic free life. posted out to you plastic free.

Some great shops here

Toys & Crafts

Myriadonline for toys and craft supplies. Use cardboard and paper packaging including paper parcel tape.

A really lovely shop full of wooden toys and wool felt balls. Recommend you have a look HERE

More

Most of the products featured on the blog have an online option to buy. It is always worth contacting businesses and asking if they can post you product plastic free. Offer to cover the costs of a cardboard box if needs be.
Look here for individual products.

We a try to link directly with a business we know and have used but we cannot always do this. And sometimes cost considerations mean we want to offer a range of options in different price brackets. In these cases we try to find other more affordable on Amazon.

Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before suggesting them. No we are not happy with Amazons recent history. However, we have always found their service to be good and their packaging usually cardboard and so compostable. Though of course this cannot be guaranteed. You can read more of our reasons in the post.

Amazon catelogue here.

N.B.

lines changes, products get removed. For more information why not ask the Plastic Is Rubbish FB group for updates. They are a great source of tidbits, personal experience and the latest news. Why not join them and share the plastic free love x

And before you go…

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