Refill revolution

With single-use plastic waste choking our land and seas, it's time to take action to help the planet. Welcome to the refill revolution!

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Plastic is everywhere. It surrounds almost every product we buy, from food and drink to shampoo and toys.

Hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic waste are produced each year, with cigarette butts (which contain tiny plastic fibres), plastic bottles and plastic bags being some of the most-commonly discarded items.

Many of these plastics can be recycled – but the sad truth is that they more often end up in landfill or the sea. In fact, according to the UN Environment Programme, of the seven billion tonnes of plastic waste generated globally so far, less than 10% has been recycled.

In landfill, it can take up to 500 years for plastic objects to break down. And when plastic ends up in the ocean, the impact of plastic pollution on marine wildlife is devastating.

Marine animals swallow plastic debris, and can suffocate or become entangled in it, causing injury or death. More than a million seabirds and some 100,000 marine animals die each year because of plastic waste in our seas and oceans.

One of the most shocking results of this is the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, between Hawaii and California. This is the largest accumulation of ocean plastic in the world, and covers an area of around 1.6 million square kilometres. It's estimated that by the year 2050, there will be more plastic than fish in the sea.

To tackle this problem, we can all help by reducing or eliminating our use of single-use plastics. Here are a few ideas.

Shop in zero-waste stores

Many towns and cities now have zero-waste stores that offer unpackaged products. From lentils and pasta to dried fruit and porridge oats, these shops sell products by weight for you to transport home in your own reusable container.

In some rural areas, mobile zero-waste shops operate – for example, Refills on the Road in Derbyshire. To find one near you, try Indie Retail, or search 'zero-waste shop near me' on Ecosia. Zero-waste shops are usually small independent businesses, and often sell locally produced goods too – so by shopping in this way you're also supporting the local economy.

Switch to refillable bottles and cups

Switching to a reusable water bottle is easy – and could also save you a lot of money. To minimise environmental impact further, choose a high-quality plastic-free bottle that's sturdy and designed to last. Also invest in a reusable coffee cup.

Around 2.5 billion disposable coffee cups are used in the UK each year (that's seven million every single day) and many are lined with plastic, so are hard to recycle. Most cafés will serve you a hot drink in your own cup – and some actively encourage it, offering discounts or points towards a free drink if you bring your own coffee cup.

Choose unpackaged produce

When food shopping, choose loose fruits and vegetables instead of shrink-wrapped or pre-bagged items. Most fruits and vegetables don't need to be bagged at all, but for smaller items, such as mushrooms, choose a paper bag or bring a reusable cloth bag. Loose produce is often cheaper than the pre-packaged stuff too!

Download the Refill app

The free Refill app from refill.org.uk offers information about a growing global network of places to reduce, reuse and refill. It currently lists around 300,000 Refill stations, including water, coffee, food, and plastic-free shopping. The app also tracks the pieces of plastic pollution that have been prevented by its users – with 100 million pieces of plastic avoided to date.

Choose refillable products

Many eco-friendly companies have come up with innovative ways to reduce plastic pollution, from refillable pouches to paper-wrapped tablets or powder that can be dissolved in water. Many household and hygiene products consist of up to 95% water, and bottles of liquid are heavier and bulkier to transport – so the environmental impact of shipping products can be greatly reduced if you choose dissolvable granules or tablets, or dilutable concentrated formulas.

Here are a few products we've tried, which may help you reduce your use of single-use plastics.

Bower Collective toilet cleaner

This is our favourite eco-friendly toilet cleaner – we found it to be more effective than other eco brands we've tried, removing stubborn stains and limescale without the need for bleach. Bower Collective toilet cleaner is made with natural ingredients, and the pine and cedarwood scent is fresh and pleasant. It comes in a refillable pouch – the contents are then poured into Bower's sturdy dispenser bottle, which is designed to last a lifetime. Pouches can be returned in the supplied pre-paid envelope to be cleaned, sterilised, and reused. There is also a large 5l refill available. For every order, Bower works with CleanHub to prevent ocean-bound plastic waste – 10,000kg of plastic have already been removed. Bower also supports the Marine Conservation Society seagrass protection campaign, which is working to preserve endangered seagrass in UK coastal waters. More than 103,000m2 of seagrass has been protected during this partnership, helping to boost marine biodiversity.

Ethosa body wash

Ethosa has come up with an innovative, plastic-free alternative to single-use plastic shower-gel bottles. An Ethosa body wash starter kit contains an attractive aluminium dispensing bottle and a compostable paper pack of powder – simply dissolve the powder in warm water, give it a shake and it's ready to use. The powder transforms into a rich, creamy gel. There are three different formulations available, catering for all skin types, including sensitive skin. There's also a liquid-free, lightweight travel option. All are made with 100% natural ingredients. There are two different scents and an unscented version to choose from. We tried cedarwood, peppermint and pink hibiscus, which smells gorgeous and leaves skin soft and lightly scented. When using the body wash with the sponge included in the starter kit, we found we only needed a small amount of product – so the body wash should last for ages. This is a high-quality, luxurious product at a reasonable price.

Fussy Deodorant

Fussy deodorant is an excellent alternative to single-use plastic deodorant containers, billions of which are thrown away each year. Each starter pack comes with a colourful, reusable case and a scented or unscented refill in a compostable container. The case is made from recycled plastic – it's durable and there are lots of colours and some lovely patterns available. Fussy deodorant is highly effective, neutralising the bacteria that cause odours, and keeping you feeling fresh all day – it really works! There are 16 different scents available, including special edition fragrances and an unscented version – all use the same natural formula. We love Coconut Milk, a lightly-scented tropical blend of coconut, almond and vanilla. It smells fantastic, and glides on smoothly – without leaving white marks on clothing. Fussy is a B Corp company. The deodorant is certified carbon neutral, and each product sold supports green energy projects around the world.

Fill Bath Soak

Fill offers a range of refillable products, from household cleaners to hair shampoo. We love Fill's forest-scented bath soak. This can be bought in a cost-effective, 5l pack – enough to fill the 500ml amber glass bottle 10 times, so replacing the need for 10 new single-use plastic bottles. The bag-in-box pack consists of a refillable liner – Fill washes and reuses these again and again when they're returned by customers – inside a sturdy, recyclable cardboard box. A handy tap neatly dispenses the bath foam into the bottle. The bath foam produces loads of bubbles and smells wonderful, thanks to the relaxing blend of howood, fir needle and juniper berry essential oils. It's easy to return liners to Fill – the bag-in-box contains a flat-pack return box, which you can post back for free when you've run out of bath soak. Fill operates with a closed-loop, zero-waste supply system, and 1% of all orders is donated to environmental causes via membership of 1% for the planet.

Reefyll handwash

Reefyll produces plastic-free hand soap tablets that can be dissolved in water to produce a foaming handwash. The starter packs include a plastic bottle with a special dispenser that turns the liquid into a creamy, cleansing foam. Reefyll is currently available in two scents, Tropical Coconut and Juicy Orange – both smell fantastic, are made with natural ingredients, and are gentle on skin. The soap is lovely to use and is particularly appealing for kids. The buy-once bottle is made of recycled plastic – it's sturdy and designed to last. The tablets are packaged in recyclable paper, so you can eliminate your use of plastic handwash bottles by switching to Reefyll. Reefyll uses 90% less carbon emissions than standard handwashes – not least because it's far more efficient to ship the light, compact tablets than heavy, bulky bottles of liquid. We've been using Reefyll for a while now and have found it an excellent alternative to standard handwash – if you want to try it, you can order a free Reefyll Starter Pack (just pay for postage).

Ocean Bottle

Ocean Bottle is made from recycled stainless steel, and is designed to last a lifetime. It has vacuum insulation to keep drinks hot or cold, and innovative interchangeable lids – so you can choose between a sports-style flip lid with removable straw, or a standard lid. You can also add a Brew Lid – this converts your water bottle into a leak-proof, easy-to-drink-from coffee flask. Every bottle purchased pays for 1,000 ocean-bound bottles to be collected before they reach the sea. So not only are you preventing your own single-use plastic from polluting the seas, but you're helping to prevent other waste causing harm to marine environments too. Money is paid to local collectors in coastal communities such as in Brazil, Ghana, India and Indonesia – 372 communities are benefitting from this waste-management programme, and are earning money to access healthcare and education. Through these schemes, a staggering 12 million kilos of ocean-bound plastic has already been collected and kept out of the sea.

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Kuishi Soap Dispensers

Kuishi soap dispensers offer a stylish solution to bathroom and household product refills. All the products in the range are made from sustainable materials, including recycled glass, and are designed to last. The coloured matt glass bottles are an attractive alternative to amber glass bottles, and come in a range of colours. They're ideal for refilling with your favourite shampoo, conditioner, hand soap or body wash from larger 5l bottles – such as those available from Miniml or Faith in Nature – and they look lovely in the bathroom. The foaming dispensers work brilliantly with soluble handwash tablets (such as Reefyll, above) – magically turning liquid soap into a cleansing foam. Each dispensing bottle is available with a choice of pump colour – we love the timeless elegance of stainless steel, or choose from gold, copper or black. Kuishi products are carbon positive, and the company is a B-Corp business. A great way to reduce single-use plastics around the home.

Purdy & Figg Counter Clean

Counter Clean is made with 100% natural, plant-based ingredients, and eliminates the need for single-use plastics when choosing household cleaners. This effective, wonderful-smelling, multi-purpose cleaner can be used on surfaces all around the home, from kitchen worktops to bathroom basins. It's safe to use on stone, glass and wood, which means you only need one bottle of cleaner to tackle most jobs around the home – so it's space-saving and convenient. The starter pack contains a refillable 'Bottle for Life', along with three different scents of concentrated natural cleaning fluid – these are mixed with water to create a sprayable formula. The cleaner smells amazing, and it's a pleasure to use. When you place an order with Purdy & Figg you can choose between seasonal scents or three signature scents: Uplifting Citrus, Balancing Floral, and Grounding Vetiver. Counter Clean is made in Hertfordshire in the UK, using planet-friendly processes, and is shipped in eco-friendly recyclable packaging.