At a time of rising concern about the impact that our use and disposal of plastic is having on the world around us, it’s easy to question how small changes will ever make a dent in the impact necessary to truly improve the situation. Behaviour change can be hard. Even with the best intentions, it’s difficult to swim against the current of social norms or to push back against convenience and ease when our lives feel so busy. It’s also understandable if we find ourselves questioning whether what we do will have any impact at all.
The enormity of the situation can feel overwhelming but I think a mindful yet moderate and flexible approach is always a good way to move forward. Small changes to our daily routines not only add up when many people participate but they serve to foster more discourse and encourage a more conscious society. Most of all, I believe that it is always helpful to view our current behaviours and routines as part of a working model; one which will contently shift and change in light of new information, technological and social advances as well as our own changing needs.
At present, one relatively simple solution that could be the beginning of significant change seems to be to reduce our consumption of plastic and opt instead for products made from natural materials and reusable rather than single-use products and packaging. I’ve shared my views on the benefits of natural materials before but today I wanted to share three lovely reasons why it could be beneficial to switch from plastic to natural kitchen cleaning brushes and tools.
- Reducing plastic waste – opting for natural over synthetic kitchen cleaning brushes reduces plastic waste. Not only are well-made kitchen cleaning tools more durable and long-lasting than cheap plastic ones, unlike plastic, natural kitchen cleaning tools are biodegradable and do not stay within our ecosystem once they are no longer in use.
- Investing in the every day – those products that help us with the tasks of daily life, even if those tasks are cleaning and scrubbing, are the ones we engage with most often. I have always believed that it makes more sense to invest in those products we use every day over those ‘special occasions’ items we end up using once a year. It is nice to be able to elevate the tasks of daily living by choosing beautiful, sustainable and well-made products over synthetic, unattractive ones. After all, these are the products we engage with and use every day.
- Purchasing something more beautiful and more enjoyable - Behaviour change is easiest when it feels like a reward. Rather than simply sacrificing or giving something up, it can be much easier to motivate ourselves to do something differently when the thing we do differently feels like a pleasure. A collection of simple, natural cleaning brushes made from wood, vegetable and root fibres and natural bristles serve to make a kitchen look beautiful and feel homey and thoughtful. Natural cleaning brushes not only look better next to the kitchen sink compared to fluorescent plastic sponges, they are also more enjoyable to use making the chore of cleaning a little more enjoyable.
Behaviour change is hard and with so many issues in our world that seem worthy of our time and attention it can be difficult to know what to invest our energy into. First and foremost, we should aim to do what feels right for us; to try where we can and not berate ourselves where we can’t. Small changes that add joy to our life are always a good place to start.
This article was inspired by all of the lovely information on natural cleaning tools and products on the Homesong blog.
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Images above show our: Natural Dish Brush, Natural Bottle Brush, Natural Rice Root Scrubber, Natural Sponge, Botanical Dyed Linen Napkins in slate and stone Eggshell Plates, Eggshell Tumbler, Eggshell Bowl, Maple Cutting Board in small, Pallares Solsona Kitchen Knives, Cake and Pie Server, Stone Washed Flatware, Tall Simple Pitcher, Simple Matte White Vase, Berry Colander