6 Easy & Sustainable Swaps to Make at Home in 2026

The start of a new year might have you thinking about ways you can help the planet more over the next few months. The best way you can reduce your impact is to start small and integrate little changes into your daily routine. Just making a few simple swaps could seriously reduce your household waste over the course of a year and you might even find you save money with more economic choices.

Greenpeace estimates that UK households throw away around 1.7 billion pieces of plastic per week with only a very small percentage actually being recycled. As we become more conscious of how we consume and what we throw away, we can start to make small changes to our daily routine which can add up to a bigger impact.

We've put together six suggestions for small swaps you can make this year.

1. Have an eco friendly period

Ditch the single use plastics during your time of the month and give reusable period products a go. Regular pads and tampons are full of microplastics and chemicals that aren’t doing your body or the planet any good! Try swapping them for absorbent period underwear or a reusable menstrual cup. Newer options might take a bit of getting used to but once you’ve found what works for you, they generally feel more comfortable and collect more blood, leaving you feeling leak free for longer!

2. Embrace natural fibres

Moving away from fossil fuel derived fibres can make a huge difference to your environmental impact. Synthetic fibres such as polyester and nylon use up finite materials, have an intensive production process and take hundreds of years to break down, all while releasing microplastics into the environment. Switching to natural fibres such as cotton or bamboo can be better for your skin and for the planet - provided they are produced responsibly. Our organic cotton underwear and loungewear is kind to skin and promotes healthy cotton farming. Bamboo socks from Bare Kind or Leiho are a sustainable and thermo-regulating alternative to synthetic socks.

3. Make use of refills

So many brands now sell refill options for your favourite products, from cleaning, to skincare, to perfumes! Invest in reusable containers for everyday items such as hand soap or toothpaste and simply refill whenever you’re running low. Since refills are often sold in larger quantities, you might find you save some money as well as reducing unnecessary waste and packaging.

4. Level up your lunch

If you’re someone who constantly grabs food on the go during the working week, you might be surprised by the amount of single use packaging you waste in the course of a year. Getting into the habit of taking a lunch with you will help you avoid plastic waste - even if you switch to buying your favourite lunch once a week instead of every day. Investing in a cute and practical lunchbox might make packed lunch a more appealing option!

5. Switch to biodegradable cleaning products

Reduce the amount of harmful chemicals polluting our environment and our homes by switching to more gentle cleaning products. You don’t need to rely on harsh ingredients for a sparkling and fresh home, and these ingredients could be having a negative impact on your health - even disrupting hormones. Natural ingredients can be just as effective while biodegradable brushes and sponges are strong and sturdy and don’t wash microplastics down the sink - simply pop into your compost when you can’t use them anymore.

6. Discover mending and upcycling

One of the most impactful things you can do this year (and beyond) is to make your clothes last longer. Wearing an item of clothing for an extra nine months reduces its carbon, water, and waste footprint by 20 to 30%! Learning mending and upcycling skills can be useful to support this as well as being a fun way to make your clothes more unique. Simple wool mending techniques can save a forgotten jumper while a pop of colour from a sew-on patch can breathe new life into a boring pair of jeans.

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Reducing your waste doesn't have to be difficult and time consuming and you don't have to change everything all at once! There's no need to rush out and buy lots of new items but finding ways to gradually adapt to eco friendly choices might make life easier for you and help save some money! Remember that small steps add up.

Pop into our Oxford shop for a range of eco friendly swaps from small and sustainable businesses.

For more sustainable living tips, take a look at our other blogs:

How to make your underwear last longer with our easy tips

What is organic cotton and is it any better than conventional cotton?

The impact of the second hand fashion industry on the economy