Swap database
Every swap, ranked by what matters
28 swaps
Bottled water → tap water in a steel bottle
Bottled water carries hundreds of thousands of plastic particles per litre. UK tap water is cheap and safe.
Swap first · about 3.0 kg of plastic a year
Reheating in plastic tubs → glass containers
Heating food in plastic is the single clearest route for plastic particles into what you eat. Glass fixes it.
Swap first · about 600 g of plastic a year
Plastic and "bamboo" kids' tableware → stainless steel
"Bamboo" kids' tableware is usually melamine plastic. Steel is unbreakable and safe with hot food.
High priority · about 200 g of plastic a year
Polypropylene baby bottles → glass or steel
Preparing formula with hot water in plastic bottles releases particles. Glass bottles avoid it.
High priority · about 300 g of plastic a year
Plastic chopping board → hardwood board
Knives cut tiny pieces off plastic boards and into your food. A hardwood board avoids that and lasts for years.
High priority · about 200 g of plastic a year
Plastic tea bags → loose-leaf or plastic-free bags
Many tea bags are sealed with polypropylene or made of plastic mesh. Hot water plus plastic, several times a day; how much reaches your cup is still debated.
High priority · about 120 g of plastic a year
Plastic coffee pods → cafetière or moka pot
One pod a day is over a kilo of hard-to-recycle packaging a year, and hot pressurised water runs through plastic.
High priority · about 1.0 kg of plastic a year
Plastic-based baby wipes → cloth wipes
Many wet wipes are plastic fabric. Cotton cloths and warm water do the same job for pennies.
High priority · about 2.0 kg of plastic a year
Takeaway coffee cups → reusable steel cup
Paper cups are lined with plastic and topped with a plastic lid, and they hold drinks at 80°C or more.
High priority · about 500 g of plastic a year
Plastic sponges and scourers → natural scrubbers
Scouring plastic against dishes wears it into fragments. Natural scrubbers compost at the end.
High priority · about 250 g of plastic a year
Shower gel bottles → bar soap
The easiest bathroom swap: same job, far less packaging, and usually cheaper.
High priority · about 700 g of plastic a year
Nylon spatulas and spoons → wood or steel
Hot oil and pans soften plastic utensils. Wooden and steel ones don't melt, chip or leach.
High priority · about 60 g of plastic a year
Plastic kettle → steel kettle with no plastic in the water
Boiling water in plastic several times a day is one of the most frequent heat-plus-plastic contacts in a home.
High priority · about 250 g of plastic a year
Cling film → lidded containers or beeswax wraps
Cling film is single-use plastic in direct contact with food. A plate on a bowl does the same job for free.
High priority · about 400 g of plastic a year
Non-stick pan → stainless steel or cast iron
Non-stick coatings are a fluoropolymer plastic that wears off over time. Steel and iron pans last decades.
Worth doing · about 30 g of plastic a year
Plastic toothbrush → wood handle, natural or replaceable bristles
A wooden handle cuts most of the plastic — but nearly all bristles are still nylon.
Worth doing · about 80 g of plastic a year
Washing-up liquid bottles → dish soap bar or refill
A dish soap bar and a wooden brush replace the bottle entirely.
Worth doing · about 400 g of plastic a year
Chewing gum → chew less often
Most gum bases are synthetic polymers, and a pilot study found gum sheds microplastics into saliva. Natural gums shed similar amounts, so the real swap is chewing less.
Worth doing · about 100 g of plastic a year
Disposable pads → organic cotton or reusable options
Most disposable pads are largely plastic. Cotton and reusable options cut that, with honest trade-offs.
Worth doing · about 600 g of plastic a year
Plastic lunch box → stainless steel
Steel lunch boxes last for years, go in the dishwasher and don't stain or crack.
Worth doing · about 100 g of plastic a year
Single-use cleaning sprays → refillable bottle and concentrate
Keep one good bottle and refill it. Concentrates cut packaging and cost.
Worth doing · about 1.0 kg of plastic a year
Laundry liquid bottles and pods → powder in a box
Powder in a box removes the bottle. Pods use a polymer film whose breakdown in the environment is still debated.
Worth doing · about 1.2 kg of plastic a year
Synthetic fleece and activewear → natural fibres (as you replace)
Synthetic clothes shed microfibres in every wash. Replace them with natural fibres as they wear out — don't bin good clothes.
Worth doing · about 1.5 kg of plastic a year
Freezer and sandwich bags → jars and tins
Single-use bags add up fast. Jars, tins and paper handle nearly every job.
Worth doing · about 500 g of plastic a year
Shampoo bottles → shampoo bar
Bars cut bottles entirely. Expect a week or two for your hair to adjust.
Worth doing · about 500 g of plastic a year
Plastic-wrapped fruit and veg → loose produce
Loose produce lets you buy exactly what you need, cutting both plastic and food waste.
Worth doing · about 2.0 kg of plastic a year
Disposable razors → stainless steel safety razor
A safety razor lasts a lifetime and blades cost pennies. The learning curve is a week.
Lower priority · about 300 g of plastic a year
Plastic carrier bags → a tote you keep using
Worth doing, but lower priority than you might think: bags don't touch your food, and a new tote must be reused many times to pay off.
Lower priority · about 400 g of plastic a year