I tried dozens of eco swaps – these are the ones that actually work better than plastic

Interior designer and content creator Rebecca Constable is one of Ideal Home's new Open House contributors, sharing her thoughts on demystifying the process of designing and decorating a home, and helping people work out where to spend and where to save.

Since we moved into this house 9 years ago we’ve been on a journey to find ways we can use less plastic, reduce our waste and better look after the health of our family.

The success of that has depended on a number of things including the age of our children (or how sleep deprived we are), how well an eco-friendly product has worked and also how much disposable income we have.

Over the years we have made eco swaps and some have been a success and others have resulted in us returning back to the less planet friendly alternative because they work better.

However after much trial and error I have found some brilliant home products that are plastic free, kinder to the planet and genuinely better than their plastic counterparts, which make them a really compelling swap

1. Food containers

First of all we have finally got rid of the dreaded Tupperware mountain that used to loom in our cupboards. An assortment of random, discolored plastic boxes and lids which we used for storing leftovers.

We have now replaced them with the brilliant Ikea glass food containers which you can buy with a bamboo lid. They come in all shapes and sizes, stack beautifully and can be used in the oven, which means you can take something out of the fridge, heat it up and serve it straight on the table without creating lots of washing up.

But what I love most about them is that our food doesn’t have that weird plastic taste you get from a Tupperware when something has been stored in it.The food tastes just as it did when you first cooked it.

2. Laundry detergent

Secondly we’ve swapped our laundry detergent and fabric softener to Smol. Their products all come in cardboard cartons which are easily recyclable rather than a plastic bottle.

Our washing machine has a built-in dispenser for detergent and softener which means we can just use the cartons to fill it up and there is no leftover plastic waste.

And of course the products work brilliantly, I particularly love the outdoorsy fabric softener which makes the whole house smell amazing when the clothes are drying.

3. Wooden stools

The third swap we did was buy wooden stools from both IKEA and The Futon Company for our bathrooms so that the kids could reach the sink and toilet, rather than the standard plastic ones.

To be honest this was mainly driven by my desire for a child friendly but aesthetically pleasing home, however it has proven to be an excellent decision.

Because they’re made of solid wood the stools have lasted over 9 years already and are still going strong. And once they’re no longer needed by the kids in the bathroom I know they will get used elsewhere in the house as side tables and for other things. Had we got plastic stools I am pretty sure they would have been chucked out by now.

4. Stainless steel containers

Our fourth swap has been to the Black and Blum lunchboxes. My husband often takes his lunch into work and these are brilliant! Again it means we don’t have to use plastic Tupperware and even though they’re made of stainless steel they can still go in the microwave so you can easily heat anything up in the office.

The only downside is that the lid is plastic but overall it’s significantly less than a standard lunchbox and your food is really only touching the stainless steel.

5. Surface cleaner

Finally we have swapped our surface cleaner over to Purdy and Figg who have the most amazing smelling scents. When you first sign up you're given a reusable glass spray bottle and small glass bottles of the concentrate which you simply top up with water.

I love being able to choose different fragrances depending on the time of year and they leave the whole kitchen smelling divine. This is just one of those products that just works better the usual options and the fact that there is no plastic waste is brilliant.

We are far from perfect when it comes to making eco swaps in our house but we are conscious of how the choices we make impact our health and the environment. And I think as long as we keep trying to choose the better option where possible we’ll be able to contribute in a meaningful way to looking after the planet.

I’m constantly amazed at how the next generation have these ideas and principles already instilled in them and so I think we have a lot to learn from our children.