Travel mugs, thermos, onya bags and more: What re-usable items do you use & save £s?

Former_MSE_Andrea

Update September 2017

We started this discussion a couple of years ago but the topic's always relevant and there are some great ideas on here, plus Rachelle Strauss from Zero Waste Week has posted on here.

If you're interested in more ways to save money with re-usable products read our Recycle Week Hub.

Join in!

Back to the original post...


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We've met with Karen Cannard of The Rubbish Diet and Rachelle Strauss of Myzerowaste recently and having talked to them it's clear there are a lot of ways we can save £s AND the environment by not using certain items in the first place.

With Karen we talked about using travel mugs, with Rachelle we discussed re-usable supermarket shopping bags such as onya bags and mats you can wrap your sandwiches in instead of clingfilm or aluminium foil.

Using travel mugs for your daily coffee if you get one can save on plastic cups. Using them to make your own if you're buying at Starbucks, Costa etc can save you a packet. Use our Demotivator tool to work out how much you could be saving!

So we wanted to ask you - what re-usables do you use that save £s by not throwing stuff in the bin AND help the environment?

[Deleted User]

We've a couple of metal drinking water bottles, hold just over a pint and keep the water cool even on warm days so never buy water in plastic bottles. We also have a couple of stainless steel Tiffin Boxes (multi compartmented stacks) which means we can take not just sandwiches but a salad,pickles, bread roll etc. all kept seperately and wash them up after use, so no waste at all. Also we both have a 'spork' which means no disposable cutlery either.

threellamas

Travel mug. I use it everyday on the way to work. Must save a fortune not stopping for coffee on the way. I also take a flask of coffee to transfer to the mug for the journey home. My commute is usually just under 2 hours each way. I need coffee. That and hard boiled eggs to get me there.

moneyistooshorttomention

I've got a couple of lock and lock type boxes designed with compartments in that I can use for taking packed lunches. Failing that - I do re-use ziplock freezer bags (ie by washing them out after use) as many times as I can until the "zip" stops working. I haven't taken plastic carrier bags for a long time anyway and just have a fold-up shopping bag there in my handbag constantly in case I decide to buy anything.

I haven't used clingfilm or aluminium foil for years (mainly for health reasons....). I just put whatever-it-is in a baking dish or the like and put some sort of lid on it.

oystercatcher

It takes slightly more space but when I am out and about I take a small stainless steel flask filled with boiling water and a tiny jar of coffee granules , and an unbreakable cup, stainless steel is nicest but plastic is lighter.
Coffee can be made on the spot , I find it tastes funny if kept if the flask made up . Also if I don't stop for coffee all that is wasted is hot water and not the coffee !

If I don't want to carry a seperate cup I do have a chunky flask that I can drink from , I still prefer to carry the coffee seperately.

I drink black coffee but am sure a tiny container of milk or coffee whitener would be possible.

Former_MSE_Andrea

We've just tweeted this from @MSE_Forum, looking forward to hearing more great ideas!

cat4772

I have a few jute bags that I go shopping with, they last ages and hold lots.

I have a travel mug that I use when I'm gardening. keeps my drink nice and hot, even in winter.

I take packed lunch to work in a click lock box that I wash each day and reuse. And also take fruit snacks in little pots that I wash and reuse.

Instead of buying small yoghurt pots, I'll buy a 500ml container (or make my own) and just take a portion in a small pot. a handful of frozen fruit keeps the yoghurt nice and cool and provides part of my 5-a-day.

cat.x

jackyann

Used a travel mug every day when I was at work.
I'm a great Onya fan, and use their bags, drinking bottles, little towels, and the net bags for fruit & veg.

However, I find that the lunch wrap stuff rather awkward.
I use baking parchment and paper bags to wrap food, but I do accept this is not MSE - just better for the environment than cling film and foil.

And much as I love Onya (I often give them as gifts), this is really MSE: http://www.morsbags.com/

ZeroWasteWeek

MrsLurcherwalker wrote: »

We also have a couple of stainless steel Tiffin Boxes (multi compartmented stacks)

Oh I love those; where did you buy yours from? :beer:

ZeroWasteWeek

threellamas wrote: »

I need coffee. That and hard boiled eggs to get me there.

Apparently you can make your own calcium supplement from washing and drying the egg shells in the oven then blitzing into a powder to sprinkle on food - now THAT'S reuse!

ZeroWasteWeek

moneyistooshorttomention wrote: »

I haven't taken plastic carrier bags for a long time anyway and just have a fold-up shopping bag there in my handbag constantly in case I decide to buy anything.

That's the key to success, isn't it? I STILL find I get to the checkout without a reusable bag; usually caught out when the trip wasn't planned :mad: