Something I’ve noticed since I started making eco-friendly swaps was how we seemed to be going backwards in terms of sustainable living – not in a bad way.

There are certain things we did decades ago that seems to have quietly disappeared and are starting to make a bit of a comeback.

Loose Leaf Tea

When I was little, I always remember my Mum making tea with loose tea leaves. According to tea.co.uk, Tetley brought tea bags to the UK in the 1950s. Despite their popularity in the US due to the convenience, by the 1960s, they only made up less than 3% of the British market but has been growing steadily since then.

As an adult, I always made sure I had tea bags until I found out some bags were made from plastic and couldn’t be composted. Sustainable living, this is not!

Some people I know have moved back to loose tea leaves, myself included, but the cost of loose tea leaves needs to be a lot lower than tea bags to make any kind of impact on companies to encourage them to offer loose tea leaves at a more affordable price.

Buying in bulk can help !

Safety Razors for sustainable living

This is another one. This product has been around for well over 100 years. I always remember an episode of Downton Abbey where someone asked for some safety razor blades.

In the last 30-40 years, disposable razors have come a really long way. They include flexible heads, multipacks, lubricating strips, rubber handle grips and available in various colours.

Once the blade is blunt, you have the option of either replacing the whole razor with a brand new one or just replace the head, both options are wasteful and no friend to the environment.

Disposable razors are made up of different materials which can be difficult to separate: Rubber for the grips/handle, metal for the blades, the remaining parts are made of plastic. Sadly, the only place they can go is landfill. In 2019, about 5.5 million people used disposable razors. That’s one massive razor landfill.

Safety razors are great sustainable living alternative because you only replace the blade which is, I think, affordable. I’ve seen a pack of 10 double edged refill blades for £2 in Boots. Also, if you look after the rest of the razor, it can last a very long time.

Mending Clothes for eco-friendly living

I was never taught how to sew a button or repair a hole in my clothes. It appears that ‘make do and mend’ is slowly making a coming back.

Clothes in certain shops are so cheap that they don’t tend to last that long. This has led us to become a throw away society.

Learning how to mend your clothes should be a life skill for both girls and boys. I know people who have thrown a shirt away because they can’t sew the button back on.

There are countless posts and videos on social media showing you how to mend your clothes and even how to make your own clothes. There are some really creative ways to mend clothes. I’ve been trying to learn how to darn my socks! I’m not that great but I’m getting there – really slowly.

Milk Deliveries

When I was younger, I remember my Dad jokingly saying that he never met the milkman. Milk would be delivered to the doorstep and he would put a cheque in the empty bottles for payment. Milk deliveries have made a comeback.

Before lockdown, we had someone knock on the door telling us about a new milk delivery service coming to the area. I was a little skeptical at first but he was so incredibly passionate about this service we gave it a go.

It was brilliant I even wrote a blog about it.

We’ve moved to a new area so this is on my list to find a new delivery service.

What other things are making a comeback?

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These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading