Zero Zen Greener Lifestyle eco store

[Paid partnership with Zero Zen - all opinions my own]

Recently, Zero Zen put together an eco care package for me from their greener lifestyle store, so for the past couple of weeks I've been diligently testing out the products. Whilst I'm a big believer in plastic free, eco-friendly swaps, I'm also conscious that when it comes to eco living it's ALWAYS better for the environment to use what you already have than to buy new items (even when they're eco!) So I am quite thorough when testing products to see whether they are truly worth purchasing. I'm happy to say I'm very impressed with the items I've trialled from Zero Zen, so here's what I've been checking out to share here..

Neon Kactus Reusable Glass Cup

I've been pleasantly surprised with how much I really love this reusable glass cup! Being pregnant and on a budget, my trips to coffee shops are about zero even without a pandemic, BUT it's still proved itself to be incredibly useful. It's fantastic for bringing a drink outside while gardening (the lid means nothing gets in your drink!), it's practical for those garden meet ups and walks we're all busy with right now, and it's really easy to clean. I'd highly recommend this for those who do regularly frequent coffee shops - I've heard that many are now accepting reusable cups again, and this is a really lovely travel friendly option with the added bonus of being fully recyclable. There's also a real novelty about being able to see your hot drink inside (just me?!)

Totally Solid Shower Gel Shower Blocks

Admittedly, in the past I've struggled with solid shower gels - either they've depleted much too quickly in the shower, making them costly, or they haven't lathered up enough, feeling more like a traditional block of soap. This is shower block is the best I've tried - I love the vibrant purple and the delicious mango and passionfruit fragrance. It lathers well without becoming too soft and crumbling; and the block contains over 10% moisturiser so it doesn't leave your skin feeling stripped and squeaky. (Balance is key!) There are good ethics behind this brand too - they're partnered with Toiletries Amnesty and every block sold gives a shower to someone in need. Considering that each block also saves 1.5 plastic bottles, I've found this to be a bathroom swap with no downsides.

Eco Coconut Dish Brush & Eco Living Compostable Sponge Cloths

I've been meaning to switch to a dish brush made of natural fibres for the longest time, and have been eking out the life in my (now VERY manky, very ineffective) old plastic one. But no more! This coconut cleaning brush is naturally antibacterial and biodegradable, non-scratch, and easily gets into hard to reach places, i.e. tall glasses. I'd worried that maybe it wouldn't be so durable but it's much stronger than I expected it to be. This is an eco swap I will definitely be keeping up with - the world doesn't need more plastic washing up brushes when this works so well. (On a side note, I'm still saving the old plastic brush for any cleaning emergencies - it's great to keep using an item until it *literally* needs to be thrown away.)

As for the compostable sponge cloths - these are reusable, washable sponge cloths that are fully biodegradable, plastic free and compostable. They're even machine washable and dishwasher safe! I was a bit dubious about whether I'd find a use these (I have a huge pile of dishcloths I wash regularly) but I've started to see they do have their uses in the kitchen, and the fact that they're compostable is arguably better than buying new microfibre cloths which most of mine are - that's because even if they last forever, there's the issue that they release microplastics into the water when washing.

Overall, I'm really pleased with the products I've tried from Zero Zen. Everything has performed as promised, the prices seem really reasonable, and there are a lot more products onsite that I'd be really keen to try. I also have a code so you can get 10% off your first order! Use code DOODLEHEART at checkout. Which of these items appeals most to you?