Sometimes the best way to avoid plastic is by making things yourself. We have pulled together some of our favourite recipes for making food, natural cosmetics, as well as simple, safe and effective cleaning products for your home.
Another way to avoid bringing new plastic into production is to take good care of the things we have, and to repair them when needed rather than buying new. If you don’t have the skills, there will be someone nearby who does and is able to teach you how – see our list of Gloucestershire repair cafes and other local facilities.





Simple ways to make, cook and bake
Many things that come packaged in plastic can be made at home. The secret is to start with easy recipes that work for you and your budget. You will be surprised how quick and simple it is to make some common place things and how much better these are for you and the environment. Making this is good for our wellbeing and helps us connect with each other. This could be seen during Covid lockdowns when the nation enthusiastically shared their new skills such as baking bread and crocheting all over social media.
Food Staples
- Oat milk
- Two ingredient recipes for five dairy staples
- Four homemade cheese recipes
- Eight all natural plastic free staples you can make yourself
- Nine DIY plant milk recipes
- Ten salad dressings you can make in minutes
- Homemade granola
- Homemade hummus recipes
- Homemade pate recipes
- Quick pizza dough
- Kimchi (video)
Treats
Ten zero waste snacks for kids
Homemade rosemary crackersHerby breadsticks
33 plastic free snack ideas
Cinnamon and maple salted popcorn (video)
Vegan pretzels (video)
Zero Waste Chef
The Spruce Eats
Cleaning Products
- Disinfectant spray and cream cleaner
- 9 plastic free cleaning hacks
- 5 zero waste cleaning recipes for your entire home
- 27 chemical free recipes for DIY spring cleaning
- The ultimate zero waste cleaning recipe list
- DIY all purpose cleaner (video)
- 8 homemade cleaners that work (with videos)
Toiletries
Repair Cafes and Makers’ Studios
If everyone in Gloucestershire repaired just one item we could save 600,000 items from being wasted – that’s 125 lorries worth of recycling. Look up your local repair cafe on Gloucestershire Recycles or see our listings below. At a typical repair cafe you will not only learn from volunteer experts how to mend your broken items, you will also have a chance to meet and chat with others over a cup of tea and a piece of cake. Perfect for community spirit and good for your pocket and the environment.
Repairs
Yorkley repair cafe Forest of Dean
Newent repair cafe Forest of Dean
Cheltenham repair cafe, Cheltenham
Nailsworth repair cafe Nailsworth
Atelier Stroud Stroud
Stroud repair cafe Stroud
Access bike Stroud
Garment repairs & alterations: check local dry cleaners
Workshops & Makers’ Groups
Atelier Stroud Make, Meet & Mend; weaving; textiles; sewing and more
Sewing Shed workshop
Furniture restoration
Find a course – basketry, felting, pottery and lots more
Build or repair a bicycle!