Small Steps For A More Sustainable Lifestyle
What can you do to lessen your carbon footprint and prepare for a more sustainable lifestyle?
Even the smallest of changes is a step in the right direction. Here are just simple steps you can take to help the planet.
- Avoid plastic wrapped food
This can be difficult when the food you want comes wrapped in plastic, but did you know it is usually cheaper to buy the equivalent amount from the loose food selection?
Simply bring your own reusable bags to hold them and avoid wasting plastic. People use ready wrapped food out of convenience, but spending an extra couple of minutes making mindful decisions will rack up your eco-points.
Similarly, you could avoid the supermarkets altogether. If you have the availability and time, why not go to the local farm shop or market? There is usually a great selection of locally grown produce that isn’t pre-wrapped.
- Switch to reusable
It isn’t all about bags, there are loads of reusable options that take a simple switch but add up to a big difference.
Bottles and coffee cups
2020 is the year you say no to bottled water. Water is being sold in cartons, cans and glass bottles in order to tackle the issue of people purchasing plastic bottles. Unfortunately, this still creates a product that, if not properly recycled, still contributes to the world’s waste. Instead, purchase reusable bottles and refill.
There is a scheme, Refill, spreading across towns and cities that gives businesses the chance to opt in for free water refills. This alone has saved 14 million bottles being purchased. You can download their app to see your closest refill station.
Similarly, switching to a reusable coffee cup is a simple daily change that equates to a big difference.
- Personal health and grooming
People do not usually want to compromise when it comes to their personal grooming and hygiene but there are options that are as good as their disposable counterparts and better for the world.
Razors: Swap your single use twin blade razor for one that allows you to change the heads or blades. There are a few options that even offer a bamboo handle, making the entire item recyclable and sustainable.
Toothbrushes: Once an old toothbrush has worn down nobody thinks twice before chucking it in the bin, how many of your toothbrushes do you think are still on landfill? Opt for a bamboo toothbrush, making this disposable item compostable at the end of its life.
Make-up wipes/cotton pads: In most cases a flannel would do the same job of these non-environmentally friendly choices, however, those looking after their delicate eye areas may instead prefer to purchase some reusable cotton pads to take off their eye makeup. Simply use once with your makeup remover and stick it in the wash.
- Say no to fast fashion
Fast fashion is this and next year’s plastic bag. The spotlight is fully on the fashion industry and their contribution to waste for a more sustainable 2020. Discarded clothing made from non-biodegradable fabrics, such as polyester, can sit in landfills for up to 200 years. This issue has been escalated by the fact that 60% more clothing was bought in 2014 than in 2000, yet each piece purchased was kept for half as long.
Consumers are replacing clothes quicker than ever before, which is the reason behind the label fast fashion. It is predicted that to keep up with current demand the western fashion industry will produce 3030 million metric tons of CO2 emissions by 2025, a 77% increase from 2015.
To ensure this prediction does not become a reality people must consider keeping their clothing longer and using second hand sources to purchase items. Charity shops, Depot and eBay are excellent places to find barely worn or even unworn pieces that people are selling onward. Their loss can be your gain without having to contribute to the CO2 emissions.
Not everything you wear needs to be a hand-me-down, trading a few hauls at your favorite shops for a couple of second-hand pieces is a positive lifestyle change the earth will thank you for.
- Change up your transport
Not every distance is conveniently walkable, sometimes we need to get from A to B in a certain amount of time, or the weather is too bad to take a walk… but there are other modes of transport that can be explored for a more sustainable 2020.
Instead of using your car to get to and from work every day, or to the city for a shopping trip, could you take a bus, the train or even a bicycle? Not only will this save on emissions but it also reduces the number of times you fill up your car, wear and tear on the vehicle, time wasted in traffic and so on.
Although these transport types emit their own gases into the air, 100 people taking a train to get to London has less of a detrimental impact than 100 people driving their cars to London.
For example, a diesel car travelling 652km will produce 115KG of CO2 and a petrol car travelling the same distance will burn 120kg of CO2, but a train only burns 30kg of CO2 making the same journey, according to the energy saving trust.
These steps don’t have to be all or nothing.
Whether a train ride here or a meatless dish there, any conscious effort to change bad habits and become more eco-aware is a constructive step towards preserving the planet.
At The EcoFairy, our goal is to help you build a more sustainable life by offering you a line of reusable products. We offer products that last and that will help you reduce the amount of plastic you use.
More info on our website: https://www.theecofairy.com