Sustainable Living

 Living a more eco friendly sustainable life

As I've got older, I have definitely become more consciously aware of the impact that our everyday, convenient lifestyles, have on the environment. I'm not here to preach about being more eco friendly, I'm just here to share the small steps I've made to try to contribute to some elements of greener living.

By no means be under any illusion that I am the worlds top eco warrior, or anywhere close to that but I have certainly made some small changes that haven't been too difficult or arduous to implement, to do my bit. Plus, I genuinely do care about the state of the planet and all it's habitants which motivates me to want to make change. 

What changes have I made:

Food

I decided to give up meat several years ago now. This was mainly driven by my horror in learning more about animal welfare in relation to food production. I've wrote a little about my dietary changes in a previous post.

Not only was I disturbed by the awful rearing and slaughter of animals for human consumption but I was equally appalled by the method in way animals were being fed in order to 'plump' them up and pumped full of chemicals and hormones to modify their growth. In addition to this, learning about animals being fed on the left overs of their own species (i.e. chickens being fed bits of chicken), well, this just went completely against what nature intended, on top of all the other horrifying things that animals are exposed to. I just couldn't accept that I was contributing to that continued chain of terrible conditions for animals when I feel such tenderness toward them. So it wasn't a difficult decision for me to take.

This was my primary reason for going veggie but having since learnt about the benefits to the environment as a whole, only cemented my drive to give up meat. Link to Info

Other 'green' introductions I've made with food, is being more conscious about sourcing local produce, purchasing fresh fruit and veg from suppliers that 'rescue' items that cannot be sold in stores (mis-shaped etc....) such as OddBox, and this also supports seasonal eating. My next plan is to learn more about foraging. I am lucky enough to live on the edge of the huge nature reserve and we have tons of mushrooms and wild herbs and berries....I just don't have enough knowledge yet to know which ones will kill me lol!!!! So I need some help with that before I start picking and consuming!

Domestic cleaning

I can't remember the last time I used harsh chemicals in my household cleaning regimes. There's specific brands that you can buy now that are environmentally friendly but I've learnt so much about using products like bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar, that these are now my go to items when cleaning. They provide great results that are green for the environment and safe to be swished away, not harming our marine life. 

Products I've used: Ocean Saver   Ocean Saver, Method, Method Ecover Ecover

People I follow for eco cleaning tips: Nancy Birtwhistle on IG @nancy.birtwhistle, Armen Adamjan on IG @creative_explained

I did try using a eco laundry egg for several months but it didn't leave fabric smelling very fresh so I gave up on this Laundry Egg but I do still use eco friendly laundry detergent and conditioner. I buy in bulk large containers to reduce the amount of packaging.

For floors and work surfaces I use steam cleaners which are amazing link floor steam cleaners link to hand held steam cleaners

There's no getting away from the fact that there is still so much plastic being used for packaging and as much as I try my best to opt for items without the plastic or recycle friendly options, sometimes, its just unavoidable. This is something I want to get better at.

Clothing

Over the last few years, I tend to opt for pre-loved second hand items when shopping for clothing. Again, this is to support a more sustainable way of living. There are the odd occasion when I do purchase new, but this is few and far between now.

There's so many great options for buying pre-loved and these options are also great for cost efficiencies too. My go to are: EBAY, Vinted, local charity shops and Circle of Style Link for designer items at huge cost reductions.

Filtered Water

I live in a hard water area that produces a huge amount of limescale. To try and address this, I filter my water before consuming it. For a number of years, I was using a Brita water jug and their filter cartridges, until I discovered Phox water filters This offers a reusable cartridge that allows me to refill with the filter compound every month or so. Creating no disposing of harmful plastics from the cartridge.

I absolutely love this product and have signed up to their subscription offer so I never run out! Equally, they offer an alkaline filter compound that provides great mineral benefits for the body, so a win win!

Ladies Sanitary Wear

I give up using regular menstrual sanitary wear several years ago. Mainly because of the harmful waste this produces. There's so much plastic in these products that they don't break down naturally. So, I turned to using a menstrual cup. It's a silicone product but because its reusable and can last anywhere from 10+ years if looked after properly, it supports green sustainability and is really cost efficient. I've never looked back and although I was initially a bit intimated about using it, it's actually very simple and comfortable to wear.

General Thriftiness 

All in all, I am trying to make more thrifty decisions in my day to day life. Less waste and reusing where I can. I like to follow likeminded people on social media to give me ideas about how to make everyday choices that are easy to implement but help with eco, sustainable living.

If you have any links you would like to share or any ideas to help make easy daily life choices that are eco friendly, please feel free to add in the comments. This space is aimed at learning from one another and sharing what we have learnt.