14 Simple Eco Friendly Choices for a Greener Life

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About three years ago I purchased a pack of paper straws. “That’s it” I proclaimed. “I’m done with plastic”. I believed that one small lifestyle change would be enough to be able to smugly say that I was “doing my bit”. But three years later, and I’m wondering if “my bit” is really enough. Having a soggy cardboard straw disintegrating in my gin glass no longer feels like I’m doing enough to save the world.

So in the past 12 months, I’ve made a conscious effort to do more. I’m a long way from perfect. I’m not zero-waste. And I’m not plastic-free. I’m still a carnivore. But these are some of the eco friendly choices I’ve made which make me feel that “my bit” can make an impact on the world around me. However small.

Reusable Cup

Back in the days of working from an actual office, we had a small Starbucks concession in our atrium. Unlike some of my colleagues I was strictly a “One Starbucks A Day” kinda gal. But even one single use coffee cup a day is one too many when you consider that the thin plastic lining in that cup will probably live longer than you or I. Of course, reusable cups need washing which uses energy, but on the whole they are a greener choice.

To stay on brand, I bought my reusable Brum Cup from Birmingham Museum; they’re still available here for £10.

Swapping Disposable Plastic Razors

Swapping my single-use plastic razor for a weighty safety razor – with my name engraved on it no less – was a no-brainer. It looks much nicer too. I took advantage of an introductory offer from FFS Beauty and I now have four brand spanking new blades delivered on a bi-monthly subscription basis*. The blades and packaging are all fully recyclable, and all FFS products are cruelty-free and vegan-friendly. Plus it gives a great shave!

*You have the option of skipping a month or so if you’re not that hairy. Or increasing your subscription to monthly if you are.

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Want to join FFS and get money off your first box? Click here! (Not a blogger perk – all customers get a discount code to share with their friends!)

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Less Flights, More UK Holidays

Who’d have thought that at the same time I was starting to consider the impact of travel that we would be grounded by COVID-19? Other than Japan, we had no firm travel plans for 2020, and we had already decided that we would make the most of our weekends and bank holidays by planning UK minibreaks.

As it turned out, 2020 ended up the year of the staycation.

From exploring the area around our new home, to trips to Norfolk, Wales, Cornwall, the Peak District and Shropshire, we reduced our environmental impact almost without thinking about it. And 2021 is turning out much of the same so far. And when you can find ace – and often environmentally friendly – accommodation here in the UK then you can feel happy that you’re doing your bit and cutting out those air travel emissions.

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Beeswax Wraps

I don’t know about you but lockdown meant additional cheese consumption. What was once a Christmas treat is now the first item on the weekly shopping list. But once unwrapped – a lot of store-bought cheese does come wrapped in plastic – I now store my cheese in a beeswax food wrap rather than using cling-film. Mine came from Bee Bee Wraps, and six months later they are still as good as new. Just wash and re-use! And when they do go beyond their best they are fully compostable.

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Food Subscription Boxes

In November, after seeing a discount code on a friend’s Instagram account, I ordered our first Gousto box. Not only does a meal subscription box give inspiration for new inventive meals – which quite frankly we were lacking – but it contains exact portions of ingredients, meaning little food waste. There’s a lot of packaging of varying recyclability but Gousto are committed to reducing the amount of plastic. On the whole though, research has shown that meal kits have a smaller carbon footprint than store-bought equivalents, and the additional packaging is offset by the reduction in food waste.

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Want to try Gousto? Use this link to get 50% off your first box!

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Eat Less Meat

I have to confess to not being very good at this one. However, I do try to have at least one meat-free day a week. The range of plant-free items in supermarkets has improved too, and we do enjoy things like beetroot or sweet potato burgers. I also select at least one vegetarian or vegan dish when I place a Gousto order – we had a delicious mushroom biryani recently which I highly recommend. I don’t recommend the fake mince I recently bought, which made a chilli non carne with the consistency (and smell) of dog food.

Eco toilet roll

Who remembers the great toilet roll shortage of 2020? Well, I’ve made sure that we’ll never be caught short again by subscribing to the wickedly named Who Gives A Crap. This Australian company donate 50% of their profits to help build toilets and improve sanitation in developing countries. They’ve already donated over £4.5million – that’s a lot of toilets. The loo rolls are made using 100% recycled materials as is the wrapping. I have also recycled the wrapping for gift-giving… yep, it’s that funky!

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Reusable face pads

Running low on my stash of make-up remover wipes, I was determined to replace them with something that wouldn’t end up in landfill. I came across local independent business 2BePlasticFree at a craft market and was immediately taken with their beautiful Liberty design washable make-up pads. They’re perfect for removing make-up, and are wonderfully soft on even the most sensitive skin. I also purchased a cute little tin to keep them in, which means they’re also perfect for taking away on holiday.

Eco-Friendly Dental Care

After realising I was practically brushing my teeth with cotton wool, it was time to purchase new heads for my electric toothbrush. Did you know that up to 264 million toothbrushes are thrown away each year IN THE UK ALONE? So this time round I chose LiveCoco Oral-B Compatible Brush Heads. The plastic used is fully recyclable, as is the nylon in the bristles. And all used products can be returned so that the materials can be recycled and reused elsewhere. We also switched to bamboo travel toothbrushes and dental sticks, thus reducing our plastic use even further.

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Reusable sanitary pads

2020 will be remembered for many things, and I can add “the year I started regular periods after coming off the pill because I was turning into a crazy person” to add to the list. And that’s when I remembered how much unnecessary plastic goes into a period. 200,000 tonnes of menstrual waste ends up in UK landfill each year. I’ll admit I was cynical about reusable sanitary products. I read A LOT of reviews. But the benefits outweighed the potential ickiness*

I purchased mine from Bloom and Nora. And my, they are pretty. And also very very soft. They’re comfortable and I’ve found no issues at all with leakage. Or smells. Like many of these eco friendly choices, there is an initial cost outlay but already I’ve saved money compared to buying disposables on a monthly basis. If you want to know more about Bloom and Nora, or reusable sanitary products please let me know! I found blogger reviews and advice invaluable when taking the plunge.

*Not icky in the slightest

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Etsy and Local Crafters

With shopping moving online more than ever over the past 12 months, I’ve found it easier to find and support small independent businesses. Most of the Christmas gifts I purchased in 2020 were from Etsy, Not On The High Street, or from sellers that popped up on my social media feeds. And of course, the more local the seller, the lower the carbon footprint. I’ve gotten to know some of the sellers online, and being able to support someone passionate and happy to engage is much more satisfying than sending your money off to some faceless corporation. I’ve written about this before.

Farm Shops

Sticking with shopping, since moving to rural North Warwickshire I’ve discovered the beauty of the farm shop. Meat, vegetables, dairy products – they all taste so much better when they are practically straight from the source. Shopping in farm shops or market stalls often means a significant reduction in the need for transportation, storage and packaging. Travelling shorter distances from farm to table also means less need for chemicals and preservatives. Plus, see above about supporting your local community and keeping small businesses, well, in business.

Cleaning Products

By their very nature, the cleaning products we use are full of chemicals and let’s face it, since COVID-19 struck we’ve all been using more and more anti-bacterial products. When I looked to change to a more environmentally friendly brand I was shocked to discover that leading brands Method and Ecover are actually owned by SC Johnson who have a less than ethical testing on animals policy. I was recommended the Iron & Velvet products as a more eco-friendly alternative, and I couldn’t be happier. For £10 you can mix and match five of their cleaning product sachets; mix them with water and pop them into a reusable bottle (I bought these glass bottles from Solihull independent Liv’s). They smell divine – and they’re based here in the Midlands too!

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Tote Bags

I stopped using single-use plastic bags a long time ago. We purchased Bags For Life (and then more Bags For Life when we forgot to take them shopping). Then I bought my first cotton tote bag. Easier to stash in a pocket or in a handbag, it’s part of my essential “leaving-the-house” kit. Along with a face mask. This is 2021 after all. They do require a lot of resources to produce though, so making sure you use and re-use your tote bag until it falls apart is the best way to ensure this an eco friendly choice.

Of course, a tote bag is also an expression of your personality. It tells people who you are and what you like. A quick look at my tote bag collection tells you I’m from Birmingham, and I like beer, llamas and Breaking Bad. A fair assessment.

On Reflection

I feel like there is such a long way to go. Minimising plastic, reducing single-use items and looking for eco-friendly packaging is becoming something of a mission of mine, but there is always something more we can do. Every step we take towards making an eco friendly choice is one step towards helping to save the planet, however small that step may seem.

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