Sustainable Living!

10 ways of living a sustainable lifestyle

Living more sustainably only takes some small changes in your everyday life. Bit by bit, step by step, changing your lifestyle will have a huge impact on reducing large scale climate issues.

To make things easier for you, I have gathered 10 of top tips that will enable you to live more sustainably, starting now:

1. Reduce plastic consumption Single use plastic is extremely damaging to the environment. Every year huge numbers of single use plastic containers, bags and bottles go pretty much straight from the factory into the landfill. The life cycle of plastic bottles is around 450 years. The plastic you use will be on the Earth far longer than you will be which is why reducing your individual plastic footprint is essential in your journey towards living sustainably.

Key tips for reducing your plastic consumption: · Say no to straws. · Use a reusable bottle. · Carry your reusable shopping bags, EVERYWHERE. · Buy loose fruit and veg. · Use a reusable coffee mug. · Use preserving jars to store food.

2. Conserve your electrical use To reduce your carbon footprint, you must start conserving energy. This is one of the easiest ways to live more sustainably.

Do this by: · Not leaving devices of standby. · Investing in eco-friendly devices (mobile phones, kitchen appliances) · Using your microwave. Surprisingly, they use way less energy than conventional ovens! · Dust your light bulbs and radiators to remove obstructions of energy · Take short showers

3. Consume conscious fashion Fast fashion is deadly for the planet and the people in many ways. The majority of fast fashion brands do not pay their garment workers a living wage. According to the House of Common Environmental Audit Committee (2019) textile contributes more to climate change than international aviation and shipping combined! In pursuit of profit, fast fashion brands ignore efforts for sustainability and produce waste products, exploit workers, pollute the earth and focus on quantity over quantity.

Rethink your relationship to fashion by: · Spending more on higher quality clothes less often · Buy from eco friendly brands and fashion lines · Support fair-trade certified brands · Re-wear outfits · Upcycle your clothes · Donate your old pieces

4. Buy food locally Monocropping foods and shipping them across the planet to please our taste buds is hugely detrimental to the planet. Not only does locally grown food taste better, but it also supports the local economy and reduces harm towards the Earth.

Tips for buying locally: · Buy straight from the farm · Buy from sustainable health food shops · Shop seasonally · Check the labels of the food you buy from supermarkets · Cut down on imported foods such as avocados and quinoa · Eat more locally sourced vegetables · Cut down meat consumption

5. Garden without chemicals Growing food in monocultures and transporting it across the planet to please our taste buds is extremely harmful to the planet. Locally grown food not only tastes better, but also supports local economies and reduces damage to the earth. The truth is, nature knows how to function without the input of humans. Feeding our plants toxic chemical fertilisers has an impact on the plants, the soil and entire ecosystems.

Tips for gardening without pesticides: · Educate yourself on traditional farming techniques · Explore permaculture which uses natures natural patterns to produce efficient and productive gardens · Let scary bugs stay! Spiders and toads are great for your garden so do not scare them off · If bugs take over, resort to organic fertiliser

6. Change your transport Let’s be honest, we need to move into an age where people use public transport more often than using their own personal cars. Taking a bus emits just over half the amounts of greenhouse gases as a single occupancy car does Tips for reducing the impact of your transport: · Use buses when you can · Share a car with your family members · Use car-share apps · Invest in a newer, more efficient vehicle · Go electric!

7. Cook fresh Pre-packaged and processed food is usually filled with a huge number of ingredients and preservatives. Behind each ingredient is a journey- a journey that uses up a lot of energy! This is why buying unpackaged whole foods and creating recipes from those foods is better for the planet and your body. Firstly, it allows you to avoid preservatives, and secondly, you’ll spend less money as you won’t be paying for convenience. Tips for buying fresh food: · Go for the local option · Buy unpackaged singular fruit and veg · You can use foods you have grown yourself · Buy what is available and grown in your local area Trust me: IT TASTES BETTER

8. RECYCLE, RECYCLE, RECYCLE Recycling is when you collect and process materials and turn them into new materials instead of sending them to the landfill. There are numerous benefits of recycling. For example, there is less need to extract new raw materials, less waste is sent to landfill, and energy is saved.

Recycling tips: · Know your facts- which products can be recycled and which cannot? · Separate materials correctly- this will ensure the recycling process is more efficient · Don’t just recycle cardboard and plastic. Food, big tech appliances and water can all be recycled too. Pour the water from your boiled potatoes, state on the flower bed for example. · Take small steps- eventually the goal will be to recycle everything accurately, but recycling something is better than nothing. · Buy recycled items- dog waste bags, bin bags, bottles, cups- an array of products made from recycled materials are now available on the market.

9. Upcycle Upcycling is a fun way to reuse items lying around your house. Not only does it allow you to get creative and make cool and quirky new products, it also reduces your carbon footprint by meaning you don’t have to go down to the shopping mall and buy something new.

Tips for upcycling: · Use items lying around your house, or buy cheaply from second-hand shops. · Find inspiration on Pinterest. · Be imaginative and get creative. Upcycling has endless options!

10. Scream it from the rooftops Talk to your friends and family about the new practices you have implemented to reduce your impact on Earth. · Share ideas · Educate those around you · Give people sustainable gifts · ♻️ Share this article ♻️

We must work together to move towards a more sustainable planet and with the help of these tips, you will be on your way to following a lifestyle that works with the planet, not against it.