7 Ways to be More Eco Friendly

Since the start of last year, I’ve been making a much bigger effort to be more eco friendly.

I’ve considered myself pretty good at recycling since I started living by myself, but since I moved in with Mark I’ve ramped it up a bit.

Like a lot of people, however, I didn’t feel like I was doing enough (because only recycling isn’t really enough). A few years ago, being ignorant of the problems a lot of our lifestyle causes was easier to get away with. Not so much now. The climate crisis is hard to ignore and towards the end of last year, I started making changes to live more sustainably. I’ve ramped it up even more during this year. I still don’t feel like I’m doing enough, but I think that is maybe a common thing once you get into it. I’ve fallen down many a hole online reading about how various things are impacting our environment, and it scares the s**t out me.

When you start delving into the climate crisis it can all feel a bit overwhelming.

But the important thing to remember is that we can’t do everything ourselves, but everyone making small changes to their habits will have a big impact overall. Here are seven easy ways to be more eco friendly and reduce your impact on the environment.

1. Reduce the amount of plastic you use

Even if you recycle, plastic doesn’t have an endless lifecycle. Eventually it can no longer be recycled. Start off with simple swaps – buy a reusable water bottle and coffee cup. Although there is an initial outlay for these you’ll save yourself money over time. Cafes will fill your water bottle if you ask, and if you live in Scotland you’ll no doubt have noticed Scottish Water refill points popping up. Most coffee shops will also offer a discount if you bring your own cup for hot drinks.

The food we buy can also have an impact on the amount of plastic we use. Buy loose fruit and veg, take your own tubs to the butcher counter and use reusable bags to pack your shopping. Plastic bags can’t be recycled and these find their way into the sea, and then the stomachs of marine life.

2. Change your cleaning products

There are loads of natural cleaning solutions you can make at home. Cutting the chemicals out is good for the environment and you. Ditch the antibacterial wipes (these are made from plastic!) and switch to dish and bathroom cloths that you can wash and reuse.

Look into eco friendly laundry options too. We’ve recently switched to Smol capsules. They come in cardboard recyclable packaging and have less chemicals than other brands. You can get a free trial to try them out here.

3. Eat less meat

Eating less meat was pretty high on my agenda for a number of reasons. First off I’m a bit of a funny eater anyway, but meat is something I’m particularly picky about. And secondly, meat production is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. Eating beef 1-2 times a week is a whopping 604kg towards your annual emissions. If you eat tofu 1-2 times a week instead, this only contributes 12kg!

I’ve not gone full veggie, I’d probably describe myself as flexitarian – about 95% of my diet is meat-free. When I’m cooking at home I rarely cook with meat, but if I’m out at someone’s house for dinner I’ll eat whatever they make. In all honesty, I was a bit concerned I’d find it difficult to eat veggie or cook without meat, but with Quorn available my cooking hasn’t had to change much!

If you’re not ready to fully embrace a meat-free diet why not try meat free Monday as a starting point, or replacing one meal a day with with a meat free option.

4. Change your toiletries

You can really easily cut down on the amount of plastic by making simple changes to your toiletries. Use shampoo and conditioner bars rather than bottles. With some shampoo bars, your hair will have to go through a “transition period”. Honestly, your hair will feel gross. It’ll be sticky and greasy looking. I’ve heard if you can get through the transition period then your hair feels amazing. But I’ve never managed to get through that stage. I use Lush shampoo bars. Some of their shampoo bars are now SLS free, check out the ingredients of each product to find out which. (Note – their bars contain Sodium Coco Sulfate instead.)

Also, consider switching to bars of soap rather than bottles of shower gels – cheaper and better for the environment. Ditching the makeup remover wipes and switching to a cleanser and face cloth is another easy way to be more eco friendly.

5. Buy seasonal, locally grown fruit and veg

Buying seasonal and locally grown fruit and vegetables cuts your carbon footprint. It saves energy that would otherwise be used to transport, refrigerate and store the food. If you want to know more about what is in season each month you can find that info here.

6. Buy less clothes and buy vintage/secondhand

The fashion industry has a huge impact on the environment. As a former fashion student, I was a serial fast fashion shopper. I loved a haul and would marvel at the amount of clothes I could buy monthly from Primark. I’m getting over my addiction to fast fashion and last year took part in Secondhand September. I was (ashamedly) surprised that I managed to go a whole month without buying anything new, and I was also surprised at how much I loved secondhand shopping.

Shop your wardrobe, use Depop or eBay, and once we can get back to shopping rummage through charity shops to find clothes. Charity shopping in more affluent areas is a good way to find pieces from more expensive brands. I got a pair of All Saints boots for £5 from a charity shop in Stockbridge last September. Eco friendly and sustainable fashion don’t have to mean boring, bland clothes. I’m very early on in my sustainable fashion journey so I’m no expert, but my go-to is Ruth McGilp – she knows her stuff when it comes to sustainable/ethical fashion and has a great resource on her blog.

7. Buy other secondhand items

Don’t just limit your secondhand buying to clothes, think about other things you could buy secondhand or refurbished. I’ve just bought a secondhand bike and pretty much all my tech products are refurbished. Apart from being more eco friendly because you’re saving these things from going to landfill, it saves you a ton of money too!

Do you have any other tips for being more eco friendly?

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