For a while now I've wanted to make a more conscious effort to cut down on waste and be more environmentally friendly so today I thought I'd talk a little bit about the steps I'm taking to make this happen. Before I start I will say I still have a long way to go, I'm sure there's still a million different changes I can make to reduce the impact I'm having on our planet but for now I'm a beginner and these are just some super simple changes we can all make that will make a difference!
1) The first and probably most obvious thing is to sort your rubbish and start recycling, most of us are already doing this these days but sorting out your rubbish and separating your recyclables is a really easy way to be more environmentally friendly.
2) Look for refillable packaging, I'm pretty new to this but recently whilst out getting my household shopping I noticed that the hand soap I usually pick up has a refill pouch which uses 85% less plastic than a brand new bottle and generally it's roughly the same cost. I'm going to be searching for more of these types of refills whenever I'm out shopping, I know many coffee brands also offer refill pouches so this is something to consider before picking up your regular shopping items.
3) Something that's been talked about a lot recently is the use of plastic straws, a number of food and drink establishments have already switched over to paper straws and I think this is set to continue. This was something I never really thought about but now it's been brought to my attention I no longer buy disposable straws, it's strictly paper from now on (or reusable ones).
4) Stop buying bottled water, water is something you can pour straight from your own tap for free so why continue to be overcharged and add more plastic to landfills with expensive bottled water when you buy a reusable water bottle, help the environment and save money at the same time. You can take this a step further and purchase your own travel/coffee mug and have coffee shops fill these up rather than buying disposable cups, some coffee places even offer discounts if you do this.
5) Cut down on use of plastic bags, you can either use the 'bags for life' and take these with you every time you go shopping or purchase the reusable bags that fold up into a small pouch and can easily be kept in your handbag, I love these because they fold up so small, are really strong and can hold a load of stuff.
6) Switch from tampons/pads to a menstrual cup. This one I can't officially comment on.....yet but I have purchased the OrganiCup and I'm going to give it a try when I get my next period and I'm thinking I'll probably write up a full review once I've tested it out. Menstrual cups have benefits for both the environment and your body but I'll talk about all of that in detail in my upcoming review.
7) You may not want to go vegetarian but it's a really good idea to cut down on your consumption of meat. Meat production is actually quite damaging to the planet, I'm not sure of all the statistics but I have read that meat production is one of the leading causes of greenhouse gas. If you love meat and aren't willing to give it up I would suggest having a meat-free day each week, this is a very achievable goal, this year I have majorly cut back on eating meat as I just don't enjoy it as much as a used to and I enjoy finding healthier alternatives, I've also cut back on dairy products as these aggravate my acne so I really see the benefits of a more plant-based diet even though I'm currently not vegetarian or vegan.
8) A super easy way to waste less paper is to switch to online bills, often we just throw out monthly statements out so it's a total waste of paper and with us all being so glued to our phones it's much more efficient to receive a notification or email than a physical letter.
9) Start thinking about all the disposable items you use and make switches to cut down on waste. If you are constantly using paper towels when cleaning you may want to consider using microfibre cloths instead, these can be used all around the house then thrown in the wash for next time. Another idea is to cut your cotton pads/sponges in half, this is better for the environment and another way to ultimately save money.
10) The final tip I have is to cut back on the amount you buy in general, this is what I struggle with most especially being a blogger/beauty lover I always want to be testing out the latest products and definitely fall victim to marketing ploys but I'm trying to get better and stop buying things that I don't need. I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe and it's something I'm definitely wanting to work towards as well as a more minimalist lifestyle in general.
These are 10 tips I'm currently trying to follow to reduce the impact I'm having on the planet, as I discussed at the beginning of this post I'm definitely a beginner and there's lot's more I could do for our planet but every little helps.
If you have any tips you want to share please let me know!
8) A super easy way to waste less paper is to switch to online bills, often we just throw out monthly statements out so it's a total waste of paper and with us all being so glued to our phones it's much more efficient to receive a notification or email than a physical letter.
9) Start thinking about all the disposable items you use and make switches to cut down on waste. If you are constantly using paper towels when cleaning you may want to consider using microfibre cloths instead, these can be used all around the house then thrown in the wash for next time. Another idea is to cut your cotton pads/sponges in half, this is better for the environment and another way to ultimately save money.
10) The final tip I have is to cut back on the amount you buy in general, this is what I struggle with most especially being a blogger/beauty lover I always want to be testing out the latest products and definitely fall victim to marketing ploys but I'm trying to get better and stop buying things that I don't need. I love the idea of a capsule wardrobe and it's something I'm definitely wanting to work towards as well as a more minimalist lifestyle in general.
These are 10 tips I'm currently trying to follow to reduce the impact I'm having on the planet, as I discussed at the beginning of this post I'm definitely a beginner and there's lot's more I could do for our planet but every little helps.
If you have any tips you want to share please let me know!
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