Reader Kerry shares her tips to live a greener life to help fight climate change - so cool, and much easier than you think!
1) Buy local!
Do you know how many miles that mango has travelled to end up on your plate? 4,674 (on average.) And that avocado? 4,407 (again, give or take.) Eek! I know what you’re thinking… “Gee, that’s a lot of fuel burned just so I can eat this juicy, fashionable breakfast.” Sadly, although its really yummy, cargo ships are one of the largest contributors to climate change. That’s why buying local produce from local businesses can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint, plus you’re helping out your neighbour!
2) Recycle!
This one’s pretty easy, these days. Most councils have a recycling service, but you can recycle way more than they say you can! Just take a minute to find out if you can re-use an item - and use your imagination. Creating art or using old fabrics to make new items of clothing are great ways to recycle.
3) Clothes swap!
The high-street fashion industry encourages us to chuck the old to make room for the latest fashion trend, pretty much on a seasonal basis if not more. Did you know the UK throws around 300,000 tonnes of textiles into landfill every year? That’s on average eight items of clothing per person straight in the bin!
4) Eat less meat!
Avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet, according to scientists. Beef consumption is the big offender. Cows. Their digestive system produces methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide, and their manure emits additional greenhouse gasses. No one is saying to go full vegan here… but just be aware. Maybe start by having one day a week meat free and see how you go from there?
5) Compost!
Obviously not wasting food in the first place is important, but sometimes there will be a little food waste leftover. Instead of throwing it in the bin, use a separate green bin, or a larger compost bin outside. This will eventually turn into new soil which can be used to plant your own veg. Thus the cycle continues!
6) Protect bees!
The majority of our fruit and veg relies on honey bees and other insects to pollinate them. Without them, we would lose around a third of the food in our supermarkets. I can’t stress how important they are! Why not create a bee-friendly garden? Plant loads of beautiful flowers for the bees to pollinate and feel at home in. And support your local beekeepers by buying local honey!
7) Cut out plastic!
Replacing plastic bags with fabric ‘tote’ bags is an obvious one but also there’s a growing movement to remove un-needed plastic from supermarket foods and giving it back to the shop! Another great way to reduce your plastic use is to say no to plastic cutlery or straws. Any single-use plastic should be avoided at all cost.
8) Make-do and mend!
Repairing or fixing something is more environmentally friendly than simply throwing it away, although it may seem easier and cheaper at the time. With the internet so accessible, there is little excuse not to figure out a bit of DIY. And if it’s beyond fixing, can it be turned into something else?
9) Eco-friendly cleaning products!
Cleaning products contain some of the most harmful chemicals for the oceans and also for your own health. Fear not, there are some fab new brands such as Method or Ecover who don’t use micro-plastics or microbeads. Get on it!
10) Use eco personal hygiene products!
High-street brand Lush do a fantastic range of non-chemical products which we recommend checking out - try their shampoo bars for glossy, conditioned locks without a yukky plastic bottle to chuck away at the end. Not too expensive either, so there’s no excuse! It's even easier to ditch the bottled shower gel for a bar of soap... the Body Shop have some fab options!
Cathy says:
I'm trying to cut down on plastics and pollution myself, and love these clever tips. I can vouch for the Lush shampoo bars, too! Do YOU have any tips on going green to save the planet? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!
Do you know how many miles that mango has travelled to end up on your plate? 4,674 (on average.) And that avocado? 4,407 (again, give or take.) Eek! I know what you’re thinking… “Gee, that’s a lot of fuel burned just so I can eat this juicy, fashionable breakfast.” Sadly, although its really yummy, cargo ships are one of the largest contributors to climate change. That’s why buying local produce from local businesses can dramatically reduce your carbon footprint, plus you’re helping out your neighbour!
2) Recycle!
This one’s pretty easy, these days. Most councils have a recycling service, but you can recycle way more than they say you can! Just take a minute to find out if you can re-use an item - and use your imagination. Creating art or using old fabrics to make new items of clothing are great ways to recycle.
3) Clothes swap!The high-street fashion industry encourages us to chuck the old to make room for the latest fashion trend, pretty much on a seasonal basis if not more. Did you know the UK throws around 300,000 tonnes of textiles into landfill every year? That’s on average eight items of clothing per person straight in the bin!
4) Eat less meat!
Avoiding meat and dairy products is the single biggest way to reduce your environmental impact on the planet, according to scientists. Beef consumption is the big offender. Cows. Their digestive system produces methane, a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide, and their manure emits additional greenhouse gasses. No one is saying to go full vegan here… but just be aware. Maybe start by having one day a week meat free and see how you go from there?
5) Compost!
Obviously not wasting food in the first place is important, but sometimes there will be a little food waste leftover. Instead of throwing it in the bin, use a separate green bin, or a larger compost bin outside. This will eventually turn into new soil which can be used to plant your own veg. Thus the cycle continues!
The majority of our fruit and veg relies on honey bees and other insects to pollinate them. Without them, we would lose around a third of the food in our supermarkets. I can’t stress how important they are! Why not create a bee-friendly garden? Plant loads of beautiful flowers for the bees to pollinate and feel at home in. And support your local beekeepers by buying local honey!
7) Cut out plastic!
Replacing plastic bags with fabric ‘tote’ bags is an obvious one but also there’s a growing movement to remove un-needed plastic from supermarket foods and giving it back to the shop! Another great way to reduce your plastic use is to say no to plastic cutlery or straws. Any single-use plastic should be avoided at all cost.
8) Make-do and mend!
Repairing or fixing something is more environmentally friendly than simply throwing it away, although it may seem easier and cheaper at the time. With the internet so accessible, there is little excuse not to figure out a bit of DIY. And if it’s beyond fixing, can it be turned into something else?
Cleaning products contain some of the most harmful chemicals for the oceans and also for your own health. Fear not, there are some fab new brands such as Method or Ecover who don’t use micro-plastics or microbeads. Get on it!
10) Use eco personal hygiene products!
High-street brand Lush do a fantastic range of non-chemical products which we recommend checking out - try their shampoo bars for glossy, conditioned locks without a yukky plastic bottle to chuck away at the end. Not too expensive either, so there’s no excuse! It's even easier to ditch the bottled shower gel for a bar of soap... the Body Shop have some fab options!
Cathy says:
I'm trying to cut down on plastics and pollution myself, and love these clever tips. I can vouch for the Lush shampoo bars, too! Do YOU have any tips on going green to save the planet? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!
These are really good tips, I have tried to cut down on plastic and re-use more in recent years to help the planet. I would like to do more to help the bees.
ReplyDeleteAnother good tip for eco-friendly hygiene products for girls is to use reuseable cotton feminine hygiene products instead of disposable plastic. You can get lots of colourful products :)