Most of us are now living lifestyles that aren't sustainable or friendly to our environment or planet. The scale of the issue is so big it can become a little overwhelming, however, here are our favourite small steps that you can take to move towards living more sustainably.
1 - Use a refillable bottle
One of the easiest ways to cut down on plastic use is to pick yourself up a reusable water bottle, so you can top up when and where you would like. We recommend checking out the Refill app so that you can always find your nearest free top-up point. One of the easiest times to slip up with your water bottle is during garage stops on car journeys. Make sure you bring along your bottle in the car to save on both your use of plastic, and the extortionate cost of a bottle of petrol station sold water.
2 - Think about your energy
It's becoming increasingly easier and cheaper to switch to an energy company that uses renewable energy only, which can make a big impact on your environmental footprint. It's also easy to take small steps at home to reduce your usage, such as turning lights off whenever not used, keeping an eye on powerstrips and turning them off when not in use. Putting a jumper on in winter rather than cranking the heating up further also goes to help both the environment and your wallet.
3 - Watch how you shop
Whilst supermarkets are still full of plastic packaging, there are constant campaigns to try and reduce this (check out Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's BBC documentary on iPlayer). Where possible, try to purchase individual items rather than plastic packaged multi-packs and make yourself conscious of the plastic you are bringing in. It is also worth looking further afield and taking a trip to your local greengrocers or market where you can get fresh food without the plastic. Always remember your reusable bag or tote bag!
4 - Wash your clothes less!
Every time you wash your clothes, not only is it a big use of water and energy, but thousands of microplastic fibres are taken from your clothes and find their way into our environment. By washing your clothes less you not only help preserve the item, but you save on both the microplastics being released and your energy bill. If you do need to wash your clothes (you will definitely reach this at some point!) then consider hand washing, or if not possible, wash on a low heat cycle and line dry your clothes.
5 - Adjust your diet
Whilst a slightly controversial topic, mass animal agriculture is one of the leading contributors to global warming. An easy way to help contribute to reducing the level of greenhouse gases is to cut down on the amount of meat you are eating (or cut it out completely!). If you are currently a meat eater then start out by trying a couple of veggie days a week and take it from there. You'll quickly realise that veggie food isn't boring, and there are hundreds of incredible meals that you can easily knock up. If you are eating meat then try to keep the food you are consuming locally sourced.
Whilst there are hundreds of small changes we can do to help live a more sustainable life, hopefully, these small suggestions help give you the inspiration and ideas to live a more sustainable life.