Five ways to a more sustainable life
Grow your own
Not only is growing your own produce extremely satisfying it also help you to reduce your carbon footprint and do your bit for the planet. There’s nothing like the fresh taste of home grown produce, it’s also organic and adds a nice healthy addition to your daily meals.
If you have children they love to help get their hands dirty and watch the miracle of growing something from a tiny seed. The benefits to gardening and growing your own produce is also very beneficial, spending time in nature reduces stress and anxiety, getting natural sunlight is good for the body and the extra movement is a good work out too! Why not try and grow your own, you don’t need an awful lot of space either-a plant pot, window boxes or planting in your garden borders work so well.
Sell or donate unwanted items
Selling or donating items gives your belongings a new life and also help prevent land fill from growing. It can also make you some extra money too! Your household items and clothing can be sold at car boot sales, markets or online or you could also donate to the charity shops. Many charity companies will collect bulky items free of charge too.
When it comes to clothing we are all learning more about fast fashion and how fashion shouldn’t ‘cost the earth’ so buying from charity shops and flee markets are becoming such a popular option. It also gives you your own sense of identity and fashion so you’re not just following the latest trends, That has to be a win-win!
Drive less
In the UK 60% of journeys are 1-2 miles long, many of these trips include the school run, driving to work or to the local shop. Reducing those short journeys by walking or getting on a bike can really make a huge difference. Choosing to take the bus or train is a really good option too for longer journeys.
We can all do our bit, no matter how small.
Shop sustainably
Going to the local market to shop for locally grown produce is the best way to shop. Not only does the produce taste better it’s also better for the planet as the produce hasn’t flown or been shipped many miles to get to you. Many supermarkets now have an option to fill your own jars or buy in bulk so you can reduce the amount of packaging you are using. If it’s available to you choosing organic and fair trade tends to be better for the planet, this can be costly and not available to everyone but if we all do a little it makes a big difference.
Reduce energy use
With energy bills going through the roof we are all looking for ways to reduce the amount of energy we use in our homes. Small steps can make a huge difference to the planet and to your pocket too.
Making sure plugs are switched off when they are not being used and save you up to £35 per year according to British Gas and up to £65 per year by unplugging your chargers.
To save paper go paperless for bills, emailing instead of letters and recycling your books is also a great way to save the amount of paper you are using
To save water you can turn the taps off whilst you are doing your teeth, use a bowl of water to wash fruits and veggies, collecting water from pans when you cook to water plants, taking shorter showers and fixing leaky taps. Doing a full laundry load, switching to eco-friendly settings and not over-filling the kettle are also some top tips to think about.