the most valid ‘consumer action’ you can do is to just buy less shit rather than tearing your hair out finding the most ethical products and companies but still maintaining the same consumption level. anyone with an interest in maintaining an economy based on profits is not going to encourage you to buy less of anything, no matter how sustainable and plant based and so on. rather than thinking overconsumption can be good as long as you find the right stuff to buy, challenge the consumer mindset.
Remember: the most “eco-friendly” version of anything is the thing you already have.
What have you done to reduce your carbon footprint in the last 10 months?
I’ve reduced the amount of takeaway coffee cups I use (but with COVID some coffee shops stopped accepting keepcups so that was difficult).
I’ve stopped buying prepacked lunches from Tesco and make my own lunch to bring with me to work in a lunchbox.
I’ve left my job that involved a commute so I can walk/cycle to work easily, saving the planet and my bank account! Was spending easily €100 on transport a month…
I’ve been bringing my own bags to supermarkets to do my shopping. My housemates still buy bags but I’ll reuse them and give out to them haha
I don’t think I’ve bought a plastic water bottle in over two years now, I bring my reusable water bottle everywhere, even on holidays.
There are several valid reasons why plastic bags should be banned, including the harm it causes to humans, wildlife and ecosystems. Yet, you may be wondering how to use them less and what alternatives are available. Here are five effective ways to cut plastic bags from your shopping.
by @environment__co #plasticfree #reducereuserecycle #ditchthedisposables #plasticbag #sustainabletips #sustainableliving #ecofriendly #bantheplasticbag
Ok, this is a great idea. Fully on board. Setting that aside, i recently came into possession of a few vintage casserole dishes and old pyrex bowls (like the orange one in the pic) and these things are actually collectable, sought after, and pretty pricey.
An infographic on a light green background with decorative green leaves. There are seven white boxes with arrows leading from one to the next in a sequence. The infographic is titled “The 7 R’s: The steps left out of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”
The boxes, in order, say:
Rethink: Rethink what you need
Refuse: Refuse to buy or accept things you don’t needor can’t or won’t use.
Reduce: Reduce what you do need.
Reuse: Reuse what you have as much as possible.
Repair: Repair what you already have to keep it useful longer and avoid creating more waste.
Regift: Regift what you have but don’t need or use to someone who needs or can use it.
Recycle: Recycle if you can find no better way to deal with it.
End caption.]
[Image caption: Some tags from Tumblr user honestlyvan that read,
tbh it’s wild to me that most people don’t think ‘do I REALLY need this?’ as their first thought
maybe it’s just that when you’re poor you find a way to stretch every penny as far as it will go
I had to actively break the habit of using shit that was broken but ‘okay’ even though I could use a replacement
(f’ex I struggled for months to buy a new visor for my motorcycling helmet because ‘it’s not that bad’)
it’s weird to me to think about ‘buying less’ as a change of mindset
I already buy almost nothing but food
end caption]
Very excellent point here! and something I probably should have brought up in the original graphic or post. Some of us - especially those of us who are poor - already have a good grip on that “rethink” part. If you’re already considering whether or not you really need to buy that thing, this doesn’t mean you’re supposed to do it more! We do still need stuff to live!
Solarpunk shouldn’t be a reason to deprive yourself of things you need or feel guilty for needing things. Even in a perfect solarpunk utopia, things will break or wear out and need replaced.
Sometimes when you ask, “Do I really need this?” the answer is “Yes,” and that’s okay. Do what you can, but don’t beat yourself up for not being perfect.
An infographic on a light green background with decorative green leaves. There are seven white boxes with arrows leading from one to the next in a sequence. The infographic is titled “The 7 R’s: The steps left out of "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”
The boxes, in order, say:
Rethink: Rethink what you need
Refuse: Refuse to buy or accept things you don’t needor can’t or won’t use.
Reduce: Reduce what you do need.
Reuse: Reuse what you have as much as possible.
Repair: Repair what you already have to keep it useful longer and avoid creating more waste.
Regift: Regift what you have but don’t need or use to someone who needs or can use it.
Recycle: Recycle if you can find no better way to deal with it.
one of my environmental resolutions is to try and not buy any new clothes (undies excluded). I’m actually pretty good with this already - except for when an event is coming up as I use that as an reason to buy something new. but now I have a lot of pretty things I’ve only rocked once or twice that I can totally wear again. to freshen up a wardrobe I love a clothes swap, and we’ve done this a few times now with the teachers at stretch yoga. it’s great especially if you can’t be bothered selling your old clothes. contact some pals, plan a date, sort through your wardrobe and get swapping. there’s also lots of groups on facebook with meet ups too
this last period I’ve tried out reusable tampons. I like the idea because teaching yoga means tight yoga pants so feeling bulky never feels cute, but these didn’t work too well for me. they weren’t super absorbent so I had to wear my period undies with them but in saying that I bought the regular size and not heavy. changing them was fine at home because I could rinse out straight away, but when I had a full day at the studio and pulled it out I was like uhh what do I do because I didn’t have anything to place it in. also, is it too much in a public restroom to wash or empty out reusable sanitary items? I’m not comfortable with it personally but I would understand if a woman chose to do it ❣️
happi.earth is a certified organic laundry liquid based out of the gold coast that has the planet in mind. I got sent happi.earth to try and have been using it for the last 4 months. the laundry liquid came with a pump bottle and you only need 2 pumps per load which definitely does the job. if you like to get more bang for your bucks, one pouch is supposed to last 400 washes and you can can send the pouch back once you’re done to be sterilised and refilled which is pretty cool. previously I had been using soapberries (which is one of the main ingredients for happi.earth) for it’s multi-use and to reduce waste. and in no way is using soapberries any effort, but the pump bottle has made it simpler by not having to remember how many washes I’ve used the berries for, or dig around my wet clothes to find them. the only thing I’ve found is sometimes there can be a few drippy boys after pumping, and it can get a bit sticky so I’ve placed the bottle on a dish. another yay is that with each purchase, happi.earth plants a tree in their mangrove forest and right now for a limited time they are planting 5 trees. I learnt more about happi.earth from their chief entrepreneur alf orpen.
WHAT INSPIRED HAPPI.EARTH?
happi.earth has been brewing for several years. while we have been leaders in the organic industry, we knew we needed to be better, much better. happi.earth is the result of pursuing several goals.:
let’s produce a product that no one else is making with all ingredients being grown organically?
let’s create a price point that will create a happi.earth movement to enable us to plant a tree with every purchase yet still save money for the purchaser.
let’s design packaging that will reduce the need for plastic. (the inspiration came from a kraft paper coffee pouch with the question arising, how do we put a handle and a spout of such a packaging).
let’s produce a “green” product that at very least performs as good, if not better as one made from toxic synthetic chemicals?
WHERE IS HAPPI.EARTH MADE AND WHO MAKES IT?
happi.earth is made in our certified organic factory in molendinar on the gold coast, australia. ONEgroup (organic & natural enterprise group) make it and our origins stem back to the creation of the world’s first certified organic skin and personal care products under the brand miessence.
WHAT ORGANIC INGREDIENTS ARE IN HAPPI.EARTH?
all ingredients are certified organic: organic soapberry nut concentrate. organic bean glycerine. organic ethanol from sugarcane. organic eucalyptus & organic orange essential oils. nothing else.
WHAT MAKES HAPPI.EARTH PACKAGING ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS?
happi.earth packaging is not perfect. it is however so much better than the usual because it is made from kraft paper with a fine BPA free plastic lining so that it does not leak. with the capacity to hold enough laundry liquid for 400 loads of washing it replaces annually 13 plastic bottles from being produced and discarded into the environment.
WHERE DOES HAPPI.EARTH PLANT MANGROVE TREES?
we are proud to be collaborating with arne fjortoft and his team at the worldview international foundation with whom we have named a previously damaged mangrove area in myanmar the happi forest, where we have commenced its regeneration by planting mangrove trees.
WHAT’S NEXT OR IN THE WORKS FOR HAPPI.EARTH?
our current goal is to plant 1 million trees. we also have several exciting revolutionary products in the pipeline (sorry cannot expose them yet!)
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE TIP OR PIECE OF ADVICE FOR GREENER LIVING?
it’s the responsibility of all humans to create our preferred future by deciding to act on a scale possible for us, small or large.
these hemp face and body cloths from boho thingsare a great zero waste and plastic free alternative from usual cotton pads and loofahs. you can wash them in warm soapy water or throw them in the cold wash in a laundry bag.
let’s talk period undies. there are more eco choices like organic cotton when it comes to pads and tampons but there’s still that issue of waste. when I first heard about period undies I thought they were going to be real daggy and bulky looking, but the designs are actually super cute. I got a pack from modibodi which came with two undies and a menstrual cup. I felt comfortable all day and didn’t feel like I was swimming in blood (I’d like to point out that I am super lucky with light periods that last like 3 days) but they’ve got five different absorbencies so you should be able to find a pair that suit you. I was a bit worried about smell too but just chuck them in the wash on a gentle cycle and they’re good to go and if there is a bit of smell add some vinegar ❤️
Happy Earth Day! Small changes CAN make a big impact, especially when we each take part. No one’s perfect. I didn’t always have Eco-friendly stickers and the change didn’t happen overnight. So be kind to yourself on this journey. It might take a little while, but your choices can make a difference. Every little bit helps! ❤️
Pictured here is one of my paper Coffee Shark Stickers - made from 100% recycled material & has a 100% recycled material release liner (which can also be recycled with paper)! These stickers are biodegradable, compostable, and recyclable. ☺️ The sticker sheets I use are from EcoEnclose and have the zero waste info on the backside (green lettering). My shipping envelopes are also from EcoEnclose! I use glassine paper sleeves for shipping artwork which can be reused or recycled etc. (also compostable/biodegradable). Cheers to the little changes - they add up! ❤️
ALT
