10 Easy Ways To Be Eco-Friendly

Waaaaay back in 2014 I wrote a post sharing 3 easy ways to be eco-friendly. At the time I was fairly new to the whole 'saving the planet' mentality but fast-forward two years and I feel I'm a lot more experienced and educated in ways to live a greener lifestyle. So today I'm upping the anti and am going to be sharing TEN easy ways to be eco-friendly! 

1. Hit up the charity shops. Want to revamp your wardrobe for Spring or need a new outfit for a special occasion? Before you hop along to your favourite high street store, try browsing in your local charity shop. Just yesterday I picked up a pair of high-waisted Miss Selfridge shorts for just £4! Sure, charity shopping is really hit and miss but there's no better feeling than finding a hidden gem. And not only will you be helping the environment but you'll also save yourself a ton of cash! */ Not sure where to start? Check out my Tips for Charity Shopping!

 

2. Become more aware of packaging. Whether that's by using products that are completely packaging-free like using Lush shampoo bars and bubble bars instead of bottled bubble baths and shampoos, trying out eco-friendly period products from companies like Veeda whose packaging is completely bio-degradable or simply choosing products with as little unnecessary packaging as possible. Just the other day I was in a shop and saw a pack of 100 hair grips which were wedged onto a piece of cardboard at least three times as large as it needed to be, so of course I chose to buy the set that were packaged a lot more reasonably. Another simple thing that makes a huge difference is buying unpackaged fruit and vegetables - it actually works out a lot cheaper to buy your own desired amount of loose fruit and veg rather than buying that £1 plastic bag that contains a mere 5 apples. I don't bother putting loose fruit and veg into those plastic bags they supply either - just stick them in the trolley and wash them when you get home!

 

3. Reduce the amount of meat you eat. Before you roll your eyes and dub me a preachy vegetarian, hear me out. There is a ton of research that explains the agricultural damage caused by meat farming which you can check out here and I feel it's pretty hard to ignore. You don't have to cut the meat entirely - ever heard of 'meat free Monday'? You could also make it a rule that every other meal you eat out will be a vegetarian one. It'll be a lot of fun experimenting with different foods which are just as flavourful as your favourite meat dish. */ Need some meat-free inspiration? Check out my veggie meals & snacks Pinterest board.

 

4. Take up a hobby that doesn't require electricity. I feel like this point will not only be good for the environment, but also for our own mental wellbeing. So much of our lives is online, perhaps more so as bloggers as our main hobby requires a computer screen and the internet! Sometimes it's nice to step away from the screen for a few hours and to do something that doesn't require a single jolt of electricity. Play around with your make-up, play board games with your family, read a book, try your hand at journaling, go for a walk or cycle around your local area, play solitaire with a real deck of cards. Trust me - your electricity bill and your sanity will thank you!

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5. Plant some bee-friendly flowers. It's no secret that the bees are suffering at the moment. I'm not gonna hurl a bunch of facts at you but the general gist: the bees are dying and that doesn't bode well for any of us. What can we do, though? There are a bunch of ideas on Pinterest and Google, but one of the easiest (and prettiest) would be to plant some bee-friendly flowers. Try herbs such as sage, thyme and lavender and flowers such as poppies, sunflowers and bluebells. If you don't have a garden you could just plant them in a window box or a pot! For more inspiration, definitely check out Bee's post on How To Create A Bee-Friendly Garden. */ if you'd like more information about the decline of the bee population, click here.

 

6. Take a hike. Now that the weather is beginning to brighten up, it's the perfect opportunity to leave the car at home and to walk or cycle to your proposed destinations. I completely understand that it's not always possible to do this (I have anxiety that sometimes requires taking a car instead of walking somewhere) but where it's possible and sensible I'd totally recommend it. Why not take the scenic route and bring your camera along? You never know what will make a good Instagram photo ;)

 

7. Take water with you. I feel like this may be an obvious one, but always take a bottle of water with you instead of buying one while you're out. This will not only save a ton of plastic, but it'll save you money too!

 

8. Use your imagination when wrapping presents. Last year for Luke's birthday I wrapped his gifts using the sports section of the newspaper. Both he and I agreed that it looked hella cool and it meant that I didn't have to waste money or paper on using wrapping paper. You could use old cards to make gift tags, use old maps and paper shopping bags as wrapping paper or take inspiration from Lush and try cloth wrapping. There are tons of fun ideas on Pinterest!

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9. RECYCLE. Another obvious one, but I feel like some people need to be reminded. This doesn't just mean separating your glass, tins, cardboard and plastics from regular rubbish - I also mean with your general belongings. Most of the time when something is broken we just throw it out, but there are so many creative ideas for repurposing broken items into something amazing. Again, Pinterest has a lot of amazing ideas but you could also just search on Google!

 

10. Borrow, don't buy. If there's something you know you're only going to use once, then borrow it from someone else instead of buying it. Borrow books from the library, share clothes with a friend who's the same size as you, ask on Facebook for text books and DVDs. This works particularly well if you're hosting a themed party!

Do you have any fun eco-friendly tips to add to this list?

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