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Dec 08, 2021

How to Be More Sustainable in 2023

What is Sustainability?

Sustainability at its core recognises that the earth is an exhaustible resource that must be used sparingly. In an ideal sustainable society, we would all live in harmony with the natural environment, conserving resources and protecting our ecosystem for future generations, in turn giving them a high quality of life.

Now this doesn’t mean that everyone has to be a hippy and live off the land to live sustainably, but it does mean that we need to make some changes to our current lifestyle.  

Why Is Living a Sustainable Lifestyle Important?

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In the current climate crisis, it’s important for us all to do our bit to ensure that the planet and its resources are still around for our children, grandchildren and so on. That’s what sustainability is all about - ensuring a future for all!

But living a more sustainable lifestyle can also have a direct impact on our own lives too. It can improve air quality, improve our health and slow down climate change, and it’s super easy to do! For the environment, humanity & all living things, it’s important to use the earth and its resources more cautiously going forward with a few simple changes.

 

How Can You Be More Environmentally Friendly?

So how can you be more sustainable? Shifting your mindset to think of the resources we have as limited, will teach you to use them more conservatively and in turn be more sustainable. If you have the desire to become more green, but lack the knowledge to put it into practice in everyday life - don't worry you're definitely not alone!

How can we fix that? Well, there are lots of small things you can do to create a more sustainable lifestyle, and we’re here to give you some ideas. If one of your new year's resolutions is to be more sustainable in 2022, here are 10 top tips to help you on your way…

 

1. Wear Sustainable Clothing

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Fast fashion is one of the biggest causes of pollution around the world. To lessen this impact, consider where you get your clothing from. Buying clothes second hand is the most sustainable way to get new clothes and you’ll likely snap up a bargain! Charity shops and online sites like Depop are great places to shop, and the quality of clothing you’ll find tends to be great too.

If you do buy new, think about the shop you’re buying from and their values. Small businesses tend to be more sustainable, but there are plenty of big fashion retailers that have a sustainability pledge too.

 

2. Save Energy

Using less energy is a great way to reduce your carbon emissions, and requires very little effort! Simple acts like turning off switches on standby appliances, turning the heating down, doing the washing up by hand or drying clothes on a clothes airer instead of in the tumble dryer will all reduce your energy usage. As a bonus, you’ll find your energy bills will be much lower too!

 

3. Recycle & Re-use

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Reuse where you can, if you can’t reuse, then recycle. It really is that simple! When it comes to reusing items, it sometimes pays to get creative. Think beyond an item's original use and see its potential for something new - we’ve seen some great examples of this flying around social media recently! Not everything can be used more than once, but luckily most things can be recycled in one way or another. We have a blog that dives into The best household items to recycle, so check that out for more tips.

 

4. Eat Less Meat

If you’re already a vegan or veggie, you can skip over this step. If you’re not, you probably know what we’re going to say, but just in case you’ve been living under a rock, we thought we’d tell you anyway.

The production of meat is another big contributor to climate change, so eating less of it is a great way to be more sustainable. If you love a good steak as much as us, don’t worry, we’re not saying you have to give up meat entirely! Just a couple of meat free days a week will make a big impact!

 

5. Drive Less

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Walking or using public transport is another great way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and be more sustainable in your everyday life. It’s better for the environment, your bank balance and your health!

 

6. Reduce Plastic Waste

Plastic seems to be unavoidable, and in some instances it is, BUT you can reduce the amount of single use plastic you use by simply paying close attention to the products you buy in the supermarket. And whenever you come across plastic that can be recycled, make sure you do so.

 

7. Reduce General Waste

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Whether it's food, plastic or clothing, reducing the amount of waste you produce is one of the best ways to be more environmentally friendly. Creating a compost, donating to charity or selling your unwanted items are just a few ideas. To find out more on how you can reduce the amount of waste you produce at home, click here.

 

8. Use Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products

Some cleaning products contain chemicals that can be harmful to the environment and then there are the single use plastic bottles they tend to come in. Try to pay close attention to the products you buy - if they don’t contain these harmful chemicals it will usually say so on the bottle.

For super eco-friendly cleaning, we recommend Smol, a company whose refillable, returnable and recyclable cleaning packs save plastic, chemicals and carbon!

 

9. Buy Fair Trade Products

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The fair trade label on a product indicates that the company producing it is committed to sustainable production. Once you start looking out for it, you’ll see it everywhere! Buying fair trade products is a good start to becoming more sustainable.

 

Reduce, reuse, recycle is something that's been embedded in our minds for years now, but it still remains the most fundamental way to be more sustainable! Some of the ideas above might seem a little daunting, but after a little practice, they’ll soon become a habit. Good luck!

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