Lemon and vinegar clean stuff. And clean them well. Instead of buying cleaning products, make your own and save the environment and your wallet. If you’re not a fan of lemons or vinegar, there are loads of other cleaning recipes you can go with.
Eat what’s in season. Not only do fruits and veggies taste better when in season, but it’s a better value for you and for the planet. In season in the UK, looks like this. Which leads me nicely on to: plant something. Gardening is good for both you and the environment. If you’re not sure how to get going with this, or have little space, check out this post.
Reuse water to feed thirsty plants. Have leftover water from cooking or washing hands? Water your house plants or garden. Simple.
Use airplane mode on your phone. You don’t need to be on an airplane to take advantage of this mode – it makes your phone charge faster and uses less energy. Double win.
BYO bottle – water that is! Bottled water costs as much as fuel and can take 1000 years to break down in landfill. Having your own water bottle is cheap to fill up – if not free – making it better for your wallet and the environment.
Walk or cycle rather than get the car. This one is so good for you. If you’re not the most active, set targets. For example, the school run, the post office, everything less than a mile. Then up those targets… before you know it the benefits to your general health will start to kick in.
Shop local. Show your support to your community and buy locally produced items. Food and other products that don’t have to travel the globe to get to you significantly reduce our carbon footprint. Don’t be fooled in to thinking they’re always more expensive, shop around and see what’s out there.
Get composting. All you need to start is a container with a lid and some holes in the sides. Then simply throw in your food scraps and grass clippings and, voila, you have yourself the beginnings of a compost heap. Also check with your local council – I got my compost bin for free for them!
Get the low down on fashion brands. If you’ve spotted something but you’re not sure how sustainable it is, the Ethical Consumer guides are a great place to find out how stores rate for a variety of factors including environment, animals, people, politics and product sustainability.
Avoid throwaway. Don’t go for ‘will do for now’ go for ‘will last a lifetime’, sure, the initial outlay is higher but if you buy a sustainably sourced wooden table that will last forever as opposed to one that will last a few years, you’re winning in the long-term.
Jake + Maya [Kids] Journal 