HEALTHY PLANET = HEALTHY YOU
In the spirit of plastic free July, this blog is about protecting the health and well being of Mother Earth!
The choices that we make everyday and when we shop are often based on what is the most convenient, the greatest time saver, the cheapest, the most attractive packaging, and so on. What about making choices to protect our planet? Here I have compiled a list of 20 small things that you can do to reduce your foot print on the earth - all without breaking the bank, or breaking a sweat!
1. Reusable shopping bags. Keep them in your car ready to go for any unexpected shopping endeavors. When I unpack my groceries, I put my reusable bags next to the front door to be taken back to my car when I next leave the house. Easy!
2. Reuseable coffee cups. Some cafes reward people who bring their own coffee cup by discounting the drink. The money spent on the cup eventually pays itself off! Plus you have the added bonus of being that super awesome sustainable person who rocks through life with a reusable cup :D
3. Take your own container or lunchbox when you go out to buy food and get the vendor to put it straight into that. You can also do this at the butchers or deli section in the supermarket if you want to go the extra mile (gold star for you).
4. Shop at the bulk bins at the supermarket. You have the beauty here of being able to choose exactly how much you want to buy. Reuse the plastic ziplock bags again next time, or even better, bring your own reusable bag (you can get very fine mesh bags or lightweight cotton for dry ingredients like nuts, seeds, oats etc).
5. Buy in bulk. Opt for the bigger sized food items if you know you will get through it all. Go for the double length toilet paper. This is often also cheaper!
6. Cancel the magazine subscriptions that you never read. I was receiving magazines in the mail automatically as part of my membership to certain organizations that would go from the letter box straight into the recycling bin without being read. It was a 2 minute job to change my membership settings or send an email to request to be taken off the mailing list.
7. Stop getting bank statements sent to you in the mail. With internet banking, all the information you could ever want about your spending (I.e. how much money you spent on coffees and lunch dates last month… oops) is only a few clicks away!
8. Swap out body wash in bottles to a good ol’ fashioned soap bar. You can also buy shampoo and conditioner bars, moisturizer bars and face wash bars.
9. Reduce food waste. If you have fruit or veges that need to be eaten but you don’t think you will get through in time, cut them up and freeze them. They’re ready to go for your next soup, stir fry, curry, or smoothie. You also save on the cost of buying frozen fruit or veges from the store!
10. Following on from this point - Eat more of the vegetable. For instance, broccoli stalks can be eaten and taste just as good as the floret. I also choose not to peel my veges, partly because I’m lazy and it’s quicker, but also because it reduces the amount of waste going into the compost bin. Plus it’s just more food for your dollar! Why wouldn’t you?
11. Do a fridge clear out at the end of each week and chuck the leftovers onto a pizza. Yum.
12. A lady-specific suggestion - make the switch to a microfibre face cloth for removing makeup instead of using makeup remover wipes. I have one by a brand called Norwex (‘body’ cloth) which works a charm.
13. Repair items where possible. I had a pair of leather boots which were talking to me (the soles coming off) which I fixed with a $3 tube of superglue from Mitre 10. They have been given a second life instead of going into the rubbish bin.
14. Buy second hand. Go op shopping, or check out Trade me. Another money saver!
15. Use both sides of the paper before throwing it out. All scrap paper I have goes into a folder to be scribbled on at a later date.
16. Recycle. I have put this one towards the bottom of the list because some of the above steps can reduce the packaging entering the house in the first place. Rinse out all containers before they go into the recycling bin - any dirty items go straight into landfill as the recycling plants don’t have the resources to wash them. Keep the lids on bottles also as the lids are too small to be recycled on their own.
17. Carpool (if possible). How many people do you know who live near you and travel into the city for work every day? You can take turns to drive, you save on petrol, it’s social, and it passes the time in traffic. Several of my closest friends are people who I got to know through carpooling!
18. Vote with your $$$. Which businesses are taking action to reduce their packaging and production waste? Which businesses are local, kiwi owned, and therefore have less environmental cost involved in getting the item to the consumer? By purchasing from these companies, you are supporting them to continue doing the awesome work that they do.
19. Spread the word. Tell your friends and family and see who you can motivate to get on board the eco-train! But remember - be a teacher, not a preacher. It’s not about rubbish shaming or guilt tripping, but rather creating awareness and a desire to change.
20. Remember that there is no perfect solution. Some of these will be easy changes to fit into your lifestyle and some might not, so pick your battles! Start with just one or two on the list and see what works and is sustainable for you.
Do you have any tips or tricks that you use to reduce your everyday waste? I would love to hear your thoughts!