Smart Practical Eco Tips for the New Year

Some obvious ones include eating less meat, reducing your plastic waste, walking or cycling rather than using the car etc. 

1. Carry out a waste audit 

The aim here is to reduce waste going to landfill. Refuse what you don’t want, reduce what you need, reuse as much as possible, recycle consciously, and rot whatever you can’t. https://www.gypsysoul.co.uk/how-to-do-a-waste-audit-for-your-home/

2. Reduce shower time

Conserving water is vital; we cannot continue to waste it mindlessly. An average shower uses approximately 8 litres of water per minute. 

By using water more wisely in our homes, gardens and workplaces, we can ease the pressure on our wetlands and rivers in times of stress. Saving water will ensure more stable, resilient habitats for the birds and other wildlife which depend on our water environment for their survival.

3. Reduce standby power

Vampire Power are appliances that leech energy even when they are sleeping. Vampire Power is known to account for as much as 20% of your monthly electricity bill. 

4. Use reusable batteries

Each year, in the UK, we throw away about 620 million batteries, so we should take every possible step to ensure that they don't end up in landfill. Rechargeable batteries have a higher upfront cost, but the investment is definitely more sustainable. 

5. Donate to charity 

It is estimated that 10 million household items are sent to landfill each year. 3 million of these could be reused by people in crisis.

Spend just an hour at the weekend going through your kitchen cabinets and your wardrobe and look for items you can donate. For larger items including furniture check out https://reuse-network.org.uk/donate-items/#/

6. Challenge yourself to go single-use paper free 

Use old shirts or cloth napkins. If you are less comfortable with this, we would recommend Bamboo Reusable Kitchen Towels and Don't Give A Crap Toilet Tissue.

7. Wash your clothes less

According to research carried out by Fashion Revolution:

• 25% of the carbon footprint of a garment comes from the way you care for it. 
• 90% of our clothing is thrown away long before it needs to be, due to our culture of ‘fast fashion’ and outdated laundry habits. 

8. Ditch the produce plastic bags 

Ask your greengrocer, butcher, baker or local supermarket if you can use your own containers.  Produce bags are a must.  This tip may have to be deferred until COVID restrictions have been lifted.  

9. Cut down on your emissions

Carry out regular maintenance and keep tyre pressure at recommended levels. Don’t let your car idle more than a few minutes. This contributes to emissions and gives you zero miles per gallon fuel efficiency.

10. Buy nothing

Try it for as long as you can. A week, a month, a year. Except for food obviously.  

When buying something new, whether it’s a t-shirt, notebook, piece of meat or pack of tofu, ask questions. Look for answers online, ask in store or contact the producer directly. Where did it come from? Was it made fairly, without human suffering and the unnecessary use of precious resources? If you’re not satisfied with the answers, is there a more sustainable alternative available?

If you want to be more informed about environmental issues without feeling overwhelmed, visit National Geographic.  The Natural History Museum is also one of my favourites.

And remember small steps can lead to big changes.

If you would like to know more about how you can reduce your footprint, please message me. https://shopnoplastic.co.uk/pages/delivery