How have you felt with this weeks heatwave? I can sum it up in one word….DISGUSTING, am I right?
Babes, I am not a fan of the sun, I dodge it where I can and usually seek shade, but in the shade was what felt like the entrance to hell, there really was no escaping it was there?
Social media was alive with chat about ‘this weather is too much’, I joined in on it, then it all got a bit scary. Fields catching on fire, wildlife dropping down dead, I even saw a double decker bus on TikTok ablaze, and then it hit me.
We have all had a part to play in what is fast looking like the demise of our planet. There’s talk about this being the coldest summer for the rest of our lives, this terrifies me, we will still be here to bare witness to our loving home (planet earth) literally being burnt alive (soz for the dramatics but I feel strongly about my part in this)
Fact is, we all know that the government should be doing more to slow down the climate crisis, these talks began in the 70s, I’m not overly confident they will bring any significant change anytime soon, predictions of changes being implemented in the next 5-10 isn’t going to help where we’re at right now. And the top 1% have enough combined wealth to fix the problem, and yet? Don’t get me started on private jets, they should be banned IMO)
So, I don’t know about you but, to ease my eco-guilts, and to feel that I’m being proactive in my little part of the world, I’m getting eco-curious and taking radical responsibility for my (all be-it tiny) part in this global problem, and if we all took the approach that what WE do on a personal level WILL create a positive impact, that we COULD become part of the solution rather than stick our heads in the sand and continue being part of the problem, then the ripple effect WILL create some change, which can only be good right?
But like any change, it all begins with a shift in our mindsets and so that is where we should start, I’ve listed 3 mindset shifts that will get you no the right path to being more conscious of eco swaps you can make in your life
1 – You don’t need to have a big budget
Let’s face it, eco living can feel like you need to buy into all the eco products (that are more expensive than their non-eco equivalent) to be sustainable. But the truth is you can be more eco AND cut back on spending.
Think second hand, make do and mend, re-purpose and reuse.
We’re lucky that we’re at a time where preloved is a cool thing to do when shopping for fashion – I love Vinted and Ebay for preloved clothes, but I mix it up, I’d say my wardrobe is about 50/50 new and preloved and I’m ok with that, it’s not about beating yourself up or living 100% sustainable (unless you choose to)
Up-cycling furniture and homewares is a BIG thing now, you only have to search #upcycle on Instagram and you’ll find a whole ton of accounts who have made up-cycling cool again (it’s also very satisfying to watch). Facebooks market place is a great place for preloved furniture, there really is very little reason to buy new anymore, you can customise everything to your taste and have personalised one off pieces that can’t be bought
The best way to become more eco is to buy less, use less, and waste less. It’s a mindset shift, the first of 3 I’m sharing with you here
2 – Don’t be greenwashed
Something saying is made from ‘recycled plastic’ or is ‘fully recyclable’ seems a little bit greenwashing to me
You see, if that same product is a single-use product (hello water bottles), it is not sustainable at that point, regardless of where it claims to end it’s life. The energy that is used to create and transport all of those bottles of water (insert another other single-use product focusing in on the end of product life) means that this is not an eco product, just a slightly more (but not enough) sustainable option.
The Big Plastic Count have said ‘of the 13 billion plastic bottles used annually in the UK, only 7.5 Billion are recycled’ leaving 5.5 billion littered, landfill or incinerated (which by the way is a problem in itself due to the energy incineration uses – Read more on their report in ‘The Big Plastic Count Investigation’
If we looked at every product we used in our day to day life and thought, what is the life-cycle of this product, we would make better choices, single-use plastics should be kept for essential medical equipment, not for our everyday convenience . Don’t get me wrong, I’ve been caught out and had to buy a bottle of water, but creating a habit where you have a refillable bottle at all times will limit the need of buying.
And if you buy bottled water to drink at home, switch the cost of that to a Virgin Pure smart water dispensers ‘Enjoy filtered, instant boiling and chilled water, all at the touch of a button from one smart system for less per day than a can of fizzy drink or single bottle of water’, I’ve had one for around 7 years now and wouldn’t be without it
3 – Let go of the eco-guilts
This is not a problem that we can fix alone, this is a community effort, and we ALL have a part to play, some people will have the budgets to create big change, but don’t feel that that undermines any change you’re making.
Modelling behaviour to your friends and family, sharing things you’ve learnt and ideas/products you’re using to become more sustainable is also you becoming part of the solution, the ripples will spread out around you, conversations would be started because of you. If you feel you want to do more, go for it, speak to your local MPs, go out litter picking, organise a beach clean, or sign one of the many petitions online, you do have some power to create change, and you can start asserting it today
