If you’ve ever woken up with the grand mission of making your life more environmentally friendly, only to realise you have absolutely zero idea where to start, well, you’re human.
Sometimes it’s easy to assume that the issue is so damn big that there’s no way small steps can help. But you know what they say about the little things adding up? It’s incredibly true, even with something as mammoth as the environment.
There are loads of small decisions we make each and every day that (when made with the planet in mind) do in fact have the ability to make a heap of difference. After all, a big group of people taking said small steps can build to make a big impact.
Intrigued? We would hope so! So without further ado, here are a few easy ways to lessen your environmental effect…
1: Walking to work
Driving (especially when done solo without a solid carpooling strategy) is one of the quickest ways to drum up your carbon footprint, so try switching up your ‘get to work’ strategy. If you can make your journey to the office (or wherever you’re needing to get to) by foot or bike, we definitely recommend giving it a go. Not only is it great for reducing your environmental impact, but it’ll also enhance physical fitness, get endorphins flowing before (and after) your busy day, and give you the chance to sink your teeth (okay, ears) into your favourite podcasts and playlists.
2: Timing your showers
It’s true that there’s nothing quite as soul-soothing as a long, hot shower, but lengthy stretches under scalding water certainly won’t do the environment (or your skin) any favours. So as much as we enjoy belting out shower songs and finally nailing a hypothetical comeback to an argument from decades past, it’s time to switch showers to the shorter side. Try setting a two-minute timer to keep yourself accountable. Setting a countdown on your phone will work a treat; that nails-on-a-chalkboard ringer on a loop is a sure-fire way to get you out of the water, no matter how delightful it feels. Another tap-centric tip? Turn it off while you’re brushing your teeth. It all adds up, remember?
3: Stocking your bathroom sustainably
Trust us, nobody understands better than us that ‘cutting down on beauty products’ is pretty much impossible – we need what we need, okay?! What you can do, however, is cut down the amount of plastic your products use. How? By stocking your bathroom with a brand that works to lessen your environmental impact instead of worsening it – your bathroom is a super important place to start, considering it’s the second biggest generator of household waste. Our fave example of a brand that does recycled packaging right? etchðos, a range of 94% naturally derived^ body washes and lotions that are housed in sustainable packaging made from 50% recycled milk bottle plastic; clever, right? For the record, we cannot recommend the Hydrating Body Wash and Nourishing Body Lotion ($16.50 each at etchðos) highly enough – they’re as amazing for your skin as they are for the environment.
5: Reading on a device
Okay, we know we just told you to unplug your electronics, but that’s when you’re not using them – there are still some cases where technology can prove to be a more environmentally-conscious choice than a medium’s traditional alternative. Take e-reading devices, for example – tens of millions of trees are cut down per year to produce the paper that fills our book collections – not ideal. By downloading your favourite stories on a tablet, you’ll be able to limit the amount of paper you’re using up while still being able to immerse yourself in magical alternate universes. The same goes for personal printing – by reading documents on a screen rather than on printed paper, you’re considerably lessening your paper waste. Go you!
6: Refilling your products
We already mentioned that recycled packaging is key for your bathroom beauty buys, but you can take your commitment to the planet a step further by ensuring your products are refillable – it’s equal parts simple and effective. On top of etchðos’ commitment to using recyclable materials, they also offer refill packs for both their body wash and lotion variants (available in ‘Botanical Bloom’ and ‘Summer Citrus’ scents), allowing you to re-use the same original pump bottle over and over while still stocking up on your favourite formulas (all available at etchðos). Our suggestion? Kick a subscription into gear to make sure you never run out (or rack up another body wash/lotion bottle bin collection) again.
7: Planning shopping strategically
We’re going to go ahead and assume you’ve got the whole ‘take a canvas bag with you’ trick under control by now, but it’s not the only grocery hack around. For starters, a delivery service to stock your pantry is actually a surprisingly sustainable option (not just lazy like it may sound).
You see, when one of the big grocery chains sends out a truck, it’s carrying multiple household’s weekly shops, rather than each individual family using their own car to pick theirs up. ‘Shop little and shop often’ is a great mantra to try, too, as waste often stems from ‘big shops’ where you end up going overboard and running out of opportunities/time to use every ‘bargain’ you bought.
Instead, try planning out meals, writing smaller, strategic lists and then buying with use-by dates top of mind. This way you’ll end up shopping for the few days ahead and then replenishing your stocks once they’re legitimately running low (due to being used up, not thrown out). An etchðos subscription can help here too, as it’ll both nix your temptation to impulse buy in-store and cut out a car trip back to the shops for a one-product-pickup the next time you accidentally leave lotion off your list.
^etchðos products contain 94% naturally derived ingredients, as per ISO16128.
Have you tried any of these tips? Do you have any others?
I think I’ve commented on this already?
I really like those ideas, i wish i could walk to work or even use public transport but that sucks here in Auckland..