5 Changes You Can Make to Be More Sustainable
By: Claire Stapley
Tags: Sustainabilityms, Diary Entry, Advice, Sustainability, Environment

5 Changes You Can Make to Be More Sustainable

It’s a lot simpler than you think

Photo by Qingbao Meng on Unsplash

Sustainability is somewhat of a sensitive topic, particularly in a world where you’re scrutinized for every move you make. The world of social media means that more often than not, you feel like an exposed carcass ready to have your eyes plucked out by the vultures in your comments section.

After following a lot of influencers and businesses who preach sustainability; I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum. Some are able to separate themselves (or so it seems) from the constant negativity that plagues their platform, whereas others crumble under the pressure.

Social media was one of the reasons why I didn’t ever want to talk about sustainability when I decided to make a change. I’m not an influencer, nor do I have any type of large following — but I’ve seen with my own eyes what can happen to really small platforms and it scares me to death.

The constant disclaimers and negativity seem to detract from the positive change that someone is trying to make. No one is perfect, and the idea behind regularly contributing to this column like this is to highlight that.

However, doing something is better than doing nothing, and I wanted to share 5 changes that you can make to live a little bit more sustainably.

Even if you can do one of these things, it does make a difference. Also, only do these things if you have the ability to do so. Privilege isn’t spoken about enough when talking about “saving the planet” and “being sustainable” — as some of the bigger changes do cost money, and aren’t accessible for everybody.

So, without further ado — let’s get into it!

Switch to reusable cotton rounds and cotton buds

If you’re someone who wears makeup or likes to use cotton rounds to apply skincare products — you’ll probably go through a lot of cotton rounds. The same goes for cotton buds. Both can cause the environment and wildlife more damage than good, so making a switch to reusable cotton rounds and buds (or even bamboo buds) can help to reduce the amount of waste that you’re producing.

Accessibility: I hate to feed the billionaire beast, but Amazon has multiple brands stocked on its website so you have a lot of choices. This allows for a faster delivery time, lower prices and overall better accessibility for all. If you have the time and the money to support the brands directly from their website — then please do!

Simply search “reusable cotton pads” and “reusable earbuds” and you’ll see the amount of choice available. Prices range from £5.00 upwards. I highly recommend reading the reviews to see how well each brand performs before making your decision.

Switch to reusable deodorant (or make your own)

This was one of the first changes that I made, and it’s one that cost me a little bit more however I do think for the price point it’s worth it.

I chose to opt into buying a reusable deodorant rather than making my own, but it’s completely up to you what you choose to go for. I have a subscription to Wild and came across them after seeing a lot of vegan and sustainability influencers advertising the deodorant. I was a little skeptical at first due to the price point and sizing, but after watching multiple YouTube reviews, reading blogs and checking out the company myself it seemed like the best option.

I was surprised that it was as good as my store-bought deodorant, and in fact, lasts a lot longer and doesn’t have an intense scent. The size was also a lot bigger and I find I use less product in comparison to the old deodorant I had.

Accessibility: There are more companies out there that have the same concept as Wild, however, it is more expensive than a shop-bought deodorant. If you’re able to afford to make this switch then I highly recommend it.

Personally, I’m privileged to be able to finance a subscription which is nearly double the amount that I paid for shop-bought deodorant, but if I could no longer afford it then I’d switch to other products that were still deemed sustainable, such as deodorant in bamboo packaging or recyclable packaging.

Reduce your meat and dairy consumption

As someone who recently went completely plant-based (no animal products), I’m still learning about the effects of the meat and dairy industry on the environment every day. Multiple news outlets and organizations have spoken about the benefits of eating less meat and dairy, with one of the most notable being the positive effect it has on the environment.

For some, switching to a completely plant-based or Vegan diet is simply out of the question — and I’m not here to judge your life choices.

However, you do have the power to make a small change which enables you to still do “your bit” for the environment and be a little bit more sustainable. “Meatless Monday” is an international campaign which encourages people to not eat meat (or you could go the whole way and eat no animal products) for one day a week.

You may be reading this thinking “well, what’s that going to do if it’s only one day?” — and that was exactly my outlook. However, if you read this article, it’s one of many that details the impact of one small change that you could make.

Accessibility: For some countries and cultures, access to plant-based or Vegan products may be minimal, in which case you might not have the accessibility to participate in “meat-free Monday”. However, if you’re able to do this and do have accessibility, going meat-free for one day (or animal product free) will work out to a similar price to buying animal products. If you have a family or a busy schedule, try doing one meal a week completely meat-free or animal product free. It all makes a difference.

Shop second hand or vintage

Another huge contributor to our deteriorating environment is the amount of waste that we produce — and fast fashion is one of the biggest contributors to this. I’ll admit it — I love fast fashion.

Cheap clothes, shoes, bags — you name it, I definitely own it. However, it’s not a sustainable way to shop and live your life, so making small changes and shopping second hand or vintage can not only be great for your finances but also great for the planet.

This doesn’t mean stop buying fast fashion and only buy from sustainable brands — because, in reality, you can’t just change your habits overnight. From a young age, I was introduced to vintage and second hand — not because it was “trendy”, but because as a teenager if I wanted new clothes, that was my only option.

In the UK we have great second-hand markets in Camden, Shoreditch and Brighton to name a few. Some of my staple pieces such as denim jackets, dungarees and denim shorts I could never afford to buy full-price, but a second-hand option was always better for me. In fact, I’ve had my denim jacket for nearly 11 years now (I bought it when I was 15!) and it’s still going strong. Same goes for my denim dungarees — 4 years on and they’ve broken twice, been fixed twice and come all over the world with me.

Second hand and vintage is also a great option if you want to treat yourself to a high-end brand, but don’t want to pay the extortionate price tag. eBay, Vestiare Collective and Depop are just some platforms where you can get second-hand clothes, shoes and accessories which can keep these products out of landfill — and you get a bargain in the process.

The same goes for charity shops. Even if I don’t have luck finding any clothes or shoes in charity shops, you can still buy books, ornaments and furniture — which is usually incredibly cheap. A friend of mine kitted out (nearly) her entire front room with second-hand furniture from Facebook Marketplace as she didn’t have the finances to buy everything brand new.

Accessibility: I want to make it clear that shopping second hand out of choice is a privilege, as there are many individuals and families who already have to do this because of their financial situation. Shopping second hand is probably the most accessible for everybody who has access to an internet connection, or a local charity shop they can visit. It’s about making small changes and trying to shop outside of “fast fashion” when you can.

Conclusion

Hopefully this piece has delivered in bite-sized chunks some small (yet impactful) changes to lead a more sustainable life, and look after our environment a little bit more!

I’d love to hear about your sustainability journey, so tweet me on Twitter.