Easy things to do to be more sustainable

The plastic ocean 

Plastic consumption is the plague of our times, many articles have been written on sustainability, and what to do to address the problem. Why talking about easy things to do to be more sustainable? There is a lot of talking about going plastic free, but the reality is that our lives are difficult enough, and committing to avoid plastic completely can be a full-time job on itself, and leave you disheartened if you realise that there is too much to do and not enough time to dedicate yourself to it.

Therefore, I believe that finding easy things to do to address the problem is the right way to go. Instead of trying to change our life completely, and maybe give up after realising that it is indeed very difficult, you can start implementing these 6 easy steps, and find out that you are already doing a lot!

Furthermore, you’ll be using your consumer super power: choosing where you spend your money makes a real difference!

What you CAN do right now

1. 1. Buy, as much as possible, products in recyclable sustainable containers, like glass jars and bottles, metal tubes and containers. Where this option is not available try to choose containers made already of recycled plastic, and find out if there is a recycle option for the empty containers you have.

      

   2. Globally, more than a million plastic bottles are sold every minute. Let that sink in, and read it again for good measure. What can you do about it?  Buy a reusable water bottle to carry with you all the time, and stop buying plastic bottles when you are on the go!  It will save you money, it’s an easy win, and you’ll never look back.

      

   3. Still using a liquid hand wash? Stop right now and swap it soap bar! It’s cheaper, the soap will last longer, and there is such a wide choice of natural soaps and gentle formulation that you’ll never miss the liquid soap!

      

   4. Buy a few reusable tote bags to carry with you all the times, and stop using the plastic ones when you buy items. I have several reusable ones, and I leave them near the door to grab them before going out, plus I have added a few that I always leave in my bag, so that I have one to use just in case, really handy for when you buy something, but you were not planning to.

      

   5. Focus on buying multi use products. This is a real quick win, and works towards buying less products overall! What do I mean by multi use products? A cream/lotion/balm that you can use for body and face, an oil that is handy for skin and for your hair too, a lip balm that works as blush too, a shampoo and conditioner together, a 1 step cleansing lotion that will replace your cleanser and toner… The possibilities are endless, and you will find that you will save money here too, and help the planet at the same time.

      

   6. Buy 7/8 fabric face masks, and stop using the disposable one if you can! (I mean if you are not involved in an activity that requires the use of disposable ones by law). I suggest 7/8 just to ensure that you have enough to use a clean one every day, then you can wash them all together at the end of the week and start again. If you have to wear it when you work, buy at least 10, so that you can swap the mask after 4 hours, and still have the needed number to go through your week!

      

An easy choice with huge impact

In this way you might not have stopped the plastic production, but you will have implemented easy actions, that you are likely to maintain in the long term, and make sure that you are doing your share towards sustainability!

Let me know in the comments if you are already doing some of the above!