After not having ridden a bike for 15 years, I picked up cycling. It’s since become my main mode of transport. I’ve desperately tried to cut down on single-use plastic. I recycle and take the bus or the tube whenever I’m not on my bike.
Why? Because I really believe that while it can seem like individual actions don’t mean much, altering aspects of our daily lives does make a difference – and we can do more to live sustainably.
But as the threat of climate disaster makes itself ever more present, these things began to feel insufficient. It was time to upgrade my green routine. Here’s what I did:
Swap chemical cleaners for plant-based and non-toxic alternatives
Living in a flatshare means that no matter how hard you try, that shared bathroom will never be spotless. True to form, mine desperately needed cleaning, and I decided that instead of using harsh cleaning products, I would try and source something less damaging.
Luckily for me, more and more products are entering the market that are kinder to the environment, from their chemical content to the bottles themselves being easier to recycle.
Of course, the best alternative to buying cleaning products is to make your own. But having never excelled at chemistry, I sought out another option: a refillable, non-toxic and plant-based bathroom cleaner. Near my flat I discovered a zero-waste grocery store where I picked up a bathroom cleaner and multi-purpose cleaner tablets that you simply drop into a reusable spray bottle.
Back home, I tried out my new eco-cleaners. Initially I was sceptical, the bathroom cleaner taking an age to dissolve, but it was almost as effective as the chemical products. It wasn’t so great at attacking limescale, so I tried a classic, back-to-basics method: bicarbonate of soda and vinegar. It worked well! All in all, a success.
Repair damaged clothes
The fashion industry is responsible for approximately 10% of global carbon emissions, with the World Bank estimating that 20% of all industrial wastewater pollution worldwide originates from the textile industry. In the UK, we send £140m worth of clothing to landfill and produce 336,000 tonnes of textile waste each year according to the Waste and Resources Action Programme. Despite this, the Environmental Audit Committee estimates that we buy more new clothes per person in the UK than any other country in Europe.
With this in mind, instead of going out to buy new clothes, I decided to repair the damaged ones I had and sew up some holes in some old jeans. Given that I have sausages for fingers, the nimbleness needed for sewing did not come naturally. I also had no idea what I was doing. But after watching some YouTube tutorials and finally managing to thread the needle, I got to work stitching and, five hours later, managed to repair two pairs of jeans somewhat successfully. Not only was I being sustainable, but it was satisfying, too. Just call me the next Tom Ford.
Use natural and sustainable bathroom products
As an almost comically sweaty person, using a natural deodorant was something that filled me with fear. But, with one eye on further reducing the amount of packaging I use, I’ve decided I need an alternative.
At the zero-waste grocery store, I came across a 100% natural deodorant made from cacao butter that was also coconut oil, palm oil and aluminium free. I also decided to buy a shower gel bar. While recycling plastic is good, eliminating the need for it entirely is better, especially when you consider that most UK households throw away at least 40kg of it each year, so removing the need for any plastic shower gel bottles seemed like a no-brainer.
While I don’t have particularly sensitive skin, traditional soap often leaves it dried out. Thankfully, I didn’t have that issue with the shower gel bar – and its pleasant mango and passionfruit scent lingered long after I’d showered.
I was more hesitant about the natural deodorant, worried that by the end of the day I’d be walking around giving off an atrocious smell. I couldn’t have been more wrong: like with the shower gel bar, the cacao smell hung around and I didn’t find that I was perspiring more than usual. Even better, no more deodorant stains on my T-shirts. After just a few days, I can’t ever see myself going back.
Buy locally grown produce
Aside from the benefits to the environment and the local economy, buying local and seasonal food is worth it for a simple reason: it tastes better. Your food doesn’t have to travel as far, which not only means that it retains moisture and nutrients, but also has a lower carbon footprint, too.
I assumed shopping for local produce would be simple. But for food to be considered local, the Campaign to Protect Rural England argues that it should have been grown or produced within a 30-mile radius, which is fine if you live in the countryside, but not so much if you’re living in a city like London, where you’re unlikely to find carrots and potatoes growing in your nearest park.
While things like bread, cheese and herbs were fairly easy to source, finding fresh vegetables was a lot trickier outside of farmers’ markets and veg box delivery schemes. After two days of searching, I struck gold with a fruit and veg box delivery company which also happens to have a shop in north London. Their produce comes almost entirely from farms in Kent or the Isle of Wight, which seemed about as local as I could get given that I live inside the M25.
Explore eco-investing
How you invest your money can actually help tackle climate change. According to the WWF, the finance sector is uniquely placed to enact real change, and now NS&I is offering a new product, in the form of Green Savings Bonds, to get more Britons involved. When you invest in Green Savings Bonds you are committing to a three-year term at a fixed rate of interest of 0.65% gross/AER pa*. HM Treasury plans to allocate the money invested in Green Savings Bonds to its chosen green projects within two years. These include making transport greener, investing in renewable energy and forest planting. You can start building a greener financial future by putting away a minimum of £100, and you can invest all the way up to £100,000.
As someone who works freelance, I am constantly thinking about the best ways to save money in case of an emergency. I admit, in my attempts to improve my sustainability cred, banking is an area that’s still lacking, although that’s something that, with a bit more research, I intend to rectify.
The climate crisis can feel overwhelming, even insurmountable, but tools like this present an opportunity to enact change. Making more conscious decisions about how I go through life, I really felt I had the capacity to help save this planet I call home.
Find out more at nsandi.com
*Gross/AER definitions
1 AER stands for Annual Equivalent Rate and enables the comparison of interest rates from different financial institutions and across different products on a like-for-like basis. It shows what the notional annual rate would be if interest was compounded each time it was credited or paid out. Where interest is credited once a year, the rate quoted and the AER will be the same.
2 Gross is the taxable rate of interest without the deduction of UK income tax