5 Easy Swaps To A Greener Life

5 Easy Swaps To A Greener Life

Now I've always thought I was pretty good at keeping the environment in mind when it comes to my purchases. And then I watched the albatross chicks in Blue Planet 2 being fed plastic bags by their parents and I cried. I couldn't stop thinking about all those times when I had forgotten to take a bag to the shops and used a plastic bag without thinking about it. 

And that really started me on my journey to being more sustainable. And to really assess how I lived my life. Now I'm not perfect, I'm definitely still learning. But I honestly believe that the world doesn't need a tiny portion of people living a perfectly sustainable life, but rather a large proportion of people living as sustainably as possible.

These are some of the swaps that I've done to bring me to a more sustainable life and they are so easy that I wanted to share them - because sometimes I think we feel like sustainable living is hard when it's really not!



Grab your morning coffee in a reusable cup

I love getting a coffee when I'm out and about. There's something so nice about enjoying a mocha whilst I'm watching people in the park and it's practically a requirement when I'm trading at a craft fair! Last year I bought two Keep Cups (one for me and one for Mr H) and we bring them everywhere we can. Plus in some shops you can get a discount if you bring your own cup - win!



Always Pack A Reusable Bag

Since the UK brought in the 5p charge for plastic bags in shops so many people have opted to buy their own reusable cloth bags to take to their grocery shop and I am all for it! I never leave the house without an extra bag folded into my handbag or backpack. Not only do I take my bag grocery shopping but I use it for just about everything from carrying my wet umbrella to keeping my jacket in when it becomes beautifully warm to using it as a pillow when I'm sunbathing in the park! 


Image from Chilly's bottles

Use a reusable bottle


This goes hand in hand with the reusable coffee cup. In the summer I always make sure to have a drink on me (usually water) to make sure I don't overheat. Enter the reusable bottle! Most bottles nowadays are able to keep your cold drinks cold giving you a refreshing drink whilst you're out and about. And if you need a refill then make sure to download the ReFill app to find your nearest free tap water station!



Use old socks as rags

Mr H can go through socks like nobody else I've ever known. A good pair of socks will last him a year before the heels totally give way. I keep all his old socks and store them in a corner of the house to use as rags. They're perfect for everything from cleaning my laptop to wiping up spills in the kitchen (saving me having to buy paper towels!). Just make sure you wash them properly first! 



Swap your teabags for loose leaf

I think maybe the most shocking thing I heard that had plastic in it was teabags. I drink a lot of tea at home and the thought that there might be micro plastics in my tea made me gag. Now I know that there's a lot of great companies out there that have swapped to plastic free teabag options, but I swapped to buying loose leaf tea and using a teapot and I'll never go back. Not only can I make my tea exactly as strong as I'd like it, but there's zero risk of little plastics being put in the leaves (well I hope so at least!). Plus generally it's cheaper per cup of tea which gives me more money to spend on the things that makes me smile! 

I hope that's given you some food for thought and maybe helps you to make some swaps in your life to help the world!