Our Eco Friendly Home: 30 Day Eco Living Challenge Days 22-30

Posted on 9th May 2020 by Between Green

Well, the 30 Day Eco Living Challenge is now finished, and I have to say that it was anything but a challenge.

I’ll catch up on the last few days…

Day 22: Eat Less Meat

Eating meat has a hefty impact on the environment from fueling climate change to polluting landscapes and waterways.
Going meatless once a week can reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help limit your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel (www.meatlessmonday.com)

Day 23: Rechargeable Batteries

Batteries contain a number of heavy metals and toxic chemicals and disposing of them by the same process as regular trash has raised concerns over soil contamination and water pollution.

Rechargeable batteries have the advantage of holding energy for longer when used in appliances that consume a lot of energy.

Day 24 : Tea Bags

Several tea bag brands use polypropylene, a sealing plastic, to keep the tea bags from falling apart.

Bags with Plastic: ❗️PG Tips ❗️Tetley ❗️Twinings ‘heat-sealed’ and ‘string and tag’ ranges ❗️Yorkshire Tea ❗️Lidl own brand

TEA BAGS WITHOUT PLASTIC: ✅ Abel & Cole ✅ Clipper ✅ Co-op own brand 99 ✅ Pukka Herbs ✅ Teapigs ✅ Twinings pyramid range ✅ Waitrose Duchy range

Here I’m having a @teapigs Happy Tea

Day 25 : Make Up Brushes

WARNING : DISTRESSING IMAGES

As well as the manufacturing process, makeup brushes can affect the environment in another way. When they are no longer usable makeup brushes get thrown away and end up in landfill.

Some brands use real animal hair for their brushes. They often use hair obtained from the fur industry, which is known for trapping and killing animals for their pelts, often by gassing or electrocuting to avoid damaging the hair.

We’ve made the switch to SoEco Make Up Brushes and Sponges.

So Eco is a range of “eco-friendly” make up brushes, with the unique emphasis on components being responsibly and ethically sourced. So Eco has tested and developed the hand cut heads for size, powder application and finish. The bristle colours have been chosen so you can see the amount of product on the brush head.

The hand crafted handles are made using bamboo, the ferules are made from recycled aluminium and the brush heads are crafted from cruelty-free Taklon bristles which are suitable for both liquid and powder cosmetics.

Day 26: Shopping Lists/ Food Waste and Meal Plans

Writing a Shopping List will:

reduce leftovers that can become wasted
eliminates the packaging to get it to you and then in the bin!
all the unnecessary resources of travelling from origin to store
then from the store to your fridge
energy to keep it cool
energy to cook it (if it gets that far)
your time, energy, electric and gas…

All totally pointless if it ends up as rubbish!

So, freeze and plan!

Meal Planning means you will be more able to buy in bulk which costs less in the long run (think dry foods; rice, flour, pasta…) this also reduces packaging!

How many more positives could you want???

Day 27: Buy Less!

Related to Day 26 but in other areas of your life; how much clutter do we have, how many items have we bought never used or used once and just collecting dust…?

With the internet and constant adverts on social media its hard to resist the impulse buys as were always being reminded to buy more and more and more.

According to the research, which was carried out by a team from the Green Lifestyles Alternative Models and Upscaling Regional Sustainability (GLAMURS) project, when people involved in grassroots climate movements take it upon themselves to buy and consume less, they actually experience greater lifestyle satisfaction compared to the people who do nothing.

Researchers collected information by comparing the lifestyle choices and wellbeing of 141 people from 12 different grassroots movements to information gathered from 1,476 non-members. When they looked at all the information, they found that the people involved in sustainability programmes had carbon footprints that were, on average, 16% lower than people who took no action, and discovered that members of the climate movements were also 11-13% more likely to think positively about their own life.

Why not try:

Using items you already have – Do you really need a new dress for every occasion? Yes, the shoes are on sale but bright green heels for a fiver? Tear out the first few used pages of that notebook to re-use it rather than go out and buy another one. It also helps to keep things tidy and organised. Nail clippers always go walkies in our home but since making sure they go into a special pouch in the bathroom with other runaways like tweezers and scissors, I’m not turning the house upside down to then go out and buy a new set.

Second Hand Selling and Buying – It’s now easier than ever to buy and sell second hand. Good Ol’ eBay, GumTree, Vinted, even on Facebook Marketplace. There are some hidden gems and bargains to be had. Also it’s great to get rid of some of your own unwanted items- One Mans Trash is Another Mans Treasure. There are plenty of donation bins and shops to donate to charity so get sorting.

Do You Really Need It? – I’ve gotten into a habit of when I see things I like I add them to my Amazon, Ebay, etc online basket. I leave them for a week or month and then when I revisit it nine times out of ten, I’ll remove something that was added on impulse!

Added benefit of this, you might end up saving money on some of the items you decide you do want. Companies see that you have left an item in a basket they may offer you 10% off or Free Delivery. Win Win.

Day 28 : Wet Wipes

The shocking truth of Wet Wipes Pollution. Some of these photos are in the UK! As well as causing trouble in wastewater systems, wipes can find their way into oceans. Along with other types of plastic pollution, they can cause long-term problems for sea creatures and the marine environment. Wet wipes made up more than 90% of the material causing sewer blockages that Water UK investigated in 2017.

Below you can see a fatberg, a large mass of solid waste that has accumulated over time in sewers. It usually consists of personal hygiene products and congealed fat that have been flushed down the toilet.

How can you see these photos and not make the switch?

Day 29 : Coffee Cups:

It is estimated that 2.5 billion single-use coffee cups are discarded globally every year. This equates to a staggering 5000 every minute.

So what can we do?

There are so many alternatives and it seems many coffee shops are selling their own reusable cups, and some even offer a discounted price on your favourite beverage for using a reusable cup.

This is my Coffee Cup from Home Bargains. Made with natural bamboo fibres that are pesticide-free, fast-growing and renewable crops. Bamboo is naturally sterile, with no plastic after-taste. They are free-from BPA or phthalates with a natural, matte, tactile surface, not “plasticky”.

Have a look round to see which cups are best for you. When you have these shops discount coffee for reusable cups:

Pret: 50p off
Starbucks 25p off
Costa: 25p off
Paul: 25p off
Greggs: 20p off
Caffe Nero: double loyalty stamps
Universities and independent coffee shops
Waitrose offers free tea and coffee to members of its loyalty programme when they shop.
Ikea’s “family” membership scheme also get free tea and coffee Monday to Friday
Booths, the supermarket chain based in northern England, offers cardholders a free regular-sized hot drink everyday in selected stores from the takeaway coffee machine.

Day 30 : Can 1 Person Really Make a Difference?

It’s easy to get discouraged, especially when the problem is so widespread that it’s hard to see what difference your individual effort is making. Many people think this is true with recycling too, but the truth is that small acts of recycling make a big difference: