https://www.sequelastore.com.au/
Wanting to live a more eco-friendly lifestyle, but are unsure where to start? We’ve put together 5 simple ways to reduce your impact, and to live more sustainably.
1. Simple Swaps:
Switching out products that are harsher on the environment for ones which are made from recycled or natural fibres is a great starting point. This requires no big lifestyle changes, just conscious effort to choose more environmentally friendly products.
Ditch The Plastic And Choose Bamboo!
Each year Australian’s dispose of over 30 million toothbrushes, that equates to around 1000 tonnes of non-biodegradable waste, just for a small toothbrush! Next time you’re in need of a toothbrush, make sure it’s bamboo!
For your next bamboo toothbrush, check out Eco Smile Co
Switch To Eco-Friendly Cleaning Products:
Each time you purchase a new multi-purpose cleaner, you’re also purchasing a single-use plastic bottle. Save the plastic and the harsh chemicals, by opting for natural cleaning products with eco friendly ingredients. If you’re a little hesitant to make the switch, you must check out our latest blog diving into the science behind the chemicals we use daily.
For eco-friendly cleaning products, check out Minq.
Making An Impact On The Loo:
Every day, 27,000 trees are cut down just to make regular toilet paper, accounting for 15% of the world’s deforestation. Not to mention the unnecessary single use plastic wrapping. Making the switch to a more environmentally friendly toilet paper is a no brainer.
For recycled toilet paper, check out Who Gives A Crap
2. Be Prepared
Sounds silly, but being organised is a great way to reduce your environmental impact. Each evening make a mental list of what you have on for the day, what you’ll be eating & drinking and where. Some things may slightly change day-to-day, but creating a little eco-friendly bag packed with reusables goes a long way.
Pack. Your. Utensils!
Billions of single use plastic utensils are disposed of each and every year. With each use of single plastic utensils, you’re giving the earth a minimum 500 year sentence! (how long it’s going to take to break down) These utensils are also extremely dangerous to wildlife. The Ocean Conservancy lists cutlery as among the items “most deadly” to sea turtles, birds, and mammals. So, If you’re packing lunch, or getting take out, pack a set of utensils and a tea towel. (I also keep a set in my car) Plastic utensils are totally unnecessary, and a really easy thing to avoid if you’re prepared.
Tap Water Over Bottled!
Most bottled water is packed in plastic PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles, derived from crude oil. This type of plastic never truly breaks down, so it’s going to remain in our environment forever. The final product is not only more expensive than tap water, but is also more expensive per litre than petrol!
Did you know most plastic products release a small amount of chemicals into the liquids or foods they are holding, as temperature and time increases, more chemicals are likely to transfer into the contents. While in isolation there may not be any health implications, scientists are researching the long standing effects of this on our health and reproduction.
For reusable drink bottles we love Moon Bottles. (Moon Bottles come in a range of sizes, we love the 1L for drinking water and the 250ml for transporting the mornings homemade coffee to work — the insulated stainless steel drink bottles will keep your drinks cold or hot for 12 hours)!
3. Get Creative
When we are faced with a plastic world, It’s easy to get into the routine of shopping at the big stores and dissociate from what we are actually purchasing. Try to break that cycle by thinking outside the box, you’d be amazed at what you can find when you get a little creative.
Do You Know What You Can Grow?
Home grown or locally sourced products are best. While not everyone may have access to a light filled lush yard, many of us could probably find a light space for a herb garden or if we’re lucky some salad leaves. A quick google provides a plethora of information on what to grow where, and how.
Local Where Possible
Try reaching out to family, friends & friends of friends to see who has what on offer. It’s a great opportunity to swap what you may have in excess for something you may have bought from the store. If you aren’t really in a position to trade, where possible try to buy from local sources (check with your local council or community Facebook page to see what fresh food markets are on). Shopping locally can be more cost effective, and is by far the better choice for the environment. Since our move back into regional Victoria we have been able to score tomatoes, some herbs, lemons, honey & eggs. Put the message out there, you won’t know what’s possible until you ask!
4. Reduce Your Food Waste
Food waste is a big deal, we waste around one-third or 30% of all food that is produced on the planet. This works out to be 15.3 million square Kms of land, totalling a landmass larger than China dedicated to wasted food (3). Check out our blog on reducing food waste for how this is impacting our earth and practical advice on what you can do at home.
5.Clean Up Your Beauty Regime
You may be thinking your skincare routine is relatively low impact for the environment. In fact, many exfoliating skincare products contain microbeads (microplastics) which do not degrade or dissolve in water. Your wonderfully marketed skincare product is likely filled with these microplastics as an abrasive exfoliant, a bulking agent, to increase its shelf life or to control the release of active ingredients.
Once these tiny beads enter our water systems their composition makes them incredibly dangerous for our environment. They absorb toxins and can be eaten by marine life, passing them along the food chain.
PSA: Glitter is a (very pretty) microplastic!
Other things you may want to consider switching out from your beauty regime are disposables such as cotton buds, cotton makeup remover pads and face wipes. There are so many reusable options you can use in their place! Choosing clean, eco- friendly ingredients and products which are great for your skin and the environment is the best way to go.
Check out our beautiful range of skincare here.
We wholeheartedly believe that doing something is better than doing nothing, with each little step we take towards leading a more sustainable lifestyle, we allow room for the next change.
We would love to hear what your eco-friendly hacks are. Send us a message on Facebook or Instagram
Thanks for reading :)
