Tag Archives: environment

Sustainable Living ideas

3 Great Swaps for Sustainable Living

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I often get asked what my top three favourite sustainable living swaps are or if someone wants to get started with eco-living, what would be the first thing I suggest they change?

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There are so many to choose from so I thought I would list my top three and why they’re my favourites.

Wild Deodorant

I keep going on about this product and it’s unlikely I will ever stop talking about it but I absolutely love this product. Am I obsessed with it? YES

I did a review on this product back in August 2021 and I’ve been using it ever since.

So many of my friends and family and swapped to this eco-friendly version #SayNoToPlastic

wild deodorant with orange box, orange metal case and three refills on blue background
Credit – Wild Deodorant

This is how it works – you can buy the refills as and when you need them or set up a subscription. Either option will be delivered right to your door (in a letterbox friendly sized box). I did a video on how to refill them, it’s so easy!

A great addition to eco-living and they offer a range of scents which also includes a sensitive range too. Check out the range here and if you fancy getting 20% off your first order, enter the discount code EASYPEASY . One of my favourite scents is Wild sandalwood and patchouli

Jungle Culture Safety Razor

I’ve blogged about it, I’ve probably bored my friends and family to tears talking about it but I can’t help talking about it. I love my safety razor and it’s a great addition to sustainable living.

I remember my Dad having one when I was little.

They are so much better than disposable razors which contain plastic, rubber grips and metal for the blades. Due to the mixture of materials, they can’t be recycled. But with a safety razor, all you do is replace the metal blade.

rose gold and black safety razor with boxes for eco-living
Credit – Jungle Culture

I have previously bought a safety razor that felt cheaply made and it didn’t last long. From now on, Jungle Culture will always be my go-to place when someone asks me for a recommendation. I’ve had mine for a while and it’s really good quality! They’re easy to use and will last a long time.

If you’re complete new to safety razors, check out my blog to get started

Modibodi Period Pants

A while back, someone mentioned period pants. I had visions of walking around with a thick menstrual pad in my knickers, it’s not like that at all.

I like that I have a few period pants and, like with all underwear, if you look after them, you will have them for ages. Plus, in the long run I’ve saved money because I’m using the period pants every month.

Period poverty is a serious issue facing women and girls in the UK and around the world and I think period pants can help with with this massively. The pants are a one-off cost, and if you look after them, they could last for many washes.

Also, whether it’s tampons or pads, they contains plastic. Women’s Environmental Network state on their website that menstrual pads can contain up to 90% plastic and 2 billion menstrual items are flushed down Britain’s toilets each year. This is absolutely shocking.

I recently purchased a few pairs by Modibodi and I absolutely love them. First two days of my period are really heavy and worried about leaks and I’ve had no leaks since buying these.

Period pants in hot pink
Credit – Modibodi

I wrote a review in March 2022 for period pants and menstrual cups, if you’re not sure, check it out here.

Sustainable living looks different for everyone, and I know there can be barriers. There isn’t a right or wrong and there certainly isn’t a ‘perfect’ way of doing it.

Start small, do what you can, build from there.

If you want to go a step further, check out my blog with Environmental Days 2023 UK to keep track of key dates throughout the year

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Sustainable Living ideas

Sustainable Living – Digital Carbon Detox

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Many of us have digital devices and we don’t leave home without them. We use them to communicate with the outside world and, for some of us, would be absolutely lost without them. Have you ever wondered how this affects your digital carbon footprint when you send/receive all those emails and things you’ve got saved on the cloud?

Maybe it’s time to start looking at digital sustainability?

What is Digital Carbon Sustainability?

It’s all about looking at the digital tools you use. As a business owner or an individual, and how you use them in order to benefit the environment. All digital devices will create a carbon footprint and this blog is to help you in creating your path to digital sustainability.

Why is it important?

We are becoming more aware of climate change and the effects we are having on the planet. I’m sure many of us have looked at making changes to reduce our carbon footprint – less holidays, walking instead of driving, what we spend our money on. Our digital devices can often be overlooked.

Technology has advanced so much in the last 20 years that our lives revolve. It and sits at the centre of almost everything we do. This increases the amount of data we consume and store held by data centres. The more data we have increases electricity usage.

Of course, sending emails has a much lower carbon footprint than sending letters, but we are sending A LOT of emails.

Did you know that if you sent 65 emails, that is the same as driving 1km in your car? Especially when you ‘reply all’.

Here are some numbers

Image with cars showing digital carbon footprint - emails are responsible for as much as CO2 globally as 7 million extra cars

What can we do about your digital carbon footprint?

I’m glad you asked!

  • Deleting old emails. This is a great place to start. All the emails you have in your inbox/folders need to be stored on servers. I went through my emails and I had a folder called ‘funnies’. Whenever anyone sent me any funny/joke emails, I would file them in there. I had about 2,000 of these that I didn’t need.
  • Something I didn’t know was about conference calls – if you’re scheduled to be on a video conference call for an hour, if you turn off your video function but keep the audio on, this can reduce your carbon footprint by 96% for that call. This is definitely a judgement call, plus – don’t annoy your boss!
  • Use Ecosia – I use it and they plant trees from the profit they make from searches. It’s a free search engine and, it tells you how many trees have been planted since you’ve been using it.
  • When charging your phone, put your phone on Airplane mode. I’ve done this and it charges faster
  • When thinking about replacing tech, you may want to think about refurbished tech. They’re a great sustainable solution to upgrading any devices you already have; they’ve already been produced, and could end up costing a lot less money than buying ‘brand new’.

Getting Started

This can sound overwhelming so I can help you to get started.

If you’re like me (the old me) and you rarely delete an email and just file it, you will probably have a huge number of emails sitting in folders that you probably haven’t seen for weeks, months and probably years.

  1. Once a day, go through one folder and delete emails you don’t need – spend about 10 mins a day on this, don’t overwhelm yourself.
  2. Delete them from your deleted folder too

Instead of using Google, switch your search engine to Ecosia instead. They use the profit they make from searches to plant trees and it’s completely free to use. This is how it works – Search something on Ecosia (as you would on Google), the search ads generate income for Ecosia and they use that income to plant trees. Check them out here https://info.ecosia.org/

Unsubscribe to mailing lists you’re not interested in as these emails still carry a carbon footprint even though you’re not sending them.

Here’s some great feedback I’ve had on my Instagram page

Conclusion

I’m a firm believer that technological solutions will one of our biggest weapons in slowing down climate change, but we need to start as we mean to go on and adopt a holistic approach to address our digital carbon footprint.

If you’re ready to start taking care of yourself while being kind to the environment, grab the 8 BUSY MUM ECO SWAPS SELF-CARE EDITION download packed with tried and tested DIY recipes, cost comparisons and money-saving voucher codes

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Self-care, Sustainable Living ideas

5 Eco Tips for Busy Mums

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Wanting to live in a way that is kinder to the environment has always been something I’m working towards. Ditch old, wasteful habits and adopt new, sustainable eco tips and hope my daughter picks up these habits tips as if they were the norm.

Since I started navigating this quest to sustainable living, I’ve found it a struggle to pick the eco-friendly option when I’m don’t have a lot of time (or haven’t had much sleep!)

Thankfully, I’ve learned some simple eco tips to help me and I wanted to share them with you. From one mum to another 💚

Eco Tip 1 – Reusable Bags

Let’s start with an easy one. This eco tip is an easy one. Use reusable bags when you go food shopping. Now, I know you’ve probably heard this before but I’m not talking about plastic carrier bags or bags for life. I’m talking about supermarket trolley bags. These are specifically designed to sit across the supermarket trolleys. If you shop in a supermarket where you can scan and pack as you shop, you can pack it how you like rather than waiting at the checkout. They come in a pack of 4 (each bag is a different size) and I bought them in a charity shop for £2.50, it was still in it’s original packaging – RRP is about £20ish. I’ve had mine for about 2 years and they’re still going strong. Just leave them in the boot.

Reusable trolley bags for eco tips

Eco Swap 2 – Meal Planning

Meal Planning – Food waste is a huge problem and meal planning is a great way to reduce any food waste. If you’re anything like me, and find cooking a real chore. I tend to lean towards one pot meals or slow cooker meals. There’s loads online and I’ve got one on my website you purchase and download, no waiting time. Another great option, if it’s within your budget, is to try Gousto or Hello Fresh. These have been a life saver because I don’t have to figure out what to cook. I pick the recipe and everything is delivered to my door. We never have any waste from these and there’s loads to choose from. If you do have the budget, I highly recommend trying these out.

Also, the kitchen is a great place to make some eco-friendly swaps, check out this great blog on 7 Ways To Curate A More Eco Friendly Kitchen

Eco Tip 3 – Composting

Composting – Before I moved house, my previous local council would collect food waste separately. Sadly, the new local council don’t seem to offer this so I’m in the process of getting my compost bin up and running. I’m really glad my daughter and I love eating fruit. We have banana skins, apple cores and orange peels that can easily be composted as well as loose tea leaves (I love my tea!). If you’re interested in starting your own compost, follow me on Instagram as I’m going to post about it regularly.

Eco Swap 4 – Second Hand

I’m sure we’ve all heard this before and some of us probably already do but I had to include it. For some reason, there’s still a stigma towards charity shops. Those who carry this stigma have no idea what they’re missing out on. Two years ago, I wrote a blog about some things I bought second-hand. I’ve bought loads since so it may be a good opportunity for me to do another blog on it. Check out this fab blog from Simply Saving on some great finds.

If you’re in London, this blog on 20 Best Charity Shops in London from Central to Chelsea is absolutely fabulous!

Eco Tip 5 – Plastic

I’m sure most of us already use refillable water bottles but cutlery is a real bug bear of mine. I hate going somewhere and they have those single-use disposable plastic cutlery. Bamboo one’s aren’t something I buy because that’s just more waste and need to move away from single use. I learned something that’s much better and doesn’t cost you anything! Take your own cutlery from the kitchen! Just wrap it up in a kitchen towel, use is when you’re out and pop it in the wash when you get home. No waste. You could even keep a set in your bag, if your bag is anything like mine, you’ve probably got everything else in there!

I’m a huge fan of easy tips that make my life easier – it’s busy enough, I don’t want to add to it.

If you’d like to subscribe to my blog, just sign up to a free download and you’ll be added to the mailing list. Who doesn’t love something for free and there are some worksheets to keep little ones busy while you’re doing trying to do four things as once!

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Sustainable Living ideas

How to Encourage Kids to Care about the Environment

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Encouraging children to care about the environment, for me, is crucial. From a young age, we notice how naturally curious children are and their eagerness to explore the environment around them. Ever remember when your little one tried to crawl up the stairs completely oblivious to the dangers or trying to take a sip of your wine?

Encouraging them to use that curiosity to care for the environment and natural world around them requires a little support from us and it’s something we can do as a family.

In a survey conducted in 2021, “Nearly 8 in 10 8-15 year-olds (78%) agreed that looking after the environment was important to them, and more than 8 in 10 (81%) said they wanted to do more to look after the environment“. As time goes on, I wouldn’t be surprised if this increases.

Children learn a lot from their parents and when they see us doing something, positive or negative, they tend to adopt that. In order for them to care about the environment, we need to show them how to do it – after all, they’re going to inherit the planet from us.

Here are some things that work for me

Spend time outside

This is always the best place to start. I remember why my little one was at nursery, she loved getting her hands dirty in the mud and it never bothered me when I picked her up covered in mud. She enjoyed it.

Looking for wriggly worms, spotting birds, watching a cheeky squirrel try to eat food from a bird feeder or even getting them to run around on the grass barefoot is a great way to connect with nature (plus, it’s free to do!) – We’ve got a free scavenger hunt download in the shop you can use.

Allowing them to love and care about the environment around them and having those memories will encourage them to protect it as they get older.

A great way to get kids involved is to take part in Community Garden Week which is usually around April time in the UK.

Alternatively, You could also bring in the outdoors indoors (I’m not talking about muddy shoes) by looking at the types of leaves they’ve collected, looking at the different colours, shapes and sizes. Encourage them to ask questions and if you don’t know the answer, look online.

Check out this fabulous blog for some other things you can do for a great day out in the park

Get them involved in recycling

My little one enjoyed getting involved in putting recycling in the correct bin that now she does it automatically.

Children naturally want to be helpful so if there’s something to do, they are keen to get involved. Teaching them which bin an item goes into is so important because as they see us recycle, they will adopt that as the norm and more likely to continue doing that as they get older.

Coincidentally, This was where I got the idea to create the Sort the Recycling Waste print at home game.

We laminated our one so my little one can play it over and over and it keeps her busy while I’m trying to do something (another plus).

Rather than waiting for it to arrive, it can be downloaded and printed at home. Great if you need to come up with something quickly to occupy them.

Another great tip is to get them to apply for their very own Green Blue Peter Badge. My daughter got one for eco efforts and she’s really proud of it.

Growing food

It’s important for them to know where food comes from, how it’s grown and how much work is needed to grow it.

I always think back about the time when my ex-husband’s nephew was asked where eggs came from. His reply was Tesco. Everyone else found it funny but I found it a little sad. Surely he should have be corrected – he was six.

Pick something easy and doesn’t take up a lot of space (especially if you’re limited on garden space). Strawberries are great to start with. My little one and I grew strawberries and she loved it (here’s my blog about it). In addition, she regularly checked to see if it needed watering and remembered me telling her that the evening is the best time to water them. It felt like her own little project and she enjoyed the fruits of her labour.

We’ve grown potatoes, carrots, strawberries and spring onions (the onions didn’t go well). I would highly recommend growing something your little ones will eat. They (and you) will get such a sense of achievement by eating something you’ve grown yourself – trust me!

Plants

Insects pollinate the food we eat so they are crucial to our survival and biodiversity. A great way to help our pollinating friends are planting flowers.

Sunflowers are a favourite in this household. Plus, we make it a bit of a game. We have a competition to see who’s sunflower is the tallest. My daughter has won every time and I’m hoping to win this year. Start off them inside as seedlings. Once the frost is over, get them used to being outside and then plant them permanently outside.

Insects love colours so there are so many flowers you could plant – go nuts!

You could attempt to build a bug hotel from things you find in the garden. Or buy a bird house and encourage nature to come into your garden. Just watch your kids fascinated with them and learn to care for the environment.

Why not try a game that teaches children to sort animals into their habitats? It’s print at home so you can get started straight away!

Eco dates

There are a number of dates throughout the year celebrating the environment. A household favourite for us is Earth Day which is celebrated on the 22nd April every year.

Many schools get involved with environmental issues and can be continued at home. My little one loves doing puzzles and activities which led me to create some digital downloads. This has encouraged her to learn more about the environment and ask questions. I’ve created some free ones too.

National Children’s Gardening Week is a great one to get involved with as a family – its usually at the end of May.

Keep talking

It’s important to keep having conversations about the environment. If they find a bug when you’re out and about, encourage to think about what that bug was up to, where they’ve been, where it lives.

Think about toys and games they ask for. My daughter was invited to a birthday party and one of the pass the parcel games was a bee jigsaw – which she won. We learned so much about bees and she’s still got it.

Bees Jigsaw box care environment

Museums (and there are some free ones) tend to have great installations about the environment and are usually over the half-term period. Check them out.

Recently my daughter said something that really made me smile. We were on the way back from school and it started raining heavily. Us Brits usually like complaining about the rain (or the weather in general) and I complained about not bringing an umbrella. She said “The rain is fine, the trees and plants get to have a drink”. I still smile about it now.

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

If you want to adopt more sustainable living practices into your home, check out the 30-Day Eco Swap Challenge – it’s only £7

Sustainable Living ideas

Sustainable Living – Are We Going Back to Basics?

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Something I’ve noticed since I started making eco-friendly swaps was how we seemed to be going backwards in terms of sustainable living – not in a bad way.

There are certain things we did decades ago that seems to have quietly disappeared and are starting to make a bit of a comeback.

Loose Leaf Tea

When I was little, I always remember my Mum making tea with loose tea leaves. According to tea.co.uk, Tetley brought tea bags to the UK in the 1950s. Despite their popularity in the US due to the convenience, by the 1960s, they only made up less than 3% of the British market but has been growing steadily since then.

As an adult, I always made sure I had tea bags until I found out some bags were made from plastic and couldn’t be composted. Sustainable living, this is not!

Silver Round Accessory With Storage with loose tea leaves
Photo by koko rahmadie: https://www.pexels.com/photo/silver-round-accessory-with-storage-227908/

Some people I know have moved back to loose tea leaves, myself included, but the cost of loose tea leaves needs to be a lot lower than tea bags to make any kind of impact on companies to encourage them to offer loose tea leaves at a more affordable price.

Buying in bulk can help !

Safety Razors for sustainable living

This is another one. This product has been around for well over 100 years. I always remember an episode of Downton Abbey where someone asked for some safety razor blades.

In the last 30-40 years, disposable razors have come a really long way. They include flexible heads, multipacks, lubricating strips, rubber handle grips and available in various colours.

Once the blade is blunt, you have the option of either replacing the whole razor with a brand new one or just replace the head, both options are wasteful and no friend to the environment.

Disposable razors are made up of different materials which can be difficult to separate: Rubber for the grips/handle, metal for the blades, the remaining parts are made of plastic. Sadly, the only place they can go is landfill. In 2019, about 5.5 million people used disposable razors. That’s one massive razor landfill.

Safety razors are great sustainable living alternative because you only replace the blade which is, I think, affordable. I’ve seen a pack of 10 double edged refill blades for £2 in Boots. Also, if you look after the rest of the razor, it can last a very long time.

Mending Clothes for eco-friendly living

I was never taught how to sew a button or repair a hole in my clothes. It appears that ‘make do and mend’ is slowly making a coming back.

Clothes in certain shops are so cheap that they don’t tend to last that long. This has led us to become a throw away society.

Learning how to mend your clothes should be a life skill for both girls and boys. I know people who have thrown a shirt away because they can’t sew the button back on.

Green Yellow Red Needle Pin and Safety Pins for sustainable living
Photo by Pixabay: https://www.pexels.com/photo/green-yellow-red-needle-pin-and-safety-pins-37631/

There are countless posts and videos on social media showing you how to mend your clothes and even how to make your own clothes. There are some really creative ways to mend clothes. I’ve been trying to learn how to darn my socks! I’m not that great but I’m getting there – really slowly.

Milk Deliveries

When I was younger, I remember my Dad jokingly saying that he never met the milkman. Milk would be delivered to the doorstep and he would put a cheque in the empty bottles for payment. Milk deliveries have made a comeback.

Before lockdown, we had someone knock on the door telling us about a new milk delivery service coming to the area. I was a little skeptical at first but he was so incredibly passionate about this service we gave it a go.

It was brilliant I even wrote a blog about it.

We’ve moved to a new area so this is on my list to find a new delivery service.

What other things are making a comeback?

If you’re looking for ways to reduce your household waste, check out my free download.

You’ll also be added to the newsletter to receive Happy Eco News (you can unsubscribe at any time, I won’t get offended!)

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Self-care, Sustainable Living ideas

How to Overcome Barriers to Sustainable Living

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As we are learning more and more about the effects humans are having on climate change, the number of individuals opting to live sustainably is steadily growing. Making conscious changes to your lifestyle is key. However, in a world where we are reliant on the things that are bad for the environment and sustainable alternatives aren’t always readily available, it’s not as easy as it should be. These barriers can be difficult to overcome.

I think back about when I started sustainable living and tried making so many changes in one go. I ended up becoming overwhelmed and I did everything badly – it starts with changing habits. After failing miserably, I starting again but this time I tackled one habit at a time.

Old Habits

This was the biggest barrier for me to overcome. It starts with habits. Have you ever tried to give up something you’ve been doing for a long time? Smoking? Drinking? It’s like that. You will do things automatically because that’s how you’ve done it and that’s how your brain and learnt that habit. The great thing is habits can be broken and new ones learnt.

Apparently, it takes between 20 – 30 days to break a habit and starting with one thing is key (don’t make my mistake!). Start with something small like switching your plastic razor to a safety razor. I’ve written blogs about using safety razors and they’re my favourite place to start. Once you get used to the safety razor, make another change.

Once you decide to want to start doing something different and you worry that you may forget. A handy tip is to write it down somewhere just to remind yourself, before you know it, you won’t need the reminder.

Row of barriers on empty track - overcome barriers
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/row-of-barriers-on-empty-track-3763878/

Cost

I’m not going to pretend this isn’t an issue for many people – it’s a genuine barrier. This is one of the biggest challenges I found to sustainable living and can really take a chunk out of your budget.

My advice is to speak to friends and family and see what they do. Have a look at social media for sustainable living ideas. There are little brands as well as the big brands who can offer great products. Second-hand shops are a great habit to create as these clothing items have already been made and you can find some real gems.

A few more examples are swapping from menstrual pads and tampons to menstrual cup/period pants or swapping to a safety razor. Just these eco swaps can help you save money in the long run.

Availability

This is another barrier that really gets to me and it’s hard to overcome. Not all shops offer a decent range of sustainable products. Some don’t offer any at all, so it’s understandable that people will buy from the options available to them. This is where shops need to do better.

Plastic is low cost and therefore, cheaper and they’re convenient but single-use plastic is the problem. Once you’re done with your roll-on deodorant, you’ll throw the who thing away (or recycle it, if you can) and get another one.

Do what you can – if you regularly get a takeaway coffee, use a reusable cup. keep a plastic bag folded in your bag so you don’t need to buy another one, walk (if you can) rather than taking your car.

It’s OK to be different

If anything, I embrace being different but I appreciate that isn’t the case for everyone else. When you’re with a group of friends, it’s OK to refuse a straw, if you’re at someone’s house and you need to throw something away, it’s OK to ask where the recycling bin is. It takes time to overcome this barrier.

I posted this on my Instagram page a while back and it made me chuckle

I wear odd socks because when there’s a hole in one sock, sadly, both pairs tend to be thrown away and I feel that’s a real waste, It’s a great conversation starter too!

Where to start

This was where I fell down at the start. I would highly suggest trying to make one change at a time and start with something small.

What got me started was lemons! I wanted to buy a single lemon but the only option available to me to me was a plastic net bag of about 4/5 lemons, which was way more than I needed. So I starting looking at what fruit and veg I could buy loose.

People are starting to think about sustainable living so some of your friends may have already started – swap ideas!

Something I created so people don’t make the same mistake I did was the 30-Day Eco Swap Challenge – I created this challenge for anyone who wants to adopt sustainable living practices for their home and families without stress, overwhelm or judgement.

Over 30 days, there are 30 different ways to become eco-friendly and live more sustainably. There will be some things you may not have even thought about and one that is a bit of a wildcard!


The path to sustainable living isn’t smooth but it is rewarding and there’s no such thing is a ‘perfect environmentalist’. It’s a myth. Sustainable living looks different for everyone.

Something I always say in my social media is – Start small, Do what you can, build from there!

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Sustainable Living ideas

8 Twitter Accounts for Environmentalists

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Calling all environmentalists. Like all social media, there is good and bad. Since becoming familiar with navigating Twitter, now called X owned by Elon Musk, I have found it’s a fabulous place for creating a network with like-minded individuals who care about the things you care about and there is a lot to learn.

The thing I like about social media platforms is that it’s easy to find the latest news and a twitter account from people who care about the environment the way I do; climate scientists, environmental activist, those who understand climate science, and those seeking environmental justice. 

In recent years, the need for clean energy has become a louder issue with the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. This is a growing interest in young people looking towards environmental activism in order to take direct action. 

Photo by Markus Spiske: https://www.pexels.com/photo/woman-in-blue-jacket-holding-white-and-black-i-am-happy-to-be-happy-print-paper-2559749/

Here are just a few environmentalist profiles I follow in no particular order

Treehugger.com

@Treehugger – ‘Sustainability for All’ as their tagline, Treehugger is based in New York, USA and was established in 2004. A good place for information about the environment which is jam packed with a plethora of articles, latest information, news and advice about climate justice, climate politics, journal trends, and sustainability news.

Surfers Against Sewage

@sascampaigns Account perfect for environmentalists – Set up in 1990 in a little village hall in Porthtowan, Cornwall. Protecting the oceans, beaches and wildlife is their mission. It started out when the surfing community found they were surfing in raw sewage and sanitary products. It’s not just surfers to care and campaign, it’s dog walkers, swimmers, children playing and sunbathers. Thanks to the hard work of Surfers Against Sewage, their donors and volunteers, we in the UK enjoy some of the cleanest beaches.

Ecosia

@ecosia – I heard about Ecosia about a year ago when I was helping out with a local litter picking. One of the other volunteers mentioned a site that plants trees when you use it’s search engine. As you can imagine, I got my phone out to have a look. It’s very easy to use, instead of searching on Google, search on Ecosia instead. They’re environmentalists who plant trees based on the number of searches.

Dr Elaine Cox

@ElaineCox11 – I’ve been following Elaine for a while and she is a passionate advocate for the environment. She is a senior lecturer, an environmentalist and an author and tweets about a range of environmental issues; impact of climate change, HS2 and the expansion of Heathrow Airport. Her passion oozes through and I would highly recommend following her.

Orangutan Land Trust

@orangulandtrust – I came across their account when I posted a blog about Palm Oil. Based in Derbyshire, England, they work tirelessly to protect and preserve the Orangutan’s natural environment. Ensuring their habitats are safe with the goal of long-term survival of the orangutan in the wild. Perfect for any environmentalists out there.

Break Free From Plastic Movement

@brkfreeplastic – Plastic is such a bugbear for me so I am in good company when I see @brkfreeplastic on my twitter feed. They started in 2016 and are working towards a future free from plastic pollution. Their brand audit reports names and shames top corporate companies. Who produce the most plastic and work tirelessly towards corporate responsibility, changing policy and shifting the narrative. They’ve got a lot to say and will open your eyes too.

Licypriya Kangujam

@LicypriyaK – This is one of the young activists who is incredibly passionate about fighting for environmental conservation and climate change mitigation. Inspired by Greta Thunberg, Licypriya regularly protests outside Parliament House in India for the leaders to pass a climate change law and curb their carbon emissions. In October 2020, she protested to find a permanent solution to Delhi’s air pollution crisis. Soon afterwards, she was briefly detained and then released. 13 days later, the President on India enacted a new law to fight air pollution in Delhi.

Greta Thunberg

@GretaThunberg – I can’t put together a list without adding Greta. Greta is a climate change activist and has encouraged children to face this issue by schools climate strikes on Fridays, a growing environmental movement. I am a massive fan of Greta and completely understand why she’s passionate and angry. Politicians are politicians, not scientists – listen to the science. She gets a lot of grief, maybe adults don’t like children telling them what to do. Greta isn’t shy about commenting and voicing her environmental concerns and despite the trolling she gets on social media, and some of it is absolutely vile, it hasn’t and won’t stop her. I absolutely love her!

Photo by Paddy O Sullivan: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-wearing-blue-long-sleeved-shirt-while-raising-hands-2369217/

Extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis and global warming is an issue that affects all of us, not just a few. Renewable energy is the key and environmental policy should be heavily focussed on this, especially when it comes to the fossil fuel industry

If there are any Twitter accounts that post regular tweets you think are worth following, let us know 💚

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Environmental Awareness Days

Environmental Awareness Days 2023

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Over the last two years, I posted a list of environmental awareness days and I received quite a few messages from people who said they found it really helpful and referred back to it throughout the year.

As someone who likes to help, I’m going to the same for 2023 too!

Please note, this isn’t a comprehensive list list.

January

  • Veganuary 1st January to 31st January – In 2023, they supported and inspired over 620,000 people to try vegan food with participants from 228 countries and territories. You can even download their free cookbook
  • Big Garden Birdwatch – January 6, 2023 – February 20, 2023 – Organised by the RSPB, it encourages everyone, young and old, to spend some time and go outside to monitor and record all the birds you seen. Once you have the information, upload the information to their website – The last day for sending us your results is 20 February
  • Houseplant Week UK – January 9, 2023 – January 15, 2023 – I like to call this indoor gardening. Having a houseplant (or ten) offers some great health benefits including purifying the air. A good place to start is a blog I wrote last year about the plants I have.

March

  • Compost Week – March 13, 2023 – March 19, 2023 – Learning about the benefits of compost is crucial to growing plants and food. Composting your household food waste allows you to create nutrient-rich food for your garden
  • Global Recycling Day – March 18, 2023 – Now in its 5th year, this day is dedicated to recognising and promoting recycling. Recycling plays a crucial role in the future of our planet.
  • World Water Day – March 22, 2023 – Celebrating water, this day also highlights that there are about 2.2 billion people around the world who do to not have access to cleaning drinking water.
  • The Great British Spring Clean – March 25, 2023 – April 10, 2023 – This campaign encourages you to pledge whatever time you have to join a little picking group. Get outside, meet new people, what’s not to like?

April

  • Walk to Work Day – April 7, 2023 – As the name suggests, this day promotes changing your routine and walking to work. The added benefit is a healthy walk to the office.
  • Community Garden Week – April 3, 2023 – April 9, 2023 – This week takes the opportunity to celebrate community gardens and schools gardens in the UK. Working together as. a community and inspiring each other, what’s not to love?
  • Earth Day – 22nd April – First started in 1970, the aim is to educate and encourage individuals to learn about our planet to work to protect it. If you would like to get the kids involved in Earth Day, check out my website for some great digital downloads to keep them busy
  • Stop Food Waste Day – April 26, 2023 – So much of our food is wasted unnecessarily and you’ll be able to find creative and impactful ways to change our behaviour.

May

  • No Mow May – 1st May to 31st May – I came across this campaign a few years ago and I really do like this one. All you have to do is to not cut your grass for the month of May. This will allow flowers to bloom creating a vital source of nectar for bees as well as other insects. #NoMowMay
  • Sun Awareness Week – May 1, 2023 – May 7, 2023 – Led by The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD), this campaign is to educate and highlight the dangers of UV radiation from the sun. Check out their website as it has some great tips about staying safe in the sun.
  • Water Saving Week – May 22, 2023 – May 26, 2023 – Water is a vital source for all life on earth and this week is dedicated to promoting ways in which we can save it.
  • National Children’s Gardening Week – May 27, 2023 – June 4, 2023 – This is a great way to encourage and celebrate the enjoyment gardening hold for our little ones. They love getting their hands dirty and it’s a great way to teach the next generation about gardening.

June

  • World Environment Day – 5th June – On the same day every year, this day is dedicated to our environment. There is only one Earth, let’s look after it for future generations. Here’s some great ways to help the kids learn about the environment.
  • The Great Big Green Week – June 10, 2023 – June 18, 2023 – This is a huge celebration to tackle climate change and protect nature. What can you do to get involved?
  • Bike Week – June 8, 2023 – June 15, 2023 – This annual campaign in partnership with Cycle Uk, promotes and celebrates the may benefits cycling offers and the added bonus is that it helps reduce your carbon footprint.
  • World Oceans Day – 8th June – The aim of this day is to promote and protect our oceans as they play a vital role to life on earth. Sign up and get involved.
  • National Clean Air Day – 15th June – Their website states ‘Every year, air pollution causes up to 36,000 deaths in the UK.’ Everyone has the right to access clean air. Personally, every day should be National Clean Air day.
  • World Refill Day – June 16, 2023 – Highlighting and encouraging us to ditch our single-use plastic bottles and refill our drinks when we are out and about. There’s even an app that tells you where your local refilling station is.
  • World Rainforest Day – June 22 – This day raises awareness about our planet’s rainforest and the biodiversity found in them. Rainforests are disappearing at an alarming rate, get involved to see how you can protect them for future generations.

July

  • Plastic Free July – 1st July to 31st July – This global campaign has grown year on year encouraging use to adapt our habits to reduce our plastic consumption. Small changes do a massive difference and I would encourage everyone to make a change. I’m always posting about this on my Instagram, check out my profile and follow me.
  • Plastic Bag Free Day – 3rd July – The aim of this global campaign is to eliminate the use of single-use plastics. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I bought a plastic bag!
  • Don’t Step on a Bee Day – 10th July – Bees play a vital role in our planet’s ecosystem. Check out my blog about bees.
  • The Big Butterfly Count – July 14, 2023 – August 6, 2023 – Someone got in touch with me last year about this one and I’m really glad I can include this in the list. A UK-wide survey which allows everyone to get involved to monitor and record the health of our butterfly population. Check out the website to see how you can get involved.
  • Love Parks Week – July 28, 2023 – August 4, 2023 – This campaign is launched by Keep Britain Tidy and promotes visiting and enjoying your local parks.

August

  • National Allotments Week – August 7, 2023 – August 13, 2023 – This week is dedicated to the importance and benefits of allotments. I’ve always felt growing your own food should be a life skill. Some UK councils have a waiting list for an allotment due to the rise in popularity. See if you can get one through your local council.
  • National Bog Day – August 26, 2023 – Bogs are often overlooked but play an important part in our environment. Check out the website and see how you can help.

September <– (link updated)

  • Secondhand September – 1 September to 30 September – This has been going since 2019 and encourages us to buy things we need secondhand. I’m a huge fan of this and have saved a lot of money buying something secondhand.
  • Organic September – 1 September to 30 September – The month of September is dedicated to bringing awareness to growing and eating organic foods and highlighting farming practices that doesn’t include harmful chemicals.
  • Recycle Week – September 18, 2023 – September 24, 2023 – A whole week dedicated to promote and encourage recycling. This is Recycle Now’s flagship event celebrating and encouraging recycling up and down the country. Check out this great recycling game to help teach your kids about recycling.
  • The Great British Beach Clean – September 16, 2023 – September 25, 2023 – This is a great initiative where thousands of people give involved in cleaning up our beaches allowing people to enjoy our beaches without having to avoid rubbish.

October <– (link updated)

  • Unblocktober – 1st October to 31st October – This brilliant campaign promotes awareness for our drains, waterways and sewers encouraging us to adapt our habits at home. Many items flushed down our toilets cause blockages – wet wipes are a massive problem. Check out the website about how to get involved.
  • No Disposable Cup day – 4th October – Encouraging us to refuse a disposable cup and instead use a reusable cup. Disposable cups really are unnecessary.
  • Big Energy Saving Week – October 17, 2023 – October 23, 2023 – This week is organised by Energy Saving Trust and Citizens Advice Bureau and dedicated to how save money on your energy bill. As the cost of energy in the UK is putting a strain on many households, this week is key to helping many people up and down the country.

December <– (link updated)

  • World Soil Day – December 5th, 2023 – On the same day every years, this day encourages us to learn about the soil and how its maintenance is vital for food security. Sadly, a lot of chemicals are used in food production which reduces the fertility of our soils turning vasts lands into barren spaces.

Here’s a more in-depth blog for September to December 2023

If there are any other events that you feel should be mentioned, please do let me know 💚

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Sustainable Living ideas

Alternatives to Gifting ‘Stuff’ for Christmas

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We’ve entered December so the festive season is upon us.

We will need to start thinking about Christmas presents for friends and family, if we haven’t already.

But, for some, the idea of buying gifts for someone else can be difficult because you may not know what they actually want or need and may just buy something for the sake of buying something. They’ll receive something they don’t want or need and may probably end up sitting in a wardrobe gathering dust. Or worse, destined for landfill.

I wrote a blog last year after I shockingly discovered that £42 million of unwanted Christmas presents are thrown out in landfill each year. Not only is this bad for the environment, but it’s such a waste of money, especially as many of us are in a cost of living crisis.

The idea we need to buy ‘something’ has got to end and start thinking about what we gift instead.

After putting my thinking cap on, here are a few suggestions.

Time

What if you gave your time instead? Maybe they need some help with something?

  • Car Maintenance – Do they need their tyre pressure or oil checked? Maybe it could need a quick clean inside or outside
  • Baby/child sitting – Do they have children and need an evening out? Maybe you could look after the little ones while they are out. They’ll also be leaving their child/children with someone they trust.
  • Paperwork organisation – do they have a massive pile of paperwork that needs to be sorted and organised? or even shredded?
  • DIY jobs – If you’re an electrician or a dab hand with a hammer, maybe they need a picture putting up or a bit of tiling done. Or their windows cleaned.

Experiences

This is a great way to get them out of the house, maybe they could do with an evening out?

  • Cinema tickets – There’s probably a film they would like to see but haven’t gotten around to it. If you buy them tickets or vouchers, they have no excuse. Plus, if they have kids, you could babysit while they’re out.
  • Restaurant vouchers – Is there somewhere they haven’t been for a while? Maybe you could get them some vouchers for a meal out, they don’t. haveto worry about the washing up either.
  • Bowling night – This is a great way for one or more families to enjoy a night out. It’s also great fun with kids and who doesn’t like a bit of competition?
  • Afternoon tea – There’s nothing better than getting together with friends and having a bit of tea, cake and sandwiches.

Food and Drink

This is a great one for a friend or family who is struggling with their food bill.

  • Hamper – These go down really well because they’re affordable for various budgets and the variety in hampers mean there’s something for everyone.
  • Bake a cake – if you’re a good baker, maybe you could bake a cake and this could be your gift?
  • Supermarket gift card – Many of us are struggling with the increase in the cost of food and drink, a supermarket gift card would come in really handy.
  • Fruit basket – what’s healthier than a fruit basket?

Courses

There are some one-off courses that are held at local collages or community centres and can be a great gift. One year, I bought myself and DSLR camera and my partner bought me a short course on how to use it.

  • Calligraphy – Has your friend ever mentioned about learning calligraphy?
  • Microsoft Packages – Do they need a little refresher course on how to use Microsoft packages?
  • Art / Watercolour – Is your friend arty and would like to learn the basics?

If you put your thinking cap on, I bet you’ll come up with loads of ideas. Also, if something is a little pricey, maybe would you and another friend could team up and buy the gift together. Or you could look at a DIY project?

I created a Household Waste Analysis to help identify what we throw away and what we could change. Feel free to check it out – it’s FREE!

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading

Sustainable Living ideas

Explaining Climate Change to Children

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As a parent, I want my child to have a care-free childhood but also teach her about the dangers that can be found in the world without scaring her.

She’s 7 and she learnt about Stranger Danger quite early on in her school life; she knows what to look out for and we talked out it quite a bit. Thankfully, it didn’t appear to scare her and she seemed to be happy being armed with this information.

But there are other dangers, one of which is climate change.

Let’s be honest, having children doesn’t come with a manual. I, for one, try to learn from other parents and think about what I say and how I act because they are sponges when they are young. We’re all just trying our best and hope we don’t screw them up!

As an eco-blogger (and an imperfect environmentalist), I’m well aware of how the planet is changing and studying towards a degree in Environmental Science has given me an insight into the science of climate change and it’s contributing factors; looking at articles, questioning sources and the ability to determine whether the author of the article has an agenda. Some of it is a little scary, even for me.

So how do I explain climate change to my child? After all, her generation are going to inherit the planet from us.

Climate change refers to the changes in temperatures and weather patterns around our planet and one of the main causes of this is human activity and this what we talk about; human activity.

I talk to her about the smaller stuff like litter-picking and reducing plastic. We go litter-picking and she knows about turning the lights off when they aren’t needed. She enjoys watching Blue Peter who talk about climate activism in a really thoughtful and sensitive way. She’s even got a green Blue Peter badge (something I told everyone who would listen!).

A while back, she heard someone said that they hated the rain – it wasn’t even heavy rain. She later said to me “the rain helps the environment, it’s just nature doing its thing”. I have to say, that really made me smile because that’s exactly what it’s doing.

The rain helps the environment, it’s just nature doing it’s thing

When I talk to her about what’s happening to the environment, I tell her bits of what’s going on but I offer solutions too.

We’ve taught her about recycling and she knows which bin to use for an item and why recycling is important, turning off the tap when she’s not using the water and the issues of wasting it, she has no problem wearing second-hand clothing, and we go litter-picking too.

Recently, the final episode of Frozen Planet II aired on the BBC and I noticed quite a few posts on Twitter where people thought it was terrifying and questioned whether it’s something young children should be watching. Some said kids should know about it and others thought it’s best to shield them from it. I haven’t let my daughter watch it, as a parent, we should do what we think is best for our own children.

I recently wrote a post about coping with eco-anxiety and I do adopt some of these practices when talking to her about the environment.

I think the key is helping them to find solutions and being able to action them. Even as adults we can sometimes feel quite powerless but, in my opinion, doing something is always better than not doing anything at all.

Ultimately, I want to be able to look her in the eye and tell her that I tried my best with what I had.

These are some ideas that work for me but may not work for everyone. Here are my terms & conditions for further reading