10 Eco-Friendly Resolutions

Happy New Year! This is one of my favourite times of year because everyone’s searching for self improvement and making goals. Even better, January is now celebrated as ‘Veganuary’ with more than 250,000 people in 193 countries signing up this year. Read this to find out why going vegan is great for the environment.

For the last couple of years my resolutions have revolved around waste and 2019 will be no different. I know sometimes it can be difficult to think of new ways to help the environment so below I’ve written down 10 changes you can make for a better world.

1. Wash your clothes less.

I’m not suggesting you start walking around with stained and smelly clothes, but do you just chuck clothes in the wash on impulse? Start considering whether you could get a second use out of that jumper or whether it’s time yet to wash your jeans.

Not only is this great for reducing water usage, but you’ll spend less time on laundry and it’ll help your clothes last longer. 

Oh, and please wash at 30c with an eco detergent.

2. Use your reusable coffee cup. 

Okay, in 2018 we all bought a reusable coffee cup. However, do you ever forget to bring yours along and instead get a single use cup? I did this for a couple of months thinking ‘oh well, I’ll remember it next time.’ Be tough on yourself: no reusable coffee cup, no coffee.

This hasn’t only helped me reduce the money I spend on coffee but has also helped me identify my habits: I like grabbing a hot chocolate in my lunch hour and having a flat white on the way in after a late night. 

3. Ditch face wipes.

Face wipes are bad for the environment. I hope that we follow up 2018’s ban on plastic straws and ear buds with a 2019 ban on face wipes. A report by the Marine Conservation Society has shown that the number of wet wipes washed up on British beaches has increased by 50% since 2013.

Switch up your routine and use a green (and vegan) cream cleanser paired with reusable face rounds. It’s kinder to your skin, the environment and you’ll be saving money in the long run.

4. Take 5 minute showers. 

Start by timing how long your showers last and then taking it down from there. Maybe you gotta turn off the water whilst you shave your legs or maybe you need to stop spending ages under the water before you start washing yourself.

If you can’t whittle your shower time down to 5 minutes, just do your best to get it as short as you can. Here are some tips to achieve your shorter shower target.

5. Update your media.

We are more in control of our media than ever, so choose the content you subscribe to wisely. Is that influencer you’re following encouraging you to make ethical choices or buy the latest and cutest from Zara?

Purge your YouTube & Instagram of negative influence and support those that encourage good habits. My favourites are:

• Madeline Olivia for minimalism, veganism and self discovery
• Sustainably Vegan for low impact living
• Acala, a zero waste beauty store that writes great content on low impact living
• Kristen Leo for ditching fast fashion

6. Switch your razor.

Do you buy a single use disposable razor? Maybe now is the time to switch things up. I subscribe to Friction Free Shaving who sent me a gorgeous rose gold engraved razor and four replacement heads each month.

They’re sent across in a simple and recyclable cardboard box. This means less plastic waste and, if you’re like me, means you’ll stop using less-than-fresh razor blades.

7. Cook from scratch.

When I first turned vegan I mostly cooked from scratch. There weren’t any other options. However, these days vegan fast food and microwaveable meals are SO easy to come by – with more plastic, packaging and preservatives per meal.

If you’re stuck for inspiration, try recipes from Deliciously Ella, Romy London or Bosh!

8. Ditch fast fashion.

This one’s tough and could take all year to nail. Most of us buy too many clothes. We buy cheap and trendy – clothes not made to last.

Start taking all the tags off of new clothes & accessories and collect them in a jar. How quickly do you fill this jar? How much did you spend? Was all that necessary? What else could you have done with the money? 

Buy second hand. Mend broken clothes. Use embroidery or iron on patches to give life to old clothes. Attend or organise clothes swaps. Not only will you help the environment, but you should save some money over the year.

9. Reusable sandwich wrap.

If you take sandwiches into school or work all the time and have a habit of wrapping it in plastic, look into investing in a zero waste wrap. My boyfriend bought me this one for Christmas (can’t believe I missed it out in my present haul!) and it’s great! Easy to wash, easy to use – all amazing!

As well as sandwich wrap, this can be used to cover bowls, wrap up leftovers and as a placemat when out and about.

10. Greener coffees and teas.

A recent study showed that the average Brit will drinks 676 cups of coffee a year. It quickly adds up!

There are a few things that can be done to make your daily coffee or tea a bit more eco-friendly:

• Fill the kettle only with the amount of water you need, rather than filling it to the top each time
• Ensure your tea is plastic free, as many mainstream teabags contain damaging microplastics
• Buy fairtrade and organic coffee for a kinder, less chemical world

Wanna do more?

I’m trying to write more and more on eco-friendly living, here are some of my more environmentally conscious posts:

• Check out my chat with Plastic Free Monkey where we spoke about plastic and waste.
• Read my stance on palm oil and whether boycotting it is the right thing to do.
• Ever thought about the damage in your knicker draw? Discover ethical vegan lingerie.

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