When we consider how to be more eco-friendly, it can feel overwhelming, bewildering and like there’s just so much we are getting wrong. However, the trick is to turn our thinking on its head. Instead of tackling it as a whole, think about the small steps you can take towards a greener and more sustainable lifestyle. 

Taking this approach, your new habits are more likely to stick. You can feel good and gradually ring the changes. Every effort and change helps. Let’s get your eco-friendly lifestyle snowballing into something amazing.

How to be more eco-friendly

As a business, being eco-friendly is at the core of what we do. It underpins our values. For individuals, you too will want to consider the different values which contribute to how to live a greener life. It is the sum of these values, which over time you use to guide all your consumer decisions, that make for an eco-friendly lifestyle overall. 

Let’s take a look at some important values and how you can take the steps to mirror these values in your life.

Sustainability

Sustainability is a big thing when it comes to consumerism. At the moment, we are a planet that simply consumes, without much thought about the future. But, if the global population continues to grow at current rates, and reaches 9.6 billion by 2050, we’ll need the equivalent of three planets to provide the natural resources needed if we want to continue with our current lifestyles.

Sustainability is about providing products, such as toothbrushes, drinks bottles, cosmetic containers, and so on, in a way that ensures future generations will have what they need. 

How to be more sustainable?

Try to be a conscious consumer, choosing household products manufactured with sustainability in mind. This may mean choosing specific brands which hold sustainability as a core value.

Veganism

Taking a vegan approach to living is a huge leap towards a more earth-friendly lifestyle. Indeed, some research shows that adopting a vegan diet may be the “single biggest way” to reduce your environmental impact, largely due to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

However, whilst becoming completely vegan is the ultimate goal, it doesn’t need to be all or nothing to begin with. Even some steps towards incorporating veganism into your lifestyle can help. 

How to make more vegan choices?

Choosing to eat less meat and choosing vegan skincare products can help to make a difference. Plan to eat more plant-based meals, and incorporate some vegan ethics into your lifestyle.

Zero Waste

In one year, 8 million tonnes of plastic waste can end up in our oceans. It causes incredible damage to our marine life. Even on land, plastic waste is a problem. It can take hundreds of years to decompose. For example, plastic bottles (like those that many brands use for skincare and toiletries) can take 450 years to biodegrade.

For a more eco-friendly lifestyle, we need to gradually work towards zero waste, or certainly reducing the amount of waste we create.

How to go zero waste

Again, it would be very difficult to go completely zero waste. But we can take steps towards it, which will reduce the amounts of plastics discarded on the planet. You can choose refillable glass and aluminium bottles for cleaning products. Also choose skincare that has zero waste in mind. For example, our coffee face scrub comes in an aluminium tube (which can be recycled) and you can opt to receive ‘refills’ by holding onto your original cap. Our face moisturizer comes in a glass jar with an aluminium lid.

Say no to palm oil

Palm oil causes mass deforestation, endangering wildlife and ecosystems, as well as releasing vast amounts of greenhouse gasses. Palm oil is used in a huge number of our everyday products from soap through to chocolate.

How to avoid palm oil

Avoiding palm oil is tricky because it is in so many things. Plus, manufacturers know that consumers may be wary and so tend to call it by different names, such as  vegetable oil. It’s easiest to avoid palm oil by specifically choosing products which are labelled as palm oil free, or brands which promise not to use palm oil.

Choose organic

Organic farming methods don’t use artificial pesticides or fertilisers, and are usually far less intensive than non-organic methods, making it more environmentally friendly. Choosing organic doesn’t just apply to our food though. We can choose organic for our clothes and skincare too. In fact, choosing organic can be a key way that we can learn how to be more sustainable overall. 

How to choose organic

If an item isn’t labelled as organic, then it won’t be. Again, like with veganism, you may find it easier to take small steps towards leading a more organic lifestyle, rather than attempting to eliminate non-organic products altogether to start with. Look for food items that are labelled ‘organic’ – in the UK, this label can only be used if the ingredients are 95% organic. For other items, such as skincare, choose a brand which only uses organic ingredients.

If you make just one change