These 7 things are easy and make a big difference, douche!

 

 

The world is in need of healing, and us Londoners can all do our part to help the environment in big and small ways. It’s easy to be an eco-warrior without completely changing our lifestyles or spending lots of money and time. Here are seven easy changes that we can all do that make a big difference to the environment:

Buy a steel or titanium straw instead of using disposable plastic straws. Millions of plastic straws get used worldwide daily for an average of 20 minutes per use, and only a small fraction of these get recycled. The rest ends up in landfill (and takes over 500 years to decompose) or in the ocean and ingested by animals. For only £5 you could save animal’s lives and contribute to hundreds of pounds less of plastic waste. http://www.eco-straws.co.ukBuy fruit and vegetables loose instead of bulk and in pre-wrapped plastic. It’s easy to buy a huge bulk pack of onions or potatoes because it’s more convenient, but more times than not, I end up having to throw away excess fruit and vegetables that rot because I bought more than I needed. This is unnecessary food waste and excessive plastic use and can be avoided by simply buying only what you need in smaller quantities. You’ll end up saving money in the long-term by spending less or exactly what you need instead of spending more money on food that you’ll eventually throw away (or hopefully compost!).Using menstrual cups instead of tampons and pads. Every month women menstruate, and with that comes the use of lots of disposable waste. It’s a fact of life that women can’t avoid, but what women can minimize is the environmental impact of their periods. An alternative to tampons is something called a menstrual cup. It might sound unappealing at first, but as soon as you use it once you’re hooked. Instead of constantly spending money on feminine hygiene products every month, you can reuse a menstrual cup for years. It is economically smart, has minimal environmental impact, and is surprisingly cleaner and healthier for your vagina.Shopping at farmers markets. Buying local is great for the economy, the environment, and also makes you feel more connected to the things you buy and the people you purchase from. Instead of buying food from thousands of miles away that requires planes, boats and trucks to get to your plate, it’s easy to go to your local food market and buy fruit and vegetables that come from England and are seasonal and organic.Buying second-hand. One man’s trash is another man’s treasure as they say! There are so many different apps at the moment (Depop, Shpock, Gumtree, eBay) that give you the option to buy and sell things second hand. This is a great a way to save money and prevent things going in the bin, and inevitably landfill. Just because someone doesn’t want something anymore doesn’t mean that it isn’t still in great working condition. This is especially true and valuable for clothes.Wash your clothes when you need, not when you want. Most Londoners have plenty of clothes yet seem to always be doing a load of laundry. This is usually because we do half-empty loads. It’s easy to wait a few extra days and wear more of what we own instead of constantly wear the same shirt and trousers every other day and endlessly washing instead of using all the resources we have. If you’re desperate to wash one or two things, share a load with a friend or flatmate!Carry a re-usable water bottle. This is one of the easiest and most cost efficient environmental solutions that everyone can do. Brits buy thousands of plastic water bottles daily that go straight to landfill. By carrying around a re-usable bottle you can save lots of money yearly, and also save thousands of bottles being wasted in your lifetime.

 

 

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