Living your best zero-waste life..in 2020
A new year brings new opportunities to create good habits. The more we hear about the climate emergency the more we want to get involved and make the changes we need to see to make a difference to the planet. These changes need to become lifestyle choices. That can sound daunting, but there are loads of small changes you can make that lead to a zero-waste lifestyle. Read more for some easy life hacks!
And there's so much to get involved in. Here at Lucy and Yak, we're excited and passionate about sustainability. A few months ago we got involved with the youth climate strike in Brighton and saw for ourselves just how many people are just as engaged with this cause as we are. We are all in this together!
It's a huge privilege to be able to ask these questions and to have the opportunity to make these choices. It's so important to acknowledge that. For different people, different aspects of sustainability are accessible. There are so many factors and reasons for that: disability, financial constraints, accessibility, health and wellbeing, the list goes on. So we've put some ideas together to try to help everyone find what works for them as we all try to reduce our waste. There's something here that everyone can do even if most of us can't manage it all.
Top tips at home
Here are some of our favourite tips for keeping things as sustainable as possible at home:
1) Save your glass jars to take to your local refill station, or keep them and repurpose them at home.
2) Make your own cleaning spray. It's so easy and simple. Here's a great recipe that works every time:
¼ cup of white vinegar, 1 tbsp baking soda, 1 litre of hot water & ½ a lemon
3) Switch to a reusable face cloth instead of wipes. It's pretty shocking that in the UK we use 11 billion wet wipes each year and they're all destined for landfill.
4) Repurpose old towels and sheets to make cloths for cleaning. You'll never need to buy them new again! And don't forget old toothbrushes are a really useful cleaning tool!
5) Think about how you use water in your home. If you're watering plants, collect water in a water butt so you can make use of rainwater. Turn the tap off when cleaning teeth and think about cutting down how long you shower for.
6) Start a war on junk mail! Unsubscribe to any companies sending you directories and brochures and sign up for electronic bills and statements.
7) Check out ideas for replacing single-use plastics and choose one or two that you can start with and stick to! Go for glass, stainless steel and bamboo instead.
8) Don't wash dishes by hand (if you have a dishwasher). It actually uses more water and is less efficient! (But make sure the dishwasher is completely full before you put it on!)
9) Don't cut the grass. Perfect for lazy gardeners! And also bees and wildlife. Electric or petrol mowers are using energy for something that reduces biodiversity and takes away a habitat for frogs and bugs. Instead, cut little paths through the long grass so you can still enjoy the garden but also leave parts of it for wildlife.
10) The best way to shop is locally, and in a zero-waste store. That's not always possible though and it's better to have one big shop delivered than to make several trips by car to the supermarket. And if you can plan your meals ahead and just buy the ingredients you need you can also reduce food waste.
Sustainability is an exciting and fun journey. It's also a really important one. At Lucy & Yak, we are really keen to learn from you and to hear your thoughts and ideas. Drop us a line on Instagram with your thoughts and ideas. Or pop into the shop in Brighton. It's always great to hear from you!