Lifestyle Changes To Be More Sustainable

You might say that there is a “trend” going round at the moment of being more sustainable, ethical and green with the lifestyle choices we make. I used the word trend in speech marks because it’s not a trend, but a requirement one could say that is needed in order to help preserve the planet and the wildlife on our planet. I’m not going to make a massive hoohahh about it in this blog post, if you want that then definitely watch “Our Planet” or the climate change documentary both by David Attenborough ( MY BAE hahhaa.) What I wanted to share in this blog post was the lifestyle changes I am making and want to make in order to lead a more sustainable life. You think that the small changes you make won’t actually make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things. Well, no you’re right it won’t, but if everyone of one of us 7.7 billion people on this planet said that then imagine how little things would change.

ps. clothing featured in the images in this blog post are all sustainable hand made here in the UK 😉 Click HERE to find out more about Lufsum!

I don’t even know where to start with this post hhahaha, so let’s start on the small things. Waste is such a big problem, we live in such a throwaway culture which leaves a massive both methane and carbon footprint. One of the BIGGEST problems surprisingly is food waste! We produce so much food but don’t even eat it all! One thing you can do is to buy less food, but eat everything you have in your fridge and cupboards. The biggest problem is the fact that people are scared of use by dates. Many throw away something as soon as it passes it’s use by date. These dates are JUST A GUIDE! You will not die if you eat something one day over it’s use by date. If it looks mouldy or smells weird then you know it’s bad, if it’s non of the above then it’s probably fine! They didn’t have those dates in Roman times, and they didn’t all suddenly die overnight from eating “out of date food!!” So I think it’s really important to try and eat everything you have in your fridge and cupboards. On an ethical note, us wasting food is not fair on those who are not fortunate enough to be able to have their own food. Surely it’s wrong that we waste so much food when there are people out there starving?!

Continuing on with the food note, although this next thing might be controversial, just reducing your meat and dairy consumption can help make a huge difference! The problem with meat and the farming involved is that animals produce a HUGE amount of methane. Methane is WORSE than carbon dioxide because it traps heat around 30 times more than CO2! Therefore, intensive farming is actually causing more heat to be trapped in a planet which means an increase in temperature! So, maybe just think about your meat and diary consumption as it DOES make a difference!

Everything you do leaves a “carbon” footprint, whether that means ordering that item off amazon, or buying grapes from Spain. Just think about where you buy things from and if you can refrain from buying things online and from aboard. As transport (especially air travel) adds so much heat and carbon dioxide to the atmosphere! So yes, let’s start thinking about where the things we buy comes from!

When it comes to home living, changes such as just turning off all the plugs if you’re not using them and turning lights off, not leaving the hot water on for as long all make a difference! It’s so surprising the amount of energy lost through plugs and overheating houses so if everyone became more aware it could help cut energy usage which in turn results in less fossils fuels being burned in-order to produce the threshold amount of electricity needed! Another big thing you can do is to change to a renewable energy supplier! And YESSS there are ones out there! I’m currently using Bulb Energy which source all their electricity renewably. You might think that this was an expensive change but Bulb is the CHEAPEST energy supplier in my area so that’s a definite win win! By using a renewable energy source, 1) you are reducing your carbon footprint and 2) your are increasing the demand on renewables which means are companies are more likely to push for more renewable energy sources as the supply and demand increase!

My final thing, is just to make conscious choices around the house, don’t boil more water than needed when you make a cup of tea, that wastes energy. Don’t leave your computer on if you can help it, don’t leave the taps running. If everyone made these small changes it would result in a big positive effect!

Next up… FASHION and BEAUTY choices! As a fashion (and once in a while) lifestyle blogger, this is an area of the industry which I really think needs addressing! This is the industry in which YOU can hit two birds with one stone, ethical and sustainable changes! Weirdly enough, the two go hand in hand. So I am guessing you’ve all heard of the word, “fast fashion?” If not, here’s a cheeky definition from Google dictionary: “clothing produced rapidly by mass-market retailers in response to the latest trends.”

So, the most famous high street brands that adopt this form of clothing production include, Topshop, Zara (ESPECIALLY THEY ARE AWFUL) , H&M, Primark (ALSO TERRIBLE) and many many many many more. So why is fast fashion so bad? 1) Clothes are usually produced in mass, unethically, many in sweatshops, people are often underpaid or in some cases NOT PAID, etc etc… ( eg, primark where a factory collapsed killing over 1000 people, UNIQLO where people were unpaid, and IVY PARK where things where produced in sweat shops.) 2) As it is mass produced with cheap materials, most clothes are made of plastic / fossil fuel based materials, mass scale production often means lesser quality items. 3) In shops like Zara, styles and stock changes every 2 weeks and all left over stock is just thrown away…WHAT A WASTE!!!

It’s super important not only to help save the environment but stop these power houses from exploited people and allowing them to take advantage of people due to supply and demand. Those people in China and India deserved to be WELL PAID for what they do and work in a safe and sustainable environment! In order to help get around this problem, we need to decrease the supply and demand on these shops and try and find new jobs for the people working in such terrible conditions. To do this, we need to support those brands which strive towards sustainability and provide a safe and well paid working place for those who are manufacturing the items. I’ve decided to add a list below of all my fav sustainable stores which will cover all your wardrobe needs 😉 . Yes these items may be a little more expensive, but In my opinion I think it’s worth it knowing that my fashion choices are both sustainable for the planet, and ethical for those working in it.

Clothing

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In this blog post, I really wanted to share some of my favourite stores and brands which are at the forefront of the battle with pushing for sustainability and a change in brands ethos when it comes to ethics! First up is Fabric for Freedom! I came across this brand on instagram and I honestly just have to scream and shout about them lol… Okay what is the rave all about? Firstly, all the items are made in the UK in sustainable factories so YAS!!! Since everything is made in the UK that does mean carbon footprint is lowered as there is no air travel YEEEEEEEEE….Second thing, Fabric For Freedom is a plastic freeeee brandddd whopppieee!! All the packaging is made from recycled material and tissue paper, and things like buttons are all made from sustainable Corozo buttons (aka wood.) All the materials are either organically sourced or made from recycled materials… SO tell me, what is not to love?! I’ve added links to my fav items on their website because honestly there are so many things that I love on there. Fabric for Freedom are that kind of brand that you buy something and it stays with you for years and becomes your favourite wardrobe staple! I honestly don’t know what else to say because it’s definitely one of those brands that is really pushing for ethical, sustainable and promotion slow fashion!!

Other fashion brands that are really good for the everyday which DESERVE a mention is Peregrine, I love this brand to end of the world and back!! I’ve work with them on a collaborative basis and they are everything I would look for in a knitwear brand! Everything is made and designed in the UK and all the wool is sustainably sourced from UK farms. Not only that, the quality is insane, and I will be honest… I wear my Peregrine jumper ALL THE TIME! It’s the perfect everyday uni kinda jumper and I would 100% buy from them when future collections drop!!! KNITWEAR is a dream hahhah.

So, next I’m going to move on from clothing to pyjamas and lingerie… So my two brands which I NEED to mention is Elb Handmade and Lufsum Lingerie. I’ve got five sets from Elb, one of which was gifted but was gifted after i bojught 3 sets (at different times… lol) Elbs is a “one women army” ran by Emma who both designs, photographs and makes all the lingerie herself here in the UK. Her packaging is all eco friendly and plastic free, and scraps and waste are recycled wherever possible! Since it’s all made by Emma herself, it’s all ethically made in her studio! The quality is amazing! All the lace she uses is so soft and everything is crazy comfy!! The one thing I would say size down with the knickers as i found that they up a little big!

Lufsum Lingerie is also another amazing lingerie company which I ABSOLUTELY adore!! Which you can see because the photos in this post are all with Lufusm pj’s hehehe 😉 . Lufusm was built on the basis of making you feel confident (and sexy of course) in your own skin! All the items are handmade in their Bristol studio so yasss close to Bath hehehe 😉 . I haven’t had a chance to get my hands on the bralettes yet, ( but my fav is definitely the black lace bralette as it’s so classic and sassy which is the best of both!) I do have the PJ’s which were recently released and OMG… they are so soft, well made and in all honesty… ARE MY FAV PJ’S EVER!!! As everything is handmade in Bristol, with eco-friendly inks ,made of natural materials (cotton jersey) , and the packaging is 100% recyclable, you can be sure you’re investing in a sustainable and ethical company! So gogogogoog and check out Lufsum as they deserve SO much more exposure!! <3

So… I wanted to write a bit more about sustainability however, I’ve wanted to make this digestible and not just throw information at you! So, with the little information that I have shared, I hope it has inspired you to strive to just be a little sustainable with your lifestyle choices ! <3

See you in my next one! 🙂 Izzy x