We’ve all, at some time or another, rolled our eyes at our elders as they claim in dismay that “things just aren’t made to last the way they used to”. Clutching on to the same moth ridden coat they’ve worn since the 40s, or fervently plodding down the road at 20mph in their trusty Morris minors; our grandparents are the kings and queens of frugal living. Their dusty and unchanging homes are living museums of the “golden Years”; where purchases were made for longevity, and are generously cared for as though they were the last of their kind left on Earth. Continue reading How to remedy the environmental disaster that is Planned Obsolescence
Tag Archives: war on waste
Plastic Bottle Fashion
Along with my purse, phone and keys, I carry my bobble water bottle wherever I go. It’s not necessarily that I’m a big water drinker (in fact, sometimes I can go all day without drinking any at all) but I never want to be caught short and forced to buy bottled water from the shop. Ever since I discovered more about the devastating effects of plastic pollution, the idea of buying water bottled when its readily available in taps makes no sense to me.
That said, we all get caught out once in a while, and the fact is that billions of plastic bottles continue to be produced worldwide. But what if these bottles could be recycled, and re-appropriated into something useful? Well I recently came across a company who is trying to salvage our plastic bottles, and turn them into things we can wear and use; and a lot of big brands are in on it.
Give-a-thing-away-a-day: my advent challenge
Recently one of my close friends, Kate (who works for the awesome neighbourhood sharing organisations, StreetBank) drew my attention to a thought provoking film: My Stuff. The film centres around 26 year old Petri Luukkainen, a man from Finland who decides to put all of his stuff in storage and only take one item back per day, for a year.
The idea struck a chord with Kate, who believes passionately that we don’t need to own as much “stuff” if we simply opened our homes (and hearts) to others and shared the resources we already have. For Luukkainen, by shedding himself of his belongings, he was able to focus on the things that really mattered. Continue reading Give-a-thing-away-a-day: my advent challenge
5 Steps to a Plastic Free Bathroom: My Lush Loot
Today I am a very happy lazy green lady indeed. After months of testing out various natural/vegan/ethical/ toiletries and never quite being inspired enough to review them here…I have found a regime that works! And the best thing of all? They’re all plastic free!
As a self confessed pamper-holic, I have literally tried dozens of hair products, toothpastes, shower gels etc over the last few months; desperately trying to find products that meet my ethics AND actually work. But the answer was right under my nose, in a place I had always disregarded as “that stinky place on the high street”. Continue reading 5 Steps to a Plastic Free Bathroom: My Lush Loot
Zero Waste Week: Less than 2 weeks to go!
Over the last 5 months – as I’ve attempted to live greener without changing my whole lifestyle drastically – I have learnt a lot along the way. From shopping short cuts and lazy vegan recipes, to informative research on the issues our world currently faces; I have shared my experience and ideas with all you lovely people!
But one thing I have yet to conquer is my battle with waste; something which fills me with dread every time I’m faced with yet another statistic about the pollution caused by our own consumerist habits. I have shared a few waste reduction ideas over the last few months, but food waste is still high on my agenda, so I have taken the pledge to be involved in this year’s Zero Waste Week; in a bid to kick start this battle with the bin! Continue reading Zero Waste Week: Less than 2 weeks to go!
Love Thy Old Phone (& Lazily Cut Electrical Waste)
I still remember the day I took my very first smart phone home. Excited about the convenience of carrying around what was essentially a mini computer; I loaded up my new best friend with gazillions of useful – and not so useful – apps. In one small device I could manage my whole life on the go. Juggling my work emails and social life in one hand; whilst sharing Instagram photos of my ultra-healthy vegetable smoothie sludge, in the other. It felt like the complete epitome of modernity. Oh the glamour! My phone are I became two peas in a pod; in which one day apart brought about feelings of longing you only see in the cheesiest of chick flicks. I was in love…
But relationships like this rarely last. As newer, sexier models come along, the heart often becomes fickle. It’s made even harder to resist by the people whose jobs are simply to lure you into upgrading to an improved version of your previous love; dazzling you with temptations of cheaper deals and a better camera…
Continue reading Love Thy Old Phone (& Lazily Cut Electrical Waste)
Controlling the hoard – 3 ways to reduce waste
From the moment I decided to go green, I must admit I became a bit of a hoarder. And after learning that every year a person will use 10x their weight in household rubbish, I now stop and think every time I go to throw something away; tending to see my bin as the enemy. As I have said before, when you throw things away, there really is no such place; we are simply filling up the land we reply on to survive, with all our rubbish…and this freaks me out a little! Continue reading Controlling the hoard – 3 ways to reduce waste
A Lazy Girl Goes Green 