10 basic things you can and should be doing right now 

Almost 6 months since we launched The Eco Friendly Living Co and our aim is still as prevalent now.  We want to highlight to families how easy it is to make those little green changes in their lifestyles and to encourage them to ditch the single use plastic!  Living a more environmentally friendly lifestyle is not just at the benefit of the environment but its also for ourselves.  Rome wasn’t built in a day and making huge changes, such as going plastic-free immediately, will not work but making small changes consistently will stick and will also make a huge difference in the long run.

When you read what is actually inside your normal everyday products, it’s easy to see that change is needed and that’s why we’re here to help.  We display a lot of our own eco-friendly journey on our social media channels to show how easy our eco swaps have been but I also wanted to put together a quick basic guide on what you could do right now to start making those little changes in your life.

1. Stop wearing disposable face masks.  They contain micro plastics and often can’t be recycled due to multiple materials being used.  Invest in washable reusable masks instead. 

2. If you do have to wear single use masks then make sure you cut off the straps first before recycling.  This aids the recycling process. 

3. Change your washing powder.  As we reported in this blog several weeks ago, washing detergents contain all sorts of harmful chemicals and micro plastics that are not only harmful for the environment but can also be harmful for us! The Ecoeggs completely replace washing detergent and fabric conditioner and were original invented to be better for our skin as they contain no harmful chemicals. They can also save you up to 6 pound for every 70 washes you do. 

4. Switch your search engine to Ecosia.  Ecosia uses its profits for ads/searches to plant trees and has so far planted over 1 million!

5. Switching to washable make-up remover pads is a no brainer.  Disposable wipes contribute to 90% of the blockages in our sewers and cause endless problems for our marine wildlife.  Switching to these bamboo pads not only leaves your skin silky smooth but can also save you over 50 a year! 

6. Stop using liquid soaps.  Did you know that in a 30 second hand wash it takes 6x as much liquid soap than it would with a soap bar?  And liquid soap has 10x the carbon footprint than a soap bar.  Plastic-free soaps bars are the future. 

7. Know how to recycle properly.  Do you know what plastics can actually be collected in your council recycling service? Head over to this blog to read up on lots of tips and advice to help you figure your recycling out.

8. Get to grips with how your normal lifestyle is affecting the environment.  Sites like https://www.carbonfootprint.com/ help you to calculate your carbon footprint and then advise you on how you can offset those emissions through donating to several environmental projects throughout the world.  Your donation can also provide much needed employment, health services, social benefits and much more to communities in need.

9. Stop using cleaning products that are full of chemicals and plastics.  They are not only bad for the environment but also your health.  These individual Ocean Saver cleaning pods are chemical free and plastic free whilst still getting to grips with the dirt and grime in your home.

10. Do your research and make sure the products you’re buying and the decisions you’re making are right for you and your family.  There is a world of choice out there and it doesn’t have to expensive or difficult to make those little changes that go a long way.  You've got this!!