5 Ways I’m Going to be More Ecologically Friendly

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The focus to be more ecologically friendly is definitely a big talking point at the moment and it’s making me think about how bad we are in our own home for throwing away too much plastic, using too many non-reusable items and not really thinking enough about what else can actually be recycled.

I think as a parent it can be a really tough area to crack, though. It is so easy to buy disposable nappies, wipes and anything that seemingly makes our lives simpler at a time when we are super busy and extremely tired but in the long run how much waste are we producing and how much money are we spending without realising? It’s going to take a bit of time to work out what I need to change overall, but to start with I have 5 focus areas:

Do away with clingfilm

Clingfilm. What a pain it is. It’s annoying to find the edge, it’s annoying when it tangles itself, it’s annoying when it sticks to itself and you have to start over but what is even more annoying is how damaging it is to the environment. Did you know that it may take up to 500 years for a plastic like this to completely break down and disappear? It may seem as though it has gone but in actual fact, it is just breaking into smaller particles which usually end up polluting our seas and being ingested by wildlife and even ourselves!

We are very guilty of using far too much of this stuff in this home (hubby I am looking at you!) and I am very aware of this. A brilliant ecologically friendly alternative for covering your food is to use a beeswax cover like these:

This is a reusable cover that can be used for food in the fridge, on tins, for sandwiches in a packed lunch just to name a few. It is easy to clean, it is made from natural materials and it is biodegradable and compostable, which leads me nicely on to the next bit…

Compost Bin

I dread to think how much food waste goes into our bin (with Jake around it’s a lot!) which could go to much better use out in our garden. A compost bin is a very simple way of recycling food items, tea bags, coffee filters, eggshells, veg peelings, paper towels and so much more! Think how much space you will be saving in your bin, how much waste you will be reducing and how useful the compost will be.

Grow our own

Sticking with the garden, I want to aim to try to grow more of my own fruit and veg this year. I am hoping this will not only cut down on the amount of plastic and packaging I get from the supermarket but also save us some money at the same time. Last year we successfully grew green beans, peppers and strawberries. We grew these in Jake’s little garden that we made him a few years ago which you can read all about here. I also always have thyme growing in my front garden and my window boxes (which I really need to learn how to use in our meals).

If you didn’t want to build your own box or greenhouse for your plants there are plenty of options over on Amazon, like this one:

Reusable Nappies

This is something I am very interested in trying. I haven’t done sooner because William was premature and needed the micro nappies but he has finally gained quite a bit of weight so I am going to find out which reusable nappies will fit him now. I dread to think how many we used with Jake and how much I contributed to that landfill. I want to be able to make a difference and if it means washing a bit more then I will be happy to do so. And even better, there are so many amazing styles to shop for!

Reusable sanitary items

Another item that has most probably cost me a small fortune and had a huge impact on our environment. Just think how much waste I have caused since I was what, 12/13? That is a scary thought. So, once my period returns after breastfeeding I am definitely going to purchase some reusable sanitary pads. These ones easily clip on to your knickers, they are made from bamboo which will give you a drier feel and are waterproof outside to protect from leaks. Also, they have funky designs!

So, there is my plan and just a few starter ideas on becoming more ecologically friendly and as I do each of these I’m going to continue to find out what else is doable because it is going to take all of us to make a few small changes to lead to large changes.

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