While the holidays can be a great time for many, for the environment, it is not so good. The high levels of consumption at this time of year means more food waste, more fossil fuels being used and lots of travelling for people to see relatives. These all have negative effects on our planet but luckily, there are lots of small ways you can help. Maybe, you can incorporate these into a New Years resolution too.
Trying to be environmentally friendly can seem like a big change or too expensive but there are actually lots of little changes to your lifestyle you can make which also make an impact. I spoke to Lorna Saunder who said that it is “Important to make small changes slowly rather than massive ones you can’t keep up” and Mrs Saunder also told me some of the ways that she tries to save the environment- one little step at a time.
One very popular beverage in Britain is tea and, believe it or not, teabags actually contain microplastics which not only harm the environment but our bodies too. One alternative to teabags is loose tea leaves, Mrs Saunder also says that the difference in taste is barely noticeable. If you’re not willing to give up your favourite PG tips there are other ways too. Vinegar is a very multipurpose way to save plastic, it can be used as a fabric softener and the smell isn’t even noticeable or as a conditioner and as long as you shampoo afterwards- the smell disappears. In order to eradicate yet more plastic from your bathroom, you could also try using solid soap instead of shower gel- it does the job just as well and saves plastic along the way.
Even if you only implement one of these in your life, you’re still making a difference. Something is always better than nothing.
By Sadie Saunder
