6 Sustainable Switches to make at home

Sustainability and environmental change is certainly something that is top of mind in todays world. Small changes make big differences, especially when these changes are a part of our everyday lives. There are many ways to start incorporating more sustainability into your life, we’ve got some easy one’s that are a part of our team at Clever Little lives. Here are our 6 sustainable switches to make at home:

• Refill pantry essentials
  Low waste shopping is on the rise everywhere you look. Shopping in stores that sell non-packaged food where you BYO containers can help reduce the amount of plastic packaging that ordinarily goes into selling groceries. Refilling your pantry essentials from a BYO grocer is a great way to practice sustainable shopping.
  
  However, what you use as a container matters. If you are using a Tupperware container you will need to use the container 10 or 20 or 100 times more to reap the environmental benefits. Shopping at a BYO supermarket often means the products you are shopping are local, meaning the carbon footprint of the food is significantly smaller than shopping imported products. Overall refilling what you’ve got is a great way to start shopping sustainably.

• Organic period care
  

This one is close to our Clever Little hearts. Organic period care do not contain plastic or man made substances which mean they are compostable over short periods of time. Our Clever Little tampons decompose within 6 months. To grow cotton organically, farmers cannot use pesticides and other chemicals which means cleaner air and water and maintained soil biodiversity. Where you can, consider purchasing organic, the planet, farmers and your body will thank you.

Freeze leftovers and fresh leafy produce
Freezing leftovers should be a standard part of our food practices. It’s a great way to save time with dinners or lunches, saves you money and reduces food waste. Another easy way to reduce food waste is to freeze your leafy greens. These tend to spoil rather quickly so a great way to extend their freshness is by rinsing them and refrigerating them in a damp paper towel. Another way to store your greens is to blanch them and freeze them. Blanching them ensures their flavour and colour aren’t lost meaning they last longer to be added into a delicious meal.

Switch to eco-friendly cleaning products
Do you research here on what works for you but eco friendly products tend to not contain any highly damaging chemicals such as chlorine, phosphates and nitrates. These are chemicals known to cause pollution and damage the environment. Eco friendly cleaning products are a great sustainable step to take at home. Your body will also thank you by not being exposed to harsh chemicals regularly.

Grow herbs at home
What’s on the shelves will never match what you can grow yourself. It’s convenient, saves you money and also reduces the carbon footprint of your meals. It’s a great way to sustainably make your meals full colour, variety and flavour.

Plan weekly meals/lunches so you don’t over buy
Planning your own meals will show you how much you’re actually eating. Once you have an idea of how much food you consume, you are able to purchase what you need in accordance with your eating habits, often you'll be able to easily reduce your food waste by doing this. It might mean shopping for less but more regularly. Planning your meals saves you time and reduces the stress of cooking last minute. It is so easy to get into our busy habits of cooking the same thing on repeat. Meal planning is a chance to look at the types of food you’re eating to see if you can mix your meals up and add more variety into the foods you’re eating.

 

At the end of the day, small steps add up and making changes that work for you are changes that can be maintained. Lots of small changes make a difference, especially when it comes to caring for our planet.