Not for Oneself, but for the Environment

I never really realised how much I impact the world that I live in until I came to university and started living on my own. My mum has always been very passionate about recycling, even when I still lived at home, which rubbed off on me, but the problem is much bigger than remembering to recycle.

My little brother, Theo, came to visit me in York and showed me a website that infinitely counts the tonnes of plastic that are currently in the ocean. I decided that even if other people didn’t care, I would be the person that would do everything in order to try and save a quickly dying world.

I started small. I initially changed the way I shopped for food, because most, if not all food, is covered in unnecessary plastic packaging (Tesco is currently doing a plastic-free fruit and veg trial, so support them!). Instead of buying plastic covered fruit and veg, I started going to The Shambles to buy fresh produce from the market stalls, meaning they don’t last as long because they don’t contain preservatives, but I no longer buy as much because I only buy what i need.

My second change was slightly larger. It meant that I would have to travel for longer to a special supermarket/bulk shop in York, called The Bishy Weigh. In this shop, you take your own containers and you only pay for what you weigh in the containers. For example, in the picture above, you can see a large glass jar full of Fusilli pasta, there’s almost two kilograms of pasta there, which only cost me £1.81… absolute bargain. You may be asking how I transport all these glass jars to and from my home… well that’s a trade secret (spoiler, it’s a granny trolley). So, by walking that little bit further, and making a bit more effort, I can get all the things I would at a normal supermarket, just minus the plastic packaging.

The third thing i decided to change was how I purchased my meat and fish produce. Now, I know that meat is murder and that veganism is the future, but I do love a steak… and chicken… and salmon… and so the third adventure begins. I decided to have a search for a butchers that would work with me and my fussy packaging, and nevertheless, I found a butchers on The Shambles that would put all the meat I bought straight into the Tupperware that I had brought from home (in picture above). They also have an excellent student deal that includes two beef burgers, two chicken breasts, eight rashers of bacon, four sausages, 500 grams of mince beef, and six fresh eggs for £13… another bargain for my fellow meat-lovers (PS. if you don’t fancy one of the options, they let you swap stuff out for more of something else!).

The laundry detergent and fabric conditioner are absolutely amazing, I bought them at a shop in town called Heima for around £3.50 each. When they’re empty, I can go and get the bottles refilled for half the price, baring in mind that the solutions are suitable for sensitive skin, cruelty-free, and smell incredible. The ‘bio’ brand also sell a toilet cleaner, sanitising fluid and drain-unclogger that are all refillable, and I use on a daily basis to clean my house.

Now I shouldn’t have to lecture you about plastic bags at the supermarket… they already charge you ten pence… just take some with you… save yourself some money.

My Cupboard

So, just a sneak peak into my cupboards (cheeky, I know), so you can see all my glass jars filled with: (from left to right) cornflakes, dried pineapple, fusilli pasta, conchiglie pasta, self-raising flour, brown sugar, white rice, bran flakes, porridge oats, and chickpeas. Then my potatoes are just chilling in a Tupperware because I’ve found that they go off quicker in the fridge. The glass jar with the cork lid is filled with fabric squares for cleaning that I made from old t-shirts, and beeswax wraps for wrapping leftover food (excellent alternative for clingfilm). I’ve got thousands of glasses, innumerable items of crockery and mugs, so I never have to use single-use plates, cutlery, etc. Another amazing investment I made was a travel-mug, I take it everywhere with me, along with my water bottle, and I have found that you can usually get money off your hot drink if you ask for it in the travel mug! For example, my uni give me ten pence off every hot drink in the travel mug, and Café Nero have a stamp card for travel mugs that offer rewards! Also, if you live in Leeds, they’ve started putting out orange recycling bins for coffee cups, because they can’t be recycled the normal way, and they’re the only city in England to do it so far (bravo Leeds!), so make sure you do your bit to keep our streets clean.

Personal Hygiene

So, moving on to a zero-waste change that I have only very recently switched to. It’s taken me some time to get to this point because I had so many products that needed using up, but I finally made the big switch! So, after using up my final tube of toothpaste (which The Bishy Weigh recycled), I switched to ‘dental tabs’, which work just like toothpaste but you chew them and then brush, odd at first but you get used to it. Then the mouthwash tablets get dissolved in 20 milliliters of water and work so well, keeps your mouth feeling so clean all day.

Now the razor was a big change for me, because I have always waxed my body hair, but I realised that the wax just went straight to landfill so had to change my ways. Now it was very intimidating shaving my legs with this for the first time, because it’s a very traditional razor with a removable razor blade (it’s very sharp, I can attest to that), and managed to come away with minimal cuts to my knees and ankles, but overall it’s a great change!

I know I’m not a saint, I still use all my favourite makeup products which are all made with plastic containers, I often have acrylic nails and wear nail varnish 24/7, I use aerosol deodorants and dry shampoos, but i’m trying my hardest to reduce my impact on the environment the best I can. I don’t beat myself with a stick when I make a mistake, I just try again with a different option, it’s all trial and error until you find something you really love.

I realise that this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, and I hope you realise I’m not trying to force my lifestyle down your throat, I’m just trying to make people more aware of the impact they’re making on the environment. I get enough stick from people who don’t understand the importance of what I’m trying to do, and that’s okay because I know that everything that I do will make the planet a better place for my children.

So, if I know you personally, and you want to find out more, then don’t hesitate to get in touch. If not, then research zero-waste opportunities in your local area and get involved!