The beginner’s guide to becoming eco-friendly

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If you have found this post, you either want to know how to be more eco-friendly or because you follow my content and already do some eco swaps. Whichever option it is, welcome (back) to my blog! Becoming eco-friendly is a gradual process that allows you to form habits you will keep. There are so many eco-friendly and zero-waste products out there which can make it a bit daunting! I am here to share the tips and tricks I have learned through my journey.

The benefits of becoming eco-friendly

There are so many benefits to becoming eco-friendly, and they aren’t all environmental.

• Save money – I have written a whole blog post about how being eco-friendly can save you money. In a nutshell, choose second-hand whenever you think about buying something and using reusable items. By shopping second-hand, you are giving something a new lease of life and it is so much cheaper. Buying reusable items costs the first time, but never again.
• Be healthier – Making environmental choices can lead to health benefits. Cycling or driving as opposed to driving means you will be getting more exercise. Eating less meat, specifically red meat is much healthier for you.
• Reduce your carbon footprint – Obviously being eco-friendly will reduce your carbon footprint, which is good for so many reasons. We are having a climate crisis, and we need to act now. Whatever sustainable lifestyle choices you are able to make, choose them!

Tips on becoming eco-friendly

1. Assess

Different people have different reasons for becoming eco-friendly, and also for which swaps they choose. One of the first things to do is to reflect on which eco-friendly swaps will be easiest for you to complete. I have pretty much always used a water bottle so I didn’t have to switch to that.

The first sustainable swap I made was switching to a reusable travel mug. I have never really been someone who gets a drink to take away, so I have never really had much use for a travel mug. When I started drinking tea every morning, I wanted to bring a travel mug for the journey to college.

Another early swap I made was using reusable make-up rounds instead of make-up wipes. I got a set for Christmas in 2019, and I have been using them ever since! I tried to be eco-friendly at home, and my whole family is fairly eco-friendly. But when I moved to university, I could start some more zero-waste habits. For example, I started using Who Gives A Crap toilet roll after seeing it at my sister’s flat. I managed to convince my dad to buy it in 2021, and we haven’t looked back. He also orders their tissue boxes and kitchen rolls, so all of that is plastic-free.

As I said earlier, becoming eco-friendly has saved me some money. Obviously, some habits and swaps are cheaper/pricier than others. I think the best advice is to do what you can. Buying refillable make-up is more expensive than say buying some from Superdrug or Boots. I have some refillable & plastic-free make-up which I love using. However, to start with I switched to only buying products that are vegan, cruelty-free and do not test on animals (leaping bunny certification). The foundation I use (Collection matte) is not refillable, and part of it is plastic but it is vegan, cruelty-free and does not test on animals.

2. Use up what you already have

The best thing you can do is not to buy all the eco-friendly products. Why? Because you should use up everything first. It might seem silly, to use up single-use products first, but they were made and you bought them. Don’t throw them out because then it really is a waste. You may as well use them before throwing them away!

3. Switch to reusable products

The best piece of advice I can give you is not to go completely cold turkey. If you switch everything you use to a sustainable alternative, it is likely that you won’t stick to it. Choose one or two swaps and try that for a month. For example you could start by having one less meal with meat. If there were leftovers, you could have it for lunch the next day. This would also reduce food waste.

Here are some sustainable swap ideas:

Kitchen swaps

• Washing up liquid – Refillable washing up liquid*, washing up bar*, dishwasher tablets*
• Plastic sponge/brush – Compostable sponge*- Seep’s is my favourite!, replaceable washing brush head*
• Laundry liquid – Laundry powder*, Eco Egg*, soap nuts*, laundry sheets*, plastic-free capsules
• Cling film – Beeswax wraps*, Tupperware
• Paper cupcake cases – Silicone cupcake cases
• Produce bags – Organic cotton bags*, beeswax bags
• Plastic straws – Stainless steel*, bamboo*, silicone straws*, glass straws*
• Plastic bottle of antibacterial spray, cleaner etc. – Ocean Saver pods – Use my link to get 20% off your order!

Related post: Bower Collective washing up liquid review

Bathroom swaps

• Liquid soap – Soap bar*
• Roll-on deodorant/antiperspirant – natural deodorant stick*, refillable deodorant e.g. Wild – Get 50% off with my link! Read my review here.
• Liquid shampoo/conditioner – Shampoo*/conditioner bar*, shampoo*/conditioner refill*
• Toothpaste – Toothpaste tablets*
• Mouthwash – Mouthwash tablets*
• Dental floss – Plastic-free dental floss*
• Plastic/single-use razor – Replaceable razor heads e.g. Estrid – Check out my review here
• Single-use pads/tampons – Reusable pads*, organic cotton pads*/tampons*/liners*, menstrual cups*, period pants*
• Plastic-wrapped toilet roll – Paper-wrapped toilet roll e.g. Cheeky Panda, Who Gives a Crap – Use my link to get £5 off

Related post: Sustainable pads – TOTM review

Beauty swaps

• Makeup wipes – Reusable make-up rounds*
• Make-up – Refillable make-up, natural/cruelty-free make-up
• Plastic make-up brushes – Bamboo make-up brushes*

On-the-go swaps

• Plastic water bottle – Stainless steel water bottle*
• Single-use travel cup – Reusable travel mug*, thermos.
• Plastic bag – Tote bag
• Travel in a car – Walk, cycle, public transport

Continue reading: The beginner’s guide to becoming eco-friendly

4. Reduce

Going completely zero-waste is pretty impossible, so try not to feel guilty if you aren’t doing everything. Personally, I don’t think a 100% zero-waste lifestyle is attainable. There are some eco-friendly alternatives that I don’t want to do. Even if you don’t eliminate something, reducing your consumption is much better than overconsumption. Some ideas of what you can reduce:

• Meat & fish – You could consider becoming a vegetarian, or if you are unable to, try going one or two nights a week without meat and fish.
• Dairy/eggs – I have put dairy and eggs separate from meat because veganism is the extra step from being a vegetarian. Personally, I have health reasons for why I choose not to be a vegan but I actually much prefer oat milk. Cow’s milk has always made me have a scratchy throat, so I’m thankful there are good dairy-free options.
• Plastic – Obvious, but I had to say this!
• New books – Try buying fewer new books from chain bookstores and instead try World of Books or a charity shop.
• New clothes – When you first try to cut out new clothes, it can be a bit hard as fast fashion brands are ahead of the trends and entice you in. I wrote a blog post on reducing your fast fashion consumption, with how I did it. I always think – look second-hand first. If you can’t find it on Vinted or a charity shop, it can’t be mended, and you need it, then I would buy it. But I always try the other options first. Obviously, underwear is a different story!
• Energy – Reducing your energy use will not only reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it will also save you money.

5. Repair/upcycle

Another important part of becoming eco-friendly is to repairing and upcycling. People are so obsessed with buying something shiny and new, but why not just repair what you already have. If your jeans have a hole in, repair them with a patch of material or stitch them up.

If they can’t be repaired, another option is to upcycle them which is also a lot better than throwing them away. A few years ago, I upcycled my cordrouy skirt into a bag by just sewing the bottom together. The skirt already had pockets, but if it didn’t I would have sewed some on. For the straps, I used some material from my dad’s jeans which had been repaired too many times. Then I got some material from a playsuit that was too small for me to cover the jean straps.

Rather than upcycling, if the item is still in good use you could donate to a charity shop. Make sure there are no holes etc. because otherwise they will get sent to landfill.

I hope this beginner’s guide to becoming eco-friendly has been helpful! I am thinking of also writing an advanced guide.

Other sustainability blog posts:

• 25 sustainable actions you can do in minutes
• 7 ways to make washing more eco-friendly
• How to have a sustainable Christmas
• How to have a sustainable Halloween
• How to have a sustainable wardrobe

Caroline ♡