By Becky Meredith-Shaw from Teaching Talons
The current Covid-19 outbreak has hit everybody hard in a variety of ways. Being on lockdown is also presenting new challenges in our day to day life. This might mean living sustainably is one of the last things on your mind- however- there has never been a better time to reassess how you live your life and how to be more sustainable!
Here are some top tips on sustainable lockdown living
(and for life after lockdown!)
Buy in bulk- Now when I say in bulk, I don’t mean panic buying and some elements of this you may need to implement in your life after lockdown, so that you don’t look like a hoarder!- but when you buy something in a bigger box, or a bigger packet- you are actually purchasing less packaging over all, as well as being well stocked and reducing your need to go out to the shops. See if you have a local zero waste shop that you can start supporting. These will be plastic free and sell everything from rice and pasta, to coffee and toiletries! Some may even do deliveries as we need to avoid going out, unless absolutely necessary.
Order a local fruit and veg box – Find your local fruit and veg box supplier, or visit your local farm shop. Not only are you getting lovely, healthy, fresh produce- much of it is produced locally, supports local farmers, has a smaller carbon footprint and a lot less plastic packaging! What’s not to love? Plus- if you go for a delivery, you don’t need to leave the house! They are being inundated with order at the moment, so please be patient. I just hope everyone remembers their hard work after lockdown and continues to support these local businesses!
Start using your local milk man- Yes, milk men still exist! During lockdown it is absolutely perfect having our local farmer drop our milk and eggs twice a week. It is also delivered in glass bottles that you leave out for the milk man to collect next time, with a recyclable foil top. Did you know aluminum can be infinitely recycled? Plastic can only be recycled a certain number of times. Try and find your local dairy farm, or failing that, check out Milk & More.
Use your tap! We are so lucky to have some of the best tap water in the world in the UK and in plentiful supply. It is something we take for granted- but we really don’t need to buy bottled water anymore! Use your tap water and invest in a good reusable bottle when normality returns- plus you will save money and reduce plastic waste. You can even buy squash in glass bottles.
Switch single use for reusable and refillable- People are really struggling to buy sanitary products, wet wipes, anti-bac spray and soap dispensers, to name a few. Look into switching to reusable/washable wet wipes, make up remover pads and sanitary towels (or a menstrual cup, if you don’t like pads). Once you find reusable products you like- you will never have to buy them again and will never have to worry about running out, or needing to stock up at the shops. Single use kitchen sprays and hand soaps can also be refilled instead of thrown away. Check out the dissolvable cleaning sachets from Iron & Velvet, or buy a big tub of liquid soap from somewhere like Delphis Eco or Bio D. It will last you ages and reduce your plastic waste. Washable make up remover pads and sanitary pads have been a revelation for me and so easy to just pop in the wash, dry and back in the cupboard! I just wish I’d got them sooner! I love Face Halo make up wipes- but a few flannels will work just fine!
Check your shopping- Make sure you are supporting things like palm oil free products (check the ingredients), plastic free packaging (where you can) and Rainforest Alliance certified (look out for the logo on things like bananas and coffee that are actually grown in the rainforest). This will help protect our planet and its amazing habitats.
Toilet roll! That dreaded word!! However- did you know you can get things like natural, sustainable loo roll, kitchen roll and wet wipes delivered to your door on a subscription service? I use Who Gives a Crap and The Cheeky Panda. When the virus started to hit hard I had recently had my 47 roll delivery that comes every few months. So no fighting over the last square in this household! As they run subscription services, it also means you are already set up for your next delivery with no worries.
Be less wasteful- Hopefully we can all come out of this horrendous outbreak with a less-wasteful mindset. Ensure you freeze what you can and use and rotate your fresh food to ensure nothing goes mouldy or gets thrown out. Floppy veg? Don’t lob it- boil it in stock, blend it and turn it into soup! We regularly make ‘E.II’ soup. This stands for Everything In It! Keep things like bread frozen and defrost it as needed. You can even freeze eggs (have a Google!). Go through your cupboards- make sure you know exactly what you have and use this to make meal plan. You will be surprised by how much you have and how many meals you can make out of it. This will delay when you next need to go to the shop, keeping you safe and will also make you more aware of what you have to help stop panic buying.
Batch cook- On the same subject- if you’re making a suitable dish and have fresh ingredients that need using up then batch cook and freeze extra portions. If you cant get to the shop, these will be perfect and also save time. Soup, curry sauces, chillis and bolognaise all freeze really well (without the rice and pasta!). You can cook and blend all sorts of veggies with herbs and spices to make freezable pasta and curry sauces.
Get in the garden! If you have a garden, now is the time to get out there and use it! You may well have some packs of veg seeds lying unloved in your sheds- if so check the packet for advice on when to plant them and get them planted! Even if you have no seeds in. Get your garden weeded and beds prepped. When lockdown is lifted you will be all set to grow your own. There is nothing more rewarding! Spending time in the garden is also great for exercise and your mental health during this difficult time and keeps the kids busy. Give children their own little patch to look after Other fun activities can be creating a little wildlife garden, a wild patch or a fairy garden with broken plant pots. Look online for inspiration!
Hopefully at least one of these points is useful to you and can be implemented in your household for lockdown and beyond! Stay in when you can, stay positive and stay safe!
By Becky Meredith-Shaw AKA @The_Eco_Emo on Instagram
