10 tips for a greener life

Hello everyone,

Sometimes it can seem that sustainable living is tricky, however I am here to show you how easy it is. Today I’m sharing with you my top 10 easy tips to living a greener and more eco-friendly life.

Ok. So I might be a little bias as I own a zero waste shop, but one of the reasons I opened the shop was because I wanted a place like this to shop but there weren’t any options where I lived.

Shopping in a zero waste shop is amazing Its great for the environment as you can buy so many different items packaging free. It reduces food waste as you can just buy as much or as little as you would like instead of a large packet where half ends up in the bin. I also think shopping in a eco shop is fun as you get to weigh everything out and choose the exact products you would like.

Find out more about The Little Green Larder by clicking here. 

It is easy to think that one straw will not make a difference however millions of people thinking that really adds up. Grab a metal or bamboo straw and some bamboo cutlery and carry them in your bag with you so that you can say no to disposable easily. Click here to buy one.

Of course there are some people who need to use a disposable straw for medical reasons and we would never judge that.

Fruit and vegetables are so clever, they make their own packaging meaning we really don’t need to put them in plastic bags! These past few years I found it so difficult to find fruit and veg that wasn’t in plastic that I mostly gave up with supermarkets. Shopping locally in greengrocers and zero waste shops puts money back into your local community instead of big corporate companies.

Did you know that The Little Green Larder now offers a Green Delivery Service and can bring fruit and veg boxes (plus lots more) to your door. 
Click here for more info.

Switching to a soap bar instead of shower gel is so easy and cost effective. Bars of soap last so long and they can be bough with no packaging or compostable packaging. avoid any that are wrapped in plastic as that defeats the purpose for me.

My favourite bar soap is Smelleez. There are so many amazing scents and it comes packaged in compostable materials. My favourite is Parma violet and right now I am using Bakewell Tart! I pop my bar into one of these bamboo soap bags which means I wont drop the bar and you can even put in all of your little scrappy  bits of soap so that they don’t go to waste.

One of the wort things you can do is throw out all of your plastic and buy wooden/ metal replacements for them. Yes buying these things are better for the environment but only when you need them. If you have plastic Tupperware use it, if you got a takeaway use the containers for your lunch. Finding a second or third purpose for the things that you already have prolongs their life meaning you don’t need to buy new yet.

Now I’m not going to get into a big debate about meat. If you eat it why not try 1 meat free meal a week, then 2. It is better for you and the environment and nowadays its so much easier. Plenty of restaurant’s have varied veggie and vegan menus now and the food is super tasty.

Yes I have a car and yes I drive places but I also love walking. If you are just nipping round the corner or in to town why not choose an alternative mode of transport. I really want to get back into cycling so watch this space guys!

Not all of you know but I was in the makeup industry for 12 years before I opened the shop. I specialised in bridal hair and makeup however I also worked commercially on photo shoots, film and theatre. One of the reasons I gave up makeup was the sheer amount of unrecyclable waste in the beauty industry.

Now I don’t wear too much makeup, but when it’s a special occasion I love to use Love The Planet makeup. We sell it here at The Little Green Larder.

Love The Planet is award winning plastic free makeup that is cruelty free, palm oil free, vegan friendly and just amazing. It is a mineral makeup and has foundations, concealers, powder, blush and eyeshadow. The translucent perfecting powder is amazing and I also love the pink blush!

Second hand doesn’t mean second best. You can get lots of amazing good as new things in charity shops, at car boot sales and at vintage fayres etc. This month I am blogging about second hand September to show that second hand fashion can be fun! Click here to read more

Plastic bottles drive me mad! Parks, beaches and the streets are covered in them and hardly any of them end up recycled. The best thing to do is carry a refillable water bottle and just top up from a tap, or buy cordial or squash in glass bottles and use that to fill your refillable bottle. If you want a fizzy drink opt for a glass bottle or can and ensure you put it in the right recycling bin.

You can even buy upcycle tools at The Little Green Larder to turn our Lemonaid drinks and Kombucha bottles into new items. Refill your empty bottle with dish soap or hand soap or even turn them into salt and pepper shakers.

I would love to know your top green living tips. Leave me a comment and let me know what you do at home or when you are out and about to lead a more eco friendly life.

Jillian, TLGL Owner