Zero-effort ways to be more sustainable ๐
Updated: Jan 12
Letโs be honest, protecting the planet is hard work. Cargo ships instead of planes take forever. Organic food really hits you in the wallet. And every houseplant seems to die. So, Iโve been keeping an eye out for the absolute LAZIEST and CHEAPEST ways to be greener. The sustainable equivalent of flopping on the couch and watching Netflix. Get ready to unleash your inner house cat, here are five effortless sustainable switches. ๐ฆฅ
1. Switch Google for Ecosia ๐๐ด
This is the easiest thing youโll ever do for maximum impact. Simply switch your browser home screen to Ecosia. It only takes a couple of seconds. Then for every 45 searches, Ecosia plant a tree!!
How does this happen? Ecosia uses the money generated from advertisers not to line their own wallets but to plant trees. Amazing, right? So far, I have made 2,610 searches and helped plant 52 trees!!
To really drill the point in, I made a picture of 52 trees ๐๐ This is what I did in real life โฆ Just from using the internet! Nothing else. No additional effort at all. It blows my mind. ๐คฏ
Even if you want to type โGoogleโ into Ecosia and use Google the long way round (itโs not even that long, just one more step), youโre still planting trees. Itโs incredible.
Alsoโฆ Google is shady as hell and really NOT an ESG company. Check out why here.
2. Switch supermarket toilet roll for Who Gives a Crap ๐งป๐ฝ๐ฉ
Fair warning: Your life will never be the same after you start using this toilet roll.
Itโs so good that I donโt even know where to begin.
Ok, firstly, they deliver a beautiful big box of toilet rolls straight to your home. So, you donโt need to deal with the cringe of carrying a 16-pack down the street. Secondly, all of the 50 toilet rolls are beautifully wrapped in the design of your choice. Sustainable paper obvs. Right now, I have the black, white, and gold luxury blend. Last year I went for a "Whereโs Wally" themed paper. It is like art. Super practical art, that transforms your bathroom into interior design heaven.
Most importantly, this loo roll does not harm the planet AND 50% of all profits go towards building toilets in developing countries. These toilets can help to tackle so many avoidable illnesses and deaths. Itโs really an incredible way to make an impact, and it's zero effort.
Explore the website here (or search via Ecosia for double points - ka-POW! ๐)
3. Switch pre-packaged veggies for loose ones ๐ฅ๐ฅ
Aside from the fact that you use SO MUCH LESS disposable plastic when you pick out and weigh loose veggiesโฆ You will not believe the price difference. Honestly, I was shocked.
For years I have been buying packs of three onions from Sainsbury's for around ยฃ1.10. The other day, I picked up two single ones (thatโs actually all I need for most recipes) and weighed themโฆ 14p! Can you believe that?! My brain started whirring through all the extra 96ps Iโve needlessly splurged over 31 years, and I got palpitations. ๐ฒ I figured that each year, I waste ยฃ99.84. FFS.
But I donโt just buy onions. Of course not, Iโm not that unhinged yet. I pick up carrots, leeks, peppers, limes, lemons, apples, courgettes, and mushrooms at my weekly shop too. Each of these has a ginormous markup when you buy them ready-packed in disposable plastic. Long story short: I have been overspending by about a tenner each week (ยฃ520 a year) to contribute to plastic pollution. WTF.
Never again. It makes me so angry with myself that I have been paying more to destroy the planet. Plus, thereโs nearly always a mangy one in the pack. To quote Tony Harrison (the weird brain from The Mighty Boosh, not the boxer) this is an outrage.
From now on, itโs picked and weighedโฆ all the way.
4. Switch online clothes shopping for ANYTHING ELSE ๐คข
Online clothes shopping seems effortlessโฆ But itโs deceiving because we all know that if you want to return something itโs a massive pain in the arse. Carrying all those bundles around, waiting for the post office to open, queuing up โฆ SUPER annoying.
Besides, itโs completely ridiculous. To know if you like a piece of clothing, you need to touch the fabric. Feel the texture. Hold the colour against your skin to see if it suits you. Ivory white, for example, makes my complexion look like a dead fish. You need to try it on. Scrutinize the style, size and cut. See how it falls on you. Get a second opinion. Everybody knows this stuff. It's silly to buy your clothes based on a picture of an air-brushed model on your phone.
But the most important reason why you should switch is that cheap online fashion is EVIL ๐ .
Garment workers suffer horrific sweatshop conditions โ even in the UK. Around 140 garment workers die making these shitty clothes each year. Mostly women and children. And more than 800 are horribly injured. These cheap clothes are soaked in blood. And there is SO MUCH GREENWASHING, it will make you SICK.
Check out my plea to end fast-fashion greenwashing
What's more, returned items go straight to landfill. They are destroying the planet. 3.5 billion items are returned and dumped in the ground each year. Donโt do it. Please. Donโt support these f**king evil companies.
Instead, switch to ANYTHING. ANYTHING ELSE.
If you want online clothes maybe try pre-loved goodies on Vinted or eBay. Guaranteed the photos will be a lot more accurate and probably cheaper too. Or look at 1000000% sustainable brands like Rapanui. They take things to a whole new level. SIDENOTE: Rapanui make really lovely menโs underwear.
Look in charity shops in fancy areas. Youโd be amazed at what youโd find. Muswell Hill is cracking. I got a Christian La Croix top, and now I feel like Patsy Stone.
... Or if you want a big olโ splurge, f**king go for it, but do it properly. Head into town with friends, shimmy down Carnaby Street, cackle over champagne and enjoy the real experience! Stay away from tacky sweatshops like Primark and H&M and instead buy clothes that youโll cherish forever. โค
5. Switch your pension ๐ฆธโโ๏ธ๐ฆธโโ๏ธ
Soโฆ Ta Dahhhโฆ Iโve saved the best till last. Ok so, this one is a teeny, tiny bit of a faff. YES, it is boring. YES, it involves talking to pension people. But itโs so worth it.
Switching your standard workplace pension for something sustainable is โ by far โ the single MOST impactful thing you can ever do for the planet. Itโs 27x more powerful than going vegan and never flying again. ๐ณ๐
This is because, right now, your pension is probably going to fossil fuel companies... BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell and all the other bad guys. It will flow to them indirectly too as plastic polluters rely on oil, and banks are addicted to investing in it. The moment you switch your pension, you stop giving these companies money to scale up. And you can start investing in companies that want to save the planet instead. ๐ช
Ok, so youโre probably wondering how to get started. Honestly, for the most effort-free way, I would just write to your HR person and say that you donโt want your pension to be invested in fossil fuels anymore.
I know thatโs a bit annoying, so Iโve written a template for you here:
Hi [name],
I hope youโre doing well.
I would like to understand more about my workplace pension and possibly make a switch. Itโs important to me that none of my money is invested in fossil fuel companies (especially BP). And ideally, I would like to invest my pension into green and sustainable holdings. Could you please advise on the next steps?
Thank you and Best,
[your name].
If youโre lucky, your HR person will take it from there. If youโre unlucky, youโll have to do it yourself. As you look for a new sustainable pension fund, remember that greenwashing is rife. Just because a fund claims to be sustainable, it doesnโt mean itโs true. There is more than $40 trillion of greenwash out there, waiting to trip you up. But I have faith in you!! ๐ช๐
To avoid investing in something terrible, I'd encourage you to read through the holdings. Or if there is a company you totally detest, like BP or Coca-Cola, do a search (Ctrl F) to see if itโs included anywhere in the fund. Below are some pointers taken from Make My Money Matter to help you out.
Genuine green pension funds should be:
Going net-zero
Investing in climate solutions
Engaging in shareholder meetings
Divesting from companies that are not reducing their impact
Make My Money Matter has a good list of questions to ask pension providers on page 17 of this guide. Go on... call them up and give them a grilling.
I am not perfect, but if youโre interested in what Iโve doneโฆ My Stocks and Shares ISA is with The Big Exchange and my Self Invested Personal Pension is with Wealthify Ethical. I also really rate Triodos as a great sustainable investment platform. Iโve heard really good things about NEST too, but I donโt have any personal experience. Just FYI, none of this is advice. You have to make your own decisions for yourself. ๐
Long live effortless sustainability ๐ฆฅ
Once youโve done these five sustainable switchesโฆ Sit back and wait for your good karma to explode through the roof. You may want to buy a lottery ticket because the universe will love you so much it hurts. โคโค
If you have any easy and affordable sustainable switches, please do let me know or leave a note in the comments! ๐๐
