Here are a few pointers in an affordable and easy direction to help you kick-start your ethical living! We’re bombarded by easy consumerism every day, but the effects that this has on our planet is rarely seen in mainstream media. A few of our favourite Instagram accounts help remind us of better choices and the statistics of mass waste… check out what we’ve discovered!
- Start with the Excess
Often, quite literally the smallest changes help make the biggest difference. Micro plastics are everywhere, and once you notice them, you can’t stop! Straws and cosmetic micro-beads being the most obvious type, but just noticing when plastic is used excessively and unnecessarily can really spark awareness.
For example, ordering online often entails products in individual plastic packaging, sealed in a plastic bag, maybe with plastic padding, in a non-disposable post bag or a cardboard box (at Unoa, we used eco-friendly post bags)! As efficient as this is, the amount of waste when you add up every online order is pretty overwhelming!
Online ethical sites and marketplaces are also an amazing alternative. With certified businesses that support the growth of an ethical economy, you know that the shipment will be eco-conscious too. In recycled material, biodegradable material, non-toxic packaging or simply reused plastic, it’s an innovative new way of shopping where you’re peace of mind can rest too!
Search online for ethical markets and independent business that can deliver your ethical alternatives straight to you. From bamboo dinnerware, organic clothing and vegan body glitter, it is amazing the options that are available, but you might just not have heard about them yet.
@blueoceanaction Instagram
“Every day approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our oceans” - sas.org.uk
2. Research, research, research…
It’s not just up to other people to educate us or tell us how to save the planet. On our ethical Unoa journey, we’ve endeavoured to immerse ourselves into every aspect of sustainable living we can find, and it’s surprisingly easy. More and more businesses and online presences are making amazing efforts to change our destructive lifestyle, and there are probably some nearer to you than you might think.
For more education, try searching snippets such as “plastic waste statistics”, “sustainable living”, “tips to cut plastic” etc. There are a multitude of governmental, activist and blogger sites that can help your motivation and understanding of the crisis to help massively reduce our annual waste turnover.
@lessplasticuk Instagram
“Scientists have recently discovered microplastics embedded deep in the Arctic ice” - sas.org.uk
3. Fighting the Seasons
New trends, the latest fad - it’s all very appealing and enticing, but the truth about fast fashion, as covered by Stacey Dooley in her recent documentary, is quite scary. Many popular fashion chains refuse to comment on their “workers’ rights and environmental sustainability” (BBC). With fast and over-stocked turnovers for each new season, not only are fast fashion retailers adding to the ever-increasing weight of excess waste and unsold goods, but man-made fibres in “polyester-type materials are adding to the problem of ocean plastic pollution” (BBC). Due to mixed-fibre materials, the recycling of these garments is near impossible because of complexities of the break-down process - resulting in 1% of clothing actually being able to be recycled into new pieces.
Like Unoa, thankfully there are plenty of established and start-up brands that sell transparent clothing: open about their working environment, material sources and material composition. This has become the Slow-Fashion Revolution!
Many people are often put off by the prices of organic and natural clothing, but the good news is, now that it is a growing industry, there are many options that match big clothing chains, as well as beating them at quality. Man-made fibres are infamous for their cheap and non-durable quality - organic cotton, bamboo and other harmless materials make for durable clothing.
While we’re on the topic, we are offering a 20% discount on all pieces at Unoa! With our new collection on the way, we are selling our final stock at even more tempting prices. Have a look on our online store and Instagram for sustainable active and leisurewear, in timeless designs, classic and bold colours and prints to make working out, or lounging around, a little bit more luxurious and planet friendly!
Written by Amy Curtis
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