5 ways I’m living sustainably

In my last post, I mentioned that one of my goals for 2019 was to live a more sustainable, less purchase-driven lifestyle. I have become a lot more aware of the environmental impact of my decisions over the last year, with #zerowaste and vegan living becoming more well-known.

Since I know there are a lot of people who want to make positive changes this year, I thought I’d share the small changes I’ve been making to become more sustainable:

 

Cycling to work

This has been one of the biggest changes I’ve made – although in fairness, it was only by necessity. The transport links to my current job aren’t the best, and so it’s a choice between 90 crawling along on a bus, or a quick 30 minute cycle. At first I hated cycling in winter, on the stressful streets of Central London. But now I have a routine down, I love my commute, and it’s one of my favourite parts of the day. It’s also nice to know I’ve done something active before my day has even really begun.

 

Plus, look at the views! 

Using a reusable water bottle

I was recently gifted a Chilly’s water bottle for Christmas, and I’ve been using that every day so far. Also, I used to be a fiend for flavoured sparkling water, but eventually the guilt over all that plastic didn’t really seem worth it! So instead, I’m buying cordial from the supermarket and making my own – I know that this still isn’t a complete elimination of plastic, but it’s a significant reduction, which is a good thing in my book.

 

Using a KeepCup or making coffee at home

A while ago,  a load of sample promotional items got sent to my office – including some KeepCups! So now, whenever I’m out and about, I take my KeepCup with me. But the biggest change has been to have my own, home-brewed coffee in the morning before I leave the house and get on my bike. This is mainly because I need to be fully awake before I hit the streets of London; however it’s actually become a really nice, quiet moment for me in the morning, when I can just sit and contemplate the day ahead.

 

Eating a vegan diet 

I’ve been vegan for about two years now, and honestly it’s the best decision I’ve ever made in terms of sustainability. But hey, it’s not for everyone! If you can’t commit to going completely vegan – which isn’t for everyone – why not try going vegetarian for a month, or even just switching out your regular milk for oat milk? It’s the little changes that add up!

 

Embracing Make do and mend

I used to always be a throwaway person. If something broke, I would immediately discard it, and replace it with a new item. However, in the past few months I’ve started repairing my clothes; namely, my workout gear. For some reason I always end up splitting the inside seams of my favourite workout leggings (too much squatting? too much cake!?) and I refuse to give them up. So recently, I went out and bought myself a miniature sewing kit at Poundland, and sat and fixed them. It’s one of those things that I never thought of doing before, but it’s easier than you think, and it just takes a minute!

 

 

So, what are your tips for sustainable living? I’d love to hear them in the comments! 

Lots of love,

 

Pippa