5 Products to Help You Achieve Your Sustainability Goals This Year
With the dust still settling on what was a roller coaster of a year and a dramatic start to 2021, it’s time to look forward to what the rest of this year will bring. As the year changes, many of us will be looking to make our own personal change - whether that’s to get fit, healthy or perhaps you’re looking to live a more sustainable lifestyle.
If you’re of the latter, you should definitely keep reading!
If you’re looking to make a sustainable change, it can sometimes be tough to figure out where to start. In general, choosing sustainable products is usually a good place to start.
With that being said, we’ve put together a handy little guide to 5 products which will help your sustainability goals for this year.
Bamboo Toothbrushes
One of the key issues we’re likely to face this year is the destruction that plastic is having on our environment and marine life in particular.
With most toothbrushes being made from plastic and dentists recommending you change your brush every 3 months, that’s potentially 264 million large pieces of plastic being thrown away in the UK every year.
Besides the waste, the plastic is created using fossil fuels and natural gases which in turn pollute the atmosphere.
Switching to bamboo toothbrushes might be the best swap you can make this year. Not only is bamboo sustainably grown (and rapidly grown too) but it also has the ability to be composted after use.
Dog Leads
With 8.5 million dogs in the UK requiring their daily walks, there’s an awful lot of dog leads being produced in response.
The issue present here is the materials used to make certain dog lead types, especially leather. It’s estimated that 1 billion animals are slaughtered to create leather every year and that’s just the start of the problem. Leather is synonymous with water pollution which is toxic to local environments and the people who rely on the water to survive.
Fortunately there are alternatives. Using recycled climbing rope dog leads means that no new materials are used to make the leads - they are simply repurposed. This circular life is the best way we can combat climate change moving forward.
Yoga Mats
2020 was a crazy year but perhaps one of the biggest positives to come from it was the introduction to exercise to people’s lives. It’s estimated that over 75% of people in the UK took up a new form of exercise during lockdown.
Yoga was an obvious choice for many staying at home and so it proved, as yoga was one of the most popular new exercise regimes Brits chose to start.
Whilst some might have opted for eco-friendly yoga mats, the majority of yoga mats are still made from PVC.
What’s PVC? According to Greenpeace:
“PVC is the most environmentally damaging plastic. The PVC lifecycle -- its production, use, and disposal results in the release of toxic, chlorine-based chemicals. These toxins are building up in the water, air and food chain.”
If you’re thinking about investing in a yoga mat in 2021, try a company like Form who offset the carbon emissions associated with their mats and even have a positive impact on the climate.
Travel Mugs
The government reported in an audit in 2018 that an unbelievable 2.5 billion coffee cups are used and thrown away every year in the UK. The consequences of this are dire.
A House of Commons audit estimated that as a result of coffee cup disposal, landfill sites will produce an additional 152,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide as they (slowly) break down. This is the equivalent of having an additional 33,000 cars on the road every year.
By investing in a reusable travel mug, you could personally save up to 100 disposable cups going to landfill every year.
Coconut Bowls
The ceramics industry is one where energy usage is extremely high. It’s estimated that of all the costs associated with the industry, 30% can be attributed to energy.
It’s so bad that the UK government published a 53 page roadmap to combat some of the issues associated with the industry.
As a consumer there are some alternative options out there. Coconut bowls specifically are a good choice when it comes to replacing ceramic bowls.
Coconut bowls are made from discarded coconut shells which otherwise would’ve gone to waste and again subscribe to a circular economy model. Add on top the job creation this provides in poor parts of the world and they become both an environmental and ethical choice.
Whilst this is just a small number of changes you can make in 2021 (there are so many great eco-friendly products available currently) we tried to include some products in unexpected areas.
Hopefully you can take something from this and move forward confidently with your sustainable goals for the rest of the year.
Andrew is the founder of eco-friendly company goBambu who aim to provide practical and sustainable alternatives to polluting products. When not at his desk you can find him braving the British elements on his bike or sipping on a fresh coffee.
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