Looking after the Environment as a Family

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In recent years, it has been difficult to go too far without hearing how our modern lifestyle is having negative effects on the world we live in. 

Not to mention how the choices that we, and generations before, will impact the future generations ahead of us. 

Another concerning factor is that with the outbreak of COVID-19, many of the efforts being made to help alleviate some of these issues are gradually being undone. The need to disinfect everything around us with wipes, wearing single use masks and maybe even disposable gloves to do the grocery shopping--all of which are adding to the problem of generating an awful lot of litter that goes to landfill or interferes with animals in their natural habitats. 

As parents, it is our responsibility to instil values in our children, such as being kind and considerate to others--and that expands to how they treat the world around them. From making some investments that will make a huge difference to what we end up throwing away to being conscious about the amount of water you use-here are some of the small things that you and your family can do to make a difference to the world we live in. 

Pack Your Bags 

Yes- since the supermarkets brought in the charge for single use grocery bags, we all swore that we’d use and reuse them again. We have been great at this but there have been a couple of times I have completely forgotten to pack enough!

When you realise that single use grocery bags often end up getting thrown out and end up in landfill, you might think twice to try to remember them. 

If not correctly disposed of,  these bags can harm animals who mistake them for food. These types of bags often take a long time to decompose, too.

Reusable bags are useful for other things as well as carrying the food shop in- such as carrying books or delivering food. Buy some reusable bags to keep in the back of your car or in your bag to tide you over in case you end up in an unexpected grocery shop-- because that happens sometimes. 

This one task will prevent tons of plastic causing unnecessary environmental damage. 

Go Cruelty Free

It’s worth remembering that some cosmetics are damaging to the environment due to their extensive animal testing. Thankfully, there are a huge amount of beauty products on the market that are labelled vegan, which not only means that they’re not tested on animals, but that they contain no nasty ingredients that come from animals. 

Plant based products are more natural and compatible with the skin, which is beneficial to most people, especially those who suffer with sensitive skin. Naturally derived ingredients are less likely to cause allergic reactions than those which are pumped full of factory made chemicals.  

It’s worth looking into how much plastic is produced for our products, too. While it is almost impossible to be able to eliminate the use of plastic when it comes to our beauty products, we can make a conscious effort to buy larger tubs and pans of things instead of lots of little ones, for example. 

That way you’ll likely get more product for your money, too! 

Use Water More Consciously 

It is incredibly important to use water more consciously. We’re lucky enough to live in a world where we have it at several points within our homes, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be considerate of how much we use it. 

This means limiting baths and taking showers instead without leaving the water running too long before getting in. Turn off the tap  when brushing your teeth, and be mindful when washing dishes. Since water isn’t free, the more water you can realistically save, the better off you’ll be financially as your bills are likely to decrease, too! 

Think What You Drink

Buying coffee while out and about can be a massive contributor to the waste we produce every year. Thankfully with the use of reusable travel mugs you can have your hot drink of choice on the go without having to step into a coffee shop. 

Refillable bottles and cups are great for the kids, too. It means you get to help control how much sugar they’re drinking in place of the plastic premade drinks they usually enjoy drinking. 

There’s no planet-B, so it’s important to do what you can to take care of the one we have.