8 ways to be more sustainable in 2022...

New year, new ways in which you can live a more sustainable life this year...

As we emerge out of our food comas from the festive period and our bum imprint from the sofa is a distant memory, as we greet 2022 with a pinch of excitment but trepidation (COVID I'm looking at you babes x) there are heaps of 'new years resolutions' cirrulating. Lets not focus on the classic ''I'll go to the gym 5 times a week'' or ''I'm going to lose weight'' Stop. No, no. I promise you don't need to be doing that. But hey, if you wanna, you do you boo I'm not here to tell you how to live your life but there are slightly better ways in which you can help yourself and our planet this year.

I have some inspo to share with you, a little bit of wisdom let's call it. There are SO many changes you can make to your life so that you can be a little more sustainable. Big changes or small changes, change is change and rumour has it nobody likes it but I'm here to tell you, you're gonna love it! 

1. Shop small...

Smaller business tend to have smaller carbon footprint than larger companies, not only that but we do tend to care about the environment a little bit more and we are often trying to come up with ways to be more sustainable as a business. We're always discussing new ways in office how we can do better. We're real people, tackling real problems! 

A lot of small businesses have the key value of taking care of our planet. We're getting involved in the discussion and planning new ways in which we can be as eco-friendly as possible. And psst, by shopping small you are massively decreasing your carbon own footprint. 

2. Cruetly free products...

This one always seems like a no brainer for me. Cruetly free products are so easy to access and there are loads of brands that make their products without harming animals. From make-up, to bodycare to even cleaning products these products are made without harmful toxins, which in turn is not only better for the environment but your health. All in all it's just not necessary to test on animals, there are loads of ingreidents out there that are already safe to use! It's the development of '"new" ingredients that is causing the problems. Just be aware and have it on your radar when your buying a new mascara. 

3. Subscriptions services...

You might even surprise yourself and find a subscription service for an eco friendly alternative that you didn't even know existed! There so many out there, with more and more new subscription services coming through. Cleaning products being the most popular and even toilet paper offering an eco friendly option (we even offer a subscription service for our plastic free wax melts). Fill your home with plastic free alternatives and never run out! With these services you might even find you could save some all important pennies! 

At Fosse we never want you to run out of your favourite wax melts or candles!  With our subscription serivce fill your home with our delicious smelling scents, as reguarly as you like, for just £5.99 a box and candles at £10.39. Our products are packaged in plastic free material and don't forget to reuse our beautiful candle jars, click here for some inspiration..

Start your subcription journey with us, by clicking here to shop and save 25%! 

4. Avoid single use plastics...

The easiest transformation to make this year is cutting out that single use plastic! I'd be shocked if you didnt already use a reusable takeaway cup for your hot drinks, where have you been?! I have about 6. Ditch the plastic this year and for the rest and use:

• Reuasble shopping bags
• Water bottles
• Metal razors
• Metal/Paper straws
• Beeswax sandwich wraps
• Make-up pads
• Menstural cup

The list is endless and I could go on. There so many reuseable alternatives out there. Plastic free products are coming in thick and fast in mainstream supermarkets making them more accesible to us and with their popularity increasing they'll be more and more options coming our way soon! 

5. Start composting...

This may be one for spring (anyone else counting down the days?!). By creating your own compost heap you're recycling your kitchen and garden waste and also limiting your waste that gets sent to landfill. Normally organic materials would break down and be released into the atmsophere as methane (not the one). 

It's great for the soil too, it enriches it by balancing the pH and soil density and it promotes heathier plant growth. It's a win for you, your garden and your planet! Your garden will be alive with beautiful flowers...what more you could you want?

While you're at it, you could even start planting your own veg! A great way to live a sustainable and healthier life, also a just a great wholesome activity to do on a Sunday afternoon. Good for the soul, good for the Earth. We love to see it. 

6. Maybe eat less meat, fish and dairy...

I must admit, this is a hard one for me too. I get it. But these industries are responsible for high amounts of greenhouse gases. Just reducing your intake can have a huge impact.

By creating meal plans or using delivery boxes with meal kits through different companies you can reduce your wastage and easily limit your meat intake with their help! 

7. Focus on ''Slow Fashion''...

If you're on a budget like myself there are plenty of ways to help fight against the ''fast fashion industry''. Second hand clothing platforms/apps, charity shops, carboot sales, swapping with friends, borrowing from friends, renting outfits for big events such as weddings is always a great to reduce your clothing waste and get the most out your clothing! 

We are all aware we own washing machines, don't worry about wearing the same thing over and over again, no one is going to judge you, I promise. Do you really need to buy that new dress for a one time event? 

It takes around 200 years for clothing to break down when thrown in landfill, especially when it's riddled with harmful toxins, so if you can make slight changes to how you source your clothes this year, it'll have a huge impact on the planet. 

8. Do your research...

A lot of companies love to greenwash, by using certain language to intise you in and make you feel like you're doing your bit (fashion industry does this best!). This is misleading, and a pretty rubbish thing to do. Get researching, look up reviews, different brands and compare them. Social media is a great way to educate yourself by following some forward thinking accounts, they can navigate you in the right direction when it comes to all things sustainable. Social media can be overwheming so just be mindful! 

I'm not saying its easy peasy lemon squeezy, because it can be difficult to live in an environmentally conscious world, especially when you have corporations, globalisation and governments against you. Take responsilibity, take action and do what you can. No change is too small...whether you decide to tackle all the points mentioned above or even just one. You've got this! Make your 2022 as sustainable as possible. 

Let us know how you live a more sustainable life and share your top tips with us! 

get in touch via instagram @fosseliving and use #sustainablefosseliving