The Joy of Sustainable Living

Hello fellow readers!

This month I have some exciting products I wanted to shout out and share with you all, now not only are they affordable compared to most “zero waste” products we come by these days, but they are also easily accessible.

Now, if you are wondering how long I have been using these products, the answer to that is the last three years, potentially longer. Best of all they are simple small changes you too could make towards living in a more conscious friendly way, that is not just kind to our planet but kind to you!

So, without any further ado...

1. Eco Warrior: I use both the shampoo bar and body bar. I love this product because not only is it kind to our planet, but it is kind to my skin. When it comes to my skin, this is important given I suffer from eczema, and of course, like many products, it’s all trial and error when it comes to eczema-prone skin. I cannot speak highly of the Little Soap Company’s Eco Warrior Moisturising Hand and Body Bar – Coconut Blend, as well as the.

Eco Warrior Deeply Nourishing Shampoo Bar – Orange and Ginger Essential Oil. You can buy both bars from Amazon. I usually wait for them to go on discount at around £3.95 unless I am desperate, I will buy them for £4.50. P.S. You can also find this in your local Boots Pharmacy. Bear in mind that only the larger stores stock this, and most of the time their prices are not discounted.

2. Dishwashing sponges that are made from coconut husk and cellulose. You can buy these from Amazon or your local B&M store. These are fantastic because once they are worn you can stick them into your composting bin as they biodegrade.

3. Toothbrushes and Dental Floss are not only important to maintain good tooth and gum health. But did you know? The way you are probably going about maintaining that is potentially toxic to you and our environment. You see traditional toothbrushes are filled with plastic not just the brush itself, but also the bristles, and if you thought dental floss was better, then guess again. Dental floss is filled with plastic and coated in toxic chemicals. So, the solution is... buy bamboo brushes, which can be compostable. Unfortunately, I have yet to come across a brand that uses cellulose or another kind of natural fibre for the bristles however, you can still get brushes that are bamboo and made from BPA-free recyclable bristles.

When it comes to dental floss, I love the brand Better as their floss is made from silk and they use candelilla wax which is a natural wax derived from the candelilla shrub, making this a fully compostable and safe way to clean your teeth. I buy the floss and brushes from Amazon, however, there are other stores like B&M as well as Home Bargains that sell the brushes at an affordable price.

If you loved this blog, let me know in our comments section here or on our Instagram page, and if you want to know about more products, I use then show a ❤️ and I will write another blog on some more of my favourite sustainable products. Until next time!

Casey xxx

Act Responsible, Think Sustainable!

I recently stumbled upon something pretty unique and thought I needed to share this with the world! So here it is. Did you know? IKEA has an amazing initiative known as "Buyback and Resell", which suggests what you might think by the name, but let me elaborate.

So, let's say you have a piece of furniture that is not quite your vibe anymore, but it's in pretty good condition and it's an IKEA piece. You can legit take that piece of furniture and give it back to IKEA, who will then buy it from you, and they will resell the piece you had in one of their stores at a reduced price! Now, granted they don't buyback all items they sell however, the list of the things they do are a fair bit.

I love this initiative because it promotes a far more sustainable approach than binning anything you no longer want, as this ends up going into landfill. Did you know? according to London's projections, it is expected that their landfills will run out of capacity for London's waste by 2026 and that the largest waste created in the UK alone comes from construction, demolition, and excavation however, second is furniture waste that is both in perfect condition and or broken with the potential to be repaired. Not only is this waste created from a household perspective but almost equally from a business one too!

As I bring this blog to a close, I just want to say. Next time you want to throw a piece of furniture out, ask yourself: "Can this be fixed?" if yes keep it and repair it, or better yet give the business opportunity to someone who can. If not then, "Can this be repurposed or recycled?" most of the time, you will find you can do both! With this, I will say donate to schemes like IKEA or the British Heart Foundation, as well as many other charities. If not, then let responsible recycling be your final option. Until next time!

Casey xxx

Repurposed glassware, I.D.E.A.S

Earlier this month I shared how to clean your repurposed glassware, and now I will share some...

I – inspire, D – develop, E – educate, A – attitude, S – share. As you will read, I have found my meaning to this word.

Last blog I hoped to inspire you all to repurpose your glassware. In this blog, I will tell you how you can take your repurposed glass and develop it into something more which will educate you on this topic, towards creating an exciting attitude to sustainable living and sharing this with others.

Since I love being in the kitchen cooking up a storm it only seems fitting that most of the glassware I repurpose is used for items in my kitchen. Personally, I love making cookies, muesli and so much more. I tend to use my repurposed glassware for storing all these homemade goodies. I also take some of these jars, bottles, etc, and use them for storing things like vinegar and baking soda for when I clean my home.

You can use these I.D.E.A.S too, or you could use them as a glass to drink from. Maybe you want to use them to store your pens on your desk, or you could use them to put some homemade brownies in and give this as a little gift to friends or family. The sky is the limit, let your imagination flow and you will quickly find so many uses for these pieces.

As promised, I do have a little surprise…, it is a recipe that I love, now you might be wondering why I love this recipe so much? Well, it's because not only is it simple to make, but it is crumbly and tastes amazing! Can you guess what it might be? Alright, I won’t keep you guessing anymore, it is...

Peanut butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup peanut butter (alternatives: sunflower, soy, or pea butter)

• 2 tbsp of maple syrup

Method

• Preheat your oven to 180° C.

• Lined baking trays are not needed, due to the natural oils in the butter.

• Stir the ingredients, you will see it come together quite quickly.

• Take an ice cream scoop or two teaspoons and quenelle the batter onto the tray.

• Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes.

• Once baked, leave to cool.

Enjoy a nice cuppa with your lovely cookies and remember to share all your sustainable living I.D.E.A.S moments over at Joy of Sustainable. Hope you all loved this bonus bog, a new one will come in August. Regular posting will still be happening, so check out my Instagram page, until next time!

Casey xxx