My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Discover eco friendly brands and sustainable fashion on our Ethical Living forum.

Ethical living

Save the planet!!! What small steps have you taken today?

720 replies

Mrscog · 27/11/2017 14:46

Following on from a thread where we were all discussing how we wanted to reduce our impact on the earth I thought I would start this thread for us to share ideas/motivation etc.

This is a non-judgmental thread and is about whatever steps you want to take to reduce consumption. None of us are perfect and we've all got to start somewhere.

My small steps today -

  1. Morning school run incorporated as part of DH's commute.
  2. Afternoon school run due to be done on foot.
  3. Didn't bother going to Aldi as to be honest I have enough food in to cobble some stuff together.
  4. Just used microfibre cloth with water to wipe down kitchen rather than dousing with chemicals (hadn't chopped any raw meat etc so no need to be too clean).
OP posts:
Mrscog · 27/11/2017 14:47
  1. Just turned off an ipad which was playing to itself.
OP posts:
User5trillion · 27/11/2017 14:59

Sat here freezing but heating isnt on! I have also dug out kids gillets as I have been a bit lazy and got into the habit of switching the heating on instead of just putting on a jumper! Doh.

LinzerTorte · 27/11/2017 15:54

Great idea for a thread. My small steps so far today:

  1. Cycled to Aldi
  2. Didn't buy tomatoes or cucumber as both were from Spain (and cucumber was shrink wrapped)
  3. Took DD to her piano lesson by bike (I almost always drive her)


I failed to have a car-free day, however, as DS missed the bus after school so phoned to ask me to pick him up. He could really have waited half an hour for the next bus, I suppose; I'll need to be stricter in future.

Currently looking for a bigger reusable water bottle than the one DS has at the moment; he needed one for a football tournament a few weeks ago and DH bought a big plastic bottle, which really annoyed me! He has a 500 ml Glogg for school, which is really good quality and more affordable than some of the other brands, but I think the company has closed down so I'll probably go for a Klean Kanteen one.
Oddish · 27/11/2017 15:57

I didn’t put the sweet potatoes in a separate plastic bag when buying them just left them loose. And pondered the biodegradability of dental floss and what the alternative could be 🤔 any ideas anyone?

Mrscog · 27/11/2017 16:14

Hmm I don't know Oddish, but I do know that questions have been raised about the efficacy of flossing, - www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-36962667

So maybe you could just cut down on flossing? Every other day - reduces amount by 50%!

OP posts:
Mrscog · 27/11/2017 16:17

user5trillion yes I wore my coat for an hour in the house. I always like holding off on heating as long as possible!

The good thing about all this planet saving is it is also quite money saving!

OP posts:
picklemepopcorn · 27/11/2017 16:26

I can't identify anything today that is new... I'm trying not to go to Aldi and buy a face cream, because it has plastic tube. Does that count? I don't know how long I'll hold out. I'm not buying plastic packaged cosmetics or wash stuff any more. I'm using up what I have.
I'm electric car in the week, and petrol on long journeys a couple of times a month.

Ooh, I know! I've just done the second half of a Mumsnet chicken for tea, and saved the bones for stock.

magpiemischief · 27/11/2017 16:26

Didn't do any cleaning or use any cleaning products apart from washing up liquid.
Read books for a lot of the day, tv & radio off.
Heating set to 16 for a lot of the day. Later turned up to 18. Used a blanket firstly when cold.
Washing being dried on airier / in airing cupboard.

magpiemischief · 27/11/2017 16:29

Sorry these things aren't new.

Just started reading my tree book and starting to feel sorry for lonely trees deprived of their same species communities. Not exactly sure what to do with the info. Cannot fit many more trees, sensibly, into our garden.

picklemepopcorn · 27/11/2017 16:32

My ethical toilet paper and bamboo toothbrushes arrived this week. And I didn't do any cleaning but I'm not convinced I can claim that's ethical living not laziness...

Mrscog · 27/11/2017 16:32

You know what, I don’t think our things need to be ‘new’, I’m just hoping we can spread the enthusiasm for small steps!

OP posts:
Mrscog · 27/11/2017 16:34

If laziness has ecological benefits picklemepopcorn then it’s a win as far as I’m concerned!

OP posts:
User5trillion · 27/11/2017 16:43

I also bought a new work top and a coat for my mum at the charity shop. Gave some of my sons too small clothes away. I did some batch cooking and did 2 meals in the oven -could have used the hob but oven was on.

I already selectively wash clothes as hubby just chucks everything in the wash basket. I think we live fairly consciously if you dont count all the car driving and meat eating 😕 but we are going veggie 2 days a week and using a lot less meat. It takes 28000 litres of water to make a beef burger😱

The single use plastic is tricky but I have switched to bars of soap, boxes of washing powder. I am fairly frugal (tight). I tend to eat seasonally and once had a conversation with my 4 year old about why she couldn't have blueberries as they came from Peru - whilst other people eye rolled at my performance parenting 😂 she them pointed at a massive pack of walkers and asked if they were made in our country, I said I wasnt sure - clever little rug rat pointed out the G.B flag on the front, haha, it was still a no mind! But bonus points for trying.

There is lots of stuff I cant do anything about but trying to improve all the time.

picklemepopcorn · 27/11/2017 17:17

I'm all for the easy wins. I've been buy8ng more locally ethically produced meat. I'm meeting resistance from the family when I cut down our consumption!

I've had success converting my eldest to eco balls in the washer. No more washing detergent.

But I weakened and bought zoflora when I meant to just use eco cloths...

LunchBoxPolice · 27/11/2017 17:28

I bought a reusable cup from Starbucks today. I have decided that I will only have coffee to take away if I have this with me. I didn't realise until I read on the other thread that you can't recycle takeaway cups, I have always put them out with my recycling. Blush
Ds likes to use a straw so I am going to replace the plastic ones with something reusable.

Mrscog · 27/11/2017 17:32

lunchboxpolice YY I invested in a reusable cup recently too - I really like it - and the 10p off I get in the staff canteen when I use it!

OP posts:
Uumellmahaye · 27/11/2017 17:32

I started buying bars of waitrose glycerine (vegatarian) soap instead of plastic bottles of handwash and shower gel
I've started using method cleaning products (no bleach or disinfectant in sight)

LunchBoxPolice · 27/11/2017 18:08

25p off per coffee in Starbucks Smile it is expensive anyway, but coffee is my vice.

SuffolkBumkin · 27/11/2017 18:11

Didn't eat meat or dairy, no blood on my hands!

picklemepopcorn · 27/11/2017 18:17

I failed to make handwash out of bar soap...

Polyanthus · 27/11/2017 18:18

Ooh! I like this thread! Directly inspired by the previous thread, I cut up two of my son's old t shirts for cleaning rags today. They were too stained/bobbly to be handed down or charity shopped.

I'm very much baby steps with cleaning products. In the kitchen I use microfibres cloths plus either method sprays or an old spray bottle refilled with water plus a capful of concentrated cleaner. But in the bathrooms and sometimes for e.g. Window sills or skirting boards I usually use paper towels (again with similar sprays)I think I will stick to paper towels for the loos (after all this is baby steps and it's a little better than cleaning wipes) but I will now use t shirt cloths for the bath & basins etc.

I am interested in the people who have moved to soap and think that might be next on my list. Though am slightly put off by memories of soap scum round basins and bars going sticky in a puddle of water in soap dishes - tell me it's not like that any more

Kursk · 27/11/2017 18:20

Picked up a roadkill deer this weekend, our second this month. That has given us a years worth of meat in the freezer.

To heat the house we only use wood. We cut our own trees from our land.

Newsletters you might like

Discover Exclusive Savings!

Sign up to our Money Saver newsletter now and receive exclusive deals and hot tips on where to find the biggest online bargains, tailored just for Mumsnetters.

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Parent-Approved Gems Await!

Subscribe to our weekly Swears By newsletter and receive handpicked recommendations for parents, by parents, every Sunday.

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

magpiemischief · 27/11/2017 18:29

Oh and we are still getting some solar energy from the British winter sun. We have a hybrid car which mainly is run on electric. Hardly use any petrol.

magpiemischief · 27/11/2017 18:33

To heat the house we only use wood. We cut our own trees from our land.

I find cutting wood a difficult concept to reconcile [sad[ because I'm reading this at the moment:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hidden-Life-Trees-International-Communicate/dp/0008218439/ref=sr11_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511807489&sr=1-1&keywords=the+hidden+life+of+trees

And have read quite a few other books which show the same findings. Trees are just too amazing to cut willy nilly.

Biffybiffster · 27/11/2017 18:38

Today a friend and I car shared to take the dc to a party and I refused to buy dd a slushy so no plastic cup disposed of (and £2.50 savedGrin)

Tomorrow dd1 and I will be out all day but we shall take lunch with us and I will take a coffee with me

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.