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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

What are your Eco sins?

100 replies

Andthenthereweresome · 24/07/2026 22:03

OK. What are your eco sins?
I’ll start

I use way too much cling film and kitchen roll. In my defence, your honour, I rarely fly and I drive a hybrid 😀
Oh and I grow my own veggies

OP posts:
Iocanepowder · Yesterday 22:57

Tumble dryer and aircon.

Plastic fake lawn

Don’t recycle a lot of tins or plastic as I don’t like wasting water to rinse them out.

BUT i don’t own a hosepipe.

Wednesday505 · Yesterday 23:18

I don't recycle food waste

TheOtherSide21 · Yesterday 23:18

I drive a muckle dirty diesel and I need it to tow the horse about. I will never, ever go electric they are the biggest con of all.

And hairspray. I have big, bouncy, blonde Texas style hair a lot of the time and I won’t compromise on it.

To balance:

  • Will never have kids
  • Have been on two holidays since 2015
  • VERY pro field to fork - I know where all my meat comes from, I literally watch most of it growing up in the fields around me. I can also catch, cull & dress some animals for consumption.
  • I buy good clothes and buy them to last. I am still wearing stuff I bought in 2007! I avoid fast fashion like the plague.
  • I wear natural fabrics. Wools, leather, and shock horror stuff that uses secondary fur / animal pelts.
  • I walk places. A lot.
  • I’m careful with water / heat / electricity consumption.
  • I avoid AI like the plague. Blanket refusal to use it- to the point there’s been some interesting conversations with my leadership as they expect us to rely / utilise it and ethically I will not.
  • Do a lot to support / encourage wildlife on my land. But also, I am for proactive wildlife management where appropriate.
  • Don’t use the likes of Deliveroo or JustEat.
  • Shop locally and avoid supermarkets where possible.

I’m not perfect but you know if the modern world died tomorrow, I reckon I’d survive just fine. As long as there were no zombies 😂

HoppityBun · Yesterday 23:30

Kitchen roll, despite the fact that I’ve bought kitchen cloths.

MissisBee · Yesterday 23:34

I tumble dry everything except for the few good drying days in summer.
I use chat gpt a lot.
We have 2 cars - 1 petrol and one electric. I'm not convinced electric cars are better overall but it's so much nicer to drive!
Our house is full of plastic tat from the kids that I just want to go round and collect in a bin bag.

We are good at the recycling and have our own compost. Our old house had a water butt that we used for watering the garden. Haven't got round to getting one here.
I used reusable nappies for 1 of my children and use reusable period products.
We eat very little meat.
We don't fly very often, max once a year and no further than Western Europe.

CluelessAboutBiology · Yesterday 23:53

I don’t use my food waste bin, I put leftover food in black bin…..and I work in the waste industry so it’s a cardinal sin

TwoBagsOfCompost · Today 00:06

I fly short haul several times a year
In the summer, I water my garden twice a week using a hose and I’m not stingy with it (but not silly with it either)
I still eat meat (albeit not loads)
I shop from amazon a lot for DIY/gardening materials and cat accessories

OTOH
I don’t have children
I don’t drive
I have never used ChatGPT etc and I’ve turned off any AI feature that I am able to
I am extremely careful with water consumption
I don’t consume cow milk
To the best of my knowledge and ability, I recycle everything correctly
I buy second hand and I donate unwanted things
Underconsumption is my middle name

Baileyss · Today 00:21

I water my garden with a hosepipe in full view of all neighbours. Apart from that, I am doing ok.

MrsPapillon · Today 01:11

I use kitchen wipes.
I run the dishwasher twice a day
I use the tumble dryer all year round
I water my garden with a hose (though only on my veggies)

I never fly
I have solar panels
I recycle everything and get excited by a “good box” that I can reuse
Don’t use AI
Never use Temu/Shein
I grow my own veg and make my own compost
Careful about purchases and use everything until it’s worn out

EveryNowAndZen · Today 02:00

Eat meat, fish or eggs every other day.
Have 2 DC.
Drive.

OTOH:
Don't fly.
Buy 95% of everything we own second hand -technology, clothing, homeware, appliances, furniture, tools etc.
Take the whole recycle, reduce, reuse etc pretty seriously.
Water the garden with saved grey-water.
Grow a lot of our own food.

I don't get the "...and I'm not even sorry!" comments. If I do something which I know is an eco-dick move, I really do feel regret and try to promise myself not to do whatever it is again.

cariadlet · Today 05:07

I fly.
I've cut down a lot (used to fly every school holiday) but still fly long haul twice a year which I know is really bad for the climate.

My other bad thing is single use plastic. We eat a lot of fruit and the supermarket only sells fruit like grapes and berries in plastic punnets rather than being able to buy them loose.
I wish they would at least move to card punnets like they have for mushrooms.

On the plus side (don't know if it's enough to make up for the flying):

I don't have a car
No tumble drier
Don't wash clothes that have only been worn once (unless actually dirty or sweaty)
Don't leave lights on
Rarely switch the heating on
Most of my clothes are 2nd hand
Only have one dc
Recycle
Vegan so any food waste (very little - mainly teabags and peelings) goes on the compost heap
Water bills say our water usage is below average (we shower daily so I guess that's down to use of the washing machine)
Don't buy bottled water
Use a reusable coffee mug for takeaway coffee

cariadlet · Today 05:19

cariadlet · Today 05:07

I fly.
I've cut down a lot (used to fly every school holiday) but still fly long haul twice a year which I know is really bad for the climate.

My other bad thing is single use plastic. We eat a lot of fruit and the supermarket only sells fruit like grapes and berries in plastic punnets rather than being able to buy them loose.
I wish they would at least move to card punnets like they have for mushrooms.

On the plus side (don't know if it's enough to make up for the flying):

I don't have a car
No tumble drier
Don't wash clothes that have only been worn once (unless actually dirty or sweaty)
Don't leave lights on
Rarely switch the heating on
Most of my clothes are 2nd hand
Only have one dc
Recycle
Vegan so any food waste (very little - mainly teabags and peelings) goes on the compost heap
Water bills say our water usage is below average (we shower daily so I guess that's down to use of the washing machine)
Don't buy bottled water
Use a reusable coffee mug for takeaway coffee

Reading other comments reminded me of a couple more pluses which hopefully help to make up for the flying and single use plastic:

I wash towels and bedding on 40° but turn it down to 30° for everything else.

Used reusable nappies when dd was young
.
Donate to charity shops rather than throwing away usable things to go to landfill

LindorDoubleChoc · Today 11:04

Iocanepowder · Yesterday 22:57

Tumble dryer and aircon.

Plastic fake lawn

Don’t recycle a lot of tins or plastic as I don’t like wasting water to rinse them out.

BUT i don’t own a hosepipe.

You don't need a hosepipe for a plastic lawn.

FairUser · Today 11:52

Yerdug · 24/07/2026 22:31

Its really bad, so please dont be angry. Once the plastic/metal recycling bins are full, I shove and hide it all in the green garden waste under the grass cuttings.
I'm not even sorry.

You a flytipper too?

Oldraver · Today 12:51

We use the very cheap bags on a roll to cover food instead of cling film and technically you can recycle plastic now

I have had a whole range of silicon lids and they always pop off. I've had the trays with silicon lids that compress meats etc and broke on first go

beeble347 · Today 13:01

I would like 3 DC (have one and very early pregnancy with my second).

I waste food - under assessment for ADHD. I forget what's in the fridge/cupboard if it's not visible and also end up buying duplicate ingredients.

We use the dishwasher quite a bit.

Drive almost everywhere but in my defence...

... We have an EV

  • We live rurally, most places are not walkable and the bus service is shocking (only accessible by walking 20+ mins through some remote fields which I'm not confident doing alone with my toddler, especially in the darker months).
  • grow fruit and veg
  • volunteer with a climate action charity
  • have only bought secondhand clothes for myself and toddler for many years
  • don't own a tumble drier and try to wash as economically as we can
  • recycle very strictly, collect soft plastics to drop at the supermarket and even bring them home from work which has crap recycling facilities
  • have a water butt to save water for the garden
  • don't put the heating on in winter unless it feels absolutely necessary
  • avoiding flights, we did an overnight trip to Norfolk this year and that was lovely. If we go abroad again I'd like it to be by train
  • avoid banks with dodgy finance
Dontgetstuckinthepast · Today 13:05

Yerdug · 24/07/2026 22:31

Its really bad, so please dont be angry. Once the plastic/metal recycling bins are full, I shove and hide it all in the green garden waste under the grass cuttings.
I'm not even sorry.

Thats really bad. It messes up the garden waste for everyone else.
If you can't recycle it then chuck it in the actual bin.

My heating is on 24/7 over winter. In my defence I walk almost everywhere carry shopping etc.

beeble347 · Today 13:06

Oh and I do eat fish, dairy and eggs, but not meat since I was 6. Now coeliac so I can't see myself cutting more food groups tbh.

Ah yes, also bring a reusable coffee mug and a glass box out with me so no need for disposable ones.

Don't leave lights on or things plugged in unnecessarily.

I filled two pouffes with old unwanted clothes (especially anything with damage, stains etc) to avoid it going to landfill / a beach in Ghana/Cambodia.

corblimeymlud · Today 13:08

I use Amazon and Nespresso type pods.

notatinydancer · Today 13:09

Fly a lot
Drive a diesel.
Don’t use food waste bags. We can put ours in the green bin.

Recycle everything possible , don’t use tumble dryer. Donate lots to charity shops.
Don’t waste water, only one child.

vegemitesandwiches · Today 13:12

Drive everyday for work.
Own multiple animals.
Leave lights on during the day.
Use a tumble dryer.
Replace stuff way before it actually needs replacing.
Forget to use reusable shopping bags.
Eat meat.

But on the flipside, I don't have children, haven't been on a plane in a decade and we recycle a lot.

RandomUsernameHere · Today 13:15

Sometimes sneak garden waste into the general waste bin.

BauhausOfEliott · Today 13:16

I would rather air-fry my own head than use any form of reusable sanitary protection.

I also fly load for leisure purposes, including very short flights.

I buy soft drinks in multipacks of individual cans rather than one large bottle.

On the flip side, I don’t drive, have no kids, have no pets, recycle, never waste food, almost never use clingfilm, never use disposable cloths, never use things like face wipes etc, buy second-hand as much as possible.

lazymaw · Today 13:18

fan at night most nights this summer, plane travel about once a year though sometimes longer between, always buy a new plastic carrier bag as i’m so forgetful, commute 45 mins by car 4-5 days a week. I only have one kid and do recycle a fair bit and only buy new if I can’t find something on vinted first, and don’t eat that much red meat. I know it won’t same me though.

sleepwouldbenice · Today 13:28

Yerdug · 24/07/2026 22:31

Its really bad, so please dont be angry. Once the plastic/metal recycling bins are full, I shove and hide it all in the green garden waste under the grass cuttings.
I'm not even sorry.

There's a reason everyone's commenting on this one. Its really shitty selfish behaviour
And saying dont be angry and you dont care arent compatable