Planning an ethical 20s - or trying to...

[EnterFunnyNameHere]

Hi, just looking for inspiration for ethical/green resolutions to take into the new year. I am firstly trying to cut down on plastic in my food shop by a) going back to supermarkets not Ocado (where everything is prepackaged!) and b) just being more critical - if something doesn't have a "single use plastic"-free option do I really need it, could I swap it etc.

Would love to hear other ideas too! TIA

I want to start looking at company practices before I buy. I've subscribed to Ethical Consumer which rates companies on a range of issues. It looks like its rating system is far from perfect, but it gathers the available information into one place and gives you an idea of their policies and practices, When I can't find a company on there, I have decided I'm going to stop them a friendly email each time to ask for eg their modern slavery policy (which I think is a legal requirement now?) just to reinforce that consumers do care about ethical and environmental practices. First email sent today. It is sure going to make shopping a lot harder (I'm looking for a new DAB radio and it would be much easier to just buy the prettiest one, However reading about forced labour in China and realising that forced labour in the cotton industry eg Uzbekistan has been a huge longstanding issue makes it hard to just walk on by,

Well this is an interesting thread.

I've been trying to buy things loose - this has been known to wind up the cashiers at the supermarket though. i haven't yet bought produce bags but must really.

we have so many good local farm shops and honesty boxes here - so need to start using them. local fishermen have set up a facebook group (locations alternative fish market) so they go out, they fish, and then whilst out if they can they pop on the group what they have and where they'll be. so people can just go and get it fresh.

i'm trying hard to use up what i have before buying new. so no new clothes for me unless i really need it. and it has to be need. and even then will focus on ebay first (am trying to save a bit of cash).

i did have an eco egg for laundry, but it never seemed to get things properly clean. so have switched back to normal detergent. but am holding off doing laundry unless i have a full load. same with dishwasher. it has to be a full load.

showers are at a cooler temperature and are shorter than they were. i turn off the tap when cleaning teeth (although getting the dc to do this is hard work).

dry clothes outside where possible.

i buy my shampoo in huge bottles - currently have around a litre of shampoo and conditioner in the bathroom. so buy less plastic.

For imminent parents, a fun and eco birth plan decision is to keep hold of their baby's placenta and plant a tree with it. There are so many trees to choose from, and the tree will forever be theirs. Almost all human placentas in the UK are treated as clinical waste and incinerated (more CO2 emissions). Avoiding clinical waste for placentas would significantly reduce the carbon footprint of birth. We planted ours (after a spell in the freezer while we summoned the energy to garden), with hazel trees for both boys and they grew really well.
This is normal practice in many cultures around the world, but doesn't seem to be common in the UK. Would you consider doing this for your next pregnancy? Or suggest it to a friend that's expecting?