A Sustainable Morning Routine

Sustainable living isn't always black and white. Many people assume that sustainability is mostly associated with recycling, fast fashion and transport pollution. However, there are many small aspects of a day-to-day routine that affect the planet and consumption levels which can often be swapped for something less detrimental to the planet. These small swaps can make a world of difference and are really easy and budget friendly so that everyone can support a more sustainable lifestyle, whilst helping to reduce planet consumption and waste associated with an unsustainable lifestyle, as well as being kind to your body and the planet.

Here is a short glimpse into some aspects of my everyday sustainable morning routine that I have swapped over the years to reduce my impact on the planet and be more sustainable;

my morning cup of tea.

- I tend to use loose leaf tea with a tea strainer or tea pot for my morning brew, which often tastes much nicer and helps reduce the use of teabags in my flat. Teabags are so small yet what many people don't realise is they often contain bleach, glue, or plastic to create the teabag and seal it shut. Not only is this not great for the body but it also affects its ability to biodegrade properly and can add to nano-plastics in our eco-system. As well as being extra delicious, this has been one of my easiest swaps to date with so many stores offering such a variety of black and herbal tea flavours and often in recyclable packaging too.

shower.

- For a while now I have been using shampoo and soap bars for my morning shower and cleansing routine. These can have amazing health benefits and properties for your skin and general wellbeing. My current bar features clay with a lemongrass scent, which I bought specifically for its effects on my skin. It is also a gentle exfoliator which is much better than using a regular skin exfoliator soap as this often includes microplastics! Shampoo bars are also much better for your hair as they last a long time and do not feature any harmful chemicals like silicone.

teeth brushing.

- I invested in a bamboo toothbrush a year ago as I tend to replace mine quite frequently and the plastics used to create toothbrushes are hard to recycle as they are often made using multiple types of plastic and nylon bristles. The brilliant thing about these toothbrushes are that they are more natural and biodegradable and last just as long as a regular toothbrush.

Before I go to university.

- just before I leave for uni, I tend to make a packed lunch to take with me, which saves me money and also prevents any unnecessary rubbish created by on-the-go meals such as Meal Deals or canteen sandwiches. I also feel much healthier and find it less time consuming as I can batch make meals which uses less ingredients. After this, I make another tea or coffee in a takeaway cup to take on my walk to uni. This again saves me money and also saves a single-use coffee cup being used unnecessarily. Millions of these are thrown in landfill everyday across the world, and I find it important to not add to this where I can, especially when the cups cannot biodegrade!

All of these minor but very important changes have made me feel more positive about my impact on the planet, as well as saving me money in the long term. Do you already use any of these sustainable products in your day-to-day life?