Going green: top tips for doing less online shopping…helping our planet a whole lot more Bedford News

Last article by Angela Terry

Angela Terry, green activist and consumer expert, separates climate change fact from fiction and explains here how you can take simple, practical steps to help save the planet. Follow @ouronehome and visit https://onehome.org.uk/ for more advice.

Q: To save money and protect the planet, I want to buy fewer things. Do you have any advice?

A. Yes, a lot! In addition to reducing your expenses and reducing your carbon footprint, simplifying your life can be so liberating.

Most of us have too many things. Britons hoard more than £48billion in used items, with two-thirds of adults saying their homes are full of things they never use.

Here are my tips to curb your shopping habit and live better with less…

It helps to reconsider your state of mind. In our consumer culture, we have been taught that more is better. And yet, that is definitely not the case.

Once your basic needs are met, owning an ever-increasing number of things won’t make you happier. Indeed, it could actually make it harder to enjoy life, negatively affecting your brain function.

Using brain MRI, researchers at Princeton University have shown that disorganized and cluttered spaces drain our cognitive resources and reduce our ability to concentrate.

By focusing on what we really need, we can lead more purposeful and less stressful lives.

It helps to start thinking about when you tend to shop.

If you notice that a certain situation often leads to additional expenses, such as surfing the net after a busy day at work, with a glass of wine in hand, try changing your behavior.

Go visit a friend or take a walk with the dog instead.

Above all, have a period of reflection. If you wait until the next day to hit buy, the impulse may be gone. Unsubscribe

If you are used to shopping online, you probably receive newsletters from retailers about all their new products and services.

Unsubscribe from all. A emptier inbox can feel liberating.

When you need to buy an item or two, write a list before you shop and stick to it. Watch out for items placed next to checkouts to encourage impulse purchases. Fight the urge to buy them.

If you need something, buying used is a great way to help the planet.

The Net is full of places where you can buy quality items.

You can also sell clutter in your home and raise funds. You can watch Preloved or Shpock.

For fashion items, try Oxfam, Depop or Vinted. For books, it is worth visiting World of Books.

If you’re looking to buy refurbished tech, Music Magpie is a great place for gaming consoles, smartphones, and computers that work like new.

Hollywood A-listers continue to invest in planet-friendly vegan businesses.

Oscar winner Nicole Kidman is one of the backers of herbal haircare brand Vegamour, which is coming to the UK.

In an effort to help protect the natural world, the brand sources ingredients through fair trade partnerships with women-owned businesses in Africa.

Meanwhile, in New York, Wolverine legend Hugh Jackman has opened a vegan cafe, selling his eco-friendly Fair Trade Laughing Man coffee along with sandwiches and baked goodies.

Swap your plastic toothbrush for a durable bamboo one.

If we follow dentists’ guidelines and buy a new toothbrush every three months, Brits get rid of 200 million every year.

You should know that each plastic takes 400 years to degrade and then leaves behind toxic microplastics.

As we face both the cost of living crisis and airport chaos, have you considered having a wonderful holiday here in the UK?

From the world-renowned wilderness of the Highlands to the azure seas off the Cornish coast, Britain has so much to offer: spectacular scenery, unspoilt beaches and bustling cities.

Here are some ideas that I hope will ignite your imagination…

If you love the idea of ​​being in the great outdoors but aren’t so enamored with the idea of ​​roughing it, you might want to consider glamping.

You can enjoy a bit of luxury by staying in a beautiful yurt or bell tent with gorgeous furnishings as well as plenty of space and privacy. You often have access to high-end facilities, like hot tubs and jacuzzis, in beautiful locations. Websites like Canopy & Stars, Glamping UK and Love Glamping offer a wide range of glamping holidays in the UK.

If you want majestic skylines, bustling nightlife, cobbled lanes, fine dining, world-class museums and galleries, historic landmarks, bustling markets and bustling waterfronts, why go abroad?

From London to Birmingham, Bristol, Belfast, Cardiff, Manchester, Liverpool, York, Newcastle or Edinburgh, our cities are among the best in the world.

Many of our coastal villages and towns have been gentrified and offer incredible quality food, experiences and accommodation. VisitBritain is a great source of inspiration.

If you are lucky enough to own your own property, you can temporarily swap your home with someone in another part of the country.

Home exchange is an extremely affordable way to vacation. Look online at Home Exchange, Home Link or Guardian Home Exchange.

If you want to travel and enjoy life on the road without maximizing your carbon footprint, you can rent an electric motorhome from We Are EV. Alternatively, Yorkshire-based eDub Trips offers the first classic 1970s motorhome to be electrically converted, meaning you can plug in and travel in cool vintage style.

One of the biggest green benefits of a British holiday is that you can avoid flying, the most environmentally destructive mode of transport.

Taking the train instead can reduce your emissions by up to 90%. If you accept the experience as part of the vacation, going overland can be joyful.

And you won’t have to worry about terrible airport queues, lost luggage, flight cancellations and delays!

You must clean each jar or can before recycling it. True!

Food or other residue can cause problems at recycling facilities. If contamination levels are too high, a load may even be rejected. It is best to rinse jars and cans well.