Alcohol can be great. If you drink responsibility that is. Here in the UK it is a huge part of our culture. From nights out, cocktail brunches to a casual pint down the pub, many people like a drink and I can understand why. Perhaps because it relieves us of our responsibilities, you cannot work if you have had a drink. Whatever it is, drinking can be a great experience if done safely. Yet there are so many different types of alcohol to consume and unfortunately they are not always eco-friendly. Meaning they could also be harming our planet. Well I think a recreational drink should also be sustainable and at the very least vegetarian (primarily vegan). Well I have been going through the tough task of trying a number of alcoholic drinks to be able to recommend them to you. So if you are looking for an eco-friendly drink after a long week, a toast for a celebration, an evening out or you just want to let loose, here are my favourite drinks to pick up:
Nc’Nean (pronounced: Nc Nee an) Organic Single Malt Whisky
I do not know much about whisky but I was incredibly excited to pick this up. This was the first eco-friendly, sustainable alcohol I ever bought. This is a single malt whiskey from Scotland, it is certified organic and what I find very unique is it is made in their verified carbon neutral distillery. This is one of the main reasons I picked it up. Single malts are usually considered premium over blended whiskey, as it is believed to have a more uniformed taste as it is from a single malt origin. It is a great tasting whisky that has won a number of awards, which I have enjoyed. I have recently moved to the Scottish Highlands and I often see it in the many dedicated whisky stores up here, so I think that shows it is a decent whisky. As usual the packaging is all recyclable and the bottle itself (which is stunning) is made from 100% recycled glass. To top this all off they are also a Certified B Corporation.
Sapling Vodka
Vodka is a famous spirit for shots but also as a mixer, whether that is tomato juice, cola, lemonade, tonic, orange juice, cranberry juice or whatever your current choice is. Therefore, this could be a great choice for you, especially if you are in the UK, as it is distilled in the UK using British wheat and it is also vegan and gluten free. To also further reduce any carbon impact they plant a tree with each bottle you buy, which as they state can absorb up to 1.5 tonnes of carbon in its life. This would make your new bottle of vodka carbon negative, as it only takes 2.5kg of carbon to produce, which obviously makes it very sustainable. You can also track the tree they plant for your bottle, so you can check up on how it is doing. Again the packaging is all recyclable or compostable with the inside made from mushroom cultures and agricultural matter helping you reduce your waste. They are also a certified B corporation.
Highland Boundary Birch & Elderflower Liqueur
I found this on a local market stall and found out it was being made so close to my new home I quickly picked it up. This drink is distilled in Scotland by the brand ‘Highland Boundary’ who makes ‘Wild & botanical Spirits’. On top of their botanical spirits they also provide some great cocktail recipes, so check out their website. I have always found that elderflower makes a nice cordial but I do not think I have ever seen it as a spirit, so I was excited to pick this up and see how it would taste. I can confirm it does taste great, it is very refreshing when you add it to some cold lemonade. Buying local is vital to reduce our carbon footprint and helps to give money to your local community, which helps create jobs for your friends, family and neighbours, improve public infrastructure and is an investment to the social and economics of your community. This is also seen environmentally as Highland Boundary plant trees at their distillery and help the local wildlife. Further than this they also farm sustainably only taking small amounts that would be browsed naturally, so that the plants stay healthy and there is plenty left for the wildlife. A great choice, especially if you are a Scottish Resident.
Beeble Honey Infused Whisky
Another great choice if you are living in the UK or understand how important bees are and how they help our wild plants and wildlife. This is because Beeble infuses honey with whisky to make this amazing tasting spirit. I should also mention they do not just do whiskey but also rum and vodka, so you can pick your preferred spirit. They also have a great set of values built on ; ‘Teamwork, Passion, Generosity and Tenacity” focusing on caring for the bees, reducing waste and giving back. Beeble are based in the Cotswold and is another Certified B Corporation, again meeting high social and environmental criteria, so are a great choice if you like honey and whisky.
Two Drifters Lightly Spiced Rum
Rum is probably mine and my partner's favourite drink and I am sure it is of many of you. Also, in the light of rum instead of eco-warrior I would rather go by eco-pirate, which this drink will make you feel like. This great company based in Devon provides a wide variety of rums including their signature rum, white rum, spiced rum and even a pineapple rum. Environmentally, I think they are great as they are not just carbon neutral but actually carbon negative. They proudly (rightly so) highlight the amount of CO2 avoided (170.32 Tonnes as of writing this) and CO2 removed (35.932 Tonnes as of writing this) in their operations. Again they have another great set of values including and importantly not harming the planet, avoiding CO2 emissions and to be socially responsible. Further to this, to me they are one of the most transparent companies I have seen, detailing much about their company, product and materials they use. This is vital for a sustainable and environmentally considerate future, so extra points to them.
In regards to my sustainable credentials I would say I am not a perfect eco individual, as it is very hard to be. Yet I believe you can begin to transition to a wide range of sustainable alternatives that if they are even a little bit better than the typical option it makes a great change. This also goes for the alcohol you drink. I thoroughly enjoyed trying these alcohols knowing I could do so consciously free made them even better. Now this should go without saying but drink sensible and make sure you are of the right legal age to drink where you are. I brought all of these drinks myself and none of the companies know I am even writing this and this is purely the drinks I liked the sound of and were green. I will admit when selecting these I primarily chose brands that are based in the UK, as this is where I live, so it helps me reduce my carbon impact. Therefore, I would recommend you look for some that are closer to your home to help lessen your carbon impact. Let me know what you think and if you would like to see another list of more eco-conscious drinks or have some suggestions for me to try.
Updated: Feb 14
There are so many little changes you can make in your house to help the environment or at least mitigate your negative impact on it. You might also be on a mission to go sustainable, eco-friendly and become a carer for the planet. Therefore, another great place to do this is in your kitchen. I have collated a list of some of the top alternatives you can make that will help you with this. Many of these focus on reducing waste, which often contributes to the ever growing mountain of rubbish. Well to help you go zero waste and to your greener future I have collated my top 10 changes that you can make in your kitchen to help you achieve this goal and live a more sustainable, green and eco-friendly life:
You might have seen these in some beautiful picturesque Instagram photos. Well there is a reason for this, as they do look great and can work brilliantly at helping you reduce your waste. These eco-friendly glass jars can come in a range of sizes and can be filled with a ton of different items but once you have them you can stop contributing to our growing waste from the often unnecessary packaging. You can do this by buying at your local eco-store where you can fill your new reusable container. They often have a high initial cost but can be used for many, many years. I always advise glass jars, as glass is easily recyclable and it means you do not contribute to plastic waste. Here are some suggestions of what you can use them for:
Spaghetti
Pasta
Rice
Flour
Dried fruits and mushrooms
Corn (for popcorn)
Sugar
Coffee
Nuts
Lentils
Pulses
Herbs and spices
Another zero waste item to add to your eco home is dish soap. If you are keen at getting rid of your plastic waste and to stop contributing to those pesky micro plastics, soap bars are the way forward. Luckily, there are plenty of companies producing these for all sorts of uses including dish soaps. I appreciate that some people find bars sometimes doesn’t quite cut it, so I believe it is worth mentioning you can always get a reusable bottle and refill it up at a local eco-store.
I have used these for years and think they work better than a normal sponge to clean your dishes. Natural loofahs, luffas, Egyptian cucumber or even its botanical name Luffa aegyptiaca, whatever name you use are part of a plant in the cucumber family. These are completely natural and can even be grown in your own home. You can pick them up at most places now, including your local eco-store and easily online. They do not need to be used to just clean your dishes, you can put them elsewhere to clean the house, in the bath, basically anything you may need to scrub.
I understand some people do not like to use a loofah sponge or might find it is not strong enough for the hard baked in food. Therefore, you need something a little stiffer to help scrub your plates, trays, dishes, pots and pans clean. Well luckily there are a number of options you can chose from. Many zero waste companies produce natural, plastic free and biodegradable scrubber, which often use wood handles and often using natural fibres (often from the coconut or the sisal plant).
I picked up a couple of these a while ago, one I use for a home fertiliser spray for my plants and another for cleaning. There is not much to say but many companies offer a glass spray bottle, which you can then use with an ever growing number of cleaning solutions. A quick search online and you can find some great eco-friendly recipes you can mix yourself to create a perfect solutions that can help you make your kitchen sparkle. Alternatively, I have seen small pods that you can chuck into the spray bottle and fill up with water to create a cleaning solution. Take some time, experiment and see what solution works for you and you can stop buying these often environmentally harmful chemicals and its copious amounts of plastic waste.
I use these all the time and they continue to be very useful. Whenever I have some food left over or some items I want to preserve I put them in a bowl and put one of these useful silicone lids on top. They come in a wide range of sizes, allowing them to be used for all sorts. This stops you using difficult to, incredibly frustrating, flimsy cling film to seal in your leftovers.
Similar to silicone lids you can get reusable bags, which again are often made from silicone. These reusable bags again help you reduce your waste by stopping you use plastic sandwich bags, Clingfilm or other harmful products. So pick up a reusable sandwich bags, just remember that you don’t have to use them just for sandwiches but can be for snack and I have even seen liquids that have been stored in them. You can also get them that can go in your freezer to store your left overs for longer.
A popular choice among the eco-conscious, bees wax wraps have been around for a long time and found their way into most supermarkets. These wraps are made from organic cotton infused with food-grade beeswax and organic jojoba oil and tree resin, which also can have antibacterial properties. Again these can be used similar to Clingfilm to wrap your sandwiches, rolls, cover bowls, wrap cut vegetables and more. I would say I find the larger ones the most useful, so try to get the biggest ones you can get. Again another great reusable alternative.
Going plastic free will greatly benefit the planet as well as your life. It is also great to find an eco-friendly alternative to an every day product like your dustpan and bush. Unfortunately, your dustpan and brush will often not last more than a few year but when typically being made out of plastic will be a scar on the earth for hundred of years. This is not to mention the microplastic a plastic duspan and brush will also cause and spread around your house. Therefore, I went on the mission to find a plastic free set, although it was hard I did find one (link below). I have now swapped to this wood handle with natural bristles and metal dustpan in a step toward my eco-friendly life.
Any Other containers:
It does not have to be glass but any bottle, container, you have, perhaps left over from your last food shop. They can then be used for anything you want such as pet food, cereal, soaps, essentially anything glass containers can be used for. This is obviously a lot cheaper and over time you can grow a collection and pick out the best containers for you and for what you want to pick up. As long as you reuse them and refill them up at your eco store and not contribute to the growing waste, you are doing your bit for the environment.
Bonus - Think Natural!:
When buying anything new always think of its entire life. Where did it come from and where will it go when you are finished with it. Pick items that are from renewable resources and that when disposed of will go back to the earth and not contribue to needless waste. On top of this is think abot the logevity of the item, always aim for anything you buy to last as long as it can. A great example that encompasses all this is the humble wooden chopping board, a much greater choice over these horrendous plastic ones you can get now.
There are tons of changes you can make throughout your house and I will be sure to make some other blog posts to detail them. However, here are my top eco kitchen swaps you can make to get you started. Although these are my recommendation, don’t let them stop you getting any other items that helps reduce your waste, the energy you use or any negative impact on the environment. There are many more things you can consider but if we can continue to move towards an environmentally friendly future by making little changes over time the world will be a better place for it.
Updated: Jul 18, 2023
‘Plastic free July’ has just finished but your eco-friendly sustainable habits don't have to. Although, plastic is a major issue it is important to know that it is not just plastic that wreaks havoc on our planet. Essentially, anything you use can become waste and therefore you should look for long-term alternatives that can be reused or is biodegradable. The effects that waste and plastic have on the world is devastating, it ruins the environment and leads to many innocent animals death. If you have decided you want to prevent this and start your zero waste journey, I applaud you and want to help you achieve this. Here, I decided to make a list on my opinion of the first items you should pick up to achieve this goal. All the prices are from Amazon at the time of writing this article but prices can vary and there can be other cheaper options. Here are 10 of the top first zero waste items that I recommend:
Beeswax wraps:
These have been designed to replace cling film, which is the thin sheet of plastic that is used to wrap up fresh food. Instead, you can use beeswax wraps, which is made from organic cotton and beeswax that can be compostable at the end of its life. They last for about a year and can be used to cover and wrap your rolls, sandwiches, cut fruit and more to keep your food fresh for longer.
Pack of 3: £18
Reusable bag:
These are great, especially now that many counties have included a bag tax for each one you take. Bags are toxic for the environment and lead to the suffocation of many animals and therefore should be avoided at all costs. Pick up a number of bags from a general tote bag to a thermal one to keep your frozen food cold until you get home. Additionally, you can avoid being caught out by getting a pocket bag that can fold up to a small size, whilst not in use.
Pocket bag (Pack of 3): £7
Reusable bottle & Cups:
Plastic bottles, plastic lined single use coffee cups and straws all use plastic that takes hundreds of years to biodegrade (essentially, they are not biodegradable) and harm the wildlife. Look for eco-friendly, sustainable alternatives that can be used repeatedly. Get one that is made from recycled material and one that can also be recycled at the end of its life. Bonus: Additionally, look for some reusable straws to further reduce your beverage waste.
Reusable Bottle: £8
Reusable Coffee Cup: £11
Reusable Straws (Pack of 4): £3
Safety Razor:
Razor can be incredibly wasteful without people realizing it. The heads that are often quickly replaced have plastic, which leads to the plastic issue we have today. A great alternative is going back in time a little bit to use a safety razor. The only waste is the single blades, which can be recycled (However, check with your local authority first). Additionally, make sure to get a package free shaving soap and shaving brush to apply it to further prevent needless waste.
Safety Razor Kit: £23
Washing up:
Usually, a washing up sponge, cloth or scourer is made from plastic mesh that again is not good. However, there are organic alternatives that clean your dishes just as well, can be machine washed and are biodegradable at the end of their life. Two key items to pick up are an organic loofah sponge and coconut fibre brushes / scrubs. Both are organic, biodegradable and get the job done.
Loofa sponge (Pack of 6): £9
Coconut fibre Brush: £2.50
Bamboo Toothbrush:
Another daily plastic item that often ends up floating in our ocean is our toothbrushes. A great alternative that can be sustainably sourced and is completely biodegradable, which is a bamboo toothbrush. Bonus: Also look at getting eco-friendly biodegradable dental floss and a glass container to hold it in.
Pack of 5: £8
Single dental floss: £5.90
Lunch Tin:
To go along with your bees wax wraps get a reusable lunchbox. I have seen a variety of reusable lunch holding utensils. They can be made from reusable paper bag, steel tins to a simple fabric bag. All do the job great but try to avoid plastic to be even greener.
Stainless Steel tin: £20
Bars of Soap / Shampoo:
Bottled shampoo, conditioners and shower gels all lead to plastic waste at the end of their life. However, there is a variety of bar soaps, shampoo and conditioners that can come in eco-friendly packaging.
Solid Bar of Soap (multi-pack): £12
Solid Shampoo Bar (2 packs): £8
Solid Bar of Conditioner: £6
Reusable Kitchen Towels
Paper towels are a must have in the kitchen for whenever you spill a drink or just want to wipe a dirty surface. Yet these lead to additional waste. Instead look for reusable cloths that can be washed. Make sure to get a few to ensure you don’t run out.
Pack of cloths: £10
Whatever you already have:
This can be anything and everything. Essentially, the best way not to create any more waste is to use whatever you have now. Whether it is an old lunch box, some old cloths at the back of your wardrobe or something you can uplift yourself. The goal is to not create any more waste in any way.
Free
Here is just a small list of items that you can begin to integrate into your life in a bid to rid our world of waste. These are all just suggestions that are some of the items I think you should pick up first to help you achieve zero waste. However, you should aim to get reusable items that can have the biggest impact to your lifestyle. Additionally, there is so much more you can do to help combat waste and importantly plastic, through proper recycling, litter picking and refusing to use certain items can all help to reduce the waste littering many areas and make a change. These are all generic suggestions of what I believe are everyday items that can stop their wasteful counterparts. However, there are many variations of these that may be better suited you but aim to make sure that they are eco-friendly, ethical and prevent additional waste harming our planet.
