It’s that time of year when most of us contemplate the year that has just passed and consider the positive changes we can make in our lives during the year ahead.
If one of your new year’s resolutions is to establish a more sustainable lifestyle, then we have gathered together some great tips to get you started on your sustainability journey.
Continue reading Easy ways to live more sustainably in 2020While most of us have been brought up using disposable period products as standard, we are in a climate crisis, it is time to look beyond these options and delve into the world of sustainability.
After all, the average person who experiences periods will get through 11,000 tampons in their lifetime.
If you haven’t explored the world of disposable pad and tampon alternatives yet, read on and find out all about your numerous options — from period underwear to menstrual cups and beyond.
Continue reading A guide to reusable & eco-friendlier period productsAs we’ve discussed on the Forge blog before, Christmas is a wasteful time of year where peoples’ usual, eco-conscious behaviour sometimes goes out the window.
I think most of us are guilty of having bought a few last-minute gifts or too much food at this time of year.
However, there are ways to avoid this panic and waste and have a more sustainable Christmas this December.
Continue reading How to enjoy a more sustainable ChristmasMost of us are guilty of a wardrobe full of clothes we never wear — whether that’s because they’re no longer the right size, they’re out of fashion, or they were an impulse buy we’ve never worn.
This wardrobe-stuffing has been encouraged by fast fashion, which has enabled people to buy endless items of clothing without breaking the bank or giving each purchase much thought.
With so many clothes to choose from, many of us struggle to decide what to wear each day — and a surprising number of us end up reaching for the same pieces daily, to avoid the decision.
This situation could be avoided with the implementation of a capsule wardrobe.
With such busy lives and many of us wishing to move over to more sustainable ways of living, a capsule wardrobe could make life simpler and eco-friendlier for everyone.
Sunny summer days are synonymous with splashing around in a cooling swimming pool and hanging out at the beach.
So, what do we take with us for these excursions? Towels, swimming costumes, sun lotion, and inflatables, of course.
This blog post takes a look at the recycling of inflatables.
Continue reading How to recycle summer’s pool inflatablesSingle-use coffee cups have featured in the news a lot over the past few years, primarily due to the fact that they are difficult to recycle and the UK gets through 2.5 billion of them per year.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall brought ‘disposable’ cups to the public eye on his War on Waste programme back in March 2016, and there’s been much public discussion ever since.
Coffee fans the country over have been caught up in the discussion over the takeaway cups used to house their beloved flat white or frothy cappuccino.
Continue reading How to avoid single-use coffee cupsPlastic is a real buzzword at the moment and rightly so — it is polluting our planet, killing wildlife, and contaminating our seas. In fact, approximately 8 million pieces of plastic pollution find their way into our oceans daily.
Many of us are trying to cut down on single-use plastic at home, but businesses need to look at their use too. After all, a business will use much more plastic than an individual will, and it will be costing lots of money in waste collections too. Not only that, but addressing plastic waste issues will enhance your brand’s reputation and help you to attract eco-friendly customers. There’s literally nothing to lose — except the plastic.
Continue reading How to reduce your business’s plastic waste & save money
A cross-party group of MPs has suggested the introduction of a 1p tax on each item of new clothing to encourage retailers to work in a more sustainable and eco-friendly manner. This would mean that those retailers which continued to make clothing from virgin materials would be penalised, as would those who didn’t set up a recycling scheme for their clothing.
We spoke to two personal stylists — people who style others for a living — to find out how they view sustainable fashion and to get their opinion on the proposed 1p garment tax.
Continue reading What personal stylists think about fast fashion
A study has revealed that Brits collectively throw out 1.2 billion edible bread crusts annually — valued at approximately £62 million — not because the bread has gone mouldy, but simply because they don’t enjoy the crust of the loaf. This figure equates to 50 million loaves of bread being binned every year.
Continue reading Britain’s battle against 1.2bn bread crusts
The breeze may be cold at this time of the year but love is very much in the air in February, too! Valentine’s Day is on February 14 — a popular celebration of love, and often an excuse to buy your sweetheart a gift and a card to declare your affections. If you’re trying to cut down on waste, why not change up your usual plan this Valentine’s Day? You could buy a card made from recycled paper, send an e-card, or ditch the card altogether. How about the Valentine’s gift? Well, we’ve listed some great options for you below — there are loads to choose from.
