Ethical & sustainable living
You've probably already nailed some of these ethical practices, but in case you haven't, here are a few plus some eco Cornish and UK brands to check out. Just remember, no one expects you to become an eco warrior over night, it takes time to slowly incorporate these changes into your life.
Re-fill Store
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Thankfully re-fill stores are back in and are popping up all around the country. Our local refill store in Redruth is the Cornish Health Store, otherwise known as Country Store Health Foods. They offer fresh organic produce, herbal remedies and vegan alternatives.
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Bring your own bag, or use one of their plastic free options.
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There is so much plastic waste associated with toiletries that are super easy to change. You can find ethical alternatives in most health food and refill stores, like the one listed above. From bamboo toothbrushes, toothpaste tablets, soap bars to menstrual cups.
Soap Bars & Toiletries
Soap Bars - This one took me a little longer to incorporate as I didn't believe shampoo and conditioner bars would work as well as the bottled variety, but I was so wrong! In fact my hair has been in better condition since using them. My favourite company for this is Natural Wisdom, I have no doubt that they use the best ingredients for our skin and the environment.
Plant based Diet
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This topic is a little controversial - we are not saying you must go vegan or vegetarian, but if EVERYONE ate less meat, the world would probably thank us. Whether you join in on 'Meat Free Monday's' or limit meat to only once a week, it all helps. Replace this with more plant based foods and your health will also benefit. Want some facts? Click here to read some statistics.
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If you do decide to cut meat from your diet, we would recommend adding a source of B12. Some milk alternatives are fortified with B12, otherwise taking a supplement or yeast flakes will do the trick.
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Want help improving your health through food? Get in contact with out Nutritionalist.
Fashion
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Most of us are addicted to shopping and impulse buying, so try not to feel guilty! One way you can keep your fix whilst reducing your carbon footprint is to buy from second hand pieces or sustainable and ethical fashion brands. These are slowly increasing, with quite a few starting here in the beautiful South West. These companies will focus on natural fibres, which has an added benefit when it comes to washing our garments. You may not realise, but synthetic materials such as polyester leach plastic microfibres into our sea every time you wash them.
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My favourite brand, created in Cornwall is Nude Ethics. You can also find a few good reads on here, click here to find out what materials are best.
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Children's toys
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Apologies, as this is a little pet peeve of mine. I often feel like children's birthday parties are a sea of plastic. I'm not saying we should abolish plastic altogether, as it definitely has its purpose, but let's moderate it.
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The Cornish store in Newquay, 'Luna & Cash' is the perfect place to find all your vegan, ethical and sustainable childrens gifts and clothing. They also sell reusable cloth nappies, helping to stop the estimated 3 billion nappies that end up in landfill each year, in Britain alone.