5 (useful and practical) tips for living a more sustainable life

it was World Environment Day on the 5th of June, an important day that encourages awareness and action for the protection of global environments. this is an issue we are proactively tackling (and you can read more about our sustainability initiatives here), but today we wanted to look at ways everyday people can make more sustainable choices.

so we spoke to Alex Baxter, owner of a refill store and sustainable cafe in the South East of England, about making more conscious choices. (as you'll see he's wearing our breathe summer slipper, made with natural materials). 

to delve into this topic further, we talked to both Alex Baxter and his partner Monica Coles about practical ways to live a more sustainable life. 

Alex and Monica opened Namaka during the pandemic after the success of their first sustainable refill and lifestyle store Salt of the Earth. the pair have a clear focus on sustainability, community and well being, using locally sourced produce and working with the community to educate on sustainability.  

1. choose good energy

there are some really good companies out there who care. they care about the happiness of their own staff, care about the environment and put in place solid sustainable practices to have minimal impact. so when your utilities come up for renewal do a little research and choose green renewables energies with a smart meter so you can monitor and identify ways to lower your energy consumption at home. 

2. adopt the 5 Rs

recycling is normally the top thing on people’s minds when they think of being eco-friendly. but in reality, recycling is a minefield with only a very small percentage of all recyclable waste actually being recycled, meaning it’s all piled up in landfill somewhere in the world, or worse still polluting our streets, rivers and seas. 

so instead of choosing to buy something because its packaging can be recycled, think about adopting these 5 Rs instead. 

REFUSE single-use items like takeaway cups, cutlery, bags where you can. 

REDUCE the number of new things you buy. you’ll be saving yourself money and a simple, clutter-free life is proven to be so good for our mental health.

REUSE that organic string bag or super hip takeaway coffee cup stuck in the back of your cupboard. it takes a bit of getting used to keeping it on you but I promise it’s worth it.

REPAIR your broken household items or damaged clothes. and if you don’t have the skills find a local mender. this then also supports your local independent businesses.

RECYCLE is the absolute last resort. just make sure it’s clean and goes in the correct bin.

3. choose sustainability with your vote

everyone has an opinion on the things that matter to them, especially in their own communities, but you'd be surprised by how few people vote. each political party has their own sustainability policy and your vote could be the difference between pushing sustainability forward and making great progress on positive changes. or it is left to others to make potentially damaging decisions for us. 

4. shop consciously

as a consumer, you have the power to make positive changes by where you choose to shop. each penny you spend is a vote for the kind of world you want for yourself and our future generations. where you can, make a conscious decision to shop with businesses that make good quality products that are cruelty-free and use natural ingredients and materials.

shopping at your local greengrocers or bakery will often lower your carbon footprint as you buy more local, fresh and unpackaged produce and your local refill shop lets you bring your own containers and top up on food, cleaning and self-care items so you can buy just the amount you require. this eradicates single-use packaging and food waste, win-win!

5. share the sustainable love

nothing will do more than sharing your love of sustainability. share your changes and eco-friendly swaps on social media, one little step at a time. talk about them with your friends and the ripples of change will spread like you can’t imagine. 

thanks Alex. 

you can find out more about namaka here