When we're racing around in a rush and caught up in general life busyness, it’s so easy to disregard conscious consumer habits. The environmental way can take a little extra effort. If you’re in the same boat, here are a few little tips for a refresh.
Eating less meat.Danni’s been a vegan for several years, I’ve been vego for two. So naturally, we’re big advocates for plant-based diets.
Overall, standard meat-production practices are not very efficient or sustainable. Cutting meat from your meals will decrease your methane and carbon emissions. Cattle also need a lot of pasture for grazing and forested land is being cleared away as a result. Not to mention the pesticides, excrement, and manure that end up in the waterways.
I was inspired to go vego when fires were blazing in the Amazon. At the time, one of my co-workers was vegetarian and she said she never missed meat. Her lunchtime meals always looked tasty and healthy too! Circulating reports about the Amazon fires found they were caused by deforestation to create soya beans crops… and these soya beans were being used as feed for cattle, which in turn were sold as meat to fast food companies. Have a read if you wish. I decided to jump on the bandwagon. Now two years on, I have no complaints.
Sort out your social media
We spend a lot of time on our phones, digesting information from our Instagram feeds. If you want to have a more sustainable mindset, fill your feed with such content.
There’s @fash_rev and their hashtag #whomademyclothes. There's pre-loved clothing promoter and zero waste advocate, Kira Simpson who runs @thegreenhub_ and the conscious business media company @ecowarriorprincess.
There are also some lovely kiwi environmental influencers that Danni Rose Designs has worked with. We love Kate Hall (@ethicallykate) and Jasmin Johnson (@thislifeasjamin).
Gift GivingHow many times have you received a present and thought, hmm I don’t think I’ll use this. Or alternatively, not known what to give someone else. A lot of the time, we buy people things they don’t really need, increasing consumerism.
If you’re stuck on present ideas, consider a sustainable gift. There are also a few organisation's in Aotearoa trying to tackle this problem.
There’s The Good Registry, who sell gift cards to Kiwi charities. The recipient chooses where the gift funds will go. And if you’re going to be the gift receiver, you can start a registry for your friends and family to donate to. Better yet, it’s all paperless!There’s also Trees That Count. Through this organisation, you can gift the planting of a native tree in your choice of New Zealand location.
Bringing your own container’s and a Keep Cup
This one might be a little difficult at the moment due to COVID restrictions. But under Level 2, most cafes will accept a keep cup!
- Info from Jamaica Blue
Face masks.
This is a tricky one. Part of living in a pandemic involves wearing a face mask. There’s a bit of controversy surrounding what masks are actually better. What’s best for reducing the spread doesn’t completely overlap with what’s sustainable.
If you walk through any public place in New Zealand you’ll see a lot of light blue medical masks on people’s faces. But the disposable nature of these wear-once masks means they're entering our landfills and waterways. OceansAsia, non-for-profit marine research organisation, calculated Around 1.5billion face masks entered the oceans in 2020, adding an extra 4500+ tonnes of marine plastic pollution.
It’s worth taking the time to have a little look around at reusable options. Of course, it’s best to wear a three-layer mask to protect yourself and others. Silk face masks are seen to be a good option. The fabric is good for your skin and isn’t as harmful to produce as cotton or plastic.
But ultimately, the mask that makes you feel the safest is the best option.
Buy Quality! Avoid fast fashion
As a sustainable fashion brand, we know you love your clothes more when you buy pieces you love and steer clear of trends. That's what we're all about. We’ve talked a lot about this in previous posts, so have a scroll back if you want to read more.
Personally, I don’t like the thought of my hard-earned money getting sucked into a big corporation that might not appreciate it. Especially when there are so many local and kiwi businesses doing so much great work!
Buying second-hand from op shops and purchasing from brands who incorporate sustainability across the production line is a great way to stop supporting unsustainable and un-ethical practices.