Originally published in August 2020.
With the UK lockdown beginning to ease and our freedom to leave the house being handed to us more and more each day, the raise in questions on how to navigate this strange period in time, comes in its droves. I find myself (as you probably do too) questioning my every move, whether I’ve anti-bac’d enough as well as trying not to constantly fiddle with my face mask when out & about. It’s an extremely strange time in our lives, one I feel I constantly look around and take in, not quite being able to believe this is real life right now…
I wanted to write today about the Sustainability aspect of all of this (words escape me). When it comes to navigating these changes whilst still keeping to an eco-lifestyle. It’s tough, of course it is, it’s an incredibly serious pandemic that has cost the lives of thousands. So, I wanted to point you in the direction of a how to be as Sustainable as possible whilst being as safe as possible, so we can hopefully move through this all safely and come out the other side in a world with hopefully little environmental sacrifices.
Wearing a reusable face mask of course, is probably the top of this list, which I do hope you are all aware of. It is scary to read almost daily updates on the vast amount of pollution being caused by disposable masks, clogging up our waters and putting our wildlife at risk. There are an array of small businesses on sites such as Etsy that are selling reusable masks, that you use for your days activities, then simply hand-wash with hot water and soap and reuse once dry. The first step we all must be taking.
In the same vein, keeping clean and washing our hands when we are out and about is of grave importance. What’s worrying me is the sheer amount of hand sanitiser bottles that are either being thrown in the bin or non-recyclable. Of course, if possible to do, washing your hands at your sink with a bar of soup would be the least wasteful way of sustaining your hygiene, but when out and about, do ensure your bottles are recycled!
On the whole, it really is a difficult period for Sustainability, as I have noticed so many recycling centres operating limited services, with H&Ms clothes recycling scheme seeming paused too. It really does worry me how much this Pandemic is going to affect every part of our lives, with irreversible damage being created to our planet. All we can do is do as much as we can to ensure we are being as Low Waste as possible in the safest way possible, staying sanitised, travelling contactless and supporting small businesses in the meantime…