6 Simple ways to live greener (and use more Earth-friendly products!)

Let’s face it – even if you’ve implemented greener habits in your home, we can all do more when it comes to protecting the environment. We can all do better at recycling, reusing, supporting local businesses, and making greener choices. Some may argue that in reality, we need major corporations, the public and private sectors as well as government on board for real, transformational change. And while that’s true, we as individuals are not powerless. When united with other like-minded individuals, we can create a movement that is powerful and impactful.

While it’s important to support larger initiatives that work with government and corporations to initiate change on a large scale, it’s also important that each and every one of us do our bit to make a positive difference. And guess what? It’s much easier than you might think!

What can we do in our day to day lives to make a positive change to the environment?

Recycle

Glass, paper, cardboard and aluminium are all recyclable materials. Keep a separate bin in which you throw your empty glass bottles, tins, old newspapers and cardboard packaging, and drop it off at your local recycling depot. Many types of plastics are also recyclable. Check the back of plastic items like milk bottles, toiletry packaging and food packaging. If it has the recycling symbol on it (three arrows pointing towards each other in a triangular shape, also known as the “chasing arrows”), you can add it to your other recyclables.

Choose cruelty-free products

Testing household and cosmetic products on animals is cruel and unnecessary. Be part of a positive change by actively supporting cruelty-free brands. Check product packaging for a cruelty-free stamp, Beauty Without Cruelty endorsement or PETA-approved logo. Because the demand has increased, more and more cosmetic companies are going cruelty-free. Whether it’s makeup, skincare or haircare, there is a variety of cruelty-free options available for you to try.

wet n wild prides themselves on offering fantastic quality, cruelty-free makeup products at affordable prices. Every item under the brand is 100% cruelty-free and they are endorsed by PETA. In fact, a lot of their products are vegan too. Shop wet n wild makeup at Clicks online here.

For a cruelty-free haircare range rich in high quality botanical ingredients, try Hask. Formulated without nasties like sulphates, parabens, phthalates and gluten, Hask is a favourite among hairstylists on films and TV show sets! Shop Hask haircare at Clicks online here and at Dis-Chem online here.

Cruelty-free skincare on your mind? NIP+FAB offers regime-based skincare solutions and products of purpose to help you achieve your clearest, healthiest and most radiant skin yet. And best of all, they’re cruelty-free and vegan! Shop NIP+FAB skincare on Dis-Chem online here.

Support local brands

We will always have our favourite international brands that we love and support, but one of the best things you can do for the local economy and the environment, is to support locally-produced products too. Not only does this support local entrepreneurs and drive job creation, but it also means that your products travelled a shorter distance (thus using less fuel!). Local haircare brand

The Perfect Hair was created by a local female entrepreneur, and has grown from a small start-up to a big player in the natural haircare market. Not only are the products filled with nourishing natural ingredients and effective at treating and maintaining healthy hair, but they’re also affordable. Shop The Perfect Hair haircare products at selected Clicks, Spar, Checkers; Pick ‘n Pay & Foschini stores as well as Take-A-Lot.

Say no to single use plastic

Not all plastics are bad. Many are designed to last. We manufacture furniture, appliances, homeware and industrial products from plastic instead of valuable natural resources. Many types of plastics are recyclable. But one of the biggest challenges facing the planet is single use plastic. This is the type of plastic that gets thrown away after one use. Things like drinking straws, plastic packets and food packaging, that are only used once, or used for a very short period of time, is considered a single use plastic. It takes about 1000 years for plastic to decompose, and every year the world produces around 380 million metric tons of plastic. Limit your use of single use plastic whenever possible. Use a refillable water bottle and fill it at the tap instead of buying water, take fabric bags for shopping, avoid using straws and balloons and choose glass alternatives whenever possible.

Embrace vegan options

We can’t all follow vegan diets, but we can all do our part to consume less animal products. Start small by introducing “Meat-free Monday” in your home. Try plant-based food alternatives and introduce them into your eating plan gradually. Before you know it, you’ll be consuming a lot less animal products. Next up is cosmetic, personal care and household items – switch to vegan alternatives, it’s a lot simpler than you think. While not all brands are 100% vegan, a lot of them have vegan options within their ranges.

wet n wild has a wide variety of vegan makeup products within their ranges.

Umberto Giannini, an award-winning haircare brand from the UK offers transformational haircare products for every hair type, and you’re in luck, as the entire range is 100% vegan! Now you can get the hair of your dreams without the guilt. Shop Umberto Giannini haircare at Clicks online here.

Say yes to sustainability

When taking ingredients from nature, it’s important to give back to the environment, to ensure the supply runs strong. Sustainability is key when sourcing natural and organic material. Support brands that do their part to manufacture products containing ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients.

EcoTools manufacture exceptional makeup brushes and sponges from recycled and renewable materials like bamboo and eco-foam. They’re a sustainable alternative to the plastic makeup brushes and synthetic sponges we find on the market. Shop EcoTools at Clicks online here.

And what about botanical ingredients? Curls in Bloom, a local haircare brand, knows a thing or two about two about sustainable ingredient sourcing. They source their precious botanical ingredients from is a small pro-active farming community, Qobo Qobo, in the foothills of the Amathola Mountains in the Eastern Cape. Qobo Qobo is a non-profit essential oils manufacturer committed to uplifting their surrounding community, and currently have ten independent farming units where rose geranium, Cape chamomile and wild rosemary is grown. The farming units belong to local farmers, who take the full responsibility of crop production, from planting, to harvesting, to distilling. It’s these hard-working hands that have made Curls in Bloom products possible. Shop Curls In Bloom haircare products online at Dis-Chem here.

One person’s positive actions aren’t necessarily going to change the world, but imagine the difference it would make if millions, or even billions of us followed these suggestions and embraced a cleaner, greener lifestyle.