Starting the New Year off in an Environmentally Friendly Way

We’ve all made New Year's resolutions that didn’t stick past February or March, to eat healthier or to go to the gym more often. But this year, the Ocean Advocates are suggesting that your New Year’s resolution take a different path - one of sustainability and environmental consciousness.

We know that this can be a daunting task. There is a truly overwhelming amount of information out there telling you how to eliminate plastic from your life, how to shop small, and how to live an overall greener life. We know that all of this advice makes crossing the threshold into the eco-friendly lifestyle quite intimidating, especially for students.

This is why the Ocean Advocates are teaming up with Conscious Change and Surf Soc to put together an environmentally friendly starter kit as the prize for our charity raffle this January.

This kit will include some basics that will help integrate environmental consciousness into your daily life. In addition to revealing some of the prizes we’ll be giving away, we’d like to take this opportunity to share a few tips specifically geared towards students that will hopefully encourage you to take the first step towards starting 2021 in an environmentally conscious way.

Let’s start with something small, our toothbrushes. By now we all know by now that plastic straws and cutlery are polluting our oceans but less attention has been drawn to our plastic toothbrushes. On average, a person will go through 300 toothbrushes in their lifetime most of which can not be recycled. In addition to the pollution caused by the fossil fuels necessary to produce our plastic toothbrushes, many end up in our oceans and pose the same threat to marine life as other plastic waste. This is why we are promoting a switch to biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes. The handles of these toothbrushes can easily be composted and while some brands still use plastic bristles, they represent a step in the right direction for eliminating plastics in our day to day life. A bamboo toothbrush will be included in our raffle prize but if you don’t win that, one can be purchased online, in most zero-waste shops around Edinburgh, and even in Boots!

Speaking of zero-waste shops,

did you know that Edinburgh is home to many zero or low-packaging grocery stores?

One of the hardest places to eliminate our plastic waste is in our groceries. When we shop at big name supermarkets it feels like plastic packaging is unavoidable. Items that clearly don’t require packaging are covered in plastic nonetheless, and too often this packaging is not recyclable. Just like our plastic straws, toothbrushes, and cutlery this packaging frequently ends up in our oceans. Zero or low-waste stores are important in our fight against unnecessary plastic packaging as they not only allow us consumers to reduce our plastic consumption, but they alert big corporations to the growing environmental movement and encourage change.

Now, as students, it may not be possible to completely switch over to zero-waste shops as they can be more expensive than conventional supermarkets. But, just like any attempt to be environmentally friendly, it doesn’t have to be perfect right away. An easy way to engage with zero-waste stores is to take advantage of their refill stations. These refill stations give us an opportunity to reuse our old plastic containers instead of throwing them away. Do you have an empty bottle of washing up liquid? Why not take it to a shop to refill it instead of buying a new plastic container. We’d like to emphasise that any action, no matter how small, taken to reduce waste in your life is positive.

Check out the SHRUB Coop’s map of zero-waste shops in Edinburgh to find one near you and think about what products in your life you could adapt in an environmentally-friendly way.

One local shop to check out is Babmú. In addition to offering refill and low-waste grocery options, Babmú has a line of sustainable home products that are a great alternative to many plastic-based goods we take for granted. You can take a look at their website for everything from organic shampoo bars to bamboo cutlery sets. A 25% discount voucher for Babmú will be featured in our prize.

On the topic of reusing containers, let’s talk about another small change we can make to stop plastic waste - switching to a reusable water bottle. We all know that plastic bottles are one of the greatest pollutants in the ocean and that reusable bottles are the way to go. But with so many options for reusable bottles out there, how do you know which one to buy? Certainly, not all reusable bottles are created equal. As students we might lean towards the cheapest option, but we’d like you to consider the implications of a cheap reusable bottle. How long will it really last and what production practices allow it to be so cheap? Price tags can be daunting but an investment into a higher quality product could help reduce waste even more. The Ocean Advocates team has a personal connection to the brand Ocean Bottle for their dedication to sustainability, transparency, and fight against plastic waste. If you’re looking to invest in a reusable bottle take a look at our blog post on Ocean Bottle and their website for more information.

Working to protect our environment doesn’t have to just be about replacing practical items around your house with their eco-friendly alternatives, it can also be about choosing to buy things you love from companies with sustainability and conservation in mind. Jewellery isn’t often included in lists on how to be environmentally friendly but we really admire the 4Ocean bracelet. Not only is this bracelet made from recycled plastic but the purchase of one funds the clean up of plastic pollution in our oceans. There will be one 4Ocean bracelet included in our raffle prize but don’t let that stop you from buying one for yourself or someone you know anyway.

We know students love to decorate their flats with plenty of houseplants but have you ever considered the environmental impact of them? Well Green Meadows right here in Edinburgh has. Their plant shop is dedicated to sustainability by using recycled material, sourcing from ethical manufacturers, and funding environmental protection initiatives.

These are just two examples but we encourage you to look into your favorite brands and consider whether there might be a more environmentally friendly option out there.

The Ocean Advocates are challenging everyone to start 2021 off in an environmentally friendly way, even if this just means taking the small step of replacing that plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one. Every small step adds up in the protection of our earth. If you want a ready to go, eco-friendly starter pack, keep an eye on our social media pages for information on our upcoming charity raffle in partnership with Conscious Change and Surf Soc. Whether you win this starter pack or not, we hope that you’ll consider how your actions in this coming year can help protect our environments.