By now, we’ve all heard that eating less meat, remembering your reusable coffee cup, and swapping to bamboo tissues can help you lead a greener lifestyle.
But some of the easiest—and more exciting—sustainable swaps are often overlooked.
From redefining your beauty routine to challenging your shopping habits, there’s an abundance of fun ways you can lower your carbon footprint while raising the style stakes.
Here, we share our most inspiring eco-friendly ideas to put a sustainable spin on your fashion, beauty, and travel style.
1. Find A New Fragrance
Several luxury perfumes include toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment (foam, a common ingredient, can take up to 500 years to biodegrade). Take the first step on your sustainable journey and reimagine your signature scent.
Most eco-friendly fragrances are crafted from natural and ethically sourced ingredients, so choose your next perfume after reading the product list. Spritz away, guilt free.
2. Travel In Sustainable Style
Needless to say, cars are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. To cut your contributions down, swap to car sharing. Uber Carshare can connect you with a wide range of nearby vehicles available to rent by the hour, day, or even longer.
Whether it’s a planned road trip with friends or a spontaneous date night, Uber Carshare allows you to book a car in advance or at the last minute—meaning it’s far more convenient than traditional rental vehicle options.
3. Become A Wardrobe Warrior
The second largest polluter in the world, the fashion industry has a lot to answer for. From water wastage to environmental pollution, the production of fast fashion comes at a high price to the planet.
As Clare Press, founder of sustainable fashion platform The Wardrobe Crisis, writes: “Monsters are real. They’re just made of polyester.”
So, how can you become a more ethical shopper? Before you add to cart, visit Good On You and search the brand name. The fashion platform ranks brands based on their environmental impact, labour conditions and animal welfare—it’s a simple shopping checklist that makes a big difference.
Other easy steps? Shops your own wardrobe, buy secondhand, and invest in a few key, sustainably made pieces rather than shopping year-round.
4. Upgrade Your Carry-All Handbag
A hardworking handbag is essential to take us from the office to after work aperitifs. If your current bag is falling apart at the seams, make sure that your next piece is durable, strong and crafted from sustainable materials.
Look to Depop, vintage stores, or pre-owned designer items, if that’s more your style. If you’re struggling to find a signature staple with eco credentials, research brands using innovative technology. The sustainable leather handbags by Maison De Sabré, for instance, are made using water-saving DriTan™ technology.
As for trips to the farmers’ markets or a weekend getaway, charming Mimmi Terra totes are handmade from recycled polyethylene—a durable and recyclable material that’s easy on your arm and the planet.
5. Switch Up Your Self-Care Ritual
Look inside your beauty cabinet. What ingredients and packaging make up your skincare or makeup products? If the answer is virgin plastic or chemicals that are harmful to waterways, it might be time to shake up your routine.
Stripping back your skincare routine is a great place to start (we don’t actually need a seven-step regime or five different serums, right?), as is swapping plastic beauty products with refillable containers.
Need inspiration? There’s a slew of sustainable beauty brands to fill your shelves—from consciously crafted products at By The Be (including oils crafted from vegan, naturally derived ingredients) to all-natural body and hand soaps by Studio Tutti.
6. Put Your Best Foot Forward
Over 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced each year, and the majority of them—sneakers—are made of synthetic materials. Luckily, sustainable footwear is on the rise with brands championing recycled or raw materials for the canvas and laces.
If you’re unsure of your dream kicks’ credentials, look for environmental certifications from organisations like the Global Recycled Standard, OEKO-TEX and the Global Organic Textile Standard.
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