Where do I begin with my thoughts and feelings about Earth Day?

If you haven’t gathered already from my products and illustration content, I’m a big Earth lover. It’s the only place we have to call home, and whilst we can explore planets far away for us to colonise, why not invest all that money (and there is A LOT of it for space exploration) into trying to make our home safer and more habitable? ‘Invest in our Planet’ is the key message from Earth Day’s official site.

Invest your time, your thoughts, your current resources, and whatever finances you can.

Invest in solar power.

Invest in an electric car, if that’s something you can afford to do.

Invest in a compost bin

Invest in some child friendly books to start a conversation with your children. They’re the ones who will live with the decisions we make today.

Invest in a reusable bag.

Invest in saving water.

Invest in saving electricity.

Invest in that bike that’s stuck in the shed.

Invest in a new bank account that doesn’t fund fossil fuels.

Invest in books that can educate us and help us become aware of what we need to do to change.

There are so many big and little ways for us to make a change which don’t need to leave us bankrupt. Below i’ve shared my own 5 small steps we can take today to start making an impact, no matter how small.

There are so many inspirational people as well who are putting in the hard work to help us all make more conscious decisions for our planets survival. Below is by no means a comprehensive or finished list, but these are people who I’ve either bought from or worked with who are great leaders in making change happen:

Fashion

Good on You app - an excellent app to quickly check how ethical and eco friendly a brand is. The app will also offer suggestions for better brands to purchase from.
Aja Barber - an incredible ‘writer, stylist and consultant whose work deals with the intersections of sustainability and the fashion landscape’. Follow her Instagram for insightful and eye opening posts.
Ford & Guy - Not only is Suzie an incredible seamstress, but she has also compiled the most amazing directory of Mindful Makers (I’m kindly included, thank you!) so you don’t have to do the hard work for searching for more conscious creators.

Grocery Shopping

Shop Zero Nottingham - An incredible zero waste shop in the heart of Nottingham offering refills as well as personal care, gift ware and other eco friendly products. All products can be delivered too!
The Good Weigh - Another local zero waste shop to us based in Lady Bay, Nottingham which also offers some plastic free fruit and vegetables.
Wearth London - Fantastic zero waste site which not only offers refills but also has a massive selection of eco friendly products.
The Good Club - A subscription based zero waste site which has been on my radar for a while but I havn’t yet tried - if you have please let me know how you get on!
Oddbox - Our favourite fruit and veg delivery box, filled with items saved from landfill as they were rejected due to their size/appearance/quality. Every box includes a handy info sheet of how much water, CO2 and food was saved and even has some delicious recipe ideas to help give some inspiration for your rescued veg.

Communities

Mother’s CAN - Find a local group of mother’s who are concerned about climate change and want to make a difference. A fantastic way to get involved in activism and meet other like minded people.
Mum’s Go Green - Another mum focussed eco group, but I am a mum so that’s what I gravitate to! I LOVE this facebook group - no question is ever treated silly and no one is ever demonised for their choices. Just an amazingly supportive community of mums trying to make the right choices for their families and the planet. A lot of businesses and tips are shared to making greener choices, a perfect place to start if you’re feeling overwhelmed by it all.
Extinction Rebellion - If you want a larger and more well known community then Extinction Rebellion is probably the one that springs to mind. You can find a local group and events for you to partake in and there is also a wealth of information on the website.

I could go on and on, the topic is huge, vast and never ending, but I would love to hear from you lovely lot. What are your top eco friendly tips, and do you have any accounts/businesses/websites that you’ve discovered which you’d love to share?

Drop them in the comments below or feel free to ping me an email. I’m by no means perfect when it comes to a more sustainable and zero waste lifestyle, but I’m trying and that’s all any of us can do.

“We don’t need a handful of people doing zero waste perfectly. We need millions of people doing it imperfectly.” Anne Marie Bonneau, Zero Waste Chef

Have a wonderful Earth Day and Friday!

Deborah x