Joelle Hawes

Here is a collection of lifestyle habits & switches I like that can help an easy sustainable living.

UK:

Ovo energy – a reusable electricity company, homed in Bristol. The switch is very easy to make, it takes only a few minutes and can be found here: https://www.ovoenergy.com/. They also plant trees 🙂 myself and some friends have switched, and they’ve been great.
Wagamamas – when I don’t feel like cooking, I often order from Wagamamas, as they have an impressive vegan menu. Everything in the list is delicious, constantly expanding, and as a company they promote planet awareness on social media as well as the rights of minority groups.
Marketplace – may be an obvious one, however Facebook marketplace is something that’s become useful recently. Whether finding house stuff or otherwise, good products can often be found locally at about £5, eg. a full length mirror, lamp, etc, and even something like a boxing bag can be found for £30.
Ecover – this is a brand that produces chemical-free cleaning products, eg. laundry detergent, washing up liquid, floor cleaner and more, using recycled plastic and even have refill stations, like in many Waitrose shops. The smells are delicious and feel so much healthier, both for ourselves and the planet. Good for pets too, since other chemicals can negatively affect them.
Home growing – home grown herbs are very easy and taste delicious. It’s also easy to grow wildflowers in gardens and windowsills, that provide for bees and other insect pollinators. Seeds can be found in any shop, we bought ours in the Range, and are now growing coriander, basil, mint, chives, oregano, and more, along with pollinating flowers for the bees.
Brightside goods – a supplier of plastic-free, sustainable and organic grains, brightside can be found at https://www.brightside.supply/. They deliver rice, pasta, spaghetti, oats and more completely plastic free, and very affordable. They’re a small company created by someone I know and I recommend buying your grains/starch products from them.
CoverMate – stretch to fit food covers. This is one company that provide a long-term substitute for cling film, stretching over lids to preserve food. When you see the plastic in the ocean, you realise every single switch out from plastic makes a difference.
The V Gang – social media is a powerful tool for spreading awareness and learning more. @the_vgang on instagram or The V-Gang Vets on facebook are run by a group of people I knew from vet school, and spread a lot of useful information about veganism, facts about the meat and dairy industries (knowledge from the inside that most people don’t know), and are really worth a follow. These people are wonderful and I trust them greatly.
Hara the Label – another account I discovered on Instagram is a sustainable clothes brand focused largely on our world, and women. They’re a wonderful account to follow, and the clothes are incredibly comfortable, made entirely in a looped system (the waste filters back into the system, they grow the bamboo, and dye the material using plants) and made for any body shape to feel beautiful. Run by a young woman and made in Australia with a diverse team, they promote women empowerment, a connection with our Earth, and how both connect with our mental health.
Compost – you can find a compost bin on marketplace, gumtree, or just use any big plastic container with a cover. Garden cuttings, grass, vegetable peelings, fruit and other food remains can all be used to make soil, and you don’t have to do anything! With us, we use a lot of vegetables so our bin is full of peelings being put to good use. The soil made then can be used for the garden.
The Vegan Kind – this is an online supermarket found at thevegankind.com which serves basically every vegan product within the UK. Their delivery is carbon neutral, they plant trees with every order, and they have a massive range of anything you could want.

I will be updating this with more eco tips & tricks over time 🙂 please feel free to let me know if you have suggestions

~ Joelle