Life is full of demands and pressure to live more sustainably. We know it can be overwhelming (we feel it too!). That’s why at Santosa, we're passionate about encouraging people to make small changes, to do better for both you and your family. Because those small changes in your daily life, even though they might not seem like it, add up to big changes over time.
Here are our top 15x small and simple changes we’ve made in our family, on our journey to living a more sustainable, fulfilled eco-friendly life.
- Shop in-season – Try to purchase fruit and veggies that are in season. Food that is in-season hasn’t had to travel far, not only does it taste better but it reduces the eco footprint.
- Buy organic where possible. We know it’s expensive and can be harder to access but again, think small changes. A good place to start is trying to purchase Organic for anything on the Dirty Dozen list.
- Buy in bulk – we love buying nuts, grains, seeds from our local Bin Inn. You could also try Good For or Refill Nation for NZ-wide delivery. Bring your owns jars or containers as a bonus!
- Be mindful of how much meat you’re eating – my meat loving Husband has even adopted this change with me, as a family we all do Meatless Mondays, which is a great place to start. There are so many incredible plant-based recipes out there - we especially love Deliciously Ella and NZ’s very own Two Raw Sisters.
- Grow your own herbs and/or vegetables. This is top of our list for this year having recently moved into our new home!
- Use beeswax wraps instead of plastic wrap - there are so many cute designs out there. I bought some recently from our local supermarket.
- Replace non-stick cookware with cast-iron. We absolutely ADORE our Iron Clad Pan cast iron pans and couldn’t imagine life without them.
- Buy quality items – while they do tend to be more expensive they also last much longer than cheaper items. Think clothing, appliances and kids toys.
- Gift experiences – everyone has enough ‘stuff’ in their lives. I loved taking my Dad out to lunch for him last birthday - a memorable day for us both.
- If buying a gift- reuse wrapping paper or gift bags, another favourite I love to do - is to reuse the kids artwork that they bring home
- Switch to more natural cleaning products - if you’re new to natural cleaning Products - start with our Good For Everything Spray - we promise you won’t regret it!
- Diffuse essential oils instead of using synthetic air fresheners
- Swap out toxic candles for beeswax candle
- Use a menstrual cup or Period underwear instead of tampons.
- Slowly start to transition your makeup to cleaner products - we’re loving Aleph, Ilia and RMS at the moment.
Remember, they don't have to be huge swaps, the little ones add up over time too. We'd love to hear how you get on!