Plastic forever (and ever)
“Like many people, my big gripe is plastic, or equally, man-made fibres in clothes. Fundamentally, that’s the thing that surprised me the most when I started researching. It terrifies me that the plastic wrapper I just threw away will still be here for lifetimes to come. Imagine how much has built up already? The same applies to clothing, and that has to change. The best way of addressing the plastic and waste problems our world faces is simply by consuming less. You can do that with clothes by looking after your existing wardrobe and buying less. With food, we still need the calories, so we need to find viable alternatives to plastic packaging.”
Conscious choices
“I’ve made a conscious decision this year to eat less meat and I’m not going to be pretend it’s been easy. I love meat! I grew up thinking every meal had to have meat or cheese or it wasn’t a meal. But I’ve discovered the joy of a vegan curry. Likewise, I’m careful with my fish choices. At home, we eat a lot of mackerel and try not to eat salmon. I will try to buy smoked trout rather than salmon. Most of all, I’m a believer in eating locally and seasonally. That’s my approach. I avoid buying exotic foods which have clocked the air miles!”
Pre-loved furniture
“Having just moved, I’m redecorating and sourcing lots of furniture second hand. There is no market for second hand furniture so the prices are unbelievably good value. I use PreLoved and Ebay – again, I love online shopping. It doesn’t have to be endless foraging in markets and car boot sales. I feel there is such a glut of used furniture, and I’m happy I can buy something that has already been used and loved. I’m also enjoying using RiseArt to rent artwork.”