Sustainable Living Struggles and How I Solve Them
...when I DO manage to solve them.
Kind of Wild is a weekly newsletter on trying to live ethically while still enjoying life. I am a 40-something published author, podcaster, public speaker, charity PR specialist and writer. I speak four languages and live in Brighton, UK. I’ve been vegan for over a decade. I want to save the world - but I also want to experience it.
The other day, I went downstairs to take out my recycling bin and ran into a neighbour. “So nice that someone makes the effort,” he said, gesturing to my recycling. I smiled in thanks, as I watched what was certainly the tenth hummus tub of the week tumble down into the container. I do make an effort to be more conscious, to live more kindly, to tread more lightly. But there I was, going through masses of single-use plastic, just like most of us. I felt a bit guilty as I nodded at that neighbour and trotted back off home. But then I thought, maybe it’s not just me.
As you may know if you read this newsletter, I identify as an imperfect environmentalist, meaning that I try my best to minimise the impact I have on this beautiful planet of ours, but being merely human, I do constantly and consistently mess up. As, I guess, do you. So today I thought I’d share some areas of modern life where I struggle to stay consistent with my ethics - and what I do about it.
Hummus
Let’s start with the Important Things In Life. Rarely does a day go by without my husband and I merrily devouring a tub (yes, a tub) of Aldi’s finest. It’s creamy, it’s protein-rich, it’s 89p - what’s not to like? The plastic tub, that’s what. I shudder to even imagine the quantity of hummus tubs that our household alone disposes of each year. Here I am calling myself an environmentalist when I am probably responsible for the plastic waste of a small country in just hummus tubs.
I do hear all of you ambitious eco-homemakers out there telling me to make my own. Of course. I am aware of the option. Two things, though: homemade hummus after half a day in the fridge…yeah, definitely not Aldi flavour levels. I’m a big fan of homemade hummus, but I’ve noticed that something happens once it’s put in the fridge that zaps all that goodness, leaving just a flat chickpea mess. And secondly: hummus was made for “I had four meetings and then went to an hour-and-a-half Strong Vinayasa Flow class followed by a gruelling supermarket run and an hour of freelance writing, I need food NOW” kinda days. I don’t know about you, but I am not one to faff about with a blender on a daily basis. So, at the moment, I am just…recycling the tubs the best I can. Which sometimes means reusing them for storing half-cut lemons or leftover tofu in the fridge, other times regretfully tossing them in the recycling bin, where about half of them will actually live to see another day. Not ideal, I know. Anyone want to launch a hummus refill station? Free business idea - thank me later! In fact, you can thank me when I’m refilling every day.
Lingerie
I’m usually the person people come to for advice on ethical fashion. After over a decade in the industry, I’m confident to say I could easily be a vegan personal shopper. Whether you’re looking for a plant-leather handbag, a new winter coat, or wedding-appropriate vegan shoes, I gotcha. Unless what you need is undergarments - I ain’t gotcha there. The sustainable lingerie situation, at least here in the UK, is dire to say the least. After lengthy research, it transpires that sustainable shoppers are limited to plain black or beige organic cotton that, comfortable as it may be, looks suspiciously like prison underwear. I thought we had left the notion that sustainable equals frumpy back in 2015 but here we are, with grandma undies made from the purest, eco-friendliest cotton. If, like me, you’re aiming to be more Samantha Jones than Bridget Jones in the lingerie department, there is also the option of gorgeous, lacy, sexy bras…that will set you back £69. For some reason, eco-lingerie also seems to hate underwires, which makes it even harder for those of us who favour a little support. Not everyone’s up for a triangle shape seven days a week, just sayin’ - variety is your friend, sustainable bra brands.
Recently I had to find a new bra and it was the hardest thing I’d done all week. After nearly crying into my Google searches for four days, I briefly considered giving in to the beige prison bra. I briefly considered giving up and sticking with my ill-fitting old existing bras. I briefly considered listening to my husband who said, “just buy one second hand. It’s the same as a t-shirt, really.” I briefly considered going bra-less forever in furious protest. After indulging in some beer on the beach, I even briefly considered forking out £69. Thank God it didn’t have to come to that, thanks to Wild Lovers, a London-based eco-lingerie haven that was having a glorious summer sale. Hello gorgeous new lacy, eco-conscious little number - with an underwire. Can’t wait until you arrive in the post!
If you’re like, “okay, bras, but what about the bottom half?”, then I recommend Stripe & Stare - operating under the slogan “the world’s comfiest knickers” (that’s “underwear” for those not from the UK), this brand creates super-soft undies made from Tencel. They really are incredibly comfy. Only word of warning: it’s a hand-wash kinda situation. No machine washing allowed.
And just because sometimes we do want the plain black organic cotton variety (you cannot survive on lace alone, you know): Organic Basics is really great. I have some of their lingerie and workout gear and it’s lasted me years. The best thing? No prison vibes whatsoever.
Amazon
This one really isn’t that hard. Amazon is one of the worst companies on the planet, among accusations of tax avoidance, racism, and horrifying workers’ rights violations. Pair that with the recent wedding of founder Jeff Bezos, where 96 private jets were used to bring celebrity guests to Venice…and you can see why clicking Buy feels a bit heavier, even with next-day delivery. But that’s the thing about Amazon, though: it’s so easy! So simple! You can find EVERYTHING on there, and you can have it delivered tomorrow. All the films you want to watch are on Prime Video. Looking for miscellaneous home stuff, like a specific-size picture frame or a pen refill? No need to traipse the high street. Just click Buy Now! Until now, I haven’t really been bothered to log off, despite knowing that I’m funding a reign of evil.
Like pretty much everyone on Substack, I have an ongoing love affair with books - and there is no need for Amazon to be any part of that romance. The library is my happy place, and I hardly ever buy books anymore. If what I want to read isn’t available at the library, there’s always World of Books, a UK-based secondhand book empire. I also love my local bookshops! It’s all the other, non-book stuff that I find myself struggling with. For home objects, I try my best to go to physical stores and support smaller, independent retailers when I can. But what I struggle with is especially the films. I must shamefully admit that I rent quite a lot on Amazon - the renting on a one-off basis really is unbeatable. If anyone has any suggestions, drop ‘em in the comments (even if they are not UK-based, readers from other territories might want to know).
Shaving
If, like me, you’ve chosen shaving as your preferred method of body hair removal (yes, I am a feminist but I’ll keep de-fuzzing. And no, I won’t wax, you masochists), you might also have considered the depressing quantities of plastic waste that come with this particular part of beauty culture. It is estimated that two billion plastic razors are thrown away each year in the US - I don’t live there, but that’s all the data I could find. The tricky thing with razors is that they do need replacing very regularly. “But plastic can be recycled,” I hear you say. Indeed it can. The issue is that, having a metal blade attached, razors are technically not pure plastic but a mixed material, meaning recycling is tricky if not separated beforehand. And are you going to stand around separating your metal blade from your razor handle when you could be watching Hacks instead? Me neither, my friend. Me neither.
But, good news, my fellow de-fuzzers: we can indeed ditch plastic on this one. I signed up to FFS, or Fuss-Free Shaving, an affordable subscription service that sends you replaceable razor heads which you can send back once you’re done using them - and they will do all that separating business for you. Plus, their razor handles are made from sleek, gorgeous metal. No plastic waste here. I’ve been with FFS for years and I really recommend them. The subscription’s really taken the fuss out of shaving for me!
Magazines
Yes, I know, magazines are dead and we have TikTok now. But listen, I’m a geriatric millennial. We live for a good printed product. There are few things I love as much as I love flicking through a gorgeous glossy mag. In fact, I just renewed my ELLE subscription. But every time that thick envelope lands in the post, I’m overcome with a mix of emotions: next to the excitement of tearing off the (recycled) wrapper, there’s a pang of guilt as I imagine traipsing down to the recycling bin again, heap of Women’s Health issues in my hands. Sure, paper is easily recyclable - but dammit, there’s plastic in magazines as well. There’s just no escaping the stuff.
My solution here is that I aim to pass my magazines on - I paid good money for them, I want someone else to enjoy them (for free) once I’m done. So I’ve started giving them to friends, advertising them as free in my local Facebook group, or simply leaving them outside for neighbours to take. I’ve also learned that it’s possible to donate magazines to women’s shelters, which I definitely am planning to start doing.
The mountains of single-use plastic in supermarkets
Oof, don’t even get me started. Bananas wrapped in plastic - enough said.
Saying this has gotten me in trouble before, but once again: I don’t believe the onus should be on the consumer to make the effort to shop exclusively at remote, expensive farmers’ markets (much as I love a nice stroll through a market on a sunny Saturday morning). Let’s do some math here - if it’s me and my five best friends spending half our salary at farmers’ markets every week and never setting foot in a Tesco….pretty much nothing will change in the grand scheme of plastic pollution. And no, it’s not about getting more people to start going to farmers’ markets to avoid single-use plastic. They won’t. And neither should they have to! The environmental campaign needs to be accessible and stop demanding the impossible from its adherents. But imagine now instead if Tesco, and Tesco alone, ended its use of single-use plastic. The impact would be absolutely monumental. So, feel free to cancel me, but I believe that you do more good by signing a petition calling on supermarkets to drop the plastic packaging than falling over yourself to avoid it in your own life.
Does that mean that I’ll merrily grab plastic-wrapped bananas every time I’m in Aldi? Of course not, I still avoid single-use plastic when I can. I’m a frequent client at my local ethical vegan supermarket (Kindly of Brighton) that has an excellent refill station with everything from laundry liquid and shampoo to rice and oat milk. Now, if only they could add a hummus station…
A partner who can’t be arsed doesn’t share your priorities
My husband is great in countless ways, including fighting for justice. For starters, he let me veganise him and has been vegan for over eight years. He even does vegan activism out on the streets of Sussex - without me! David has a very strong sense of right and wrong, which is one of the main things I love about him. However. An environmentalist, he is not. He will not be the one to shy away from single-use plastic, go to the refill station, or go out of his way to locate the most eco-friendly option. His motivation? You’ve heard this song before: “as long as corporations keep their emissions soaring and governments do nothing, me using paper straws is pointless.”
Realising that my husband is right and as long as corporations keep their emissions soaring and governments do nothing, me using paper straws is pointless
I’m not kidding myself. I know that David is right. I am aware that the reasons why I go to the refill shops, pay extra for Tencel underwear, and never leave the house without a reusable tote bag are…well, quite selfish. I want to feel like I did my best. When (not “if”, people) the worst effects of the climate crisis hit, I want to feel certain that I tried my very hardest. But if we want to have a chance at saving this planet that gives us so much every day, using recyclable razors won’t cut it, guys. You already know what I’m about to say: we need to act collectively. It’s only by coming together that large-scale change can be achieved.
Here are some things individuals can do that can help the environment on a systemic level:
Write to your elected official and demand to know what their actions on the climate crisis are.
Vote for the party that most aligns with effective environmental policies.
Contact companies. Call on supermarkets to reduce their reliance on single-use plastic. Ask your favourite fashion brands to stop selling damaging and polluting materials made from factory-farmed animals.
Call for legislation like France’s recent anti-fast fashion law to be implemented where you live, too.
Start your own campaigns, petitions, movements. Or join someone else’s, at platforms like Change.org.
Join action groups, go on marches. Being active out in the streets makes noise and draws attention, which is the first step towards dialogue.
Doing these things will keep up the pressure on decision-makers - and that is where the potential for true change lies. But while we’re doing all that, let’s also remember to recycle our hummus tubs.
All we can do is our best! I agree with you that I'd rather feel like I'm putting in an effort, even though it's only a drop in the water in the grand scheme of things. I do think the UK is great for eco-friendly subscriptions and programs. When I lived there, I was part of a few. Now that I'm in Canada it's harder to find replacements just because the country is so big, so shipping is expensive and difficult. Luckily I live in the most environmentally-conscious province and it's not too hard to find eco-friendly shops!
This is such a good piece - and I will rant on for hours (if anyone lets me) about how individual action is good, but it's not our fault the corporations are unwilling to enact large-scale change (against use of single plastics, office lighting, etc).