It’s 6pm, you had a long day at work and you still have to go eco shopping but you realised that you forgot you reusable shopping bag. Uh-oh, you are way too tired to go back home during rush hour to pick it up before you go to the eco-friendly shop. So never mind, you’ll just use a normal plastic bag for this time. Does it sound familiar?
Have you ever felt a bit guilty because you knew you should make an effort to go eco-friendly shopping but it felt like such a struggle that you gave up?
Been there, done that! How many times did I arrive at the bulk store, realising that once again, I forgot my cotton bags? I was knackered and heading back to pick them up was a no go. The only option left was to use the bags that the bulk store provides.
What if I tell you that Eco-friendly shopping does not have to be that hard? Interesting, huh?
After reading this post, you girl will know how to Simplify Your Eco-Friendly Shopping and have enough motivation to try it again. Don’t you worry, you’ll soon be much more efficient!
Keep Your Eco Shopping Tools Handy
Convenience is key to simplify anything! If you want a smooth visit at the eco-friendly shop, make yourself a favour and keep your reusable bags handy. When I was working in London, I used to have one bag at home and another in my desk top drawer in the office. That was a game changer!
Also, if you buy in bulk, keep your bulk bags in your shopping bag so you don’t have to buy new ones in the store nor get disposable ones. It’s much easier to remember to take the bigger one that the smaller ones. When you reach home, empty your bags in your jars and replace them in your big bag straight away.
Make lists before you go to the Eco-friendly Shop
If you want to make eco shopping easy and fun, I recommend that you make two types of list. First, make a list of eco-friendly shops you would like to go to. Consider: bulk stores, markets, traditional grocery stores around work and in your neighbourhood. If you know where you have higher chances to buy ethical and eco-friendly products, you won’t have to waste hours in Tesco reading every single labels to make sure there is no toxic ingredients in your dish soap or that your shampoo bottle is made from recyclable plastic.
Secondly, if you don’t wanna give up halfway and end up buying loads of products you will regret, make a shopping list. If you stick to it, you will buy only what you need and won’t waste food. Did you know that we waste 1320 kcal per person per day? Reducing waste is one of the most sustainable things you can do.
Do A Little Mindset Exercise Before You Go Eco Shopping?
If you wish to make you eco-friendly experience enjoyable and spare yourself shopping guilt, I suggest that you take couple of days to think about your purchase before you take the leap.
That step is not required for food and necessities, but if you want to buy some electronics, decoration, or fashion piece, I suggest you give it a second thought. I found creating a wish list on my smart phone is simple and efficient. Strangely enough, the list would get longer and longer but most of what was written down was not so exciting after a few days.
Open your note application, type everything you think you want and forget about it for at least couple of days (preferably for a week). Open the note after that thinking time, do you still want that thing? If yes, the purchase seems worth it. If not, you just saved yourself some money and reduced your environmental impact. Whoop I am celebrating you!
Make Eco Shopping Easy, Use Your Apps!
Honestly, apps are a game changer when you are at the beginning of your sustainable journey. They make everything simple and fun. They will help you reduce food waste and understand labels for instance.
Find out more about sustainable apps here.
Prepare Your Eco-friendly Shop Itinerary
If you want to stay motivated with your new eco-friendly shopping habit, I recommend that you prepare your eco-friendly shop itinerary. You may have to go to a few different stores to buy all the products you need. I am not gonna lie, it’s a little annoying but don’t you worry, you can make it fun.
First, give yourself some space, you don’t have to shop everything in a row. You can buy fresh food one day while you try to reach your 10 000 steps and buy the cleaning products the day after on your way back from yoga. It does take a little practice but think about how you can incorporate your shopping time with your other activities.
If you gotta drive to the stores (I know it happens in some big cities), try to stop to the store on your way back from work. Find new ways to avoid taking the car out multiple times.
Take a few minutes during the week to see the bigger picture and map out your travels. Once you do it a few times, you will get used to your new routine.
Here were 5 tips to To Simplify Your Eco-Friendly Shopping. See, it doesn’t have to be such a pain, it can be smooth and even enjoyable once you are prepared. It seems much more doable with those tools and ideas in mind, doesn’t it? Are you up to give it a go next time you gotta fill your pantry?
I do have many more ideas to help you be more eco-friendly in a way that is easy, that feels good to you and that will make you proud. You can subscribe to my mailing list to receive all the tips directly in your inbox. Don’t worry girl, I got your back! Together, we will build the sustainable lifestyle you dream of!
One last thing, be kind to yourself, becoming more sustainable takes time and a little adjustment. It’s absolutely fine, what matters is that you keep improving a little more every day.
