Into the looking glass...

The moment we have all been waiting for is here! 2020 is finally over and we have a new year to celebrate.

This pandemic is a direct consequence of human inaction and indifference towards the planet. Its been one hell of an eye opener and hopefully a reminder that the planet's eco-system is delicate and needs safeguarding.

So we got thinking (over a couple of mince pies, lots of wine and late night feeds) about which eco trends will we see emerge this year in light of the fiasco that was 2020.

Location, location, location

Last year we saw 'veganuary' take centre stage; this year we're seeing 'reganuary' leading the eco race. While we've all been stuck at home pondering life's big questions, lockdown has given birth to a 'shop local' movement. Shopping local is great from a feel good factor but also great for the environment. Its all about reducing food miles and knowing where your food comes from. Is it local? Is it organic? Is it free range? These are all important questions we should be asking ourselves about the food we eat and will continue to become the norm as we emerge from this pandemic.

Keeping it natural

We've all been rocking the bed to kitchen table look. Day and night PJs, messy hair and no make up. Its frankly been a blessing for my skin! This year we predict that this no make up look will continue to take precedence with a focus on quality, natural and ethical skincare to keep our skin looking healthy and dewy. The 'look good while doing good' mind frame isn't going anywhere and is only becoming more mainstream thanks to the pandemic. We're going to see more people taking a closer look at companies' ethics on animal testing and using animal bi-products, product ingredients and supply chain before supporting a brand.

Reuse and reduce

The single use plastic ban is here which signifies an important shift in our way of thinking. The importation of plastic cotton buds, straws, cutlery, bags and stirrers has finally been banned which will not only force us to look for other sustainable alternatives for these banned products but we predict this shift in behaviour will also become the norm across other areas of our life. This ban will force a change in mindset around sustainability and create a greater conversation and awareness around the repercussions of our buying habits on the environment.

Circular economy

We've seen this first hand at the shop. People are moving towards refill options for everyday products including cleaning products, hand sanitiser and even hair and skin care. Circular economy products are a great way to reduce packaging which is one of the main culprits of waste pollution. The pandemic shone a bright light on the convenience of refilling since you are able to refill and store products in larger quantities, reducing your trips outside the house. While this has been great during lockdown, we predict that this refill culture will continue to grow as more people discover the convenience and positive environmental impact of refill products.

100% recyclable

Realistically plastic is not going anywhere for a while because of its economic benefits for large organisations like Coca Cola and Unilever. However, because of consumer demands for these organisations to make drastic changes and move towards a sustainable approach we're seeing the rise of 100% recyclable plastics. Brands including Dove and Coca Cola have pledged to drop their current plastic packaging for fully recyclable packaging. We've also seen sustainable brands like Ecover use recycled and recyclable packaging. We predict that more companies will join the recyclable club as consumers continue to shun products in non-recyclable packaging for sustainably conscious brands.

Not all cleaning products are clean

Cleaning and housework is part of adult life (some love it, some hate it). I particularly hate it when I buy a product only to realise that while it's keeping my apartment spick 'n' span its having a nasty impact on the environment.

Some conventional cleaning products and accessories have a bad rep in the sustainability community - and for good reason. The plastic packaging, the toxic chemicals, the greenhouse gases and the micro-plastics are a recipe for disaster. When the residues from these products reach our oceans - whether its chemical or plastic - they are sadly ingested by marine life causing irreparable damage to the ecosystem.

Not only are they extremely detrimental to the environment they're not great for you either - from hormonal problems to respiratory issues the list goes on and on...

Its not all gloom and doom however. There are green options out there that do as great a cleaning job than their non-eco cousins - if not better. So to help you out we've linked our favourite cleaning accessories and products in store below.

As part of our Plastic Free July initiatives we're also offering 10% discount on the Iron & Velvet and Ecococonut ranges when you come in store this week and deposit 3 pieces of plastic waste you've picked up from the ground for recycling. Let's keep our little island clean.

What are you favourite cleaning swaps and tips?

Links to the above products starting top left:

1. Marseille soap

2. Laundry strips

3. Steel scourers

4. Compostable cleaning cloths

5. Refillable floor cleaner

6. Cleaning pouches

7. Coconut bottle brush

The buck stops with us

Its 4.30am and I can’t get my mind off this week’s BBC article with Coca Cola’s Head of Sustainability, Bea Perez.

Amidst emergency climate change conversations at Davos, Perez told the BBC that the drinks giant won’t remove single use plastic bottles since ‘customers still want them’. This right here folks is a perfect example of why consumers - us - need to use our buying power to exert pressure on companies like Coca Cola to make a change.

Let’s put things into perspective.

Coca Cola alone produces three million tonnes of plastic packaging a year; imagine the collective amount of plastic produced by the other manufacturing giants that end up in landfill and our oceans. Now while Coca Cola has said that it pledges to recycle as many bottles as it produces by 2030 there is no guarantee that the majority of these bottles will continue to make their way to the landfill (and let’s face it 2030 is also too far of a goal to even start to make a difference).

Imagine if Coca Cola - named 2019’s worst polluters - is swayed to move away from plastics by consumers, what impact this would have on the environment and the rest of the business community. Frankly, companies like Coca Cola with resources and dollars available to them should be focusing their efforts on research into alternative sustainable materials to plastic and not giving us wishy washy ten year deadlines to increase recycling efforts.

If large multinationals put a fraction of their resources towards research funding we may be able to resolve this plastic problem. However, as seen with Bea Perez and her simple statement, consumer behaviour dictates their business agenda.

If companies won’t make the change by themselves, the buck stops with us. We have voting power. We can exert pressure for change with our buying habits. Our money is our power and we decide who we give it to and which companies we support.

So will you continue to support companies like Coca Cola that shamelessly contribute towards our world’s fast deterioration or will you take a stand with your actions?

It's up to you.