3 ways you can be environmentally friendly on a budget

Being environmentally friendly is typically expensive. You hear everyone who cares about the environment yelling on their social media about how the government should change it’s extortionate cost, but the prices stay high.

​So, here’s a short guide on how you can actually do something without making too large a dent in your wallet.

Stop contributing to fast fashion

I know, I know, the sale at Primark is just so tempting. But, let’s be honest, that shirt won’t last over a year. Or, the one time it does, your style will have changed so you'll want to get rid of it anyway. Charity shops are the boring answer, and it’s not very accessible for people with different body types or a unique style. Yes, we know that we can go to their online stores for a slightly wider range, but that still isn’t enough for a lot of us. Depop and ebay are expensive and full of scammers...
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So, try a clothes swap. Some people do these in their friend groups, others find groups of fellow minded individuals to swap with on various social media platforms. There are even businesses charging a small fee to do the work for you. It might be a big change to some, but think of it as killing two birds with one stone. Not only are you getting a bunch of new clothes that you’ve chosen for yourself, but you’re also getting rid of the ones that were just taking up space in your wardrobe at the same time.

Go solid

Keeping a good quality skincare and bath routine is so difficult on a budget. And all the affordable skincare products are awful for the environment. The way past this issue is an infuriatingly simple one: go solid. Solid products use so much less plastic packaging, sometimes none at all, and they last so much longer. Your average shampoo bar will last you an entire year. Suddenly the £3.50 per bar doesn’t sound quite so extortionate… 

A great example of going solid is Smol’s cleaning products. They have laundry detergent, fabric softener, dishwasher tablets and surface sprays, but the best part? They’re posted to you. They come as a solid, little pill and you just add water. I will happily admit that it brings out the child in me to watch the colour spread through the bottle like some kind of budget wizard film. The starter pack comes with a bottle for life that you never need to throw away or change, and you can subscribe so you don’t even need to remember to order more. No cancellation fees if you don’t want to continue, but personally I can’t see why you wouldn’t. 

For even more of an incentive, use the code Push3  for 9 free capsules + 20% off your first paid pack.

Cook from scratch, not a plastic tub

This is the one I might lose you at. Yes, I know that cooking from scratch is time consuming, but it’s usually so much less expensive, and is far better for the environment. Every single piece of plastic that’s ever been made still exists today. How many microwavable meals, chinese takeaways and pre-chopped carrot sticks is that for you? And, hey, if you’re feeling really bold, why not have a vegetarian meal once a week? That’s incredibly beneficial for the environment and healthy for you too.

The main take away from this, is that there are plenty of little changes that you can make without having to spend half your student allowance. And, yes, you won’t be the perfect no-waste social media guru, but who cares? You’re making a change for the better and just because you aren’t changing everything, doesn’t mean that one change you do make is any less beneficial. 

Author

Kitkat Anderson graduated from ACM in 2019 with a business degree. At university, she was chief editor and a top writer for the university ezine. In her spare time, she also enjoys creative writing, both poetry and prose. She spent a lot of time growing up in youth drama and music groups, and has never been afraid to be outspoken, which perhaps led her to performance poetry! Kitkat strongly believes that it is okay to make mistakes, as long as you learn from them. She feels there is a lot of pressure to be perfect, which is not healthy or realistic, especially for young people. ​