It is that time of year again. The hustle and bustle of the run up to Christmas can leave us feeling overwhelmed with the impending spend. Getting older seemed to chip away at the magic of this time and I had started to become disenchanted by it all; more things, more spending, more consuming, but at what cost?
Shop local
Bristol has a plethora of independent shops, and it is such a treat to the eye. Shopping local is an amazing way to be more environmentally friendly. Not only do you save on shipping costs and non-recyclable packaging, but you also give a chance to support small businesses. And they need our support more than amazon. In the first quarter of 2021, amazon made $837,330.35 PER MINUTE (Huddleson, 2021).
Look at these amazing earrings made from plastic bags! How creative! Get a pair at Future leap, Stokes croft... find them on Instagram below:
https://www.instagram.com/future_leap_hub/
There are so many hidden gems in Bristol and I still need to discover more. But here were some gems I found!
Buy second hand
We need to start changing the conversation with the fast fashion industry and how we think about clothes. In 2018, it was reported that the UK spends £27 billion pounds on clothes each year (O'Brien,2018). Around 300, 000 tonnes of used clothes are burned or buried in landfills each year (Lawson, 2020) Shopping second hand not only saves your purse string but saves the planet too. Win-win.
Use Less plastic
The amount of packaging and non-reusable packaging can sometimes feel inescapable. But it is not impossible. There are more and more brands that are adopting a more sustainable approach to packaging. And yes, some places do come at an extra cost, but commercial brands are doing this too, so try and find more products like this. Also, get into the habit of using recyclable wrapping! It looks cute and it is helping our planet!
Buying experiences
To avoid the accumulation of things, how about a gift an experience? Memories will last much longer than things. Bristol is an amazing place where there is always something going on. I have used 'Fever' a few times, and I would recommend it. Recently I went to watch a string quartet play Disney songs by candlelight, It was LUSH.
Have a search for some cool experiences here: https://www.instagram.com/fever_uk/
We cannot all be perfect, and nobody is expecting that. But what we should start to expect is for everyone to do what they can. Let stop and pause, let’s think about our decisions and how they are impacting the world around us. If we all do that, then maybe together, we can make that impact a positive one.
Season’s greetings from me to you.
References
By Sian Horton - Student Blogger for The Green Team
Thanks to funding and guidance from the Student’s Union, members of the Sustainability Committee hav
UWE Bristol, in partnership with The Students’ Union, is celebrating the renewal of its Fairtrade st
