We’re very lucky because we’ve been given a lot of our children’s clothes which is one of the benefits of being the last one of my friends and family to have kids.

I love that some of my girls’ favourite outfits were worn by their big cousins too. That’s why I love this photo because of the clothes our youngest is wearing as they’re over 10 years old. The outfit originally belonged to my eldest niece who’s now 19 (that makes me feel really old!!). It was then passed on to my youngest niece, then my eldest daughter, and now my youngest.

In a world of fast fashion where we’re encouraged to buy all of the latest trends each season, even for young kids, I’m very proud that most of the clothes my girls wear belonged to other kids before them.

When I was a kid, wearing second-hand clothes had a stigma attached to it so I’m pleased the tide is changing on that.

I’m very grateful to my big sis, best friend, and our neighbour who have all passed on clothes. The clothes bring back memories for everyone and it’s lovely to see the treasured pieces having a new lease of life.

Eco-friendly clothing

But perhaps the most important aspect of hand-me-down clothes is the benefit to the environment. The fast fashion industry is one of the biggest consumers of water and is believed to be responsible for around 10% of global carbon emissions. That’s more than all maritime shipping and international flights combined.

Fast fashion copies catwalk styles and involves quick design, production, distribution and marketing of clothing which is delivered to consumers at a low price. Analysis and research carried out shows the devastating environmental impact this type of fashion has from drying up water sources to polluting rivers and streams.

And because the industry has a quick turn-around of pieces that aren’t necessarily created to last, a large percentage of it ends up in landfill.

So, what’s the alternative?

There isn’t a quick fix, but changing the way we buy clothes is where it starts. Buying quality items that will last reduces the volume of waste.

KiDSiE

One company that is offering a different buying option is KiDSiE. They are a premium outlet for top-quality children’s clothing and toys at discounted prices because they are either ex-display, end-of-line, returns, clearance, and gently used products.

Everything is in great condition saving you money, and keeping clothes and products out of landfill. They’ve partnered with leading brands and High Street names to create positive change in the way we buy that is kinder to the environment.

KiDSiE believes that sustainability and affordability can go hand-in-hand which helps us to build a better future for our children. They’re on a mission to make parenting easier, more affordable, and sustainable for everyone.

Head over to the KiDSiE’s website and if you spot some things you love, make sure you use my code WMAW10 which gives you a 10% discount. I get paid a fee if you buy, but that’s not why I’m telling you about them. I’m part of the KiDSiE collaborative as I love the ethos behind the company and am passionate about finding ways we can all shop in a more sustainable way.

 Head to the Eco-Friendly Changes section to get more tips and advice about living in a more sustainable way.

The consumption of single-use plastics is at an all-time high. Globally we produce around 370 million metric tons of plastic a year, huge amounts of which end up as waste. These often end up in land fill sites and polluting are waterways, causing catastrophic damage to marine life.

A lot of single-plastic use comes from a desire for quick and easy solutions to help us through our day. Things like straws, coffee cups, food containers and wet wipes may make our lives easier, but they clog up our bins and add to the ever-increasing mounds of waste in our environment.

Making eco-friendly swaps that are kinder to the world we live in doesn’t mean spending more money. Although the initial outlay will be more than a single-use product, in the long run it often works out being cheaper. Here are four easy swaps you can make that won’t break to bank and will help to reduce the amount of waste your household generates:

Re-use hot drink cups

We use and discard approximately 2.5 billion coffee cups in the UK every year. Only around 1 in 400 are recycled. That’s a lot of waste. Getting into the habit of taking a refillable cup with you every day can take a while. But it’s definitely worth the effort.

Most coffee shops will let you use your own cup (as long as it’s clean!) so it just takes a bit of planning to make sure you’ve got it with you every day. There are lots of stylish eco-friendly reusable cups on the market, such as these gorgeous William Morris design ones from The Real Bamboo Company. Or these practical cups from JJ Wonderland Co that have handles making them easier to carry.

I guess the only dilemma then is which reusable cup to buy!

Milk bottles

Plastic milk bottles are currently accounts for around 10% of all plastic used. Whilst every type of plastic can, technically, be recycled, not all of it is. Whether a particular type is recycled depends on economic and logistical factors.

The plastics used to make milk and soft drinks bottles are the most widely recycled. But in the UK, each local authority decides which materials they recycle. Some widely recycle plastic. Some don’t. So you’ll need to check with your local council to find out whether they recycle plastic milk bottles.

The best way of making sure the bottle you get your milk in doesn’t add to the volume of waste we create is to use bottles that can be used time and time again. A glass milk bottle is the traditional way milk was delivered to households up and down the country since the late 1800s. The rise of the supermarket so the use of the milkman demise, but there’s recently been a rise in their popularity again.

Easy eco-friendly swaps: Milk deliveries

We started using a milkman again during lockdown. Milk was one of the things that often sold out in supermarkets. Having our milk delivered helped me feel a bit more in control of what felt a very out of control situation. And the fact that it came from a local farm and was delivered in eco-packaging was a huge bonus.

On average, a milk bottle is used 13 times before it’s recycled. Recycling glass in the UK saves enough energy to launch 10 space shuttle missions. Every tonne recycled saves 246kg of CO2 emissions, and the process uses less energy than it does to create new glass.

So, getting your milk delivered by a milkman is win-win. There are lots of local and national diaries that deliver not just milk, but fresh produce like milk, fruit and vegetables too.

We currently use The Modern Milkman and have done for a while now. I like the fact that I can change our order up to 8pm the night before our delivery. And the range of products they deliver is gradually increasing. We got vegetables for our Christmas dinner delivered a couple of days before the big day last year. They were great value for money, delicious and meant I had one less thing to worry about.

If you’d like to try the Modern Milkman, use this link to get £5 off your first three orders (minimum order may apply). I also get a voucher if you sign up using my link.

Reusable wipes

A lot of reusable wipes contain traces of plastic. That means they end up in landfill sites or in our waterways causing untold damage to marine life. Wipes that are flushed down the loo create fatbergs in our sewers which cause damage to our infrastructure. If you’d like to read more about the devastating impact the use of single-use wipes has, this article sets it all out clearly.

Replacing single-use wipes with reusable fabric ones is better for the environment, cheaper in the long run, and they look so much nicer! We sell a range of sizes of reusable wipes that we make using lots of end of line fabrics that would otherwise end up in the bin. That means they’re unique as well as stylish and kinder to your skin and the environment. Head over to our shop to see the full range and buy reusable fabric wipes.

Eco-friendly swaps: Reusable shopping bags

It’s a fact that you can never have too many bags. Unless they’re single use ones. Hopefully, the days of single-use plastic bags are long gone. In their place are a range of bags that we can reuse each time we shop.

You can buy multi-use plastic bags at the checkout of your favourite supermarket. Or pick up a more stylish fabric one. With so many to choose from at a range of price points, there really is no excuse for not having one in your handbag every time you go shopping.

Buying a reusable bag is an easy way of supporting lots of different charities too. There’s something to suit every style. I love these cute panda bags sold by WWF that are made from four recycled water bottles. And these ones sold by the British Red Cross take recycling to a whole new level. They are made by Trashy Bags Africa which is a Social Enterprise, using over 25 used plastic water sachets.

The sachets are the single largest source of drinking water in Ghana. Managing the waste presents an enormous challenge which is where Trash Bags Africa comes in. They collect over 200,000 plastic water sachets every month and upcycle them into wonderful, new products.

Head over to the Waste Not and Be Mindful to get more tips about small changes we can make that are kinder to the environment. If you’d like to read more articles about adoption and parenting, head over to the blog.