We had the pleasure to have Elinor who runs the @consciouslyelle Instagram account do a Q&A with us! Her account covers all positive news surrounding sustainability.

Elinor's background

I love spending time in nature - and that is where my path to consciously making better changes started. I am currently studying a Sustainability Masters which led me to create the account @consciouslyelle - something I never thought would grow as much as it did, and wow I am so lucky to have such a lovely community! I share happy eco news stories every Monday, as I believe in celebrating all wins, no matter now small they may seem.

For me, refilling is the way forward, however it's important to mention it's not always possible. It isn’t yet the norm in lots of places in the UK, including where I live now. I hope that changes in the future as by refilling we can save a whole lot of plastic and other waste that is detrimental to our planet.

Even though being able to recycle is wonderful, often our recycling is shipped overseas to other countries which don’t have the infrastructure to deal with it, or sometimes not recycled at all (if it is contaminated or the wrong products have been put in the wrong area). Which is why, if I can, I will try and refill over recycle. Refilling means less waste, and less energy has gone into creating something that is often single use!

Of course, Pott Candles ;)

But other than that:

Refillable deodrant - few great ones on the market at the moment like Wild and Fussy.

Cleaning products - lots send little tablets that dissolve in water to make a cleaning mixture! Check out Smol, Iron and Velvet, and Ocean Saver drops.

Food products - if you have a refillable food shop near you, I envy you!

Beauty products - a new area for me, as I tend to have my mums hand me downs.

Don’t ever be hard on yourself when trying to live more sustainably, make small changes that turn into long term habits - like remembering bags at the supermarket, buying secondhand when you can and using a reusable coffee/water cup.

Once they are second nature, you can add more sustainable changes into your life, but always remember, as much as we can do as individuals, big companies and governments also need to be held accountable. I would recommend following accounts that share petitions and raise awareness. Some brilliant people out there doing brilliant things!

My last piece of advice would be to spend time in nature, I know this probably isn’t the advice we all usually see for sustainability tips, however I believe in by spending time in nature we will be encouraged to protect it. It also is proven to have a huge amount of benefits for our health - which can only be a good thing!