Swap plastic for a Reusable CupPexel

Going Beyond Recycling Towards Less Plastic

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Sussex Green Living is appealing to the public to keep going with a plastic free life in 2026 and beyond. 

Why is recycling plastic not enough? While some of the plastic we recycle is turned into new products, much of it is exported or incinerated. Although energy recovery from burning plastic is often counted within waste management, plastic is made from fossil fuels that took millions of years to form, so burning it is not a sustainable solution. The biggest climate impact, however, comes long before plastic reaches us. According to the OECD, around 90% of greenhouse gas emissions from plastics occur during production and manufacturing.   Read more

How growing your own food benefits health, wallet and environment

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There is something very satisfying about growing your own food whether it’s from seeds or from seedlings bought from a garden centre. Both rewarding and sustainable, it also connects us with the rhythms of nature and can save money. It can also be a little challenging or frustrating at times, but this makes the reward of harvesting, cooking and eating your home grown produce all the more gratifying and much tastier than supermarket vegetables. 

To start with, you really need the right location. Most vegetables require at least 6 hours of direct sunlight each day to grow properly. Without this, seedlings will become tall and spindly or ‘leggy’ and susceptible to disease. Good drainage is also essential. Over-watering can cause seedlings to rot or ‘damp off.’  Shelter from strong winds is also important, when growing delicate plants outside.  Read more

watering canPexel

How can we not have enough water when it rains all the time?

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Water is something many of us in the UK rarely think twice about. It falls generously from the sky in March and April, and flows effortlessly from our taps, but behind that everyday convenience is a growing challenge. Even though it might feel like it’s always raining, the water isn’t always going where it’s needed or staying around long enough to be beneficial. This is why we face hose-pipe bans in summer and why water scarcity in the UK is an increasing concern. The average person in the UK uses around 140 litres of water every day, far higher than in the 1960s.  Read more

Second-Hand, First Choice: Vinted Saves Money and the Planet

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In a world of fast fashion, how can we buy sustainable clothing that is also affordable? Is Vinted the answer to saving our pockets and the planet? Everyone loves a bargain, and it’s an even bigger win when buying cheap clothes doesn’t have to compromise on quality and style. Vinted is very user-friendly for both buying and selling second-hand clothes, so you’re sure to find what you’re looking for!

Vinted is perfect for saving money as a buyer and making money as a seller and I would  recommend it to everyone – whatever age, gender or style. In the UK, nearly one-quarter of the population use Vinted and I am one of them. I now buy all my clothes on Vinted and can always find what i’m looking for and at a huge discount! It’s also a great side hustle for me too. I’m able to list all my unwanted clothes in a quick and easy process to make a bit of extra cash, with no extra shipping costs for me!

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From Donation to Dump: The Environmental Cost of Charity Shop Surplus

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You know that big bag of old clothes you dropped off at the charity shop after having a wardrobe declutter? You probably felt a warm glow of generosity by donating your unwanted bits to a good cause (and it’s probably also a relief to get all that clutter out of sight by conveniently handing it all over to someone else, right?). What if I told you that only between 10% and 30% of second-hand donations are resold in store. What happens to all the rest?

The clothes that charity shops can’t sell are taken away and in the UK, 70% of used clothing is exported to the Global South. Once there, many clothes end up in landfills or incinerated. This has major impacts on health and the environment, including water pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, worsening the strain on countries already struggling with waste management infrastructure. Read more

Fast Fashion – When your t-shirt costs less than your coffee

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The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of annual global carbon emissions, and 20% of global waste water. In the UK we buy more clothes per person than any other country in Europe and an estimated £140 million worth goes to landfill every year. Simple changes to how we buy and dispose of our clothing can have a huge impact on both the planet and also save us money.

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Home Grown VegetablesSussex Green Living

How to Store Food to Prevent Waste

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We are all guilty of wasting food but did you know that 25% of food wasted in UK households is due to cooking, preparing or serving too much? This costs us £3.5 billion a year. So being savvy with our food can prevent waste and save us money, not to mention the benefit to the environment. About 6%-8% of all human-caused greenhouse gas emissions could be reduced if we stop wasting food.

Here are some ideas to get you started…

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New Year New Green Resolutions

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New year resolutions

© Marekuliasz from Getty Images via Canva.com

New year is often a time for reflection and making resolutions. I always start the year with good intentions but find it’s hard to keep them up when things get busy. This year I’m looking to put in place some changes that are easy wins. If you too are in that frame of mind right now, here are some ideas I found for making 2023 a little greener for you and your family.

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Protecting the Battery Life

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Repair Cafe

“The battery won’t charge…” We hear these words very often at the Horsham Repair Cafe. It’s true that batteries don’t last forever, but we can make a drastic difference to its life expectancy. The original hybrid car, the Toyota Prius, uses a large traction battery.  Many are still running 20 years later.  So, how can the Prius keep the battery working efficiently for 20 years when some phone batteries only last three? Why do some household battery devices (vacuum cleaners for example) sometimes become useless after two years?

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Christmas Present IdeasSussex Green Living

Christmas Money Saving Ideas

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Christmas wrappingLast Christmas we bought 226,800 miles of wrapping paper, 5.3 million artificial trees, 6.8 million real trees and £42 million of unwanted toys. As we continue to tighten our belts, we look at ways to reduce the waste from Christmas so we can have a more sustainable Christmas, that costs less for the planet and for our pockets. Read more