Buy & Live With The Earth In Mind
The Sarvin quick guide to shopping & living sustainably
Buy & Live With The Earth In Mind. Here at Sarvin, we are deeply concerned with doing our best to limit our impact on the environment. From our Zero Waste policy & collaborations to our Sustainable design process and eco-friendly recycled collection. We strive to reduce our impact whenever and wherever possible.
However, you can always do more! So we have developed a quick guide to help you reduce your impact as much as possible with some quick and easy changes.
Firstly, only buy what you need! When it comes to clothing, we know this can be hard as we all love to shop, and of course, the most sustainable item of clothing is the one already in your wardrobe.
That being said, sometimes you want something new! In these situations, we recommend buying clothing from sustainable and ethical brands, and when that is not an option make smart buying choices. Try to focus on buying timeless and high-quality pieces that you can wear for years.
All of our Sarvin pieces are designed to fit this criteria and are made in the UK from high-quality materials. However, if you want to reduce your impact further, make a conscious choice to shop from our eco-friendly collection. Including our Shay, Verdant, Larica, Aria, and Nina dresses.
But this is just where to begin! Your environmental impact extends well beyond your wardrobe, so here are some other quick changes you can make that will not cost the earth but might help to save it!
Make sure you recycle your household waste!
It sounds simple, but it is an aspect many people still struggle with, so make sure you know what you can recycle and which bin to put it in. Start with the basic categories of food, plastic, paper, tin & glass and of course a general bin for all the nasties you still cannot recycle yet. With practice & research when you are unsure, you will soon learn what you can recycle, and of course, if you want to recycle even more please do! There are plenty of brilliant companies who offer collection services and recycling alternatives if your local councils' current measures do not meet your recycling needs! For more information on Recycling in your area click here...
Buy reduced packaging & refillable products where possible e.g. loose fruits & vegetables and refillable hand wash and detergents.
A simple change, that can have a huge impact! Choose those loose bananas instead of the ones wrapped in plastic. Some supermarkets now even offer reusable mesh produce bags if you want to keep your products secure in your basket. Likewise, many brands now offer refills for their most popular products, and most towns have eco stores that offer refills for all the basic products you need. Bring your container and top up on the essentials like hand wash, washing up liquid, laundry detergent and dry goods such as pasta and rice, etc.
Buy reusable products such as water bottles, coffee cups, wash clothes & makeup rounds.
These products do not have to be expensive and will save you money in the long-run, reducing the need to buy new bottles of water and makeup wipes whilst also reducing your impact. Our personal favourites include Chilly’s bottles which keep your water cool for 24hrs and Stojo collapsible coffee cups, so still have plenty of room in your bag! (Cheaper alternatives available) And reusable makeup rounds that you wash with your laundry! Other switches you can make to reduce your impact are plastic-free earbuds & bamboo toothbrushes.
Use a Plastic Micro Fibre Wash Bag
These nifty mesh bags are designed to capture any plastic microfibres that come off your clothing during washing. Plastic Micro Fibres enter our waterways when polyester (plastic-based) clothing is washed and has been found in many species of animals from fish and crustaceans to birds and mammals. They are so widespread in our ecosystems that they have now even been found in human tissue samples, a secret form of pollution all around us.
Reduce your weekly meat & fish intake, try to make two vegetarian or plant-based dinners a week to get started!
The switch to a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is not compatible with everyone, but if you want to reduce your impact, start by switching out two dinners per week for veggie-based options. Check out BBC Good Food as a free resource for some great Vegetarian recipes!
Buy local- support local businesses & reduce the carbon footprint of what you consume!
Learn to support your small local businesses and boutiques by seeing what options they have available. If free time is your issue, check out their websites, many will offer delivery or click & collect options like other larger businesses! Highly important for food produce local stores often stock goods from your local producers and allow you to shop more seasonally. This change letting you find delicious produce right on your doorstep, whilst also reducing your impact!
Check local websites, magazines and Facebook pages for local businesses. Try searching for local veg boxes, farmers markets or farm shops in your area. Alternatively online resources such as https://www.findlocalproduce.co.uk/ to help find local producers by area.
We hope you have found these tips helpful & inspiring!
If everyone does their bit we can all slowly make our world a more sustainable place...