I'VE ALWAYS HAD A PASSION FOR FINDING SOLUTIONS, PERHAPS IT'S THE VIRGO IN ME BUT I REALLY GET A KICK OUT OF WANTING TO HELP.
SUSTAINABILITY
BEING INSPIRED TO CHANGE IS ONE THING, SAYING it IS ANOTHER, BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE CHANGES WE NEED TO go all the way and take action. EASIER SAID THAN DONE, RIGHT?
I USED TO SIT ON MY SMALL FENCE WITH MY SMALL MINDSET THINKING "WHATEVER I DO WON'T MAKE AN IMPACT, HOW COULD LITTLE OLD ME HELP THIS HUGE PROBLEM CALLED CLIMATE CHANGE"? Pah! Look at me now...
TAKING CHARGE
I STARTED WITH MY HOME. I TOOK A BAG FOR LIFE AND SPENT A WEEK PUTTING NON RECYCABLES INTO IT. BEFORE THE WEEK WAS OVER, IT WAS FILLED. I FELT SICK. I HAD CHOSEN TO BUY SINGLE USE PLASTIC FOR MY CONVENIENCE. MY BROCCOLI DIDN'T NEED A RAINCOAT AND MY CUCUMBER CERTAINLY DIDN'T NEED A GIANT CONDOM TO KEEP IT SAFE!
SMALL CHANGES
A QUICK GOOGLE AND I DISCOVERED A COMPANY CALLED SMOL - THEY SUPPLY ECO FRIENDLY CLEANING PRODUCTS FOR YOUR HOME. I WAS SHOCKED TO DISCOVER THAT I USE UP TO 25 PLASTIC BOTTLES A YEAR just for surface sprays! LITTLE DID I KNOW I Could KEEP THE BOTTLE AND JUST ADD A SIMPLE TABLET, TOP UP WITH WATER AND RECEIVE THE SAME CLEANING RESULTS with so much less waste.
THE NEXT THING WAS the PLASTIC WRAP ON TOILET ROLLs. DID YOU KNOW THIS GENERALLY GOES STRAIGHT TO LANDFILL? ONLY A FEW COMPANIES actually RECYCLE THIS alongside PLASTIC BAGS. I WAS EXCITED TO DISCOVER THE CHEEKY PANDA - THIS FANTASTIC and RELIABLE COMPANY DELIVERS us (IN A RECYCLED BOX i might add) SUPER SOFT, SUPER STRONG AND PERFECTLY ARSE FRIENDLY toilet PAPER MADE FROM BAMBOO on a monthly basis. highly recommend, A FIRM FAVOURITE.
THESE SMALL CHANGES WERE THE START OF A much BIGGER PICTURE.
WOMAN IN CHARGE
WHEN I CREATED THE DIVINE REBELS MY RESEARCH SHOWED ME THE DAMAGE OF CONVENTIONAL COTTON AND PLASTIC MANUFACTURING. THE HUMAN ASPECT WAS just AS FRIGHTENING AS THE EFFECTS ON our PLANET. so the only way forward for me was to be sustainable, there's no #fastfashion here!
DID YOU KNOW THAT ABOUT 200,000 PEOPLE DIE EVERY YEAR FROM PESTICIDE POISONING WORLDWIDE?
FROM FIELD TO FASHION
WORKING WITH ONLY 100% ORGANIC COTTONS AND RECYCLED MATERIALS, THE BASE GARMENTS I CHOOSE ARE GROWN IN WAYS THAT DO NOT HARM PEOPLE, ANIMALS OR THE ENVIRONMENT. SUPPORTED BY THE FAIRWEAR FOUNDATION, EXTENSIVE AUDITS ARE REGULARLY CARRIED OUT TO ENSURE DECENT WORKING CONDITIONS AND NO CHILD LABOUR. Weheyyy i hear you say!
TRANSPARENCY IS KEY
AS A SELF TAUGHT FASHION DESIGNER MY FIRST METHOD OF PRINTING WAS USING HTV - A TYPE OF VinyL. I was super picky and chose my SUPPLIER WITH CARE and Used A BRAND WHICH IS VEGAN FRIENDLY AND USES NO HARSH CHEMICALS IN their PRODUCTION. I'm proud to say that TODAY I PRINT MANY OF MY DESIGNS USING EARTH FRIENDLY WATER BASED INKs, HAND MADE IN THE U.K.
HIGH FIVE FOR THE PLANET FOR EVERY ORDER THAT IS PLACED BY USING "Shop Pay AT CHECKOUT A TREE IS plantED ON YOUR BEHALF at no extra cost TO YOU.
PACKAGING
I LOVE RECEIVING PARCELS FROM SMALL BUSINESSES! THEY ARE WRAPPED WITH SO MUCH LOVE AND An absolute JOY TO OPEN. THE DIVINE REBELS PARCELS ARE cram packed with that SAME JOY, oh and ZERO WASTE. CAREFULLY PRINTED WITH SUSTAINABLE METHODS MY GLORIOUS NOTECARDS AND STICKERS ARE PRINTED BY THE FABULOUS STATIONARY BY HAZEL.
DID YOU KNOW? YOU CAN LINE YOUR FOOD WASTE BIN WITH MY POSTAL BAGS! they're FULLY BIODEGRADABLE BECAUSE THEY ARE MADE WITH CORN STARCH - TAH DAH.
THE FUTURE
CURRENTLY SUSTAINABILITY IS EXPENSIVE and we are all trying and LEARNING HOW TO FIX OUR BROKEN PLANET. THE COSTS IN INVENTION ARE HUGE, BUT THE MORE {WE} CHOOSE TO SHOP WITH A SUSTAINABLE MINDSET THE MORE AVAILABLE THESE PROCESSES WILL BECOME.
I HOPE YOU HAVE ENJOYED THIS BLOG AND FEEL EMPOWERED TO BRING MORE SUSTAINABILITY IN TO YOUR OWN HOMES.
FEEL FREE TO SHARE my sustainability story with the world, you never know you might inspire someone!