Three Small Changes You Can Make Towards an Ethical Life – Rachel Whitty

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For today’s blog post Waterford Institute of Technology arts student, Rachel Whitty, shall be sharing 3 tips on changes you can make to live a more eco-ethical life!

Have you ever wondered why we purchase certain brands or products? Is it out of necessity or because we are being influenced to buy the product? The answer is both.

In today’s world there is no escaping the power of online influencers. The copious amounts of paid endorsements and partnerships being displayed on social media is hard to ignore. However, there are some things we can do to make better choices for ourselves and the environment, despite the influence of others.

Before you buy a Starbuck’s coffee to take with you as you stroll around the high street shops to spot the newest trends coming into stores, think twice about choosing where you will spend your money.

How easy are you willing to hand over those precious euros for a ‘look’ we’ve internalized from imagery of people we barely know?

So, here’s three small changes that any adult can make to their lifestyle and make a huge difference for everyone involved…

1. Bring Your Own Mug

It may seem like a hassle to carry with you at first, and maybe it is a bit more convenient to just buy a coffee to go and dump the cup after. But what if you could save money by just bringing your own cup to the shop?

A new incentive is being put into place around coffee franchises in Ireland where, by bringing your own reusable cup you could save 10-30 cents per coffee or get your loyalty card double stamped.

Savings and your coffee will stay hotter for longer, it’s a win-win situation really!

2. Invest in Reusable Bottles 

Investing in a reusable bottle not only helps save the sealife, but it will also save you money and your health! Most reusable water bottles come BPA Free, which means they are lacking in the chemical bisphenol A. This chemical can be found in plastic and has been said to cause serious hormonal issues.

If that’s not enough to sway you, the average reusable bottle costs less than €5, which equates to two or three separate bottles. Over a span of time, you could be saving yourself money, getting clearer skin and saving the planet!

3. Swap Disposables for Cloth

For all the parents or guardians out there, do yourselves a favour and research cloth nappies compared to disposables. Not only are they a more eco-ethical purchase, but they are far less expensive even with the factored in costs of washing (according to

Faeces take a minimum of two to three months to break down, if not longer, and can pose a hazard to another human should they encounter it. Nappies, on the other hand take 450 years to decompose in landfills and during this time they can alter the microbial situation of groundwater that is filtered and distributed.

By swapping to cloth nappies, the harmful contribution to the environment is lessened and the money saved is nothing short of a godsend to new parents/guardians!

“The earth is what we all have in common”

– Wendall Barry

Think twice about your daily choices, as they are where the largest impacts occur. It takes getting used to, but the efforts will be worth it! – Rachel

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