5.18 kWp PV systems (3.68 E/W & 1.5 E).
Solar iBoost+ to two immersion heaters on 350L thermal store.
100% composted food waste
Mini orchard planted and vegetable allotment created.
Vegan Living & Ethical Buying
Comments
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squirrelgirl wrote: »Hi,
I'm not sure if there is a thread which covers this already but I am a vegan who tries to consume as ethically as possible and wondered if there is anyone else out there trying to do the same thing in as much of a money saving way as possible!??
I have recently had an increase in income and have therefore decided that from this day forward I will no longer purchase anything from any organisation that doesn't produce their goods ethically. It means that I will no longer use supermarkets; will either buy fresh products from a local organic box scheme or local organic producers; toiletries, household products and dry/tinned goods will be from a wholesale cooperative or a local health food shop.
Tomorrow I will look at a greener energy provider- I can't afford solar panels at the moment but I can look at renewable electricity suppliers. I already bank with an ethical bank and am basing all my choices on ratings via the ethical consumer website.
I know that this isn't going to be easy, not using any mainstream shops is going to take a lot of planning but I think its worth doing and hope that I'm not alone!! :rotfl:
Hey, I absolutely love your message and I too can relate to it!
Firstly I have to say a huge congrats for doing this and we need more people like you. The key thing is, it's not a race. We can all make small changes incrementally, slowly and at our own leisure.
So I have been raised a vegetarian my entire life which is like 30 years and I decided to go vegan 2 years ago. I also made the decision about being more conscious about the way I shop wanting it to be as ethically produced as possible.
I have stopped shopping at the likes of Primark even though it's affordable because of fast-fashion and its impacts on the environment. Also, the fact that their goods are made unethically in sweatshops. In recent months I have purchased ethical vegan fashion albeit it's slightly more expensive - https://veenofs.com/
In terms of groceries, I find it difficult to buy everything from a local store, but around 50% of it is. The other 50% is Lidl as the fruits, veg and almond milk is so cheap! The one change I haven't made yet is the energy but will do this when I get a chance.
I also like supporting smaller businesses e.g when I grab a coffee on the go, instead of Costa or Starbucks, I'll try and find a smaller company if the option is there.
I would love to hear from you with your ideas, suggestions and how you're getting on!0 -
Welcome aboard Fred!
It's 3 years now since I started this thread and thankfully, I can use my fingers to count how many times I've had to use a supermarket since! :j I've had to be very organised and also build storage space in my home to be able to achieve this but it's definitely been worth it.
It's not a cheap way of living at all -I've spoken to a number of friends and colleagues over the years and know that my expenditure on goods is dramatically higher as a result of the choices I make - however, for me, it makes sense to do so.
I am extremely fortunate that I live in the country and there are a lot of organic and veganic gardeners who sell excess produce - this has been a real bonus!
I invested in an excaliber dehydrator about 15 years or so ago and it has been a real help - when
I get loads of fresh produce in the spring and summer, I am able to store lots for the winter months (along with using my freezers) and make stock powder, dried herbs etc. Dehydrated strawberries are the best sweeties on the planet!!
I also make my own sauces, jams, breads, cordials, flavoured balsamics, pastas, seitan etc which means that as long as the basic ingredients are from an ethical source, I don't need to do an awful lot of research on end producers - some of the brands marketed as 'ethical' are owned by conglomerates which are anything but!!
I think that the thing I have found most shocking (and in all fairness, amusing!) is the occasional animosity I've encountered from some people - regardless of my own choices, I'm not someone who preaches or judges so why they feel the need to defend the choices they make with such vitriol is beyond me! :rotfl:
Ultimately, I'm incredibly fortunate to be able to make the purchasing choices I make - when my budget was considerably smaller, I did what I could - having been an animal rights activist and environmentally aware since I was a young teenager, I've lived my entire adult life as ethically as I've been able to afford so agree entirely that small changes are important
The thing that helped me the most was working out exactly what I used over the first year of this journey - this enabled me to order a years worth of dried/bottled/packaged/tinned/household goods and toiletries at a time which saved on money, packaging and the environmental impact of transport - it did mean that the storage issue had to be resolved though! Thankfully I have been renovating my house over the past year so this increase in storage was included in the plans!
Next year I will have more time at my disposal so will be able to grow more produce and make even more from scratch so I'm looking forward to it!
Good luck with your own journey and let me know how you're getting on!1 -
Wow! Where has the last month gone!!!? pale_ I can't believe it's almost solstice!
I've had a rethink on the garden, we've made the decision that we're going to get it done next winter - financially it makes more sense and I can minimise the expenditure if we do more groundwork ourselves. It means that I will need to grow things in pots and have a limited variety of things - I'm also fairly sure that if I clear a few shrubs and trees into pots too, I'll clear enough ground for some squash, sweetcorn and beans. I'll clear the greenhouse and sort the new glass (panes blew out with the wind earlier this week) so that I can get tomatoes and aubergine started off in January
I'm looking forward to a another year of ethical living - I will definitely be focusing more on making as much from scratch as possible, eating as seasonally and locally as possible and growing as much as I can.
I'm happy with where I am at the moment but it's been a really hectic year which has made things tricky at times - next year I will have so much more time to myself I can pursue the things I love to do
It's going to be fun though!! :j1 -
I don't buy a lot, I think "less is more" in general but I try to support small ethical businesses as much as I can. The majority of their products are vegan and cruelty free.They are Uk based and seem to have a good ethos: https://www.earthbits.com0
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Hi Squirrelgirl, this is a lovely thread too. I am fortunate to live in a country area and feel I am a part of nature, so should try and live in harmony with her, polluting myself and the environment as little as possible. I too am quite happy to let others pursue whatever life course they choose, but used to feel embarrassed to admit to my eclectic choices and tried to conform to the norm!!
This environmentally conscious feeling has been growing strongly in me, over the past year, perhaps in response to movements, such as that promoted by Greta Thunberg, which I think are affecting the collective unconscious and many young people..
I will be making more, gradual changes over the year. Thank you for some ideas.0 -
I've not been around here much lately, but wanted to update that I've finally managed to get a renewable electric supplier. We also switched our gas cooker for a new electric cooker. Much faster cooking, and with our new energy supplier using it supports wind power, not gas.Getting a new large appliance and replacing some pans (induction hob doesn't work with all pan types) did raise some important environmental concerns however. I struggled to find data, but I'm sure making a cooker and pans comes with a decent sized environmental impact. I tried to minimise this by buying a new, but slight second cooker with a minor blemish rather than just totally new. The old cooker has been passed on to someone who will use it - but I doubt nowhere near as much as we would have (I develop recipes). The replacement pans were a mix of new and second hand where possible.How we use energy needs to change, but that has limits unless we replace some items we use. Shifting less efficient and more polluting devices to people who need them - but will use them less - is one way to lighten the impact. But I'm curious if anyone else has other ideas how to do this?2
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I think it's just a case of reducing use where possible and when we replace things make sure they are as animal/ environmentally friendly as possible Ben- I think there are pros and cons to any approach in all honesty - just do what makes the most sense to you! I've spent hours researching various ways to reduce my footprint but much of it can be contradictory- I just go with whatever has the least impact/best outcome for animals - it may not always be the best environmental choice or the best choice for workers conditions but I am happy with the priority I have chosen.
So, I have become even more conscious of not wasting any food with the current insanity that has swept the nation - it has led to some really tasty but random meals!! 😂 I've stopped meal planning - I'm just getting whatever fresh veg is available (thankfully being rural and having a number of farm shops locally helps ) then cooking around that. I am enjoying the mash up of flavours and the creation of it all - it's always been one of my favourite pastimes! 😁
Hopefully everyone is well and finding ways to keep busy (or enjoying slobbing!! 😉😂)0 -
Any one else struggling to get hold of non-dairy milk? The hoarders seem to have snaffled the milk because it's long(er)-life, even though there are massive stocks of fresh cow milk sat there!! I guess though that by the end of the pandemic, these people may have gotten a taste for it and we get more plant-based diet people!1
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I had quite a bit in stock pile_o_stone so haven't been buying any recently 🤔 if you have nuts, seeds or oats (or soy beans obviously!!) then you could make your own until supplies return ...
I am concerned that I may have to use none organic veg & fruit in the future but I'm really hoping that I can keep it going as long as possible 🙈
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Pile_o_stone said:Any one else struggling to get hold of non-dairy milk? The hoarders seem to have snaffled the milk because it's long(er)-life, even though there are massive stocks of fresh cow milk sat there!! I guess though that by the end of the pandemic, these people may have gotten a taste for it and we get more plant-based diet people!
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